I'm not really a camping or nature person per se, but I'm willing to put up with the great outdoors. (Limited quantity. From my teardrop trailer. Comes with TV and air conditioning.)
When I started camping I bought a nifty Jackery 240 watt power unit and was very confused the first morning when it wouldn't turn on the heater or coffee pot. (Turns out, the answer is a lack of enough watts and volts.) To power anything important, a camper like me needs a decent-sized power unit and a way to charge off the grid.
Now that I know better, I've been testing portable devices in the 1,000-3,000 watt range and their accompanying solar panels from brands like Jackery, EcoFlow, Anker, and Goal Zero to see if there's a big difference in quality and performance . value. The Anker SOLIX C800 PLUS Portable Power Station is one I recently tested, and it's a great value at $649 with an output of 1,200 watts/768 kWh.
A bulky, sturdy unit with useful connections
In an effort to get as much power as possible, we sometimes forget the truly essential quality of a portable power unit: it must remain portable. As the capacity of a unit increases, so does its weight.
My 240-watt device is light enough to tuck in anywhere and can be easily carried with one hand. The C800 (and similar devices) is like carrying a loaded cooler with you. You can do it, but it's a two-handed operation and requires a certain amount of charisma. Weighing 22 pounds and measuring 15 inches x 8 inches x 10 inches, the C800 requires quite a bit of space. (It fits perfectly in your car's footwell, so you can plug it into your car charger.)
In terms of setup, the C800 works right out of the box; all you need to do is plug it in, although there are some benefits to pairing it with the Anker app. Powerplants don't need to be flashy or pretty, and I like that the C800 is less inconspicuous than brighter units like the Jackery. Even though this device is heavy, it's still easy to steal, so I like that it looks subtle. Anker claims that if you drop the unit it can take a hit or two, and I believe them. The C800's build feels solid.
One neat feature of the C800 that I haven't seen on other devices I've tested is the retractable light. If you're camping, the light that extends from the top of the device acts like a lantern on a pole and has three modes: flashlight, floodlight, and candlelight. On a recent camping trip, I parked the device on a picnic table and extended the lights. The lights illuminated our dinner while we all charged our phones, which was very useful and a very welcome addition. It's also supposed to work as a tripod and selfie stick, which none of us were forced to try, but a multipurpose stand wouldn't be a bad thing just in case.
Does the C800 have enough power for you?
The C800's 768 watt hours may sound like a lot, but it's still relatively modest, especially when it's connected to power-hungry devices. For example, a 1,000-watt electric heater can only be used for about 45 minutes. You'll want to reserve the C800 for short-term charging, or for charging low-demand devices like tablets, phones, and small speakers.
This type of power station also works well as a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). If your power goes out, even briefly, the UPS will continue to provide power to all plugged-in devices as long as the UPS itself has power. This is a special way to prevent your modem and router from rebooting if you occasionally experience power outages. In my first test, I left the C800 running as a UPS for modems, routers, and various home hubs, then cut the power and sat by the phone, waiting for notifications of a reboot or power outage. Everything stays powered on. SOLIX says there is a 20ms delay, but on my device this is not noticeable.
Surgepad effectively increases output to 1,600 watts
Anker heavily promotes a technology called Surgepad in its SOLIX devices, which it claims can exceed the maximum watt output (1,200 watts) on demand, up to 1,600 watts. On higher wattage devices, an initial surge of power is usually required, but to stay on, the device may require less power. The difference is significant, since with 1,600 watts you can buy a heater, electric kettle or hairdryer.
To test this, I tried three devices with less than 1,200 watts, and then three with more than 1,200 watts. As expected, the C800 had no issues powering my low-power devices. A 1,500-watt heater turns on and stays on. My rice cooker (1,800 watts) worked surprisingly fine, but after a few minutes, the appliance broke. A third device, a hair dryer, experienced the same thing—it powered fine but couldn't maintain the required wattage—but items that stayed under the 1,600-watt threshold were fine. Of course, the unit would also deplete its energy reserves faster in order to power these higher wattage devices, but I could see it being useful in a pinch.
To charge it, I have two 100 watt solar panels, but I only took out one to test how well they charge individually. On a sunny day, the C800 can be fully charged via a battery panel in just 8 hours. (It can handle up to 300 watts of solar energy, the equivalent of three panels.) Charging time will depend heavily on panel placement and weather conditions. Of course, you just plug the device into a wall outlet or car charger and it's up to 80% charged in just a few hours.
All in all, this is a solid choice for low-power devices
Considering the cost of these devices, I was happy to see that the product comes with a five-year warranty, which Anker claims will cover you for 3,000 cycles over 10 years. In my opinion, that's a decent amount of mileage compared to the initial cost, even if you only use it outside of a UPS at home. Even with Surgepad technology, considering the watt-hours, this is still best suited for small appliances that can power a full day, rather than a mini-fridge for a short period of time.
I suspect that in the coming years we will see more and more homes equipped with these power units, both for emergency backup and as a way to get power to where it is needed. For these purposes, the C800 feels like good value for money.
Other power stations to consider:
Jackery Explorer 1500 Pro Portable Power Station, $650
ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER 2 Pro, $429
Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core Portable Power Station, $649
