The Anker SOLIX C300 fills the middle ground between a USB power bank and a full-size power station. It has enough capacity for a weekend of camping or a power outage, but it’s small enough to keep in your trunk or under a desk year-round.
A power station that’s got plenty of juice for any situation
The C300 is built around a 288Wh LFP battery and a 300W AC outlet. Real-world capacity is enough to run a laptop through a workday or recharge a phone many times over from a single full charge. Anker rates the LFP cells for 3,000 charge cycles before noticeable degradation, which works out to about 10 years of regular use. Additionally, the SurgePad feature boosts the 300W AC outlet to 600W for short bursts, making the C300 capable of powering more demanding electronics that briefly draw above its continuous output.
Charging speed and port variety are two of the C300’s other selling points. The unit can fully recharge from a wall outlet in about an hour using fast mode, with a quieter slow mode also available for overnight charging. A 100W USB-C port handles laptops and tablets through USB Power Delivery, allowing you to charge a high-end laptop directly from the C300 without dragging out a separate charger. A second USB-C port and a USB-A port round out the output options for phones, headphones, and smaller electronics that don’t need PD speeds.
The C300 weighs around 6.6 pounds and has a handle built into the top of the unit that lets you pick it up with one hand. There is an LED light on the left-hand side that can serve as both a flashlight and a work light, which is beneficial during a power outage or while camping at night. You can also use a separately purchased panel to recharge the C300 at up to 60W. An LCD screen on the front of the unit shows real-time input/output wattage, as well as the estimated remaining battery life.
The C300 doesn’t have the output for high-draw appliances like a fridge, microwave, or hair dryer. So, stick to laptops, phones, lights, and other small electronics. If you need more capacity or higher AC output, the Anker SOLIX C800 is the next size up and pushes 1,200W of continuous power. The solar panel for off-grid charging isn’t included either, so you’ll have to pick one up separately if that’s part of your plan.