Anker SOLIX C1000 vs C1000 Gen 2
Anker sells both generations side by side, and the newer one is not strictly better. One gained output and lost outlets and expansion.
At a glance
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Weight is a column here because it is the spec that decides whether you actually carry the thing.
| # | Product | Best for | Capacity · Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | The better buy if the unit travels | 1,024Wh 24.9 lb | Check price |
| 2 |  Anker SOLIX C1000 | Pick this if it stays in one place | 1,056Wh 28.44 lb | Check price |
| 3 |  EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | The one to buy if solar is the real plan | 1,024Wh 27.6 lb | Check price |
The verdict: buy the C1000 Gen 2 if the unit travels, and the original C1000 if it stays put. The Gen 2 is 3.54 lb lighter, outputs 2,000W instead of 1,800W, recharges fully in 49 minutes and switches over in 10 ms. The original holds 32Wh more, gives you six AC outlets instead of two, and — the one that decides real purchases — accepts an expansion battery that takes it to 2,112Wh. The Gen 2 does not expand at all.
This is an unusual comparison because it is not a replacement story. Anker publishes specifications for both units, both are current, and the newer one is a genuine regression on two counts. Pretending otherwise would be the easy version of this page.
The decision table
| C1000 Gen 2 | C1000 (original) | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,024Wh | 1,056Wh |
| Weight | 24.9 lb | 28.44 lb |
| Wh per pound | 41.1 | 37.1 |
| AC continuous | 2,000W | 1,800W |
| Surge | 3,000W | 2,400W |
| AC outlets | 2 | 6 |
| Max solar input | 600W | 600W |
| AC recharge | Full in 49 min (1,600W in) | 80% in 43 min, full under 1 hr (1,300W in) |
| UPS switchover | 10 ms | Not published |
| Expandable | No | Yes — to 2,112Wh |
| Cycle rating | 80% after 4,000 cycles | 3,000 cycles to 80% |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Where the Gen 2 wins
Weight, by 3.54 lb on slightly less battery — 41.1Wh per pound against 37.1. That is a 10.8% efficiency gain, and in this category weight is the spec that decides whether a unit gets used or stays in the garage. The power station weight guide makes the full argument; the short version is that capacity you do not carry is capacity you do not have.
2,000W continuous with a 3,000W surge. The original's 1,800W and 2,400W surge is the weaker pairing, and the surge gap is the more important of the two: 600W of extra headroom is the difference between a full-size refrigerator compressor starting and tripping the inverter. Can a power station run a refrigerator has the compressor figures.
A 1,600W input and a published 10 ms switchover. Full in 49 minutes against under an hour is a modest gain, but the 10 ms UPS figure is not published for the original at all, and it is what makes the Gen 2 useful between trips — left inline with a router or a desktop it earns its keep all year. Using a power station as a UPS covers the limits of that.
A better cycle rating. 80% after 4,000 cycles against 3,000 cycles to 80% — same threshold, a third more cycles.
Where the original C1000 wins
Expansion to 2,112Wh, and this is the whole case. A second 1,056Wh pack doubles the unit. The Gen 2 is fixed at 1,024Wh for life. If you are buying into a van build, a growing outage plan or anything where next year's requirement is bigger than this year's, the newer unit is a dead end and the older one is a platform. Best expandable power stations ranks it against the EcoFlow alternatives.
Six AC outlets against two. This sounds like a footnote until you are running a fridge, a router, two chargers and a lamp off one box and discover you have brought a power strip into a conversation about surge ratings. For a unit that sits in one place — a desk, a kitchen counter during an outage, a tailgate table — six outlets is a daily convenience the Gen 2 simply does not offer.
32Wh more battery, which is a 3% edge and will never decide anything. We mention it because the spec sheets invite the comparison.
Pick the Gen 2 if
- The unit gets carried — camping, tailgating, moving it around a house.
- You need the 3,000W surge for a compressor or a power tool.
- You want it inline as a UPS between trips and the 10 ms figure matters.
- 1,024Wh is genuinely your requirement and will stay your requirement.
Pick the original C1000 if
- There is any chance you will want a second battery later.
- The unit lives in one place and outlet count beats pounds.
- You are running several small loads at once rather than one big one.
- Nothing on your list draws more than 1,800W.
If neither generation convinces you
The honest third option in this class is the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus: the same 1,024Wh, 1,800W continuous, six AC outlets, expansion to 5kWh — and 1,000W of solar input against Anker's 600W. It is 2.7 lb heavier than the Gen 2 and it is the unit to buy if you are deploying panels, because that is the one spec where neither Anker wins. Anker SOLIX vs EcoFlow is that argument at brand level.
And if weight is the only thing you care about, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is 45.0Wh per pound — 9% ahead of the Gen 2 — at the cost of 400W solar input and no expansion. Best lightweight power stations places all of them on that one axis.
The picks in full
1. The better buy if the unit travels
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2
- 1,024Wh
- LiFePO4 (InfiniPower LFP)
- 2,000W continuous / 3,000W surge
- 24.9 lb
- 600W
- 80% capacity after 4,000 cycles
- Full in 49 min (UltraFast, 1,600W max input)
- 5 years
2,000W continuous and a 3,000W surge out of 24.9 lb is the widest appliance envelope per pound in the 1kWh class, and 41.1Wh per pound is second only to Jackery among the units on this site.
Full recharge in 49 minutes on a 1,600W input, and a published 10 ms UPS switchover, make it genuinely useful between trips rather than six weekends a year.
Two AC outlets and no expansion are real regressions against the generation it replaced. Both are deliberate, and both are the reason the older unit is still worth buying.
Reasons to buy
- 2,000W continuous, 3,000W surge
- 24.9 lb — 41.1Wh per pound
- Full recharge in 49 minutes
- 10 ms UPS switchover
- 80% capacity after 4,000 cycles
Reasons to avoid
- Only two AC outlets
- Not expandable at all
- 32Wh less battery than the original
- 600W solar input, behind EcoFlow's 1,000W
Buy it if: carrying, surge-heavy loads and UPS duty.
Skip it if: you want a second battery or six outlets.
2. Pick this if it stays in one place
Anker SOLIX C1000
- 1,056Wh
- LiFePO4
- 1,800W continuous / 2,400W surge
- 28.44 lb
- 600W
- 3,000 cycles to 80% capacity
- 80% in 43 min; full under 1 hr (1,300W max input)
- 5 years
1,056Wh with six AC outlets and an expansion battery that takes it to 2,112Wh. For a unit that lives on a counter, a bench or a tailgate table, that combination beats 200W of extra output.
80% in 43 minutes is actually quicker to useful than the Gen 2's full-charge figure, and 1,800W still runs everything except heating appliances.
28.44 lb and 37.1Wh per pound is the weight penalty, and 3,000 cycles to 80% is a third fewer than the Gen 2. Neither matters much if the thing never leaves the house.
Reasons to buy
- Expands to 2,112Wh with a second pack
- Six AC outlets
- 1,056Wh — the larger battery of the two
- 80% in 43 minutes on a 1,300W input
- 600W solar input; 5-year warranty
Reasons to avoid
- 28.44 lb — 3.54 lb heavier for less output
- 1,800W continuous and only 2,400W surge
- 3,000 cycles to 80%
- No published UPS switchover time
Buy it if: fixed-location use and a plan that grows.
Skip it if: you carry it, or a compressor needs 3,000W of surge.
3. The one to buy if solar is the real plan
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus
- 1,024Wh
- LFP (LiFePO4)
- 1,800W continuous / 3,600W surge
- 27.6 lb
- 1000W
- 4,000 cycles to 80%+ capacity
- Full in 56 min (1,500W AC input)
- 5 years
1,024Wh, 1,800W continuous, six AC outlets, expansion to 5kWh and 1,000W of solar input across two MPPT channels. On the one spec where neither Anker is competitive, this unit is 400W ahead.
A 56-minute recharge, an under-10 ms switchover, an IP65 rating and 800W of car charging make it the most feature-complete box in the class.
27.6 lb and 37.1Wh per pound puts it level with the older C1000 on weight efficiency and 2.7 lb behind the Gen 2. You are carrying weight for capability, which is fine if you use it.
Reasons to buy
- 1,000W solar input across two MPPT channels
- Expands to 5kWh
- Six AC outlets and 13 outputs total
- Full recharge in 56 min; under-10 ms UPS
- IP65 rating and 800W car charging
Reasons to avoid
- 27.6 lb — heaviest of the three
- 1,800W continuous, below the Gen 2
- 37.1Wh per pound
- Approximate dimensions only on EcoFlow's page
Buy it if: panels, expansion, or a van that needs both.
Skip it if: you charge from the wall and carry the unit.
Questions