If you’re camping at a festival and can get your car close to your tent, a portable power station is one of the best things you can bring. I’ve got two Anker SOLIX power stations, the big C1000 and the smaller C300X, and I’ve used them for camping at festivals. This is my honest review, from a festival point of view rather than a technical one.
Updated November 2026. The experiences below are my own. Specifications are from Anker’s UK website and the Amazon UK listings, and prices are from Amazon UK when I checked in November 2026, so they may have changed.
Anker SOLIX at a Glance
| My rating | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Models I own | Anker SOLIX C1000 (the original) and Anker SOLIX C300X |
| Best for | Car camping, campervans and festivals where you can drive up to your pitch |
| Not ideal for | Getting to a festival on public transport, or a long walk with your stuff |
| What I’ve used them for | A fan in the tent at night, phones, a vape, laptops and a light |
| Battery life | Easily lasts a 4 or 5-day festival when you’re charging small devices |
| Noise | Basically silent for small devices, a bit noisy when powering bigger things |
| Weight | 12.9kg for the C1000 and about 4.1kg for the C300X |
Which Anker SOLIX Models Have I Got?
I’ve got two, and they’re very different sizes.
Anker SOLIX C1000
The C1000 is the big one. It’s a 1,056Wh power station with four UK plug sockets, USB-C and USB-A ports, a car socket and a light bar on the front. It’s the one I use in the tent at festivals.
Mine is the original C1000, which has now been replaced on Amazon by the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2. The Gen 2 is slightly smaller and lighter, at 11.3kg, and it has more power output. One thing to be aware of: according to OutdoorGearLab’s review of the Gen 2, the Gen 2 doesn’t have the built-in light.
Anker SOLIX C300X
The C300X is much smaller and stands upright. It’s a 288Wh power station with two UK plug sockets, three USB-C ports, a USB-A port and a car socket. It also has a light bar on the front and a shoulder strap, so it’s a lot easier to carry.
Anker SOLIX C1000 vs C300X
| Anker SOLIX C1000 | Anker SOLIX C300X | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,056Wh | 288Wh |
| Power output | 1,800W | 300W |
| UK plug sockets | 4 | 2 |
| USB ports | 2 USB-C (100W and 30W) and 2 USB-A | 3 USB-C (two at 140W, one at 15W) and 1 USB-A |
| Car socket | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in light | Yes, a light bar on the front | Yes, a light bar on the front |
| Solar input | Up to 600W | Up to 100W |
| Weight | 12.9kg | About 4.1kg |
| Best for | Groups, fans, laptops and longer trips | Couples and solo campers charging small devices |
Why I Love Having One at a Festival
A Fan in Your Tent at Night
Being able to have an electric fan in your tent at night is absolutely amazing. At a British summer festival, when it’s boiling hot and your tent is sweltering from 6am, it makes a huge difference to how well you sleep. Our tips on how to sleep well at a festival and packing for British festival weather will help too.
Keeping Everything Charged
We use ours to keep our phones and a vape charged all weekend, and there are enough sockets and USB ports to charge several things at once. No more queueing at charging stations, or rationing your battery. Read our guide on how to keep your phone charged at a festival for more ideas.
Bigger Things, Like Laptops and Hair Straighteners
Because they have proper UK plug sockets, you can also plug in things like laptops, a bright light or a pair of hair straighteners. If you’re using the C300X, check that whatever you plug in uses less than 300W. For more on looking after your hair, read our festival hair care guide.
A Built-In Light
Both of mine have a light bar on the front, which is really handy when you’re rummaging around your tent in the dark.
How Long Does It Last at a Festival?
At a festival like Glastonbury or Boomtown, which is 4 or 5 days long, the C1000 definitely lasts the whole festival if you’re just charging small devices, and possibly a pair of hair straighteners. If you’re running a fan every night too, the bigger C1000 gives you a lot more headroom than the C300X.
To get a rough idea of how long something will run, divide the power station’s capacity in watt-hours (Wh) by the device’s wattage (W). For example, a 20W fan would run for roughly 12 hours on the C300X (288Wh), or roughly 50 hours on the C1000 (1,056Wh). You’ll get a bit less than that in real life, especially when you use the plug sockets.
Is It Noisy?
When you’re just charging a couple of phones, a vape and other small things, it’s basically completely silent. If you plug in anything that draws a bit more power, like a couple of laptops, a fan or a bright light, it gets a little bit noisy, because the power station’s own cooling fan kicks in.
It’s not loud, but it’s worth knowing if you’re a light sleeper and you want to run a fan all night.
The Downside: They’re Really, Really Heavy
This is the big one. The C1000 is big, bulky and really, really heavy, at 12.9kg. If you don’t have a car and you’re getting to the festival on public transport, it’s not going to be ideal. Even if you’re driving, it’s not ideal at a festival where you have to walk a long way with all your stuff.
It’s best when you can drive right up to your tent or campervan, like on a campervan pitch at Love Fields, or when you can get it most of the way on a sturdy festival trolley. The C300X is much easier to carry, at about 4.1kg, but it’s still heavy compared with an ordinary power bank.
A power station is also expensive, so don’t leave it on show in your tent when you’re out. Our tent security tips have more advice.
Using a Power Station Safely at a Festival
A portable power station is a brilliant camping accessory, but it’s still electrical equipment, so treat it with a bit of care:
- Keep it dry. Protect it from rain, and keep it off the ground, away from any standing water if your tent floods.
- Let it breathe. Leave space around the cooling vents, and don’t bury it under sleeping bags, clothes or bags while it’s running.
- Check the festival’s rules. Before you go, check what the festival allows when it comes to electrical equipment, as rules vary between festivals.
Can You Charge It With Solar Panels?
Yes. Both have a solar input, so you can top them up during the day with a solar panel. I don’t have one myself, but I’ve seen other people using them at festivals. According to Anker, the C1000 takes up to 600W of solar, and the C300X up to 100W.
If you’d like the C300X with a panel, Anker sells a C300X bundle with a solar panel. For the C1000, you could use Anker’s 200W panel.
Best for: A solar panel for the C1000
Anker SOLIX PS200 200W solar panel (opens in a new tab)
A foldable 200W solar panel with a kickstand. It comes with an MC4 to XT-60 cable, which is the type of solar input the C1000 uses.
- Foldable, with a kickstand that sets to four angles
- IP67 waterproof rating
- Includes 3m cables
- Big and heavy to carry, at over 9kg
- Too powerful for the C300X, which only takes 100W of solar
What About the App?
There’s an Anker app where you can monitor the power output, battery level and other bits. To be honest, I’ve not really used it much. The screen on the front also shows you the battery level.
Can You Run an Air Fryer From One?
There are stories of people plugging air fryers into these. I’ve never brought an air fryer camping, so I can’t comment on how well it works. If you want to try, check your air fryer’s wattage first. The C1000 can supply up to 1,800W, but the C300X only manages 300W, which isn’t enough for an air fryer.
Which Anker SOLIX Should You Buy?
If you’re car camping or in a campervan, sharing with friends, or you want to run a fan every night, go for the C1000. If it’s just you or the two of you, and you mainly want to keep phones and small devices charged, the C300X is much easier to carry.
Best for: The best power station for festival car camping
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 (opens in a new tab)
The newer version of my C1000. It holds 1,024Wh and can supply up to 2,000W, so it'll keep a group's phones, a fan and more going all festival. Anker says it fully recharges in 49 minutes from the mains.
- Enough power for a whole festival
- Plenty of UK sockets and USB ports
- Takes up to 600W of solar
- Heavy, at 11.3kg
- Expensive
- No built-in light, unlike my original C1000
Best for: A smaller power station that's easier to carry
Anker SOLIX C300X with 60W solar panel (opens in a new tab)
The smaller power station I own, bundled with a solar panel. It holds 288Wh, with two UK sockets and fast 140W USB-C ports, and it has a light bar and a shoulder strap.
- About 4.1kg, with a shoulder strap
- Built-in light bar
- Comes with a solar panel
- Only 300W through the plug sockets
- Less battery for running a fan every night
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can run a fan in your tent on hot nights.
- It keeps everything charged, from phones and vapes to laptops.
- Proper UK plug sockets, so you can use hair straighteners and other mains devices.
- It lasts a whole festival when you’re charging small devices.
- A built-in light on both of my models.
- It’s basically silent when charging small devices.
- You can add solar panels to top it up.
Cons
- It’s really, really heavy, especially the C1000.
- It’s not ideal without a car, or if you have a long walk to your pitch.
- The cooling fan gets a bit noisy when you power bigger devices.
- It’s expensive, so you need to keep it safe in your tent.
My Verdict: 4.5 Out of 5
An Anker SOLIX power station is an excellent camping accessory, and not just for festivals, but for all camping trips. Being able to run a fan on a sweltering night and never worry about your phone dying makes festival camping so much more comfortable. I highly recommend it.
I’ve given them 4.5 out of 5 because they’re brilliant for festival camping when you’ve got a car, but the weight and expense make them unsuitable for everyone. If you’re getting to the festival on public transport, or you’ve got a long walk to your pitch, a good power bank will be much easier to manage.
For everything else you’ll need, see our festival packing list.
Anker SOLIX FAQs
Will an Anker SOLIX power station last a whole festival?
If you’re mainly charging phones, vapes and other small devices, and maybe using hair straighteners, yes. In my experience, the C1000 easily lasts a 4 or 5-day festival like Glastonbury or Boomtown. If you’re running a fan every night or charging laptops too, the bigger C1000 gives you much more to play with than the C300X.
How long will an Anker SOLIX run a fan?
It depends on the fan. For a rough idea, divide the power station’s capacity in watt-hours by the fan’s wattage. A 20W fan on the C300X (288Wh) would run for roughly 12 hours, and on the C1000 (1,056Wh) for roughly 50 hours. You’ll get a bit less than that in real life, especially when you use the plug sockets.
Is the Anker SOLIX noisy?
When you’re only charging a couple of phones, a vape and other small things, it’s basically silent. When you plug in something that draws more power, like a couple of laptops, a fan or a bright light, its own cooling fan kicks in and you can hear it.
How heavy is the Anker SOLIX C1000?
The original C1000 weighs 12.9kg, according to Anker, and the newer C1000 Gen 2 is listed at 11.3kg on Amazon. The smaller C300X is about 4.1kg. The C1000 is too heavy to carry far, so it’s best if you can drive up to your tent or campervan.
Can you charge an Anker SOLIX with solar panels?
Yes. Both have a solar input. Anker says the C1000 takes up to 600W of solar and the C300X up to 100W, and you need a compatible panel, such as Anker’s own SOLIX panels.
Can an Anker SOLIX power an air fryer?
Some people say they’ve run an air fryer from the C1000. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say how well it works. Check your air fryer’s wattage first: the C1000 can supply up to 1,800W, but the C300X only manages 300W, which isn’t enough for an air fryer.
Does the Anker SOLIX have a built-in light?
Both of mine do. The C1000 and the C300X each have a light bar on the front, which is handy in a dark tent. According to OutdoorGearLab, the newer C1000 Gen 2 doesn’t have a built-in light, so check before you buy if that matters to you.
