Anker Solix C300 DC Portable Power Station

Anker – one of the biggest names in mobile power banks for keeping your phone fully charged – is increasingly leveraging its battery expertise in the powerhouse space. With over a decade in the battery industry and over 200 million products sold, Anker knows a thing or two about mobile battery systems. The company recently announced some new entries in the Solix line, including the one I recently tried: Anker Solix C300 DC Portable Power Station.

Portable power for portable devices

I’ve been testing portable power stations for the better part of a decade, and there have been five big trends I’ve noticed during that time: larger capacity batteries, transition to safer and longer-lasting LiFePO4 batteries, higher power output, mobile app connectivity for remote statistics and inclusion of AC outlets.

The Solix C300 is marketed as a portable to keep your mobile devices charged while camping or during an emergency. It adopts these first four principles with a 288Wh LiFePO4 battery with 288Wh capacity, 300W peak power and wireless connectivity via Anker’s mobile app. However, this notebook (which is under 5 inches square and 7.9 inches tall) skips the AC outlet. So it’s pretty focused on charging or running mobile devices like phones, tablets, laptops and cameras – as well as USB-powered camping gear like a portable fan, cooler or air pump.

7 ports

The Solix C300 has a small footprint, but thanks to its height, there’s no shortage of charging ports. There are seven in total, with a pair of bidirectional 140W UBS-C ports, 100W USB-C, 15W USB-C, a 120W car adapter and a pair of 12W USB Type-A ports.

This is a pretty comprehensive collection, and these 140W USB-C ports are especially useful. Not only do they deliver enough power to run or charge most laptops, but they’re also bi-directional so the power station can use them to charge its own battery. Plugging into one of these ports to recharge (a USB-C cable is included, but you’ll need your own charger) took me the better part of an afternoon to recharge. However, Anker says that if you use both of those USB-C PD ports, the Solix’s battery can be charged to 80% capacity in just one hour. Other recharging options include plugging into your car or using an optional solar panel.

The multitude of ports can also be used to charge multiple devices simultaneously.

Anker Solix C300 Key Specifications

• 288Wh LiFePO4 battery with a maximum power of 300W
• 7 ports, including 2 x 140W bi-directional, fast charging USB-C with optional dual port fast recharge
• Built-in pop-up LED lighting
• Optional 100W solar recharge
• Built-in screen, mobile app
• Integrated carrying handle
• Smart temperature control, impact resistant
• Includes USB-C cable
• 4.9 x 4.7 x 7.9 inches, weighs 6.17 pounds
• MSRP $199.99 ($149.99 at time of publication)
• 3 year warranty

Smart (and useful) built-in traffic light

Most portable power stations today have a built-in LED light. Great idea, since light is always first on the list of must haves during a blackout. These are usually pretty basic offerings, though, more of a flashlight than a bulb replacement. The Anker Solix C300 goes beyond the basic functionality that most offer with its smart pop-up LED flashlight. A top panel extends to reveal a folding LED lantern with three different brightness levels. This provides bright, ambient lighting that can easily illuminate a small space. This feature is great for emergency lighting and could easily replace a traditional lantern when camping.

Anker doesn’t provide stats on how long the Solix C300 can keep this light on, but when I ran it for an hour on the lowest setting (still plenty of light as seen in my photos), the power station still showed 100% charge.

Portable

Battery powered power stations can get big – I’ve tested several that topped 100kg. Some “portables” can easily exceed 40 lbs. Anker kept the Solix C300 focused on true portability. It weighs just over seven kilograms and can be carried easily with its integrated strap. You can even purchase an optional shoulder strap. Anker says it’s shock resistant, but I’d never hit a battery charging station. You also need to pay attention to the operating temperature (extremes are prohibited), keep it flat when running and avoid rain. So keep these limitations in mind if you take the Solix C300 camping.

Recommendation

You can’t plug in your AC-powered devices, but if you’re focused on portability and the ability to keep mobile devices charged when power isn’t available, Anker Solix C300 DC Portable Power Station it is an excellent choice. In addition, its innovative pop-up lantern will provide many hours of warm, atmospheric lighting.

Disclosure: Anker provided a power station for review purposes, but had no input into this review.