Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX C300 vs DJI Power 500
The Power 500 is both the cheaper box and the bigger battery, so the C300 has to win on something other than money or capacity, and it only does for a laptop in a backpack or one computer that can't blink.
Full profiles: Anker SOLIX C300 β Β· DJI Power 500 β
Written by Wenny ZhengUpdated
Portable Power Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Spec deltas
Buy the DJI Power 500. It costs $31 less than the Anker SOLIX C300 and holds 78% more battery (288Wh to 512Wh), with more than three times the continuous output (300W to 1,000W). There's no trade to weigh on price here. The smaller box is the pricier one.
The C300 still has a real case, and it's built entirely from things that aren't watt-hours. It weighs 9.1 lbs to the DJI's 16.1. Its fastest USB-C port delivers 140W where the DJI tops out at 100W. Its UPS switchover is rated no worse than 10ms against the DJI's 20ms. Read it as a very large power bank with an outlet attached and the Anker is good at its job. Read it as a small power station and it's outclassed.
Set expectations before you scroll. Of the seven load scenarios on this page, five come back "neither": weekend camping, an eight-hour blackout, a remote workday, a tailgate and van life. A light afternoon off-grid goes to both. Only CPAP Overnight separates them, and it goes to the DJI.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first β the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
rated cycles
Carry it through the cells' rated life and the gap widens instead of closing: 4,000 cycles of 512Wh against 3,000 of 288Wh is more than twice the lifetime energy, from the unit that also costs less on day one. Divide the price by capacity, by continuous output or by lifetime energy and every answer comes out in the DJI's favor.
DJI Power 500: $299, 512Wh, 4,000 rated cyclesAnker SOLIX C300: $330, 288Wh, 3,000 rated cycleslifetime energy over rated cycles: 2,048 kWh vs 864 kWh
Why it mattersIf you came to the smaller box to save money, it won't; buy the C300 only for what it does, never for what it costs.
continuous output
The tailgate row shows what that ratio actually buys. A 400W peak sits inside the C300's surge, so the load starts, and then the 300W continuous rating takes over and it can't stay on. The DJI holds the same peak without touching its surge headroom, and reviewers watched it ride a 1,500W spike above its own rating while running a 905W loadB3.
C300: 300W continuous, 600W surgePower 500: 1,000W continuous, 1,000W surgeTailgate Party: 400W peak; the C300 can start it but not hold it, the Power 500 sustains itin testing the Power 500 ran a 905W load and briefly handled a 1,500W surge above its 1,000W ratingB3
Why it mattersAnything on your list that runs above 300W for longer than a startup moment rules out the C300 before runtime even comes up.
A faster handover protects a CPAP for exactly as long as there's battery behind it, and the C300 runs 75Wh dry before the night is done. The DJI takes the slower-rated handover and still has 115Wh in hand at the end. The rating reviewers single outA3 is real, and it belongs to a different job: a desktop or router that has to ride through a blink, not a load that has to run until morning.
switchover rated no worse than 10ms on the C300, 20ms on the Power 500CPAP Overnight needs 320Wh: 245Wh usable on the C300 (75Wh short), 435Wh on the Power 500 (115Wh to spare)reviewers call the C300's 10ms switchover unique in its size and price classA3
Why it mattersAnything that must still be running at dawn goes to the DJI; one desk machine that must not reboot on a flicker is the load where the Anker's switchover rating earns its keep.
solar input
Judged as a power bank with an outlet, the C300 wins outright: lighter, quicker over USB-C, and sized for exactly the trail-and-gadgets job reviewers describeA2. Judged as a power station, it's the one that costs more for less. Which of those two things you're buying is the whole decision.
C300: 9.1 lbs, fastest USB-C port 140WPower 500: 16.1 lbs, USB-C tops out at 100Wreviewers describe the C300 as light and compact for its capacity, aimed at keeping phones and gadgets charged on hikes and camping tripsA2
Why it mattersIf everything you plug in ends in USB-C and the bag is going on your back, the C300 is worth its premium; anything with a plug and a motor sends you to the DJI.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units β everything else is a tie.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: The Power 500 is the cheaper unit and carries more than twice the lifetime energy, so the usual price-versus-size trade never shows up.
cost / lifetime kWh
Four thousand rated cycles of 512Wh comes to 2,048 kWh over the Power 500's rated life. Three thousand cycles of 288Wh gives the C300 864 kWh. That's more than twice the energy from the box that costs less to begin with, which is why the per-kilowatt-hour figure in this section isn't close: the DJI comes in at well under half the Anker's cost for every lifetime kilowatt-hour.
In calendar terms, daily cycling gets you about 11 years from the DJI and 8.2 from the Anker. You'll probably retire either one for reasons that have nothing to do with its cells, so don't plan around those dates. Read them as a second witness to the same fact: the cheaper unit is also the longer-lived one.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: Five of the seven load benchmarks come back "neither"; CPAP Overnight is the one that splits them, and it goes to the Power 500.
Five "neither" results out of seven is the most useful thing this section tells you. A weekend of camping asks 2,100Wh, an eight-hour blackout 1,645Wh, a day of van life 4,685Wh. These are 288Wh and 512Wh boxes. If you're shopping for blackout cover, the blackout row is telling you to look above 1,645Wh and read this page as background.
CPAP Overnight is the one that splits them, and not narrowly: the DJI finishes with 115Wh left, the C300 runs out 75Wh short. The tailgate row is "neither" too, but for two different reasons. The DJI holds the 400W peak and runs out of energy 235Wh early. The C300 starts the peak and can't stay on it. You can plan around the first failure. The second one you can only shop around.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: Surge ceiling, switchover rating, warranty terms and cycle life are the rows that separate these two, and they don't all point the same way.
rated cycles
These rows don't vote together, which is what makes them the honest test of the verdict. Surge ceiling and cycle life go to the DJI. The switchover rating goes to the Anker, no worse than 10ms against 20ms, and it's the one row where the C300 is something other than the smaller option.
Warranty is the row to read slowly. Both records carry five years, but the DJI's is the full term only when bought from DJI's own store, while the Anker's carries no such condition in our record. That's the DJI's real catch on this page, and it costs nothing to dodge: buy it direct and the row is a wash.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: 9.1 lbs against 16.1 is the C300's strongest argument and the one the DJI can't answer.
weight
Nine pounds rides in a daypack and comes back out without a thought. Sixteen is a lift you make once, set down, and leave until it's time to go. At 9.1 lbs against 16.1, that half of the story belongs to the Anker.
The ports pile onto it. On a trip where the hungriest thing you charge is a laptop, the C300 is lighter and faster at the actual job, because its 140W USB-C port beats the DJI's 100W ceiling. On a trip where something has a plug and a motor, none of that survives a 300W outlet.
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX C300
Strengths
- +Lighter by 7 lb
Trade-offs
- βWeaker inverter (-700W) limits appliance compatibility.
- βShorter-lived battery β rated for 3,000 charge cycles vs the Power 500's 4,000, so it wears out sooner.
DJI Power 500
Strengths
- +Costs $31 less
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Faster solar charging
- +Rated for 4,000 charge cycles β much longer battery lifespan
Trade-offs
- βNo major technical downsides compared to rival.
Will It Power Your Gear?
Scenario math and per-appliance runtimes, modeled from the spec record.
Scenario verdicts
We ran the math on seven real-world scenarios. Here's which unit survives your actual life.
SCN-01 Β· 2 nights Β· needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Neither unit
Neither unit covers this scenario's 2,100Wh: the SOLIX C300 comes up 1,855Wh short (about 12% covered), the Power 500 1,665Wh (21%). This is well outside what either unit is for; the right answer here is a larger station, not a choice between these two.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Phone Charger 15WΓ6h Β· LED Lights 40WΓ8h Β· Box Fan 75WΓ14h Β· CPAP Machine 40WΓ16h
SCN-02 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Neither unit
Neither unit covers this scenario's 1,645Wh: the SOLIX C300 comes up 1,400Wh short (about 15% covered), the Power 500 1,210Wh (26%). This is well outside what either unit is for; the right answer here is a larger station, not a choice between these two.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Fridge 150WΓ8h Β· Router + Modem 20WΓ8h Β· LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40WΓ6h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ3h
SCN-03 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption β the #1 medical use case
Power 500
The Power 500 takes this one, and it's the only scenario on the page that separates them. A night of CPAP fits inside the DJI with 115Wh left over; the C300 runs out 75Wh short, so its faster switchover rating never gets a chance to matter. Both publish 25 dBA, and a published figure like that is usually a best case rather than a reading under load, so it tells you nothing about which one is quieter eighteen inches from your head.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β CPAP Machine 40WΓ8h
SCN-04 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Neither unit
Neither unit covers this scenario's 910Wh: the SOLIX C300 comes up 665Wh short (about 27% covered), the Power 500 475Wh (48%). Treat this as partial cover β enough for the essentials in it, not the whole list.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Laptop 60WΓ8h Β· External Monitor 30WΓ8h Β· Router + Modem 20WΓ8h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ2h
SCN-05 Β· 4 hours Β· needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
Neither unit
Neither covers the tailgate's 670Wh, and they fail in different ways. The Power 500 holds the 400W peak and runs out of energy 235Wh early. The C300 gets the peak started on its 600W surge, then hits its 300W continuous limit and can't keep it running. Running out is a scheduling problem. Not staying on is a shopping problem.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Blender 400WΓ0.5h Β· LED TV (55") 80WΓ4h Β· Bluetooth Speaker 15WΓ4h Β· Phone Charger (Γ3) 45WΓ2h
SCN-06 Β· 24 hours Β· needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living β the ultimate endurance test
Neither unit
Neither unit covers this scenario's 4,685Wh: the SOLIX C300 comes up 4,440Wh short (about 5% covered), the Power 500 4,250Wh (9%). This is well outside what either unit is for; the right answer here is a larger station, not a choice between these two.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Mini-Fridge 150WΓ24h Β· Laptop 60WΓ4h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ3h Β· LED Lights 40WΓ5h Β· Fan 75WΓ8h
SCN-07 Β· an afternoon Β· needs 100Wh
Afternoon Off-Grid
Phones and a speaker at the park, beach, or campsite β the small-unit job description
Either unit
Both handle it with room to spare: the C300 finishes at 41% used, the Power 500 at 23%. Leftover watt-hours don't decide a job this small. The trade the rest of the page keeps making does: the Anker weighs 9.1 lbs against 16.1, and the DJI is the cheaper of the two.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Phone Charger (Γ2) 30WΓ2h Β· Bluetooth Speaker 10WΓ4h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh Γ 0.85) Γ· LOAD
None of the scenarios above exactly yours? Build it. Toggle what you'd plug in; both units are tested against the combined draw.
Essentials
Comfort & Convenience
High-Draw Appliances
Test duration
8h
Continuous draw
205W
Projected runtime
For this load: Power 500 runs 2.1h vs 1.2h.
$299 list Β· direct from DJI
Planning for more than this? Describe your whole setup and get it sizedΒ β
Modeled from the spec record β same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.ΒΉ
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0β29hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0β5.8hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0β0.4hΒΉ Runtime = (capacity Γ 0.85) Γ· appliance watts. Within each group, all bars share one time scale (the group's longest runtime), so lengths are comparable across appliances; identical runtimes collapse into a single blue/orange bar. Actual runtime varies with battery age, temperature, and simultaneous loads β see methodology.
Conclusion
October 11, 2026
Verdict: the Power 500
Buy the DJI Power 500. At $299 against the C300's $330, it costs $31 less and gives you 512Wh to 288Wh, a 1,000W outlet ceiling to 300W, and 4,000 rated cycles to 3,000. It's also the only one of the two that finishes the overnight CPAP benchmark. The C300 is the right buy in three narrow cases: it has to ride in a backpack (9.1 lbs to 16.1), you charge a big laptop over USB-C (a 140W port to 100W), or one computer has to survive a power blink on a switchover rated no worse than 10ms instead of 20ms. Outside those, the Anker asks you to pay more for less.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of October 11, 2026. The links below open Anker's and DJI's current prices.
$299.00 Β· direct from DJI
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move β check before you buy.
or check the SOLIX C300 price$429.99 list
Written by Wenny Zheng, Portable Power Tester Β· Station Arena Test Desk Β· Updated October 11, 2026
Black Friday Β· 26 days out
Prices to beat:SOLIX C300 $270Power 500 $299
The lowest we have recorded for each. We have never seen the Power 500 discounted, so any real cut on it would be a first.
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Not rated for both units (minimum threshold unmet): Solar Generator.
Full specifications
α΅ Derived: price Γ· rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons β
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool βHow these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it β no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews β see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity Γ 0.85 inverter efficiency) Γ· device wattage. Solar recharge estimates assume panels deliver 70% of rated output. Cold weather, battery age, and stacked loads reduce real-world results.
Power Score
Computed from 14 published spec dimensions, weighted per use-case bench. Higher is better; a unit must meet a bench's minimum threshold to be rated.
See the full weight table and data sourcing on our methodology page βClass ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews β no buyer opinions feed it. We score every station on size-independent quality (value, output, portability, endurance, ports, warranty, and more), then percentile-rank it against the other units in its capacity class, so a class-leading compact unit and a class-leading whole-home unit can both earn 5β . Here, SOLIX C300 rates 4.3/5 (58th percentile of 25 Personal-class units), and Power 500 rates 4.6/5 (74th percentile of 20 Compact-class units).
How the class ranking is computed βTest Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
Better ratio, lower ceiling
The C300 doubles its rating on surge, 300W to 600W, while the Power 500 keeps nothing in reserve above its 1,000W. The ratio flatters the Anker. A 600W ceiling still sits below what the DJI runs continuously, and an appliance at switch-on draws a number of watts, not a multiple of anyone's rating.
The row that goes to the Anker
The C300 is rated to switch over in no more than 10ms, the Power 500 in no more than 20ms. Both are ratings, not lab results, and routers and most electronics ride through either. The fussiest desktop power supplies sit right around the slower figure, so if one specific machine with unsaved work is the reason you're buying, this row outranks the capacity gap that decides everything else here.
Five years each, with one condition
Both records carry a five-year term. The DJI's is the maximum, advertised for units bought from DJI's own store, so if you buy elsewhere, check what term you're actually getting. The Anker's five years carries no such condition in our record. Buy the DJI direct and this row is a wash.
More cycles, and bigger ones
The Power 500 is rated for at least 4,000 cycles and the C300 for at least 3,000, but each DJI cycle moves 512Wh against 288Wh. Count energy instead of cycles and it's roughly 2,048 kWh against 864 over the rated life, more than twice as much. Daily use works out to about 11 years against 8.2, and at the end the cells drop to around 80% of original capacity rather than stopping.
Full record above β the Test Desk pick is the Power 500.
Check Power 500 price βor check the SOLIX C300 priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy β true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
Cost per delivered kWh
β warranty ends Β· Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains β degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The Power 500 wins on both sticker price and long-term value. At $0.15/kWh over its lifetime, it's meaningfully cheaper to own. Clear value winner.
Delivers each lifetime kWh for $0.23 less β check the Power 500 price β
Brand trust
Anker
Ecosystem
7-8 SOLIX portable power stations across C-series (compact) and F-series (flagship), plus the X1 home energy system
Support
US-based, and historically the reason people bought Anker at all: quick, no-hassle replacements. Recent reports describe AI-driven agents giving generic answers and complicated returns on heavy units that ship as hazmat. At 9.1 lbs, the C300 isn't the kind of heavy unit those return complaints are about.
Community
Moderate β active Reddit (r/Anker, r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity) and growing. Benefits from Anker's massive consumer electronics brand awareness.
App experience
Rated 4.5/5 iOS (~1,100 ratings) Β· 4.3/5 Android
Unique strength
Anker's per-watt-hour value is strong in its mid-size and larger units, the S2000, F2600 and C1000 among them. The C300 isn't where that value lives. At this size you're paying for ports and switchover speed, not battery.
Worth knowing
Firmware updates have removed features without warning before, and the expansion ecosystem is narrower than EcoFlow's. The second point doesn't touch this matchup, since neither unit expands.
DJI
Ecosystem
Five power stations since 2024: Power 500, Power 1000, Power 1000 V2, Power 1000 Mini and Power 2000. That's the whole history.
Support
Leveraging DJI's established global support and repair center network from the drone business. Generally positive reputation inherited from drone operations, but limited power-station-specific track record.
Community
No dedicated power-station community yet. Questions land in r/dji among mostly drone pilots, which is a fine place to ask about a gimbal and a thin one to ask why an inverter is clicking.
App experience
Rated 3.5/5 iOS and Android (DJI Home app ratings reflect entire DJI ecosystem including drones/cameras, not power-station-specific). Users report the on-device screen is more reliable than the app.
Unique strength
Runs quiet β 23-30dB published on most of the range (manufacturer best-case figures), at the quiet end of the category; our record carries no figure for the Power 1000 V2. Fast wall charging, quickest on the Power 1000 V2 at ~56 min β that figure is the V2's, not the whole line's. 700+ battery patents from drone R&D. SDC ports for ultra-fast DJI drone charging. Premium industrial design and build quality. LFP batteries rated for 4,000+ cycles.
Worth knowing
No built-in solar charge controller, so panels need DJI's separate proprietary adapter. The SDC fast-charge ports pay off only if you already own DJI gear. And while the Power 2000 and Power 1000 V2 take expansion batteries, the Power 500 doesn't, so what you buy is what you have.
Analyst note
One brand has years of power-station history and a support desk that's slipping; the other arrived in 2024 with a global repair network inherited from drones and little power-station record of its own. Neither profile moves the pick here, because the hardware gap is wider than the brand gap. If you're someone who actually calls support, Anker is the one with a US-based desk and a longer memory of how this is supposed to go.
Growth path
SOLIX C300
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 288Wh, with no expansion β so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 100W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Power 500
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 512Wh, with no expansion β so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 300W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output β see methodology
Analyst note
Neither expands, and that's no knock on either β each is a complete unit at a fixed size. Buy the capacity that covers your needs now (the Power 500 gives you the larger ceiling); you can't add to either later.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews β every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX C300
The C300's record comes from reviewers rather than long-term owners, so read it as first impressionsA1A2A3A4. It agrees with the spec sheet: 288Wh, 300W continuous with 600W on SurgePad, and 140W USB-C doing the heavy lifting for devicesA1. Anker claims the unit is 30% smaller than competing stations, and reviewers back the impression, calling it light and compact for its capacity and pointing it at phones and gadgets on hikes and camping tripsA2.
The spec that keeps coming up is the 10ms-rated UPS switchover, described as unique at this size and price classA3. Coverage frames the unit around reliability, smart features and compact designA4, which is a fair sketch of the desk-and-daypack buyer it suits.
β288Wh capacity with 300W output (600W with SurgePad) and dual 140W USB-C ports for fast device charging.β
Sources
ankersolix.com Β· trustedreviews.com Β· im.com.au Β· solarwaypoint.com Β· backuppowerhub.com Β· powerstationlab.com
DJI Power 500
The Power 500's coverage is more hands-on. In testing it ran a 905W load and briefly handled a 1,500W surge above its 1,000W rating, and reviewers found it more efficient than the larger DJI Power 1000B3. The 512Wh LFP pack is cited at 3,000 to 4,000 cycles, which the same sources translate to roughly a ten-year lifeB1. At about 7.3 kg it's called easy to transportB2, which holds against other power stations and less so against the Anker sitting next to it.
One review flagged the box contents: a wall plug and nothing else, with no solar adapters or car-charging cableB4. Put that beside the separate proprietary adapter DJI's solar input needs, and the 300W solar figure comes with an extra purchase attached.
βA 512Wh LFP battery with up to 1,000W output; the automotive-grade LFP cells are rated up to 3,000-4,000 cycles for roughly a 10-year lifespan.β
Sources
dji.com Β· thesolarlab.com Β· techradar.com Β· views-sounds.com Β· t3.com
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- Compact, light design; dual 140W USB-C fast charging; and a standout 10ms UPS rare at this size are the highlights. [SOLIX C300 Β· 3 entries]
- Light, efficient LFP unit with strong real-world output and drone-pilot appeal; the caveat is minimal included accessories. [Power 500 Β· 3 entries]
- A1
β288Wh capacity with 300W output (600W with SurgePad) and dual 140W USB-C ports for fast device charging.β
ankersolix.com / trustedreviews.com β SOLIX C300 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- A2
βAnker claims the C300 is 30% smaller than competing power stations; reviewers call it impressively light and compact for the capacity, aimed at keeping phones and gadgets charged on hikes and camping trips.β
im.com.au / solarwaypoint.com β SOLIX C300 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- A3
βIts 10ms UPS switchover is legitimately unique in this size and price class.β
backuppowerhub.com / powerstationlab.com β SOLIX C300 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- A4
βTargets users who value reliability, smart features, and compact design.β
backuppowerhub.com β SOLIX C300 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- B1
βA 512Wh LFP battery with up to 1,000W output; the automotive-grade LFP cells are rated up to 3,000-4,000 cycles for roughly a 10-year lifespan.β
dji.com / thesolarlab.com β Power 500 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- B2
βWeighs only about 7.3 kg, making it easy to transport.β
dji.com / techradar.com β Power 500 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- B3
βIn testing it ran a 905W load and briefly handled a 1,500W surge above its 1,000W rating; reviewers found it outperformed the larger DJI Power 1000 in efficiency testing.β
thesolarlab.com / views-sounds.com β Power 500 review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- B4
βReviews are positive overall, though one noted it ships with only a wall plug β no solar adapters or car-charging cables included.β
t3.com / techradar.com β Power 500 review Β· 2026 Β· [mixed]
Research compiled October 11, 2026.
What Owners Actually Report
Drawn from 25 comments on independent review channels β not from retailer reviews, which skew to the first week of ownership. Each line is our summary of one commenter's claim, linked to the original. We record what they said, including where it contradicts the spec sheet.
Anker SOLIX C300
14 claims from 11 comments Β· 9 from owners Β· 2 with figures
- Build quality
- 2 Β· 55% negative
- Other
- 3 Β· 0% negative
- Size & weight
- 2 Β· 21% negative
- Solar input
- 3 Β· 14% negative
- Durability
- 1 Β· 0% negative
What owners complain about
Returned it: temps hit 52C and above when recharging at 300-330W, with a terrible burning plastic smell.
Build qualitymeasuredowner5 agreedsource β
A 300W inverter cannot start a fridge or drive a drill, where a 600W unit can.
Inverter & surgesource β
Calls the tall tower form factor nonsense in a car camper where a flat, stable unit is needed.
Size & weightsource β
What owners praise
Prefers the Ankers for portable use in the car or beside a chair.
Size & weightowner34 agreedsource β
Better AC outlet spacing, more USB-C ports and a light; bought two after the EcoFlow issue.
Build qualityowner4 agreedsource β
Uses two Anker 300W stations to power video lights on film shoots instead of costly V-mount batteries.
Otherowner1 agreedsource β
DJI Power 500
16 claims from 14 comments Β· 7 from owners Β· 3 with figures
- Price & value
- 5 Β· 6% negative
- Inverter & surge
- 2 Β· 0% negative
- Runtime
- 3 Β· 32% negative
- Solar input
- 2 Β· 0% negative
- Durability
- 1 Β· 0% negative
What owners complain about
Wishes he could get one in Barbados.
Shipping6 agreedsource β
512Wh will not run a household fridge for 24 hours; maybe around six.
Runtime46 agreedsource β
550 euro in Europe without any accessories is far too high.
Price & value4 agreedsource β
What owners praise
Ran an electric blanket and streaming overnight with plenty left for morning coffee.
Runtimeowner5 agreedsource β
A semi driver runs a microwave off it in a truck with no inverter; worth its weight in gold.
Inverter & surgeowner15 agreedsource β
For $179 more than the Anker he got a far more usable product at $379.
Price & valuemeasuredowner1 agreedsource β
Claims are weighted by how specific they are, whether the commenter owns the unit, and how many readers agreed. Comments that mention a product under a rival's review count for more, because the commenter had no reason to be there. This is what buyers report, not our test results β for measurements we ran ourselves, see the methodology.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX C300 if youβ¦
- βEverything you charge ends in USB-C and it rides in a backpack. A 140W port and 9.1 lbs beat 512Wh you'd have to carry up the trail.
- βOne desk machine must not reboot when the lights flicker: a router, a NAS, a desktop mid-save. The C300's switchover is rated no worse than 10ms, the faster of the two, provided the whole desk draws under its 300W limit.
- βYour list has no motors on it and never will: phones, cameras, a laptop, a string of lights. The C300 covers it at seven pounds lighter, and that's what the extra money buys.
Buy the Power 500 if youβ¦
- βA CPAP, or anything else that has to still be running at dawn. It's the only load on the page that separates these two, and only the DJI finishes it.
- βYour small list quietly includes something that draws more than 300W. A 1,000W continuous rating holds loads the C300 can only start.
- βYou fly DJI. The SDC ports fast-charge DJI drone batteries, a real perk inside that ecosystem and worth nothing outside it.
- βYou want the most battery for the least money at this size. The Power 500 is cheaper and bigger, which is about as uncomplicated as this category gets.
If neither fits
Close this tab if you're sizing for a blackout, a van or a weekend off-grid. The eight-hour blackout benchmark alone asks 1,645Wh, nearly four times the DJI's 435Wh usable, so you want a station whose capacity starts well above where these two stop. Going the other way: if the heaviest thing you'll ever charge is a phone, a USB-C power bank does that job at a fraction of the weight of either box here.
The Bottom Line
Take the Power 500. It's the cheaper box, and for that lower price it gives you 78% more battery, more than three times the continuous output and more than twice the lifetime energy. When the cheaper option is also the bigger one, the C300 loses the one argument small units normally get to win.
The exception is small and specific. If the load is a laptop and a phone riding in a backpack, or one desk machine that must not reboot on a flicker, the C300's 9.1 lbs, 140W USB-C port and faster switchover rating are the right answers, and the DJI's extra capacity is weight you'd carry for nothing. Everyone else: buy the DJI, keep the difference, and stop wondering whether it'll make it to morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Should I buy the Anker SOLIX C300 or the DJI Power 500?
The DJI Power 500, unless you need what only the Anker does. The DJI costs $31 less and holds 512Wh to the C300's 288Wh, with a 1,000W outlet ceiling to the Anker's 300W. The C300 earns its higher price only for USB-C-heavy carry (9.1 lbs and a 140W port) or for one machine that needs its faster switchover rating.
Can the Anker C300 run a CPAP all night?
No. The overnight CPAP benchmark on this page needs 320Wh, and the C300 has about 245Wh usable once its 288Wh is derated for losses, leaving it 75Wh short. The Power 500 covers the same night with 115Wh to spare. If a CPAP is why you're shopping, the C300 is the wrong unit.
Which is the better UPS for a computer, the C300 or the Power 500?
The C300, on its rating. It's rated to switch over in no more than 10ms against the DJI's 20ms, and reviewers single that spec out as unique in its size and price class. Both figures are ratings rather than lab results, and routers and most electronics ride through either. If the machine is a fussy desktop with unsaved work, the faster rating is the one to buy.
Does the DJI Power 500 work with solar panels?
Yes, up to 300W, three times the C300's 100W ceiling, though it has no built-in solar charge controller, so panels need DJI's separate proprietary adapter. At nameplate, 300W refills 512Wh in under two hours (512 divided by 300), where the Anker's 100W needs nearly three for its 288Wh. The box ships with a wall plug only, no solar or car cables, so price the adapter in before you count the solar figure as a win.
Which is better for charging a laptop?
The Anker. Its fastest USB-C port delivers 140W where the DJI tops out at 100W, which matters on a large laptop that wants more than 100W. You also carry seven fewer pounds doing it, since the C300 weighs 9.1 lbs against the Power 500's 16.1.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX C300
$429.99
$429.99 Β· direct from Anker
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move β check before you buy.
DJI Power 500Pick
$299.00
$299.00 Β· direct from DJI
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move β check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.