Anker Solix C800 Plus overview: Should-have for tenting

Whether or not you might be out tenting or going through an surprising energy outage, the Anker Solix C800 Plus is a transportable energy station that helps you deal with all kinds of conditions. Its a number of ports, dependable output and versatile lighting make it an particularly cheap alternative for outside actions. We have been testing this 768Wh transportable energy station for fairly a while, and the second has come to share our impressions.

Design, dimension and first impressions

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

You press a button to change between these modes. The button on every unit additionally exhibits its remaining battery life. What occurs when these lights run out of juice? You merely place them again contained in the station and so they’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 all 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 may also cling them for, say, lighting inside your tenting tent.

Apart from the useful lights, the station principally follows the design structure of different Anker turbines. You will 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 shops with 1200W max output on the entrance, plus:

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

Either side 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 apparent, and in contrast to the Delta 2, this huge buddy would not characteristic growth choices.

Within the field, you get the photo voltaic generator, a person 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 pleasant, however not all that exceptional. Do not get us incorrect: the generator aced our checks, however we wouldn’t actually advocate it for residence use as a result of, clearly, it’s supposed for tenting. 

So, what are you able to cost with it? Something from a transportable cooler to an electrical grill and past. You’ll be able to take it on tenting journeys and let it cool drinks for nearly 13.5 hours in your transportable cooler (55W) or put together a scorching 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, offered you do not thoughts listening to the cooling followers run at max energy.

Our checks have additionally estimated that 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, in the event you use it for extra power-hungry home equipment, you will need to prime it up earlier than that.

Talking of top-ups, Anker has built-in an UltraFast charging know-how, permitting you to fully replenish the station 0-100% in simply 58 minutes. You’ll be able to allow the characteristic 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 easy and lets you view AC and DC enter and output throughout the totally different ports. You additionally get to regulate the show’s brightness ranges, regulate the display screen and the unit’s timeout, change the gadget’s title, and so on.

Pricing, availability, 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 buy it individually or bundle it with a photo voltaic panel for extra sustainability. The unit has a five-year hassle-free guarantee, which is turning into an ordinary for transportable energy stations with LiFePO4 battery cells.

Whereas the Solix C800 Plus is an unbelievable alternative for tenting, thanks primarily to its three-mode lights, the Bluetti AC70 is a wonderfully good different for residence use. The latter prices $699 and incorporates a greater 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 different might be the non-Plus Solix C800. This feature is nearly an identical to the C800 Plus when it comes to output energy and rated capability. Nevertheless, it lacks the tenting lights and the telescopic pole. As a substitute, you get a storage answer the place the lights are saved on the Plus mannequin. The bottom model can also be cheaper, retailing for $599.

Must you purchase the Anker Solix C800 Plus?

The Anker Solix C800 Plus is an choice we would principally advocate for outside actions. It is not that you just will not discover functions for it at residence. Quite the opposite, it could possibly function a improbable backup residence energy answer. However the factor is that in case you have no intention of utilizing the tenting lights, there’s actually no level in paying $50 extra for the C800 Plus. You’ll be able to merely get the common Solix C800 and luxuriate in the identical expertise.