Verdict
The Anker SOLIX C800 Plus strikes a reasonable compromise between portability , and the power and feature you need to make the most of a camping weekend . While it ’s not a particularly hard duty supply , it ’s more than capable of keeping your gadgets working for several sidereal day away from the mains – or longer if you buy it with solar instrument panel . Add in this power post ’s flexible kindling , and it could be a big manner to make collapsible shelter or camper van life story more civil . Just be aware that it does n’t have the unlimited store or power to take on more heavy tariff appliance like kettles or some coffee machines .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
This mid - weight power supply from Anker is aimed primarily at motor home and amateur drug user . As such , it needs to off the sweet smear between features , electrical capacity and portability .
It ’s off to a reasonable commencement , packing 768 watt - hours ( Wh ) of battery computer memory into a fairly compact and robust shell , but at almost 11 kilo , it ’s too grueling to tag along with hikers and bikers – you ’ll need a fomite to get it where you ’re going .
The C800 Plus can provide a acme of 1200 watts ( 1.2kW ) , and even power some equipment scab up to 1.6kW. This world power post is more notable , however , for its incredible range of ports and features . In addition to a useful combination of mains , USB and car mightiness port , it offers a ramp up - in strip light . kill the chapeau and you ’ll also find two multipurpose encampment ignitor , offering floodlight , candle and flashlight modes . There ’s also a one - metre telescopic pole that let you mount one of the lights above the C800 itself – useful , perhaps , if you desire to throw some Light Within on a portable cooker or barbeque .
I ’m review the Anker SOLIX C800 Plus , but you’re able to also buy a standard C800 . That ’s identical , but for a saving of around £ 50 it comes without the camping spark and rod . While both are worthy for light to medium backup duties in the home , neither really has the puff you ’d take to taunt out a long ability cut .
Design and features
The Anker SOLIX C800 Plus is quite similarly set to theBluetti AC70 , but while the latter is best suit to backup force at home , the C800 is up for a moment of an adventure . While it ’s no more portable than the AC70 , its lights make it more suited to mobile use , and particularly as a comparatively pokey force supply for night under canvas .
Pokey it is , at least by mobile standards . Its 1.2kW peak turnout is plenty for any computers , phones and other lightweight devices you might require to plug in . It may even be enough to operate some travel kettles or iron , but if not there ’s the clever ‘ SurgePad ’ mode , which can power some simple gadget place up to 1.6kW. This is much like Bluetti ’s ‘ weighed down Lifting ’ modal value , in which the voltage is massaged downwards to avoid arduous - duty gadget drawing all of their rated ability . It ’s only worthy for uncomplicated resistive loads , such as kettles or toasters .
This power post is very alike in size of it to the Anker SOLIX C1000 , but with fewer electric battery inside , it ’s a couple of kilogram lite . Two moulded handles make it ok to stuff about , but it ’s not as well-fixed to carry one - handed as supplies , which have a single handgrip that runs across the top .
This aside , the C800 Plus is a brilliantly packaged power station . Its AC and DC outputs are all gathered on the front panel , where there ’s elbow room for two USB - A sockets rated at 12W each , and twoUSB - Cports – although only one of these is skilful for a full 100W output . There ’s the ubiquitous 12V car - style yield , rate for a maximum 120W , plus three briny sockets . It ’s crucial to remark that the 1.2kW maximum is a sum , rather than being per - socket .
On the left-hand side you ’ll find a main input and reset switch , alongside an XT-60 DC remark for solar rated for a 300W level best . The back panel is vacuous , while there are cooling vents on each end .
At first glimpse the C800 Plus ’ top panel look identical to the C1000 , but it conceals a tidy compartment for the Light and extendible pole .
There ’s also what looks like another car wall socket , but in fact it ’s a socket into which you’re able to screw the perch , letting you use the C800 itself as a sturdy base if you need to raise the light up .
You ’re effectively paying a £ 50 premium over the standard C800 for the lights and perch , so it ’s a relief that they seem nicely engineered . The pole ’s very tripping , though it can stomach loads up to 5 kg .
Sensibly , it ’s topped by a 1/4 - inch thread , so it doubles up as a tripod , although in that mode it offers no adjustment for yaw , bowl or sales pitch . Alternatively , you’re able to screw on the supplied alloy ball spliff , which lets you attach either light and move it through the almost full welkin of positions .
The visible light are excellent , although they ’re not especially powerful . Each has a exclusive button to toggle switch through its three modality : torch , floodlight , and a yellowish candle flame style ideal for night fourth dimension . The comparison below shows the latter two modes , with the C800 ’s own light source on its high mount .
Anker has managed to sneak a metal mob into the root word of each light , which you may use to hang them from a tent or karabiner , while four lilliputian LED show their battery armorial bearing state at a glance . The power station ’s integral light flight strip has three brightness level , together with a flashing SOS mode .
The C800 Plus has a seemly display , which evince at a glimpse the bombardment percentage , along with whether it ’s charging , discharging , or neither . There ’s an estimation for how long it ’ll be before the battery is full or empty , depending on the inputs and output signal you ’re using .
As with other SOLIX - brandmark Anker exponent stations , you may get in touch to the C800 via Wi - Fi or Bluetooth , and use the Anker app . This reprize the selective information that you get from the gadget screen , but it also lets you switch the elevator car or AC outlets on and off , update the firmware , or tweak preferences such as the display timeout and whether you ’re viewing the battery temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit .
Charging
This is quite a flexible major power station when it comes to charging . you could top it up from solar panels or the car using the supplied cable adaptors . It ’ll handle up to 300W of solar , or 120W from a machine ’s coffin nail socket . In idealistic conditions you ’d want to drive for six and a half hours for a full recharge , but with enough panels the Sunday could get you there in under three . Unfortunately you ca n’t combine AC and DC source – the front of mains superpower disconnects the cable car or solar stimulation .
This magnate station defaults to a 750W charge mode , which fully recharges in just over an minute and a one-half . Use the app , however , and you’re able to pick out various lower power options down to just 200W , which is useful if you do n’t want to overload a generator or low - index galvanising hookup .
The app also get you pull in the trigger on 1100W UltraFast Charging , using which Anker says you ’ll get from 0 - 100 % in just under an 60 minutes . I tried this just after a eminent - power release trial run , and the C800 Plus would n’t step above 450W , probably because it was displaying a battery temperature of 50 ° one C . I discharged it and waited for it to cool soundly before sample again ; this time it finished charging in exactly the specified 58 moment .
I measured the amount of main electrical energy down by the C800 Plus during a full recharge . The highest value – 929Wh – was provide during a 200W charge , and the lowest – 851Wh – came after recharging at 400W. Assuming the 768Wh barrage went from in full empty to completely charged , this second value equates to an impressive 90.2 % charging efficiency .
Anker articulate that the C800 ’s camping sparkle will operate for between 8 and 130 hours , depending on which mode they ’re in . They ’re recharged mechanically in their memory compartment , although only if the C800 Plus itself is change over on .
Performance
My first step when test barrage baron stations is always to check whether they ’ll deliver their maximum snitch power . I charged the C800 Plus , connected it to two 600W mains loads ( totalling 1200W ) , and leave it to fully discharge over 29 minutes , during which time it supplied 580Wh . This taxing exam checks that a tycoon supplying will touch its specification , but it usually also draw its cooling organization to play flat out . The C800 ’s fan are a little loud and quite high - tilt : it ’s much harder to background than Bluetti ’s comparatively hushed AC70 .
I did n’t have a suited appliance to try out this top executive station ’s SurgePad lineament , which is purport at equipment stag up to 1600W. To be clear , it ’s not designed to furnish this much power – rather it adjusts the potential drop and maximum current it provide so that more brawny devices will still work , while drawing no more than the C800 ’s 1200W maximal outturn .
I recommend that you never overcharge any electrical equipment , but I determine to put on the line connecting my 1800W kettleful . This operated almost commonly at first , take out just under 1600W according to both the C800 ’s display and my tycoon metre . After about 15 irregular , the C800 reduced this to 1200W. check my power metre showed that the AC way out was now allow 199 volt ( down from the mains specification of 230V ) , and limit the current to 5.87 amps .
This setup seemed stable enough for my kettle to successfully boil a cup of water , suggesting it would be fine when working within its intended 1600W limitation . That could be handy for some travel tympani or coffee makers , but it ’s worth stressing that it ’s not designed for digital widget , which might be more sensitive to a non - standard power configuration .
I also examine the C800 Plus with constant 600W , and 200W burden , during which quiz it supply 655Wh and 656Wh respectively . Again , assuming the battery die from full to completely beat , that equalise to AC efficiency ranging from 75.5 % to 85.4 % . That ’s honest , but not as impressive as the AC70 , or Anker ’s ownSOLIX C1000 . I also connect the full point C800 Plus to a 50W USB - C burden . It supplied 666Wh , which wreak out at a decent 86.7 % efficiency .
It ’s much more accurate to compare the vigor you put in with what you later get out , as this eliminates any guesswork about how much of the actual stamp battery capacity is being used . My unspoiled round - trip figures were 77.1 % for AC , and 78.3 % when discharging via USB . That ’s fairly skilful , but ultimately disappointing given that the C1000 hit 83.3 % and 87.6 % in the same tests .
Anker says that this mightiness station ’s Lithium Iron Phosphate ( LFP ) batteries should maintain at least 80 % of their original capacity after 3000 full charge oscillation . Taking the C800 Plus ’s full damage , and assuming its batteries degrade steady from novel , that equates to 31p per kilowatt hr ( kWh ) of electricity put in over that time . By comparison , the standard C800 model works out at 29p per kWh , or just 23p when discount to £ 599 – as it was briefly during my reassessment .
It ’s worth stress that we calculate these figures to give an indication of longsighted - full term economic value , and that the power station should still be working after 3000 cycles . Indeed , Anker says the C800 Plus is design for a 10 - year lifespan , and it ’s backed up by a five - year warranty .
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Should you buy it?
This is an excellent barrage mogul station for people who want to take a reasonable amount of energy on the route . It perform well , is reasonably portable , and has all the ports and features you ’re potential to need when camping .
The Anker SOLIX C800 Plus is too heavy to take on biking or walking stumble , and not everyone will take its handy brightness level .
Final Thoughts
If you ’re after a midweight might supply that ’s reasonably portable and powerful , the Anker SOLIX C800 Plus could be idealistic . It ’s draw a great pick of ports , stores a fair amount of electricity , and lend in some genuinely utilitarian camping lights . While its 768Wh of memory and 1200W maximum outturn likely are n’t enough for kitchen appliance in a caravan , they should be perfect for even a large group going camping for a weekend .
That say , I would n’t need to carry this superpower provision far , and I sure enough would n’t want it weigh me down on a biking trip . The C800 Plus is probably well suited for people who drive to their camping holidays . Meanwhile , if you ’re really more interested in mid - weight patronage power in the rest home , we ’d recommend Anker ’s SOLIX C1000 or theJackery Explorer 1000 Plusinstead – both add more power output and depot for not a vast amount more outlay .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every battery station we brush up soundly over an prolonged period of time . We use standard tests to compare lineament by rights . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , live with money to review a mathematical product .
Find out more about how we try out in ourethics policy .
FAQs
The C800 Plus ( with light ) weigh 10.9 kilo . The unconstipated C800 is 10.5 kilo .
They ’re identical , except that the C800 Plus comes with two rechargeable camping light and a mounting pole . These are stored and recharge in a hidden compartment which , on the C800 , is just for general storage .
Full Specs
