The Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 isn’t just another new model, it’s part of Anker’s growing second-generation lineup that has been bringing some fresh styling and features to the portable power station market.
Following the impressive Anker C1000 Gen 2, this larger sibling brings even more power, faster charging, and a sleek, modern redesign that might just make it one of Anker’s best power station releases.
Anker claims this model offers the lowest idle consumption in its class, along with world-record AC and solar charging speeds. But we wanted to test this unit out for ourselves to see if these bold statements are the real deal. With stiff competition from EcoFlow, Jackery, and Bluetti, the C2000 Gen 2 needs to deliver on all fronts to be a top recommendation in the backup power and off-grid power space.
So, let’s see if the Anker C2000 Gen2 really lives up to the hype, or find out if it’s just an old unit with a “fast charging” gimmick attached to it.
Before we dive into all of our testing, as well as our likes and dislikes, let’s take a look at the specifications the Anker C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station is supposed to deliver:
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Right out of the box, the Anker C2000 Gen2 feels premium. At only 42 pounds, it passes the “Tiny Baby Lift Test”, and thanks to the ergonomic and sturdy handles, you can easily carry it around without risking a hernia. That’s a big improvement from the older Anker F2000 (also called the Anker PowerHouse 767), which weighed in at 67 lbs and required a suitcase handle and wheels.
The new Gen 2 design also gives this power station a much cleaner, more futuristic look than its predecessor. The matte-black body, curved edges, and bright display make it feel more like an Apple product than a clunky battery you’d order from Amazon.
Speaking of the display screen, it’s the newer version that Anker has been rolling out across all their Gen 2 units. While Anker’s displays have always been pretty good, this latest version is bright, crisp, and visible even under direct sunlight (a rare win for camping power stations).
Even the physical buttons are more tactile, with satisfying clicks instead of the mushy press that earlier Anker models were guilty of. It’s a small detail, but it makes daily use noticeably smoother. With some of the older models, including the popular Anker F1500 and F2600 power stations, it was difficult to tell if you’d even pressed the button correctly.
We tested the C2000 Gen 2 over a period of several days, focusing on charging performance, idle draw, efficiency, and noise levels. Here’s what we found:
When plugged into a standard wall outlet, the C2000 Gen 2 charged from 0–100% in about 88 minutes, which means it actually does hit the same benchmark Anker advertises.
When combining the AC and solar inputs, it reached a full charge in just 58 minutes, pulling up to 2,600W total input. That’s legitimately one of the fastest recharge times we’ve ever seen for a 2kWh-class unit.
However, if you’re purely talking about solar charging, that 800W solar input isn’t breaking records. For a power station with a 2,048Wh battery, that’s decent, but definitely not impressive.
Charging with solar alone, it’ll take over two hours to fully charge the battery, and that’s under ideal conditions. We do wish it had a higher solar input capacity, and somewhere between the 1,000W and 1,500W would make it more practical for off-grid power. Still, we think most users will find it more than capable for RV or camping setups.
Anker advertises a 9W idle draw, which is true if you only have the screen and USB ports active. In our real-world testing with AC outlets on standby mode, which you’d need if you were keeping an intermittent load like a sump pump running, idle draw sat closer to 18W per hour.
An 18W idle rate is respectable compared to a lot of other portable power stations in this class, but it’s double what they advertise.
As for the efficiency, we recorded right around 89%, which is excellent. Even some of the top competitors average closer to 80%. This means you’re getting more usable power from every watt-hour in the battery.
Anker also nailed the fan system for this power station. Even while running a full load and pushing the unit to surge, the C2000 Gen 2 stayed really quiet.
You could easily sit next to it in a tent or small camper and barely notice it was running. For anyone using this as a backup power source indoors or overnight, that’s a huge plus. It’s also something we’ve noticed Anker really seems to be focussing on, which we suspect is due to the fact that EcoFlow (their biggest competitor) has an amazing reputation for delivering quiet power stations.
The inverter handled up to 6,000W of surging in short bursts. For a power station with a 2,400W continuous output rating, that’s hugely impressive.
We also tested it in UPS (uninterruptible power supply) mode, where it continued charging at 1,800W while outputting 2,000W simultaneously. Most other power stations will stop charging when the load exceeds input, but not this one.
If any of this terminology is confusing you, the main takeaway is that the output ports actually deliver. It can actually power most of your household appliances and devices.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s jump into all of the areas where this new Anker power station impressed us:
Five house-style AC outlets and a 30A plug make this unit far more versatile than most in its class. You can use it to power a small RV or run a light home backup power setup. You also get a nice variety of USB options, including fast-charging plugs for the latest laptops and phones.
The C2000 Gen 2 would be perfect for something like Health and Safety’s off grid tiny home, and it’s actually pretty rare to see this kind of outlet variety in a power station that is priced well below the $1,000 mark.
Just like we picked up when we reviewed the new C1000 Gen2, the new Gen 2 design on the C2000 looks great and feels even better. Given that it’s bright, easy to read outdoors, and super easy to navigate, the display screen is probably one of the best in the portable power industry.
You can even adjust brightness through the app, making it perfect for camping or sleeping beside it in a tent.
Speaking of what you can do remotely, the Anker SOLIX app remains one of the smoothest we’ve used. It lets you toggle outlets, schedule power, enable eco-mode, and even update firmware remotely.
Plus, you can do all of this via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you’re camping or live off grid and don’t have a Wi-Fi router, just using your phone’s Bluetooth will do the trick.
We’ve mystery-shopped dozens of portable power brands, and Anker consistently delivers some of the best support in the entire industry.
If you want to see for yourself, we put together a breakdown of the Anker customer service experience; however, the main takeaway is that you’ll actually reach a knowledgeable person if you call with a sales inquiry or tech question.
Not only is this something that can’t be said for many Amazon-only brands, it’s also something that other brands, including EcoFlow and Jackery, just can’t match.
From near-silent fan noise to top-tier efficiency and smooth UPS operation, the C2000 Gen 2 performs exactly how a modern backup power station should. We’ve only had our hands on it for a short amount of time, but it’s really simple to use, and Anker power stations already have a reputation for being dependable.
To put it simply, there’s no need to download firmware, no weird voltage drops, you just turn it on, plug your devices in, and away you go.
While there was a lot to like about this Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen2, no power station is perfect, so here’s a few areas where we think they could have improved it:
Anker, please bring back the light. Older models like the Anker C800X and even the fairly new F3000 included a handy LED bar across the front, which was perfect for camping or emergency use.
For some reason, they’ve ditched that signature “unibrow-style” light on all the new Gen 2 models. It might seem like a small thing, but you’ll really notice it the next time you’re facing a power outage after the sun has gone down.
While this unit does have rubber feet, they don’t really provide any sort of grip on smooth surfaces. This means the C2000 Gen 2 slides easily, even when you’re just plugging stuff into it.
Whether you’re using it at your desk for power during an outage or inside of a moving RV, it’s probably going to end up sliding around. Having some sort of anti-slip feet, like we’ve seen on units like the Pecron E2400LFP, would make a noticeable difference.
An 800W solar input is fine, but not great. Considering how efficient and fast this thing is when you’re charging it via the AC input, bumping the solar charging to 1,000W or even 1,500W would make it a true solar generator and a more practical option for true off-grid power.
This issue becomes even more noticeable if you pair the C2000 Gen 2 with the BP2000 Expansion Battery Gen 2. Charing up a 4,096Wh battery bank with an 800W solar input would be really slow and impractical, even if you had a good solar panel array and perfect sunlight.
You might be surprised to hear it, but we think the Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 could be one of Anker’s best portable power stations yet (at least for certain buyers). It’s lightweight, efficient, ultra-fast to charge, and built like a premium product.
You get all of that at a reasonable and beginner-friendly price point. It’s not perfect, but the few flaws it has, like the limited solar input and slippery feet, are minor compared to how well it performs in every other category.
For anyone looking to step into solar power, off-grid power for camping, or even basic home backup systems, this unit hits the sweet spot between portability, performance, and affordability.
We think it would be a smart investment for new users who want something reliable and future-proof, especially with that expansion option for more storage down the road.
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