Quick answer
The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 is Anker’s newer, cheaper 1kWh-class power station — a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 battery at 2,000W continuous output (3,000W peak), recharging 0-100% in about 49 minutes, launching at $499.99 per Anker’s own site. That’s roughly 200W more continuous output and a faster recharge than the original SOLIX C1000 this site already reviews, at nearly half the price. The catch: Anker’s own product page confirms the Gen 2 has no expansion-battery option — the original C1000 does, growing to 2,112Wh with a matching add-on pack.
We’ve already covered the original Anker SOLIX C1000 on this site. This review covers the newer Gen 2 model and where the two genuinely differ.
At a glance
| Spec | SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | Original SOLIX C1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,024Wh LiFePO4 | 1,056Wh LiFePO4 |
| AC output | 2,000W continuous (3,000W peak) | 1,800W continuous (2,400W surge) |
| Wall recharge | ~49 min to 100% (1,600W input) | ~58 min to 100% |
| Solar input (max) | 600W | 600W |
| Weight | 24.9 lb | ~24 lb |
| Cycle life | 4,000+ cycles to 80% | ~3,000 cycles to 80% |
| Expansion battery | Not available | Up to 2,112Wh combined |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Price | $499.99 | $799-899 |
| Rating | ★★★★☆ (4.0/5) | ★★★★☆ (4.0/5) |
What we like
- Genuinely higher output at nearly half the price. Per Anker’s own C1000 Gen 2 product page, it puts out 2,000W continuous (3,000W peak) against the original C1000’s 1,800W/2,400W — more headroom for a space heater, microwave, or power tool — while launching at $499.99 versus the original’s $799-899 street/list range.
- Faster full recharge and more cycle life. Anker’s own spec page lists a 49-minute 0-100% recharge at 1,600W input, and rates the LiFePO4 pack for 4,000+ cycles before dropping to 80% capacity, both ahead of the original C1000’s roughly 58-minute recharge and roughly 3,000-cycle rating.
- Same 5-year warranty as the model it’s replacing on price. Coverage length doesn’t get cut to hit the lower price point.
- Guinness World Records-certified recharge speed for its capacity class. Anker’s own materials cite an August 2025 certification as the fastest-recharging 1kWh-class portable power station, corroborating the 49-minute figure rather than it being an unverified marketing number.
Where it falls short
- No expansion battery, unlike the original C1000. Anker’s own Gen 2 product page confirms it ships as a standalone, fixed-capacity unit. If you want to grow past 1kWh later without buying a second whole station, the original SOLIX C1000 is the one to buy — its matching add-on pack takes it to 2,112Wh combined.
- 32Wh less capacity than the original. A small, likely unnoticeable difference in practice (1,024Wh vs 1,056Wh), but it means the Gen 2 isn’t a strict upgrade on every spec.
- “Gen 2” naming invites the wrong assumption. It’s not simply a bigger, better version of the original C1000/C1000X — it trades away expandability for more continuous output and a lower price. Check which trade-off matches your use case before buying on the name alone.
- Prices on power stations move fast. Anker’s own site doesn’t always display a fixed price banner; we’ve seen the Gen 2 listed and discounted around its $499.99 launch figure across retailers — verify the current price before checkout rather than assuming it’s fixed.
Who should buy it
The SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 makes sense if you want strong 1kWh-class output — enough for a microwave or space heater on top of the usual laptop/phone/mini-fridge loads — at a genuinely lower price than the original C1000, and you don’t plan to expand capacity later. If scaling up to 2,112Wh down the road matters more than the extra 200W of continuous output, the original SOLIX C1000 is the better buy despite costing more today. Want something smaller and cheaper still? The SOLIX C300 covers the 288Wh class at a fraction of the price. For the full lineup from pocket-size to whole-home backup, see our full portable power station rankings.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 (1,024Wh)
- 2,000W continuous / 3,000W peak output — ahead of the original C1000's 1,800W/2,400W.
- ~49-minute 0-100% recharge, Guinness World Records-certified for its capacity class.
- No expansion-battery option — a fixed-capacity trade-off for the lower price.
Picking up a spare battery pack or a compact solar panel to pair with it — Amazon Prime gets accessories to your door free in two days, and you can try it free for 30 days.
The bottom line
The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 is a real, cheaper-and-more-powerful successor to Anker’s original SOLIX C1000 in most respects — more continuous output, a faster recharge, more cycle life, and a much lower $499.99 launch price — but it drops the expansion-battery path that the original still offers. Buy the Gen 2 for the better price-to-output ratio if 1,024Wh fixed is enough; buy the original SOLIX C1000 instead if you want room to grow past 1kWh later. See our full portable power station rankings for how both compare against every class of unit on this site.