Anker Solix review: I used this portable power station to run everything from a fridge to my car

Business Insider

6 days ago

Power outages can be a temporary inconvenience but when they are frequent or longer, I need solutions that keep my family calm and comfortable. This is how I first became interested in portable power stations.
Unlike gas generators, portable power stations can be used safely indoors and charge ahead of time with a wall outlet or solar panels to store energy for later. I wanted a powerful unit that could keep me comfortable — be it a space heater or a fan — and plugged in to my devices, and power appliances I couldn't live without, like a fridge or a coffee maker. Their uses, however, can go far beyond emergency power outages, with applications well-suited for wherever you need untethered electricity like temporary off-grid living, camping or entertaining in your own backyard. I tested the Anker Solix F3800 Portable Power Station, a versatile unit for home backup and RVs that has enough outlets and capacity to power several appliances at once (6,000 watts to be precise).
After six months, I'm impressed. Beyond testing its limits, a buddy borrowed it when he lost electricity and wanted to save the food in his fridge. It was a pain to schlep up to his second-floor apartment, but the power station saved hundreds of dollars on lost groceries. Below, I'll go into more detail about my experiences with the Anker Solix F3800, who it's best for, and your alternatives.
Design
The Anker Solix F3800 packs a lot of power into a relatively small footprint. Its boxy, vertical design is roughly the size of a mini fridge, requiring less than two square feet of space. The attractive, neat appearance makes it suitable for storing anywhere without standing out as an eyesore. It's undoubtedly heavy at 132 pounds, but heavy-duty wheels and a telescoping handle make moving around on a level surface a breeze.
This power station has tons of output options to maximize versatility:
Six standard grounded (three-prong) AC outlets
A NEMA L14-30R AC outlet (commonly used for dryers)
A NEMA 14-50 AC outlet (commonly used for RVs and EVs)
Three USB-C ports
Two USB-A ports
Car socket outlet (like the car cigarette lighter of yesteryear)
Of particular note is that you don't need an additional 240-volt adapter to use heavy appliances, like ovens, EV charging, or dryers. You can plug them directly into the appropriate outlets on the unit. This versatility makes the Anker Solix F3800 an effective option for garage workshops, emergency home backup, outdoor events, and RV use.
Capacity and performance
The Anker Solix F3800's base capacity is impressive at 3,840 watt-hours (Wh), which basically means you could run a 3,840W appliance for an hour with it. Fortunately, most appliances are well under that size, so you can run them for several hours. We'll get into examples below.
You can purchase expansion batteries from Anker for up to 53,800Wh, so you can slowly build up your home's power backup over time. With the base capacity, you'll have enough power to run essential home appliances for several hours and even days, depending on the usage.
To test this, I plugged a mini fridge, fan, and light into the fully charged Anker and timed how long the unit could run before the battery was depleted. The appliances — a combined 170W — operated flawlessly for 20 hours before the power station ran out of juice, which should be long enough for most power outages. For instance, CPAP users can expect the Anker to power their machine for about 55 hours.
Using a Kill-A-Watt meter, I measured a total output of 3,300Wh before depletion, which falls slightly short of the advertised capacity of 3,840Wh. Yet, this 86% usable capacity is fairly normal for power stations. For example, I put the Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus through the same test, and its usable capacity was slightly less (82%).
Next, I plugged in multiple power-hungry appliances — like trying to run a toaster, coffee maker, refrigerator, and microwave simultaneously. Only, I used even higher-wattage appliances: space heaters and air fryers ranging from 1,500W to 1,700W each. I could run two space heaters and an air fryer, about 4,700W, without any problem. But, it's like filling a bucket — the power station can handle 6,000W total (the size of the bucket). So, when we added the fourth appliance, it overfilled the 6,000W capacity. Instead of breaking, it turned itself off and gave an "overload" warning.
Charging capabilities
The Anker Solix power station has various charging methods. The easiest is just plugging it into your wall outlet. You can adjust how quickly it charges in the app. I kept it at maximum speed, 1800W, and it consistently charged from empty to fully charged in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
It can handle up to 2,400W solar charging input, which would fully charge the unit from empty in about 90 minutes. While the Anker comes with solar charging cables, the solar panels cost extra at about $765 for a 400W panel. I tested this panel and couldn't get to the 400W input. The most I achieved was 320W, which would charge the station from empty to full in about 12 hours. However, as the sun inched closer to the horizon, the charging slowed significantly.
You can also charge the F3800 by connecting it to your car's auxiliary port (like the car cigarette lighter of yesteryear). However, the connecting cable doesn't come with the station, and this method is incredibly slow: just 120W or about 30 hours to fully charge from empty.
The battery's lifecycle is 3,000 charging cycles. To put this in context, if you only used the power station to run the minifridge, fan, and light from our capacity test — constantly draining the battery and recharging it 24 hours a day — it would take over seven years to get through 3,000 charging cycles.
User interface and usability
Setting up the Anker Solix F3800 was a breeze thanks to the plug-and-play operation right out of the box. It has a two-step power activation process. I had to press the power button and activate the AC output before my appliances received power. This is an important safeguard that protects the unit from being engaged accidentally and draining the juice.
The companion app (available for iOS and Android) enhances the Anker F3800's utility with detailed power consumption data and remaining runtime estimates from anywhere. The app connects to the power station over Bluetooth and WiFi to provide useful monitoring, but it's worth noting that internet connectivity might be unavailable during a power outage or while traveling. Fortunately, Bluetooth has you covered when you're within range.
The on-unit controls are intuitive, and the LED screen is easy to read and understand. It displays the current power consumption rate, estimated remaining runtime, and charge percentage.
Expandability and long-term use
With its 3,840Wh output, the Anker F3800 is a great short-term home backup option. It'll keep your refrigerator and other everyday appliances running for several hours. However, for longer-term outages that last several days, you'll need more power. Fortunately, the Anker power stations are expandable.
You can connect up to 14 batteries for a total of 53,800Wh, which should keep your home running for two weeks. For $400 extra, Anker offers a home backup kit with the F3800 that connects it directly to your home's grid.
You may go months without a power outage, so I looked at how much power the Anker Solix F3800 lost while in storage. After being left unattended for two months, the power station maintained 100% of its charge.
Cons to consider
The Anker Solix F3800 is only barely portable. At 132 pounds, it's hard to move up and down stairs by yourself. Fortunately, it features durable handles and heavy-duty wheels to assist with moving it on level surfaces. As a home backup option, you'll mainly want to keep the power station in one place. I encountered issues carrying it up and down the stairs alone. I recommend having someone help you when bringing it to remote locations or when stairs are involved. An extra handle facilitates two-person carrying.
Solar charging may not be practical for many users. When I initially tried to test the solar panels (which are an added cost to an already expensive item), it was the dead of winter, and sunny days were hard to come by. Even when sunny, I needed significant time to charge the power station. In an emergency, you may not have the luxury of several hours to charge it.
Anker advertises that the F3800 can charge an electric vehicle, so I used it to charge my Chevy Bolt EUV. My car drained the fully charged power station to empty in three hours and only added 6 miles to the range. I can only imagine this being useful in extreme situations.
What are your alternatives?
The first alternative that comes to mind is the Anker Solix F3800 Plus, launched earlier this year. At $600 more than the baseline F3800, the Plus adds gas generator charging capabilities and supports faster solar and wall-outlet charging. Anker also offers a wide array of other portable power stations of various sizes.
Anker is relatively new to portable power stations. Generally, you want to look for brands with a track record. Two popular brands that have been around for a while are Goal Zero and Jackery. While we haven't tested it yet, the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X weighs less than the Anker F3800 (120 pounds versus 132) and offers about 2,000Wh more capacity. However, it costs $1,400 more and charges much slower when plugged into the wall.
Another option worth considering is the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro. I've only tested the Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus, which was incredibly user-friendly but small potatoes compared to the 3000 Pro, which costs $700 less than the Anker F3800, weighs half as much, and has a little less capacity (3,024Wh). However, it's not expandable.
For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best portable generators, which includes a combination of power stations and gas-powered generators. For the differences between the two, see our article on portable generators versus power stations.
The bottom line
At $3,999 — but often marked down to $2,799 — the Anker Solix F3800 Portable Power Station is a significant investment, but its expandability, versatile charging, and output options make it a smart solution for homeowners who want to prepare for power outages or give you portable power for temporary use, perhaps in a backyard, garage or even camping. While it's heavy, the wheels aid with portability. Plus, the intuitive app and on-unit controls are easy for anyone to operate. RV enthusiasts will also find the Anker Solix F3800 useful, though folks who want to use it in remote, hard-to-access locations as a long-term power source may want to look elsewhere.