Anker SOLIX C300X Review: Keep the Router, Phones and Lights On in a Power Cut

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When the power goes off, the first things most households miss aren’t the big appliances. It’s the Wi-Fi, the phones, the laptop and a decent light to see by. A power bank can keep a phone going, but it can’t run anything with a normal three-pin plug. The Anker SOLIX C300X can.

The Anker SOLIX C300X is a compact portable power station with a 288Wh LiFePO4 battery, 300W output and two proper AC sockets, plus USB-C, USB-A and a car socket. It’s the updated version of the original Anker SOLIX C300, and it’s the sensible first step up from a power bank for a UK household that wants the essentials to keep running through a power cut.

Anker SOLIX C300X or Anker SOLIX C300: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve been searching for the Anker SOLIX C300, you’ll find the original listing is no longer available on Amazon UK. The Anker SOLIX C300X has taken its place. On paper the two are the same core unit: 288Wh of capacity, 300W continuous output with 600W surge, LiFePO4 chemistry and the same seven-port layout.

There’s also a cheaper Anker SOLIX C300 DC, which is easy to mix up with it. The C300 DC has no AC sockets at all, only USB and a car socket. For power cut use that’s a big gap, because most of the things you’ll want to run, from the router’s power adapter to a lamp, plug into a normal wall socket. If your plan involves anything with a three-pin plug, the Anker SOLIX C300X is the one you want.

Anker SOLIX C300X Specs at a Glance

• Capacity: 288Wh LiFePO4 battery, rated for 3,000 cycles
• Output: 300W continuous, 600W surge
• AC sockets: 2 (300W combined)
• USB-C: 2 × 140W two-way ports, plus 1 × 15W
• USB-A: 1 × 12W
• Car socket: 1 × 120W
• Mains recharge: 80% in 50 minutes
• Other ways to charge: solar (pairs with a 100W panel), car, or the 140W USB-C port
• Noise: 25dB from about a metre away
• Warranty: 5 years

Anker also says the unit is 15% smaller than similar designs, has smart temperature control and an impact-resistant build, and is designed to last a decade.

What the Anker SOLIX C300X Will Run in a Power Cut

A power station’s capacity is measured in watt-hours. As a rough guide, you can expect to use around 80 to 85% of the 288Wh once you allow for conversion losses, so call it about 240Wh of real-world power. Divide that by what a device draws, and you have a ballpark run time:

• Wi-Fi router (about 10–15W): roughly 16 to 24 hours
• Phone charges (about 15Wh each): around 15 full charges
• Laptop charges (about 50–60Wh each): around 4
• LED lamp (about 5–10W): a full day or more
• A router, two phones and a lamp together: comfortably through a typical evening and night

Those figures are estimates, and real devices vary, so check the wattage on your own kit’s label or power adapter. The point is that the Anker SOLIX C300X turns a power cut from “sitting in the dark with no signal” into an ordinary evening with the internet on.

The 120W car socket is worth a mention too. It will run 12V gear such as a cool box or a 12V light, which makes the Anker SOLIX C300X just as useful on a camping trip as it is at home.

What It Won’t Run

The 300W limit is a real one. Anything that heats or has a big motor is out: kettles, microwaves, toasters, hair dryers, fan heaters and electric hobs all draw far more than 300W. The 600W surge rating is there to cope with a brief spike when something starts up, not to run a higher-wattage appliance.

A domestic fridge-freezer is also a stretch. Even if it starts, 288Wh won’t keep one going through a long outage. The Anker SOLIX C300X is built for the essentials: communications, light, charging and small devices. If you need to keep a fridge, freezer or medical equipment running for hours, you need a bigger power station in the 1kWh range or above.

Charging the Anker SOLIX C300X

One of the strongest points on the listing is recharge speed. Plugged into the mains, the Anker SOLIX C300X reaches 80% in 50 minutes. If a storm warning goes out, you can top it up in less time than it takes to watch the forecast.

You can also charge it from a solar panel (Anker recommends pairing it with a 100W panel), from the car, or through the 140W USB-C port. That port works both ways, so the same socket can fast-charge a laptop or charge the power station itself. One thing to check if you’re buying a panel: Anker says it isn’t compatible with its PS30 panel or other 5V USB-C solar panels.

Like any Anker portable power station, it’s happy to sit in a cupboard between uses. For power cut readiness, the simplest routine is to keep it charged and top it up every month or two, and again when a weather warning is issued.

LiFePO4: Why the Battery Type Matters

The Anker SOLIX C300X uses LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) cells. Anker rates them for 3,000 charge cycles and designs the unit to last ten years. For a power station that might sit in a cupboard for months between uses, that long life is exactly what you want.

It also suits the way most households will actually use it: charged, stored, used for a few hours during an outage, then recharged. A battery built for thousands of cycles won’t be worn out after a few winters.

Who the Anker SOLIX C300X Is For

• Households that want the internet, phones, laptops and lights to keep going through a power cut
• Anyone who has outgrown a power bank and needs proper AC sockets
• Home workers who can’t afford to lose a working day when the power goes
• Campers and caravanners who want a compact power source that also earns its place at home

There’s no single best portable power station for power outages. It depends on what you need to keep running. If you want to run a fridge, a freezer or anything that heats, look at a larger power station. If you want the essentials covered in something you can carry with one hand, the Anker SOLIX C300X is the place to start.

Anker SOLIX C300X: Our Verdict

The Anker SOLIX C300X takes everything that made the original Anker SOLIX C300 a sensible first power station and keeps it: 288Wh of long-life LiFePO4, two AC sockets, fast USB-C and a recharge that takes under an hour to reach 80%. It won’t run your kettle, and it isn’t trying to. As a first Anker portable power station, it gets the basics right. For keeping a UK household connected, charged and lit through a power cut, it covers the essentials without the size or cost of a big unit.

What the Rest of the Team Think

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• Two proper AC sockets, so the Anker SOLIX C300X runs anything with a normal plug up to 300W
• Recharges to 80% in 50 minutes from the mains
• Long-life LiFePO4 battery rated for 3,000 cycles, with a 5-year warranty
• Two 140W two-way USB-C ports for fast laptop charging
• Compact, quiet at 25dB, and easy to store in a cupboard
• Charges from mains, solar, car or USB-C

Cons

• 300W limit rules out kettles, microwaves, heaters and other heating appliances
• 288Wh won’t keep a fridge-freezer going through a long outage
• Solar input suits a 100W panel, so solar top-ups are slow in a UK winter
• Not compatible with Anker’s PS30 or other 5V USB-C solar panels
• The standalone Anker SOLIX C300X listing is newer, so it has far fewer reviews than the original C300 had

Frequently Asked Questions