Review: The Anker Solix C300 rewrites the compact portable power station rule book

It's inevitable that as battery technology progresses, portable power stations will become more, well, portable.

And the latest developments have seen a raft of new, compact power stations arriving in 2024 that can keep gadgets topped up without adding too much bulk to your backpack.

The Anker brand Solix has been one of the latest companies to throw its hat into this particular ring, and it's doing things a bit differently.

Unlike some small portable power stations, the new Solix C300 is tall, narrow and designed to be carried with a strap. That makes it more versatile, and the fact it's 15% smaller than its rivals really helps.

There are two versions of the C300, one has a pair of AC sockets with a small inverter built in, the other has just a 12v selection of outputs.

I've been testing the AC version for a while, using it to power and charge all sorts of devices, and it hasn't missed a beat.

The inverter can cope with constant loads of up to 300 watts, or a surge of up to 600 watts, so it'll comfortably run any laptop, or even some power tools, or a projector.

The USB sockets, of which there are four, can pump out 140 watts, which is impressive, and the battery has a 288Wh capacity, which is effectively the same as around 90,000mAh.

So it has plenty of power for most of the devices you could plausibly take with you on an outdoor excursion, or a camping trip. And it weighs just 4kg.

The DC version, without the two three-pin sockets, is even lighter, and that one comes with a clever pop-out lamp on the top. The AC version makes do with a light bar, but it's pretty bright.

They both have Anker's LCD display on the front, which makes monitoring inputs and outputs really easy, with a clear indicator of how much charge is left in percentage terms.

Recharging can be done through the USB sockets, more slowly through the car charging socket, through a solar input up to 100 watts or, in the case of the AC version, at 330 watts through an AC input.

The DC version, however, can accept two charging loads through its USB-C sockets, instead of just one on the AC version. This means you can potentially hose in 280 watts. It won't charge quite as quickly as the AC version, then, but it's very impressive.

In fact, I do think the DC version is the more versatile device, overall. It's a bit lighter and smaller, it has that neat pop-up lamp, and unless you really need an AC socket, it's just as useful. In fact, using an inverter is quite inefficient, and you'll have to cope with a phantom load just by turning it on. If you can, you should always use the 12V supply.

And then there's the price. This is where it gets interesting. At the time of publication, the DC version costs £149.99, down from its usual £199.99. Meanwhile the AC version, usually priced at £269.99, costs £189.99.

It makes it something of a dilemma for buyers, because there's only a £40 difference between the two. And that £40 gets you a robust inverter and two AC sockets.

But, like I say, if you don't need AC power, if you can cope with some very powerful USB sockets and you'd prefer the lightness and smaller size, go for the DC version. You won't be disappointed. They're both really good bits of kit.