The Pecron F3000 and Anker F3000 are two brand-new, very capable 3,072 watt-hour power stations. While they have a lot in common, they also have very different price tags.
So, the question is: which brand’s F3000 should you spend your money on? To find out, we put the Pecron F3000 and the Anker F3000 head-to-head. Let's compare these two power stations category-by-category and decide if you should buy This or That.
Before we put these two power stations head-to-head, let’s quickly review their side-by-side specifications:
If you want a more detailed breakdown of either of these units, we have have written separate reviews that discuss how they each performed:
But now that we’re familiar with the basic specifications, let’s jump into the first round of our This or That showdown:
As you can tell from our breakdown of the specs, these units start the fight neck-and-neck. They have the same battery capacity (3,072 Wh), same continuous inverter rating (3,600 W), and both handled surges well when we tested them (about 4,500 W for 10 seconds).
With pretty much nothing to separate either solar generator in our first three comparisons, we’ll just call this round a draw and give each of them three points.
The Anker F3000 has a higher total solar input. Where the Pecron supports solar charging at a maximum rate of 1,600W, Anker went with a dual-input approach. You get a 1,600W high voltage solar input, as well as an extra 800W low-voltage solar input.
The two inputs give you more flexibility, but since they can also be used at the same time, the Anker SOLIX F3000 has a total solar input of 2,400W. That extra 800W matters when you’re relying on solar panels to charge the battery off-grid.
Don’t get us wrong, Pecron’s single 1,600W solar input is solid for a unit of this size, but Anker clearly takes the point here.
Both charge at 1,800 W from a standard household outlet, but Anker’s ability to use an EV/generator adapter and push the AC charging up to 3,600 W is a clear advantage. Whether you just want to top up the battery as quickly as possible, or you want the flexibility to use a gas generator charge it up, it's a real advantage. Another point for Anker power station.
This round feels a bit harsh, as Pecron has definitely improved the sound levels for the F3000LFP compared to their previous models. We’ve even said in the past that one of the few things that lets the Pecron E3600LFP down is the irritating noise the inverter generates when it’s working hard, so it’s really encouraging that they made the F3000LFP quieter.
However, the Anker F3000 ran extremely quiet during our tests. Noise is also something Anker SOLIX has struggled with in the past, especially compared to power stations like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra and DJI Power 1000, so the extremely quiet operation you get with the F3000 is very encouraging.
If you are planning to run one of these two power stations inside your main living space, you’re definitely going to appreciate how quiet the Anker F3000 is. While it was close, Anker takes another point.
Pecron edges the functionality found. The Pecron F3000LFP packs an impressive five 120V AC outlets compared to the Anker F3000’s four. Even more importantly, all of the Pecron power station’s output ports are on the front panel. That makes the Pecron much more user-friendly in tight spaces, like when you put it in the trunk of a car, on a shelf, or even up against a wall.
One extra plug and front-facing ports may seem like insignificant advantages, but they offer genuine convenience when it comes to using the power station in the real world. A well-earned Point for Pecron.
Both units have reasonably good display screens that are easy to navigate. Alongside their respective apps, the display screens and buttons allow you to monitor and control the units with ease. As for the UPS functioning, we tested either unit out with a simulated power outage, and the UPS worked perfectly for both.
No clear advantage for either power station when it comes to UPS and basic display screen usability, so we'll call it a draw and give them each a point.
Anker seems to have invested in higher-quality plastics for their version of the F3000. Not only does it feel more durable, the unit itself features a sleeker exterior, which gives the unit a more premium look and feel.
Pecron introduced a bold new redesign for this power station, and we have to admit that it’s a huge step up over their older models. With that said, the Anker F3000 still feels nicer in hand and we think it would look better inside most homes and RVs. Honestly, this wasn’t overly surprising given that Anker makes some of the best-looking power stations in the entire solar industry.
Wheels + a suitcase handle = a clear win for the Anker F3000. Despite the fact that it’s heavier, it’s really easy to maneuver.
The Pecron F3000 is lighter (both in terms of weight and how it hits your wallet), but it doesn’t give you the rolling convenience that makes moving a 92 lb unit feel like a breeze. While Anker takes this point, it’s worth noting that the Pecron F3000 only weighs 63 lbs and has comfortable built-in handles, so it’s still really portable for a 3,600W power station.
If they were around when we compiled the list, we probably would have added both units to our Best Power Station for Camping Guide. Still, Anker takes another point.
The Anker SOLIX F3000 can be scaled up to 24 kWh by connecting two units with six expansion batteries. The Pecron F3000 tops out at just over 9 kWh, which can be achieved with a maximum of two expansion batteries.
If you’re planning a large home-backup or entire off-grid system, Anker’s higher ceiling is really meaningful. We also like that the Anker F3000 can grow with you over time. If you can only afford a single unit right now, you could just wait until your budget opens up to upgrade your system in the future. You can do the same with the Pecron F3000, but being able to go all the way up to 24,000Wh means you have way more potential with the Anker unit.
We have said for a while now that Anker SOLIX has some of the best customer support in the power station industry. Their American-based support performed extremely well when we mystery-shopped them, and we've pretty much always had a positive experience calling them.
We will say that Pecron’s customer support is improving, but it’s still far from the best out there, so Anker takes the point and continues its dominance.
It's also worth mentioning at this point that you can purchase either of these power stations through Shop Solar. Given that they have really solid customer support, we'd recommend it for anyone who values quality, long-lasting customer support.
If you watch our videos, you’ll know that there are a few features that Robbie is obsessed with. Both of these units have 12V car sockets, so Robbie is happy there, but only the Anker F3000 includes a built-in light.
Robbie says it all the time, but a built-in light is a tiny feature that really matters in real life scenarios, like retrieving your power station from a dark basement during a blackout.
Anker takes another point.
This is Pecron’s knockout punch: the Pecron F3000 is available for a ridiculously affordable price of just $999 versus the Anker F3000 price of $1,699. That’s a difference big enough to change a buying decision for many people.
Also worth noting: you can almost buy two Pecron F3000s for the price of one Anker F3000, which is an important real-world consideration. Two Pecron F3000LFPs would give you double the battery, double the inverter output, and redundancy for almost the same budget.
Pecron deservedly earned the point for price.
The Anker F3000 is the winner thanks largely to its more polished design, reduced noise, better portability, higher expandability, and much better customer support.
With that said, the Pecron F3000 is our budget champ. It delivers huge value, real surge headroom, and excellent kWh-per-dollar value. All things being equal, the Anker F3000 is the better unit, but price is always going to be a hugely important issue for a lot of buyers, so it’s difficult to write the F3000LFP off.
Quiet operation, better build materials, built-in handles and wheels, higher scalability (up to 24kWh), faster solar and AC charging, and top-tier support. If price is secondary and you value the premium experience, we’d say the Anker F3000 is the way to go
The best price for raw battery + inverter power, strong short-term surge capability, front-facing ports for tight spaces, and the ability to expand later without breaking the bank. If budget is the main constraint, or you’d rather two power stations for redundancy and flexibility, the Pecron F3000 is tough to beat.
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