The modern choice of charging stations is very large. They can be giant on wheels, vertical, horizontal, with additional batteries and removable lights. For example Anker Solix C800Xwhich we recently reviewed. Also, charging stations have begun to be made small and yet powerful enough and with a relatively large capacity. For example EcoFlow RIVER 3 UPS which we also recently wrote about. But what about even more compact models? The brand new Anker Solix C300X, which we will talk about today, belongs to them.
Content
| Battery capacity | 288 Wh |
| Battery type | LiFePo4 |
| Rated power output | 300 W |
| Peak power output | 600 W |
| Output voltage | 12 V, 15 V, 20 V, 220 V, 230 V, 28 V, 5 V, 9 V |
| Period of operation | 3000 charges up to 80% capacity |
| Output interfaces | 2 x 220 V socket, 1 x USB Type A, 3 x USB Type C, cigarette lighter |
| How to charge the station | Grid, solar panel |
| Charging time from a 220 V network | 70 minutes |
| Features | Power Delivery, PowerIQ, QC fast charging 3.0, flashlight, pen, UPS function, fast battery charging |
| Protection | Yes, from reverse current, undervoltage, short circuit, overvoltage at the output, overvoltage at the input, overdischarge, improper use of connectors, overload, overheating, overcharging |
| Temperature mode of operation | 0 C to +40 C |
| Simultaneous charging devices | 7 |
| Body | Matte plastic |
| Dimensions | 164×161×240 mm |
| Weight | 4 kilograms |
The Anker Solix C300X comes in a relatively small white box with a picture of a charging station.
Inside we see a removable power cable, the station itself, documentation and a shoulder strap. It’s strange not to see a cable for a car cigarette lighter in the package, but as I understand it, small stations often don’t include it, because it was also absent in EcoFlow RIVER 3 UPS, but larger models always have it.
The Anker Solix C300X has a modern, yet ascetic design, and is one of the rare vertical models. The case is made of matte plastic. The model’s dimensions are 164×161×240 mm and it weighs 4 kilograms.
This is a bit heavier than the aforementioned EcoFlow RIVER 3 UPS, but it has a larger capacity, and in my opinion, this vertical design makes it much easier to use, carry, transport, etc.
There are several ANKER SOLIX inscriptions on the top panel, a textured surface so that you can put your gadgets for charging and they won’t move. There’s also a carrying handle and two shoulder strap attachments.
On the front panel of Anker Solix C300X we see all the main controls. On top is an oblong flashlight with a round button.
It works in three brightness modes and this is exactly the thing that I think most charging stations lack. If there is no light at home or you are somewhere outside, you always need to light yourself up to even connect something to the station to charge it. To do this, you have to take out your phone or light yourself up with a separate flashlight. But here you turn on the built-in lamp and see everything. You can make it dimmer or brighter.
Below we see the LED screen, where all the basic information is displayed, the button to turn the station off/on, one USB-A port for 12 W and three USB-C ports, two of which are designed for a huge power of 140 W. The third is 15 W. There is also a 100W XT60 port for connecting a solar panel. A 120W car socket and two 220V sockets. There are separate on/off buttons for the ports, car socket, and regular sockets.
On the right side of the charging station, there are ventilation grilles.
The left one also has ventilation grilles and a network cable connector.
The bottom of the charging station has four legs and a sticker with basic technical information about the model.
Anker Solix C300X has a solid design without any protruding elements, etc. The handle itself is there, but it is made part of the top panel, so it has a positive effect on the usability.
I’d like to note two grooves on the top of the case, which were mentioned above. They are made for attaching the included shoulder strap. It makes the station as convenient as possible to carry and transport. For example, in nature, in the field on a mission, at work somewhere in the open air, etc.
The Anker Solix C300X charging station is equipped with a 288 Wh battery. This is a lithium-iron-phosphate battery of the LiFePO4 standard. It is claimed to have 3000 charging cycles without loss of capacity. The signal type is — pure sine wave (PSW).
When charging from the mains, the real battery capacity is 247 W, which is 86% of the declared figures. The rest goes to losses and maintaining the operation of the station itself. For such a compact solution, and for charging stations in general, this is a good result. But note that this figure may vary depending on the type of charging and charging power.
Anker Solix C300X has a rated power of 300 W and a peak power of 600 W. The maximum charging power comes from the wall outlet and is 330 W. In this case, the station charges from 0 to 100% in 70 minutes. If we take a solar panel, it is a maximum of 100 W, and the full charging time will be 3 hours and 20 minutes. If you use a 120 W cigarette lighter, it will take 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge.
The declared protection is against reverse current, undervoltage, short circuit, overvoltage, overcurrent, overdischarge, misuse of connectors, overload, overheating, and overcharging.
I couldn’t find any information anywhere about the UPS function of the charging station, so I decided to check it myself. It turned out that the station can operate as an uninterruptible power supply. When I connected my work setup (laptop, monitor, speakers, microphone, etc.) to it and then unplugged the station, everything worked as if nothing had happened. That is, the switching time from the mains to the station is within 20-30 ms, and this is actually enough to use Anker Solix C300X as a UPS for small and not powerful sets.
There is also no official information about the case protection against moisture, dust or water. Of course, I didn’t test it myself, but the station is designed for tourism and portability, so there is probably some basic protection against dust and moisture. So be careful and try not to pour water on it, put it in the mud, etc.
The Anker Solix C300X is equipped with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules, so it works with the Anker app. The connection is elementary: turn on the station, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi on your smartphone, enter the app and follow the simple instructions. In a minute, everything will be connected. You can also choose whether the station will work with your phone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The Anker app is a modern and easy-to-use program that enhances and improves the charging station experience. Through the app, you can control the power coming in or out of each individual port, as well as view the battery temperature. It also allows you to turn on and off the AC and car power ports, and change the speed at which the device is charging from the mains. There is also a shutdown timer for the car or network ports when they are on. Not to forget software updates, a support center, etc. However, there is no Ukrainian language, so you’ll have to use English. But it’s good that there’s no Russian either.
Overall, I liked using the Anker Solix C300X. Of course, first and foremost because of its compactness and relatively light weight. It’s cool that the handle is part of the body and doesn’t stick out, so it’s easy to carry the station, put it in a backpack, etc. But the main thing is that there is a shoulder strap, which makes it very convenient to take somewhere and carry it as a shoulder bag.
I liked that it has a vertical design, so the station doesn’t take up much space anywhere, but it has a good capacity of 288 Wh, especially for its size. I liked the available set of ports, especially the two sockets, which is very cool for such a compact device, in my opinion. It’s also great that there’s a flashlight, but I’ve already mentioned that above.
But the small screen is not very convenient to use. It shows only the remaining charge in large letters, and everything else, including data on the charging status or the amount of energy that the devices are currently consuming, is shown in small letters and numbers at the bottom. And even I, with my excellent eyesight, had to lean close to the screen to see it all. Therefore, in this case, I recommend using the app more often, where all this is immediately displayed on the main screen. It’s convenient and clear, and most importantly, you can see everything.
The compact size also means that the Anker Solix C300X will be very quiet in operation, and it is. If it is standing next to you and working, you will hardly hear anything. Even at maximum power, the sound of the station is very quiet, and during the day, if something is happening around, its operation is not noticeable at all. This also applies at night, so you can put the charging station in your room for charging at night.
I can’t say anything significant about the quality of the case and its durability after a few weeks of use. Hopefully, there is basic protection against dust and banal shocks, but I only noticed that dust gets on the case rapidly and is visible. However, it’s very easy to clean, and there are almost no fingerprints or other traces of use. But all of this was done at home because I couldn’t take the station outdoors or into nature.
The compact size of Anker Solix C300X makes it a model not for everyone. Therefore, before buying, seriously consider whether the available capacity, and most importantly, the 300 W of power and 600 W of peak power, will be enough for you. This is enough if your homework setup, like mine, is based on a laptop. In my case, a laptop+monitor+speakers+plus sometimes a microphone takes 65-95 watts. This is more than enough to work for more than two hours.
The charging station is also suitable for simply charging gadgets: smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, power banks, headphones, etc. It will also power household appliances. Of course, not all of them and not at full capacity, but still.
For example, my toaster takes 500 watts, but when connected, it clearly «consumes» less, so the toast is cooked, but it’s not as well-done. Alternatively, I cooked them twice. The same goes for the microwave. In modern models, the heating power varies and I set it to 300 watts and in 3-5 minutes at this power I heated a dish or made a hot sandwich without any problems.
And if you need to play with the charger, it is also capable of that. I connected a 32-inch Full-HD TV and a Xbos Series S. It took an average of 70-100 watts. Sometimes there was a peak of 130-150 watts. This will definitely be enough for 2-3 hours of gaming, and possibly more. I also took a gaming laptop and a 27-inch 2K monitor to make S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 more impressive. The output was 150-170 watts, which means that the charging station will provide 1-2 hours of gaming in this mode.
Anker Solix C300X is sold at a price starting at UAH 9999. Judging by the price tags of competitors, this is not a super offer, but it’s not a bad one either.
Among the competitors, it is worth highlighting the same EcoFlow RIVER 3 UPS with a price tag of 9299 hryvnias. This is if you need something small, but with a full UPS function. There are also already proven classics in the form of EcoFlow RIVER 2 at a price starting from 6000. However, with a similar capacity, this model will not be as compact, and there is only one socket.
Among other popular models with batteries up to 300 Wh, you should pay attention toANKER 521 PowerHouse (price from UAH 10,999), Jackery Explorer 240 (price from UAH 8499), BLUETTI PowerOak EB3A (price from UAH 8299), BLUETTI AC2A (price from UAH 7299) andAllpowers R600 with a price tag of UAH 9200.
