Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX C300 vs Goal Zero Yeti 500
Priced within four cents a watt-hour of each other, this isn't a value fight — it's the lighter, cheaper C300 for loads that fit inside about 245 usable watt-hours, and the Yeti for the CPAP nights that don't.
Full profiles: Anker SOLIX C300 → · Goal Zero Yeti 500 →
Written by Wenny ZhengUpdated
Portable Power Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
$329.99 · direct from Anker
Last checked 1 day ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
$499.95 · direct from Goal Zero
Last checked 1 day ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Spec deltas
A dollar four a watt-hour against a dollar even. The Anker SOLIX C300 and the Goal Zero Yeti 500 charge you almost exactly the same for the energy inside them, which quietly kills the question most people come to a page like this to answer. There is no better deal here to find.
What's left is a size choice wearing a comparison's clothes. The $330 C300 holds 288Wh and weighs 9.1 pounds; the $500 Yeti holds 499Wh, about 73% more, and weighs 16.1. The extra money buys extra watt-hours at close to the going rate, plus seven pounds you carry every time you move it. Bigger, not better; heavier, not worse.
So match the box to the load. For the phone-charging, laptop-running, camp-trip jobs these compact units actually get bought for, the C300 is the one to carry: cheaper, half the weight, a faster rated UPS, and better USB-C. Step up to the Yeti only when a single sitting needs more than the C300's roughly 245 usable watt-hours. A CPAP running all night is the clean example — the smaller unit doesn't reach morning, and the Yeti does.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
The $170 between them buys about 73% more capacity (499Wh against 288Wh) at essentially the shelf rate, not a volume discount. That collapses the usual question. There is no value winner to crown, only a capacity question to answer and a weight to decide you'll carry.
SOLIX C300 costs $1.04 per WhYeti 500 costs $1.00 per WhC300 is 288Wh at $330; Yeti 500 is 499Wh at $500
Why it mattersAnyone hunting for the cannier purchase can stop looking — pick on how much energy you need and how much you'll haul, because the price of a watt-hour is a wash.
solar input
So the reflex that the lighter unit is the outdoors pick is only half right. If you hike in and top up phones, the C300's weight is the whole story. If you park and live off a panel, the Yeti stores more and refills quicker in the same sun, and you carry it once but wait on the refill every day.
C300: 9.1 lbs, 100W solar input, 288WhYeti 500: 16.1 lbs, 200W solar input, 499Wh
Why it mattersBackpackers and grab-bag buyers take the C300; base-camp and van solar setups lean Yeti despite the extra seven pounds.
Capacity
This is the one everyday single-session load where 288 versus 499 stops being an abstraction. Under about 245 usable watt-hours (phones, a laptop, camp lights) both units cope and the C300's price and weight win outright; cross that line and the C300 physically can't finish, no matter how good its ports or its UPS rating are.
C300 usable is about 245Wh (288Wh x 0.85 derate)Yeti 500 usable is about 424Wh (499Wh x 0.85 derate)A modeled CPAP overnight needs about 320Wh
Why it mattersIf a CPAP or any 300Wh-plus overnight load is the reason you're shopping, that single fact is the whole decision — buy the Yeti.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: At $1.04 and $1.00 per watt-hour, the two charge almost the same for energy, so this is where 'which is the better deal' quietly turns into 'how much energy do you actually need.'
cost / lifetime kWh
Line the two up on cost per lifetime kilowatt-hour and the Yeti looks like the steal at 25 cents to the C300's 35. But that edge is built entirely on cycles and capacity you have to actually spend: 4,000 cycles of 499Wh works out to 1,996 kWh over the pack's life against the C300's 864, and if you're the sort who drains 150Wh on a Tuesday and plugs back in, most of that lifetime energy is a figure on a chart, not electricity you'll ever pull.
Where the two genuinely agree is the price of energy today, near penny-for-penny per watt-hour. You aren't handed a discount for going bigger; you're paying, almost to the cent, for the watt-hours you add. Read the lifetime numbers as a reason to buy the Yeti only if you'll cycle it hard for years — not as proof the bigger box is the thriftier one on day one.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: The scenarios draw the line that decides this pair: about 245 usable watt-hours, below which both units cope and above which only the Yeti's 424 does.
Run the pair through the scenarios and a clean line appears at about 245 usable watt-hours, the C300's ceiling after the standard derate. Under it, both coast: an afternoon off-grid at 100Wh leaves the C300 at 41% used and the Yeti at 24%, and the only things separating them are what's in your hands and your wallet. Over it, the C300 simply stops — a 320Wh CPAP night, a long fridge stretch — while the Yeti's 424 keeps going.
Push much past that and the honest read is that neither box is the answer. A modeled 8-hour blackout wants about 1,645Wh and a van day about 4,685Wh; the larger Yeti covers roughly a quarter of the first and under a tenth of the second. Those are jobs for a unit two sizes up, and choosing between these two doesn't change it.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: The C300's core case is 9.1 pounds against 16.1 — half the load to carry, and the main reason to reach for the smaller box.
weight
Seven pounds doesn't sound like much until it's the difference between a one-hand grab off a shelf and a two-hand lift into a trunk. The C300 is 9.1 pounds, the one you carry without thinking twice, against the Yeti's 16.1 — and that gap is the number the C300's whole case rests on.
There's a twist for the solar crowd, though: the lighter box is the slower one to refill from the sun. The C300 sips 100 watts into 288Wh, roughly three hours of strong sun from empty; the heavier Yeti pulls 200 watts into 499Wh and tops off in about two and a half. Carry the C300, wait on the Yeti — or the reverse, depending on whether your day is measured in miles hiked or hours parked.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: The tiebreakers — a rated 10ms versus 20ms UPS, a published 25dB versus none, 4,000 cycles versus 3,000 — sort the pair once capacity and weight have had their say.
rated cycles
The spec-sheet skirmishes mostly fall the C300's way, and mostly by slim margins. It's rated to 10ms on UPS switchover against the Yeti's 20ms, a gap only a desktop PC with unsaved work would ever feel. It publishes a 25dB noise floor where Goal Zero prints nothing, which isn't proof the Yeti runs louder, only that there's no figure to check it against.
The Yeti takes the one that compounds over years: 4,000 rated cycles to the C300's 3,000. None of these is the reason to buy either unit. They're the deciders you reach for once capacity and weight have already narrowed the field to one.
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX C300
Strengths
- +Costs $170 less
- +Lighter by 7 lb
Trade-offs
- –Shorter-lived battery — rated for 3,000 charge cycles vs the Yeti 500's 4,000, so it wears out sooner.
Goal Zero Yeti 500
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Faster solar charging
- +Rated for 4,000 charge cycles — much longer battery lifespan
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$170) than the SOLIX C300.
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 · 2 nights · 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 Yeti 500 1,676Wh (20%). 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
LOAD Phone Charger 15W×6h · LED Lights 40W×8h · Box Fan 75W×14h · CPAP Machine 40W×16h
SCN-02 · 8 hours · 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 Yeti 500 1,221Wh (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
LOAD Fridge 150W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40W×6h · Phone Charger 15W×3h
SCN-03 · 8 hours · needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
Yeti 500
This is the one overnight job where the size gap stops being theoretical. A CPAP night runs around 320 watt-hours; the C300's 245 usable won't reach morning, quitting about three-quarters of the way through, while the Yeti finishes with roughly 100 to spare. Ports and UPS speed don't enter into it. If the machine beside your bed needs the whole night, only the Yeti gives it one.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD CPAP Machine 40W×8h
SCN-04 · 8 hours · 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 Yeti 500 486Wh (47%). Treat this as partial cover — enough for the essentials in it, not the whole list.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Laptop 60W×8h · External Monitor 30W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · Phone Charger 15W×2h
SCN-05 · 4 hours · needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
Neither unit
Neither unit is the tailgate's friend, for two different reasons. The C300 tops out at 300 watts continuous, so a 400-watt blender or PA is more than it will hold no matter how full the battery — it starts the surge, then backs off. The Yeti's 500 watts will actually run the load, but 424 usable watt-hours won't stretch across an afternoon of it. Bring a bigger unit, or bring ice.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Blender 400W×0.5h · LED TV (55") 80W×4h · Bluetooth Speaker 15W×4h · Phone Charger (×3) 45W×2h
SCN-06 · 24 hours · needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living — 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 Yeti 500 4,261Wh (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
LOAD Mini-Fridge 150W×24h · Laptop 60W×4h · Phone Charger 15W×3h · LED Lights 40W×5h · Fan 75W×8h
SCN-07 · an afternoon · needs 100Wh
Afternoon Off-Grid
Phones and a speaker at the park, beach, or campsite — the small-unit job description
Either unit
This is the job small stations are actually for, and both do it: the SOLIX C300 finishes at 41% used, the Yeti 500 at 24%. At this size the decider is what rides in the bag — 9.1 lbs for the SOLIX C300 against 16.1 for the Yeti 500 — and price, not the leftover watt-hours.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger (×2) 30W×2h · Bluetooth Speaker 10W×4h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh × 0.85) ÷ 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: Yeti 500 runs 2.1h vs 1.2h.
$499.95 list · direct from Goal Zero
Modeled from the spec record — same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.¹
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0–28.3hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–5.7hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limits¹ Runtime = (capacity × 0.85) ÷ 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 — see methodology.
Conclusion
August 30, 2026
Verdict: the Anker SOLIX C300
Take the C300 unless you have a specific reason not to. The two sit within four cents per watt-hour, so the Yeti's larger battery is capacity you buy at the going rate, not value you unlock — and for the phone-and-laptop, camp-and-desk jobs compact stations actually do, the C300 wins on the things you feel: $170 less, 9.1 pounds against 16.1, a tighter rated UPS, and dual 140W USB-C against 100W. The Yeti earns the upgrade in one clean case: when a single sitting crosses the C300's roughly 245 usable watt-hours. A CPAP through the night, about 320Wh, is the textbook example — the C300 quits around 76% of the way and the Yeti finishes with 104 to spare. It's close enough that if your loads sit right on that line, let price and weight break the tie.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of August 30, 2026. The links below open Anker's and Goal Zero's current prices.
$329.99 · direct from Anker
Last checked 1 day ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
or check the Yeti 500 price$499.95 list
Written by Wenny Zheng, Portable Power Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated August 30, 2026
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
ᵈ Derived: price ÷ rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons →
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool →How these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it — no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews — see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity × 0.85 inverter efficiency) ÷ 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 →Class ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews — 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 5★. Here, SOLIX C300 rates 4.2/5 (52nd percentile of 22 Personal-class units), and Yeti 500 rates 4.5/5 (71st percentile of 22 Personal-class units).
How the class ranking is computed →Test Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
10ms vs 20ms: who should actually care
Both list a UPS mode, the C300 rated to 10ms and the Yeti to 20ms. For a router, a modem, or most electronics, either rating rides through a cutover without a flicker. The gap only bites if you're protecting a desktop PC with unsaved work whose power supply sits right at the 20ms edge, and then the C300's tighter rating is the safer call. Neither figure is a lab result; treat both as the class they're rated to, not a stopwatch reading.
Warranty: No Difference
Both units carry the same 5-year warranty, so coverage isn't a tiebreaker here. Worth saying because the per-dollar framing can suggest otherwise: the SOLIX C300 works out at 15.2 years of cover per $1,000 spent against the Yeti 500's 10, but that spread is the price gap, not the terms.
Battery Lifespan in Real Years
The Yeti 500 is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 3,000. In real life: at daily use, that's 11 vs 8.2 years. At weekend use (twice a week), it's 38 vs 29 years. One caution reading years across different sizes: a cycle is 499Wh on the Yeti 500 and 288Wh on the SOLIX C300, so count lifetime energy — roughly 1,996 kWh against 864 kWh over the rated life. After hitting the cycle limit, the battery doesn't die — it drops to ~80% of original capacity, which is still very usable.
One published noise number, one blank
The C300 lists 25dB; Goal Zero publishes no figure for the Yeti 500. That's an absence, not a verdict — a missing spec isn't evidence the Yeti runs louder, only that there's nothing to hold it to. If the unit is going in a bedroom or next to a CPAP, the C300's 25dB is the one number on the table, and it's a spec-sheet floor rather than a measurement. The honest move on the Yeti is to find a hands-on listen before you commit.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the SOLIX C300.
Check SOLIX C300 price →or check the Yeti 500 priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy — 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
│ warranty ends · Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains — degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The SOLIX C300 is cheaper to buy, but the Yeti 500 is cheaper to own. At $0.25/kWh over its lifetime vs $0.38/kWh, the Yeti 500's higher cycle life and capacity make each dollar go further over the years.
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 famous for no-questions replacements. Recent SOLIX reports are less rosy — AI-driven first-line agents giving generic answers, and clumsy return logistics for heavier units that ship as hazmat. The brand is still strong; the SOLIX-specific support trend is pointing down.
Community
Moderate — 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) · 4.3/5 Android
Unique strength
The Anker name does real work here: one of the biggest names in consumer charging, and that scale shows up as strong dollar-per-watt-hour value across the mid and large SOLIX units.
Worth knowing
The companion app rates well at 4.5 on iOS, and firmware updates have occasionally pulled features without notice. The expansion ecosystem is thinner than EcoFlow's, though that doesn't matter for the sealed C300.
Goal Zero
Ecosystem
Focused — a compact current line (6th-gen Yeti and Yeti Pro series), the previous-gen X series now out of stock across every model on Goal Zero's own store (checked 2026-09-13: 200X, 500X, 1000X, 1500X, 3000X, 6000X, some listed only as open-box), so buying one new means finding retailer stock, Sherpa power banks for the under-100Wh tier, plus Alta coolers, Nomad/Ranger solar panels, and vehicle integration kits
Support
Long sold as premium, and the premium is fraying. 2025-to-2026 reports describe long waits and tickets sitting for weeks, and Goal Zero shuttered its official community forums, which stung long-time owners. The pay-more-for-support case is weaker than it was.
Community
Small but loyal — strong following in overlanding and preparedness communities. Official community forums were recently shuttered, frustrating long-time users.
App experience
Rated 4.4/5 iOS (~1,200 ratings) but recent reviews skew negative — recurring connectivity issues, crashes, and stability problems.
Unique strength
The original name in portable power, and still the most American: a Salt Lake City company with ruggedized designs and a Yeti-Ready ecosystem of coolers, lights, and vehicle kits that nothing in Anker's lineup mirrors.
Worth knowing
The app rates 4.4 on iOS, but recent reviews skew toward connectivity and stability complaints. Reliability chatter on the newest models is worth reading before you buy.
Analyst note
Both brands are coasting down from a better support era, so neither earns a trust premium on this pair. Anker sits value-to-mid, Goal Zero premium, but the $170 between these two is capacity and cycles, not brand pedigree. Buy the box that fits the load; the badge is a wash.
Growth path
SOLIX C300
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 288Wh, with no expansion — 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.
Yeti 500
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 499Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 200W 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 — see methodology
Analyst note
Neither expands, and that's no knock on either — each is a complete unit at a fixed size. Buy the capacity that covers your needs now (the Yeti 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 — every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX C300
Field data on the C300 is still thin — it's a new unit, and what exists is reviewer coverage rather than years of owner reportsA0. The through-line is consistent: it's singled out as unusually light and compact for 288Wh, pitched squarely at keeping phones and gadgets alive on hikes and camping tripsA2, and its 10ms UPS switchover gets called genuinely rare at this size and priceA3. The dual 140W USB-C ports draw repeated notice for laptop-speed chargingA1.
One thing to pin down before you order: this is the standard C300 with the AC inverter, not the DC-only C300 variant some listings showA0. If you need wall outlets, make sure that's the SKU in your cart.
“288Wh capacity with 300W output (600W with SurgePad) and dual 140W USB-C ports for fast device charging.”
Sources
ankersolix.com · trustedreviews.com · im.com.au · solarwaypoint.com · backuppowerhub.com · powerstationlab.com
Goal Zero Yeti 500
Long-term owner reports are similarly limited, and there's a trap in the listings: this is the LiFePO4 Yeti 500, a different unit from the older NMC-based 500X that some pages still conflate with itB0B3. The headline is durability — Goal Zero rates the LFP pack at 4,000-plus cycles, roughly a decade of daily use to 80% capacityB1 — and one 2026 long-term review logged 180-plus charge and discharge cycles with minimal measured degradationB4, early but pointing the right way.
Goal Zero also rates the unit to run a full-size fridge for up to six hours as grid backupB2. That's the manufacturer's own number rather than a field measurement, so read it as a ceiling under ideal conditions, not a promise you can bank a blackout on.
“The Yeti 500's LiFePO4 battery is rated for 4,000+ cycles, meaning daily use for over 10 years (to 80% capacity at 75F).”
Sources
goalzero.com · rei.com · propaneva.com · portablepowernerd.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 · 3 entries]
- High 4,000+ cycle LFP rating and outage-backup capability (including running a fridge for hours) are the standout points. [Yeti 500 · 2 entries]
- A1
“288Wh capacity with 300W output (600W with SurgePad) and dual 140W USB-C ports for fast device charging.”
ankersolix.com / trustedreviews.com — SOLIX C300 review · 2026 · [positive]
- A2
“Anker 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.”
im.com.au / solarwaypoint.com — SOLIX C300 review · 2026 · [positive]
- A3
“Its 10ms UPS switchover is legitimately unique in this size and price class.”
backuppowerhub.com / powerstationlab.com — SOLIX C300 review · 2026 · [positive]
- B1
“The Yeti 500's LiFePO4 battery is rated for 4,000+ cycles, meaning daily use for over 10 years (to 80% capacity at 75F).”
goalzero.com / rei.com — Yeti 500 LFP · 2026 · [positive]
- B2
“Acts as a backup power supply when the grid drops — you can plug a full-size refrigerator directly in for up to six hours of runtime to prevent food waste.”
goalzero.com — Yeti 500 backup · 2026 · [positive]
- B3
“Weighs about 16 lbs, upgraded to LiFePO4 battery technology from the older NMC-based Yeti 500X.”
goalzero.com / propaneva.com — Yeti 500 review · 2026 · [mixed]
- B4
“One 2026 reviewer completed 180+ charge/discharge cycles with minimal observed degradation.”
portablepowernerd.com — Yeti 500 long-term review · 2026 · [positive]
Research compiled August 30, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX C300 if you…
- →The weekend camper and day-hiker who mostly tops up phones, a tablet, and a laptop, and would rather carry 9.1 pounds than 16.1.
- →The desk worker who wants cheap ride-through for a router and a PC and values the tighter 10ms rated UPS, without paying for capacity they'll never drain at a desk.
- →The buyer who wants to spend $330 instead of $500 and already knows 288Wh covers a normal day of charging.
Buy the Yeti 500 if you…
- →The CPAP or overnight-medical user whose night crosses roughly 320Wh, where the C300 comes up short and the Yeti's 424 usable finishes with room.
- →The base-camp or van setup that parks and refills off a 200W panel, and will happily trade seven extra pounds for more storage and a quicker solar top-up.
- →The buy-it-once owner who wants the longer-lived pack — 4,000 cycles and about 1,996 lifetime kWh — and plans to cycle it for years.
If neither fits
If you're sizing for an actual grid outage or full-time van life, skip both and don't look back. A modeled 8-hour blackout wants about 1,645Wh and a van day about 4,685Wh, and even the larger Yeti covers only a fraction of either. That's 1,000Wh-and-up territory; buying either of these for it just means buying twice.
The Bottom Line
The fact that settles this is the one that refuses to separate them: near penny-for-penny per watt-hour. Nobody's getting a deal here — the Yeti costs more because it holds more, almost exactly in proportion — so the question was never which is smarter but which is sized for you. For most people cross-shopping a 288Wh box against a 499Wh one, the answer is the lighter, cheaper C300.
Buy the C300 and pocket the $170 and the seven pounds, unless a CPAP or a long fridge stretch is why you're here — in which case the Yeti is the only one of the two that reaches morning. Match the box to the load and there's no wrong answer on this page, just a right-sized one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Is the Goal Zero Yeti 500 worth $170 more than the Anker C300?
Only if you need the capacity. The two cost almost the same per watt-hour, so the extra $170 buys about 73% more energy at roughly the going rate, not a better deal. If 288Wh covers your day, the C300 is the smarter spend; if a single session needs more than about 245 usable watt-hours, the Yeti is the one that finishes.
Can the Anker C300 run a CPAP all night?
By the numbers, not quite. About 245 usable watt-hours against a roughly 320Wh night leaves it around 75Wh short, so it covers about three-quarters of the way. A low-draw machine with the humidifier off might squeak through, but if reliable overnight CPAP is the job, the Yeti's 424 usable watt-hours clear it with margin.
Which is better for camping and backpacking?
The C300, at 9.1 pounds against the Yeti's 16.1 — half the weight, and 288Wh handles phones, lights, and a laptop across a weekend. The exception is base-camping off solar: the Yeti stores more and refills faster from a 200W panel, so if you park and live off the sun it's worth the extra weight.
Will either one back up my house during a blackout?
Not really. A modeled 8-hour outage runs about 1,645Wh; the bigger Yeti covers roughly a quarter of that and the C300 about 15%. Both are built to keep phones, laptops, and small gear alive, not a fridge-and-lights household load. For real grid backup, look at 1,000Wh-plus stations.
Does the Yeti 500 actually last longer than the C300?
On paper, yes. It's rated for 4,000 charge cycles to the C300's 3,000, and because each cycle stores more, that's about 1,996 lifetime kWh against 864. Both are LiFePO4, so neither dies at the cycle limit — they settle to roughly 80% of original capacity and keep going.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX C300Pick
$329.99
$329.99 · direct from Anker
Last checked 1 day ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Goal Zero Yeti 500
$499.95
$499.95 · direct from Goal Zero
Last checked 1 day ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.