Anker has a well-established manufacturing base of power banks and larger power stations. That enables the company to offer slightly lower prices on models that competing brands may have to charge more for. The Anker Solix C2000 is a solid example of this, offering over 2,000 watts of portable power for off-grid use, RV power, or home backup power at this price.

If you asked me where I would rank this station, I would say it’s in the mid-range, delivering 2,400 watts of output (with 4,000 watts of short-term surge power), 2,048 watt-hours of capacity, and the ability to not only power DC and AC, but also connect directly to a small RV or a few circuits of a home electrical system using a 30-amp transfer switch. Plus, you can double its output and capacity by connecting a BP2000 expansion battery. Despite a few minor drawbacks, the Anker Solix C2000 is a good fit for the home if you're looking to back up a few appliances and your computer system during a power outage.

Out of the box, I noticed that this power station is lighter and more compact than others of the same capacity. At just over 41 pounds and with two sturdy handles on either side, it's pretty easy to lift and move around. That’s great if you’re lugging it from car to campsite or between rooms in the house—I was able to transport it one-handed with minimal extra effort.

Functionally, it’s got plenty of outputs: five 120-volt AC outlets powered by an inverter that can deliver the full 2,400 watts. This is not always the case with similar stations. Having five outlets backed by the full range of power means you can confidently run several low- to medium-watt small appliances or devices at once.

For DC power, I definitely appreciated the two high-powered 140-watt USB-C ports, which are handy to have if you need to fast-charge your phone or charge a laptop. There’s also a low-powered 15-watt USB-C port and a USB-A port for legacy devices. Other stations sometimes skimp on USB-C, but this one does not.

When it comes to recharging, the C2000 performs pretty well. You can fast-charge it as high as 1,800 watts of AC input, and that recharging rate remains consistent, even if you’re powering other devices at the same time. For example, I ran a space heater that needed 1,400 watts of power while still charging at the full 1,800-watt rate. Other power stations often throttle the amount of power coming into the station while powering devices. This model treats input and output independently, a fact that I was able to confirm using a wattmeter.

There’s also an option to alternatively use the expansion port (designed to add a battery to increase capacity) to connect to an Anker alternator charger. This enables you to charge your station much faster than a 12-volt car port connection, or even reverse it to jump a dead battery.

The app is pretty good, too. It has several options for customization, including the ability to lower the input rate for recharging and set limits for how much you can recharge and discharge (e.g., only between 10 and 80 percent). Such customizations aren’t mandatory, but they can help keep the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery healthy and ensure a long lifespan.

The app also features the ability to set up your station as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for computer equipment. It can even monitor weather alerts over WiFi—when severe weather approaches, the station will make sure it’s fully charged in anticipation of a blackout. There’s also an option to limit automatic recharging to when your grid rates are at their lowest (e.g., low-peak hours), provided your local utility offers variable rates.

I often use power stations for camping, so durability and protection from the elements are important to me. The C2000 doesn’t score highly in this regard. There are no port covers for the outputs or inputs (with the exception of the 12-volt output), leaving them exposed to the elements. And while the construction seems to be sturdy, there are no special guardrails to protect against the inevitable bumps and scrapes that come with outdoor use. It also doesn’t carry an IPX rating for weather resistance.

Unlike other Solix models, this one has no built-in light. I personally do not care much about this. Even when camping, I have plenty of other lights I use, but those familiar with Anker’s products may miss this feature.

The 120-volt 30-amp output also can’t give you the full benefit of a true 30-amp connection; that would require 3,600 watts of output. This means this connection is only really appropriate for a small RV that does not need a lot of power, or for powering just a few small appliances and devices.

Solar recharging is a bit underwhelming, too. This station has a maximum solar input of 800 watts. That’s not bad, but other stations I’ve seen in this class accept more than that, often in the 1,200-watt range or higher. The C2000 does allow you to recharge from solar and AC at the same time, but that seems to defeat the purpose of using solar power in the first place, so I just don’t see that as a huge win.

The Anker Solix C2000 is a great entry-level power station that offers enough electrical output for anyone who wants to power several appliances in an emergency and keep portable digital devices charged. In a simulated blackout, I was able to use it to run my refrigerator, power my computer gear, and run a few small appliances with ease, including a high-wattage coffee maker. In fact, my refrigerator alone was able to run for just over 18 hours on a single charge. And you simply can’t beat the price. While it lists for $1,498, it’s almost always on sale for $800, which is a great value for a power station of this caliber.

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