Anker Solix C800 Plus review: Must-have for camping

Whether or not you’re out tenting or going through an sudden energy outage, the Anker Solix C800 Plus is a transportable energy station that helps you sort out all types of conditions. Its a number of ports, dependable output and versatile lighting make it an particularly affordable selection for outside actions. We have been testing this 768Wh moveable energy station for fairly a while, and the second has come to share our impressions.

Design, dimension and first impressions

Assume twice when you imagine the Solix C800 Plus will develop into your property’s subsequent accent. This station is primarily designed for outdoorsy customers. Why is that? Nicely, it has two tenting lights with three modes: flashlight, candlelight and floodlight, which make it stand out from choices with an identical 1200W (1600W surge energy) output, such because the Bluetti AC70.

You press a button to modify between these modes. The button on every unit additionally reveals its remaining battery life. What occurs when these lights run out of juice? You merely place them again contained in the station they usually’ll recharge by way of the charging pins (two for every gentle). Easy, handy and undoubtedly appreciated.

The 2 lights are housed contained in the station itself, tucked neatly on both sides of the telescope pole. The pole extends as a lot as 3.3 ft (1 m) and comes with a magnet on prime. The lights themselves are additionally magnetic for seamless connection to the pole, however you can even cling them for, say, lighting inside your tenting tent.

Apart from the helpful lights, the station principally follows the design structure of different Anker turbines. You might have a sturdy rectangular field measuring 14.61 x 8.07 x 9.96 in (371 × 205 × 253 mm) and weighing about 24 lb / 10.9 kg with two molded handles on prime. Outlet-wise, the unit has three 16A/250V AC retailers with 1200W max output on the entrance, plus:

We must always point out that our Solix C800 Plus is the European variant. Whereas our unit options three AC retailers, customers within the US get 5 10A/120V AC retailers, supplying you with a complete of 10 ports for various home equipment.

All sides of the station options cooling vents. You additionally get the mains enter, the reset swap, and the photo voltaic enter port on the left facet. The again of the Solix C800 Plus is obvious, and in contrast to the Delta 2, this massive buddy would not function growth choices.

Within the field, you get the photo voltaic generator, a consumer handbook, plus AC, automotive, and photo voltaic charging cables.

All the usual stuff is right here | Picture credit score — PhoneArena

Actual-life testing and app controls

Our expertise with the Solix C800 Plus has been pleasing, however not all that exceptional. Do not get us fallacious: the generator aced our exams, however we wouldn’t actually advocate it for dwelling use as a result of, clearly, it’s meant for tenting. 

So, what are you able to cost with it? Something from a transportable cooler to an electrical grill and past. You may take it on tenting journeys and let it cool drinks for nearly 13.5 hours in your moveable cooler (55W) or put together a sizzling cup of espresso on a 1.1kWh espresso maker. The station has adequate output to run a full-sized espresso machine for about half-hour, supplied you do not thoughts listening to the cooling followers run at max energy.

Our exams have additionally estimated you could cost:

As you may see from the outcomes above, this station’s 768Wh capability is adequate to final you at the very least two days out within the wild. After all, when you use it for extra power-hungry home equipment, you will need to prime it up before that.

Talking of top-ups, Anker has built-in an UltraFast charging know-how, permitting you to utterly replenish the station 0-100% in simply 58 minutes. You may allow the function by way of the Anker app. The generator additionally helps 300W of max photo voltaic enter, and you’ll cost it by way of your car by way of the 12V DC enter port.

What about app controls? The Anker app is fairly simple and means that you can view AC and DC enter and output throughout the totally different ports. You additionally get to regulate the show’s brightness ranges, modify the display screen and the unit’s timeout, change the system’s identify, and many others.

Pricing, availability, alternate options

Within the EU, the Solix C800 Plus prices €699, whereas US buyers can get it for $649. The mannequin can typically be discovered at discounted costs on the official Anker retailer or on Amazon. Like most choices on this class, you should purchase it individually or bundle it with a photo voltaic panel for extra sustainability. The unit has a five-year hassle-free guarantee, which is changing into a typical for moveable energy stations with LiFePO4 battery cells.

Whereas the Solix C800 Plus is an unbelievable selection for tenting, thanks primarily to its three-mode lights, the Bluetti AC70 is a superbly good various for dwelling use. The latter prices $699 and incorporates a increased output in surge mode, providing as much as 2000W lifting energy for heating units and extra.

The Bluetti station additionally helps expansions. It might attain as a lot as 3,840kWh capability with the B300 growth battery. Moreover, it helps 500W photo voltaic enter.

One other viable various might be the non-Plus Solix C800. This feature is sort of equivalent to the C800 Plus by way of output energy and rated capability. Nonetheless, it lacks the tenting lights and the telescopic pole. As an alternative, you get a storage resolution the place the lights are saved on the Plus mannequin. The bottom model can also be cheaper, retailing for $599.

Do you have to purchase the Anker Solix C800 Plus?

The Anker Solix C800 Plus is an choice we would principally advocate for outside actions. It isn’t that you just will not discover purposes for it at dwelling. Quite the opposite, it may possibly function a incredible backup dwelling energy resolution. However the factor is that you probably have no intention of utilizing the tenting lights, there’s actually no level in paying $50 extra for the C800 Plus. You may merely get the common Solix C800 and luxuriate in the identical expertise.