Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Review — 890 Measured Watt-Hours and the Cheapest Usable Energy Here

OutdoorGearLab discharged the C1000 Gen 2 on a load bank at roughly 80% of its rated maximum output and recorded 890 watt-hours delivered at the AC outlet from a rated 1,024 Wh — 87%.[1][2]

That ties the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 for the best efficiency in the 1 kWh class, and beats the EcoFlow Delta 3's 870 Wh.[3][4] The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 delivers more in absolute terms — 910 Wh — but only because its pack is rated larger to start with, at 1,070 Wh.[5]

These are calculations from the measured capacity, not observations. The assumptions are published and fixed across every page here.

The pattern is the one that applies to every unit in this class: it is a fridge-and-devices machine. Anything with a heating element empties it in under an hour.

Where the C1000 Gen 2 separates itself is starting those loads. Its 2,000 W continuous output is a third more than the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2's 1,500 W, and matches units a class above.[6] A 1,500 W kettle that simply will not run on the Jackery runs here — briefly.

Measured at 56 minutes from empty to full.[1] Anker claims 49 minutes in its UltraFast mode.[6]

A seven-minute gap between claim and measurement is, by this category's standards, honest. For comparison, the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 claims 1 h 45 and was measured at 2 h 30.[7]

Solar is the weaker half. The 600 W ceiling is respectable but well short of the Bluetti Elite 100 V2's 1,000 W.[6][8] On the two-panel setup most people start with, the difference is theoretical — neither unit can use more than about 150 W of real input from 2×100 W panels — but if you intend to build out a proper array, the Bluetti has more headroom.

LiFePO4 cells rated for 4,000 cycles to 80% capacity, with a five-year warranty.[6]

The retention figure is worth dwelling on, because it is where Anker quietly beats Jackery. Both advertise 4,000 cycles. Anker's are rated to 80% remaining capacity; Jackery's Explorer 1000 v2 and 2000 v2 are rated to 70%.[9][10] Same headline number, materially different promise: after 4,000 cycles the Anker should still hold about 819 Wh of its rating and the Jackery about 749 Wh of its larger one.

Ten ports including three USB-C, two of them at 140 W.[6] Measured weight 25.2 lb against a claimed 24.9.[1]

No expansion, at all. This is the real limitation. There is no expansion battery for the C1000 Gen 2, and Anker's own FAQ directs buyers who want expandability back to the previous generation.[6] The EcoFlow Delta 3, for $200 more, grows to 5 kWh.[11] If there is any chance you will want more capacity later, that matters more than a few percentage points of efficiency today.

No usable noise figure. Anker publishes "20 dB under 200 W", which describes the unit idling, not the unit working.[6] No independent laboratory has measured it under load. Several sites quote precise-looking figures — 42 dB, 32 dB at one metre — on domains with no stated methodology; we have not repeated them.

The price is confusing. Anker's own store shows $499.99 with no struck-through list price. The $799 "list" that appears throughout press coverage exists only in third-party reporting.[1] We score against Anker's own figure, which is the one you can actually pay.

The C1000 Gen 2 is the best-value measured unit in this class and the highest-scoring unit on this site. It gives back 87% of what it promises, puts out more power than its rivals, refills in under an hour, and costs less per real watt-hour than anything else that has been through a laboratory.

Buy something else for one specific reason. The Bluetti Elite 100 V2 if you are building a solar array and want the 1,000 W ceiling. The EcoFlow Delta 3 if you might want to expand to 5 kWh later — that is the one thing this unit genuinely cannot do. The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 if every pound of carry weight counts.

For everyone else, this is the answer.