The Anker SOLIX F3000 is the company’s latest mid-range portable power station, and honestly, it might be one of their best releases yet. Even with a quick glance at the specs and design, the F3000 comes across as an affordable, thoughtfully designed power station that balances power, efficiency, and expandability.
But here’s the big question: if you’re shopping for a power station this size, is the Anker SOLIX F3000 the right choice, or should you look at something like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 or Pecron E3600LFP instead?
After all of our usual hands-on testing, as well as some regular use around The Lab, we’ve got answers. Spoiler Alert: Anker seems to have finally nailed it with this solar generator, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.
Before we dive into the results of our testing, here’s a quick rundown of what the F3000 offers:
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We pushed the Anker F3000 through efficiency tests, idle consumption monitoring, UPS simulations, and some regular at home use to see how it holds up. Here’s what we found:
When we ran it through a variety of tests, we found the Anker F3000’s inverter efficiency to be around 84%. Given that we usually give any power station with an efficiency over 80% a thumbs up, this is an early win.
When we fully charged the SOLIX F3000, then let it sit with nothing but the AC inverter turned on, we calculated that the idle draw to be 20.5W.
Not only is this a massive improvement compared to the Anker F3800’s 80W idle draw, it’s actually better than Anker advertised for this power station. Right on Anker’s own F3000 product page, they claim it has an idle draw of 25W. We tested it three times and found it beat that by 4.5W, which is really impressive.
For those hoping to use the F3000 power station for backup power at home, it means it can sit in standby for days without chewing through its battery. If you’re planning to run something like a sump pump, which will turn on and off throughout the day, the F3000 would work perfectly.
The UPS worked well, but like other big units, it’s limited by the charge rate (1,800W or 3,600W depending on your input). Still, it cleanly handled simulated outages without any real issues.
Next, we wanted to test the inverter performance. The continuous 2,400W output you get from the main AC plugs worked well when we maxed them out. It’s also really nice that this unit comes with a true 30A plug, which really impressed us when we tested it. From that plug, it was able to output a full 3,600W.
This is even more impressive when you compare the F3000’s 30A plug to the one you get with the Anker F3800, which is capped at 3,000W. This is despite the fact the original F3800 is advertised with a functional 30-amp port.
Another welcome surprise was the fact that the F3000 power station is practically silent, even under heavy loads. This was one of our biggest complaints with earlier Anker models, like the Anker SOLIX F2600, but they seem to have got it right this time around.
If you are planning to use it to run a CPAP machine at your bedside, or even just use it to power appliances and devices in the main living space of your home or RV, you’ll really appreciate that silent operation.
Again, noise was something Anker power stations seemed to struggle with in the past. We’d even say it was something brands like EcoFlow and DJI had over Anker, so this is a huge step in the right direction.
After a bunch of testing and plenty of hands-on time with the Anker F3000, a few things really stood out to us about this unit. Here’s just a few of the highlights:
During all of our testing, the F3000 consistently met its advertised specs. The efficiency is excellent, idle consumption is low, and the power output works as advertised. It may sound like faint praise just saying it works like it should, but a reliable power station is never something that should be taken for granted. You also get all of the inputs and outputs you’d expect from a versatile power station.
On top of all that, the option to expand the unit up to storage capacity of over 24,000Wh and get a 240V output will appeal to those looking for home backup power. This expandability will also be welcome news to those hoping to buy a relatively affordable power station now that they can upgrade in the future.
Given the price Anker seems to be sticking with for this unit, it really exceeded our expectations.
Unlike some of this unit’s competitors, the F3000 comes equipped with a true 30A port. This means you actually get the full 3,600W, making it a great choice for RV owners or anyone powering high-demand appliances.
The fact you also get a 3,600W input from the same port is amazing. Being able to charge a power station of this size in less than an hour will be hugely appealing to those that have home backup power and emergency prep in mind.
You get wide and comfortable built-in handles, so no pinching when you’re trying to pick this thing up. The extendable suitcase-style handle is also a nice touch, especially when paired with the unit’s sturdy wheels. Even though this unit weighs nearly 100 lbs, the handle and wheels make it relatively easy to maneuver.
Personal preference might be coming into play here, but we also really like the more stable horizontal layout you get with the F3000. Both the F3800 and F3800 Plus are really good power stations, but we found the vertical design a little less appealing.
With the F3000, it sits on the ground almost like a cooler, which is a more traditional solar generator layout, and something we just kind of prefer for stability.
With that said, the unit has built-in rubber feet on the side, so you have the option to store it upright if space is tight, or you just prefer a taller layout. Even in this position, all of the ports are still accessible. Basically, it has a really clean layout and a premium feel that impressed us from start to finish.
We loved the ability to charge at 3,600W in under an hour. Not only is that just super convenient, it also means you can pair it with a traditional generator, top up the internal battery quickly, and then switch back to the silence you get with a power station vs a gas generator. It’s also great that you can pass that power through directly to your loads.
We also touched on the fact that this is a really quiet power station. Even when we pushed this thing as hard as we could, it barely made any noise. Again, it’s just a really practical unit.
It may sound silly, but having a built-in light on top of a 90+ lb power station is a game changer, especially when you’re camping or navigating a blackout.
If you regularly watch our video reviews, you’ll know that Robbie is a huge fan of lights on power stations. Anker is usually one of the better brands when it comes to equipping their units with lights, but a few of their bigger models have been lacking in this department. We were really glad to see them equip the F3000 with their signature bar-style light across its front panel.
No unit is perfect, and the F3000 has a few quirks worth calling out:
The four standard AC outlets are a bit too close together. Plugging in larger adapters or chargers can block the others, which we think could get really frustrating.
We like that they have two facing upwards and two facing downwards, but even with that design, you’re going to struggle to use all four plugs if you need to charge something like a bulky camera battery.
Anker switched to a proprietary AC input plug with a twist-lock design. If it breaks, you’ll have to buy a replacement directly from Anker instead of just grabbing a cheap cord on Amazon. Worse, when the unit is stood in an upright position, the bulky plug they went with barely fits underneath.
It’s not a deal-breaker, but we liked that Anker used to allow users to go with more generic, low-cost plugs. It’s unfortunate that this is likely a sign they’re going to follow in EcoFlow’s footsteps.
Instead of giving us a single wide-range solar input, Anker went with two different ports (XT60 + a proprietary port). This complicates setups and pushes buyers toward Anker’s overpriced solar panels.
For better value, we always recommend buying panels from somewhere like Shop Solar instead. They have much more affordable solar panels that will work perfectly fine with this unit and other power stations.
Unlike EcoFlow, which allows cross-compatibility between most of their expansion batteries, the F3000 only works with its own designated expansion batteries. That makes it harder to build out an ecosystem if you already own other Anker power station accessories.
Again, it’s not a big gripe, but if your main competitor is allowing backwards compatibility between new power stations and old expansion batteries, you should be doing the same.
The Anker F3000 lands in a very competitive mid-range segment of the solar generator market. It’s surprisingly portable for a heavy unit, and it has the power and expandability to make it a practical option for both backup and off-grid setups.
The price and specs also mean it goes head-to-head with a variety of models from other power stations brands, as well as some of Anker’s older units. These include:
At around $1,800–$2,000, the F3000 is a very good buy. At the inflated MSRP of $2,599, it’s harder to recommend, since both the DELTA Pro 3 and F3800 sit at similar price points while offering more raw power.
We suspect that most places are going to sell this unit below that advertised MSRP, so it’s still going to be a great deal. Again, if you can pick it up for around $2,000, it offers cost-effective solar backup in the form of a user-friendly solar generator from a reputable brand.
After running it through our full gauntlet of tests, we can confidently say that the Anker F3000 is one of the best-balanced portable power stations Anker has released to date. It’s efficient, quiet, expandable, and very reasonably priced if you can pick it up for anywhere near $2,000.
It isn’t flawless, and we could have done without the proprietary plugs, cramped outlets, and lack of expansion battery compatibility, but those issues hardly hold it back.
If you’re looking for a reliable, mid-sized power station for home backup, RV use, or camping, this is one of the strongest contenders on the market right now.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for whole home backup power and a dedicated 240V output right out of the box, consider something like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra instead. However, if you value efficiency, usability, and fast charging at a fair price, the Anker F3000 is a unit we can recommend without hesitation.
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