Compact station comparison

Anker SOLIX C300 vs C300 DC: AC outlets or more USB-C?

The Anker SOLIX C300 and C300 DC share a 288 Wh battery size and a 300 W headline output, yet they solve different problems. The AC C300 puts three 120 V sockets and a small inverter in a 9.1 lb body. The C300 DC omits the inverter, trims listed weight to 6.17 lb and spends that design space on four USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and a 12 V car socket. Choose between them by listing the devices you must power, not by assuming that “C300” identifies one interchangeable unit.

If a wall plug is essential, select the AC C300

The C300 (US model A1722, standalone SKU A17221Z1) has three 120 V AC receptacles rated for 300 W total continuous output. Its 600 W SurgePad figure is not a second continuous rating, and the manufacturer warns that this feature is unsuitable for precision or tightly voltage-regulated equipment. The outlets also do not provide 240 V or split-phase service. Check appliance startup requirements as well as the steady watts: a modest nameplate figure does not guarantee that a compressor or motor will start.

The AC model retains DC flexibility: one 12 V/10 A/120 W car-style output, two 140 W USB-C ports, one 15 W USB-C port and one 12 W USB-A port. The small USB-C and USB-A outputs share a 20 W limit. That can cover a mix of low-power electronics, but do not assume that each port reaches its individual maximum at the same time. The station weighs 9.1 lb and is rated for 288 Wh of stored energy. Those figures indicate a portable, short-trip scale—not an assured runtime, since delivered energy depends on conversion and actual loads.

If everything accepts DC, compare the lighter C300 DC

The C300 DC (US model A1726, standalone SKU A17260Z1) has no AC inverter or wall outlets. It weighs 6.17 lb and has four USB-C ports: two 140 W bidirectional input/output ports, one 100 W output port and one 15 W output port. Its two USB-A ports share a 20 W maximum with the small USB-C4 port. A 12 V/10 A car-style socket is rated at 120 W. The total DC output limit is 300 W, so simultaneous combinations must be checked against the manufacturer’s table rather than calculated by adding every connector label.

Its input layout favors USB-C charging: the two bidirectional ports can take 140 W each, or up to 280 W combined with suitable supplies and cables. Solar input is a separate route, rated to 100 W and limited to 11–28 V/8.2 A; its cable is sold separately. As with the AC unit, the base capacity is 288 Wh, and the number is nameplate battery energy rather than a promise at a device plug. A built-in retractable light and smaller body may be useful on a campsite or mobile desk, but a strap is separately sold and neither model should be treated as weatherproof without an exact ingress rating.

Shared points and the questions that change the shortlist

Both models have LiFePO4 cells, the same nominal 288 Wh capacity, a 100 W solar ceiling and a 120 W car-style output. The AC C300’s guide documents 140 W USB-C input on one port, while solar and USB-C input cannot be used at the same time. The DC model’s two 140 W USB-C inputs can operate simultaneously for up to 280 W charging. Both can control settings through Anker’s app; the AC C300’s manual also describes a manufacturer-rated 10 ms UPS transfer. That figure is not independent testing or a guarantee for a particular computer or medical device. Test the exact load before depending on it.

Three concrete answers clarify the choice. If 120 V AC or an AC household outlet is essential, the C300 is eligible and C300 DC is not. If your equipment accepts only USB or 12 V DC, the C300 DC avoids carrying an inverter you cannot use; the AC version can still supply DC, but at greater weight and with fewer USB-C ports. If you need four USB-C ports or two high-power charge inputs, only the C300 DC meets those documented constraints. Conversely, a 300 W AC floor fits the C300, but any higher continuous AC demand rules it out; a 101 W solar requirement rules both out because each model’s maximum is 100 W.

When neither small station is enough

Neither C300 is a good choice for a sustained load above 300 W, a 240 V appliance, or an outage plan that needs long runtime from a refrigerator or other substantial appliance. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is a reasonable comparison if you need a similarly compact 286 Wh battery but 600 W rated AC output; its AC and capacity figures do not imply a long runtime. For more reserve energy or a larger appliance, step into a larger capacity class and evaluate the exact outlets, solar window and carry weight. A USB-C cable cannot make AC, and a power strip cannot raise the station’s total output.

These model-specific facts come from Anker’s US product pages and A1722/A1726 user guides. The checked store pages showed both products as sold out, and variant offers include solar panels and multi-station quantities whose selected box contents or combined operating behavior should be checked separately. Use an exact SKU listing before purchase; no price, stock guarantee or independent test is implied.