Updated on Jun. 20, 2025
From welding to washing clothes, we put the Anker portable power station to the test for the job site, home and camping. Here's how it worked.
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Portable power stations have become integral to my partner’s and my life. We use them while working off-grid to run tools and charge batteries. We rely on them, coupled with solar panels, to power our camping van conversion. And when a recent storm knocked out our home electricity, we plugged in our fridge to save hundreds of dollars in groceries. But until now, there was one thing our power stations couldn’t do for us: run our 240V welding machine. So when we heard that the Anker power station was coming out, we eagerly anticipated its arrival.
But that wasn’t the only treat this beast of a portable power station had in store. We soon learned many of its other strengths, including its capabilities as an affordable route to home power backup, which is one of the main chores Anker had in mind when they designed it.
“The frequency of power outages has surged by 64% over the past two decades, prompting individuals to seek more dependable energy solutions,” an Anker spokesperson told Family Handyman. “The F3800 can serve as a backup for homes that draw on AC power or solar. Just as importantly, it can also be used by apartment residents and home renters who cannot install a full solar solution, but still want peace of mind when the power goes out.”
If you’re considering portable power for home backup, work or recreation—and especially if you’re looking to replace your noisy gas or diesel-powered generator—here’s our take on whether the Anker Solix F3800 portable power station with 240V power is up for the job.
Reliable and long-lasting, the Anker Solix F3800 can power several appliances simultaneously and is portable to take that power anywhere.
The Solix F3800 is Anker’s newest high-capacity portable power station, featuring 3,840 watt-hours (Wh) plus 120V, 240V and 30-amp outlets. It’s designed to power tools, work trailers and RVs at off-grid sites, plus functions as a home backup system. It recharges via a standard wall outlet, portable or fixed solar panels, and a DC-DC converter installed in a vehicle.
Over the last year, we’ve tested at least a dozen portable power stations from various manufacturers, and Anker is consistently among our top brand picks, as the company is usually ahead of the game with its technology-to-cost ratio. For a while, our tried-and-true setup has been Anker’s Solix F2000 (formerly model 767), coupled with portable solar panels and, when necessary, an expansion battery. So when the dorm-fridge-sized box containing the F3800 arrived, we were anxious to find out if the new model would replace our current beloved arrangement.
Off the bat, the Solix F3800 has many of the same hallmark features of other Anker power stations, like:
The Solix F3800 also incorporates some features new to Anker power stations:
It also looks a bit different than other Anker models, with a vertical (vs. horizontal) configuration. The look reminds me of a piece of carry-on luggage with four bottom wheels and a pull handle. Also, it stows away unobtrusively in the corner of the room, which is notable because even though it has similar watt-hours to our current setup, the F3800 takes up less room.
Knowing all of this, we had high expectations when we set out to test the Anker power station. Here’s what happened.
We didn’t ease into our testing with the Solix F3800. Instead, we went straight for the welder to see if it could run for a reasonable amount of time. We ran our Miller 180 aluminum welding machine (which draws 240V and requires 21 amps) straight for two minutes. During that time, it ate up a little less than 300 watt-hours. That means the F3800 could run the Miller continuously for more than 30 minutes. That’s ample time to complete minor field repairs. Pretty impressive!
We then ran the F3800 through its paces on a series of other tool and appliance tests, including:
We also timed how long it took to recharge the unit to ensure the claims of superfast charging were accurate. They were. At our house, it recharged from dead in less than three hours, at 1800 watts per hour, from a standard wall outlet. However, we’ve learned that if your grid charging outlet is 20 amps, charging will be limited to 1440 watts per hour.
There are still two tests we would have loved to perform: using it to charge an EV and using it in conjunction with the home power panel accessory. We don’t yet have an EV, but we fully plan to test the home power panel once it’s available. So, stay tuned for the results on those, plus how the Anker power station performs on our upcoming 4,000-mile camping trek down the Baja California peninsula!
Dung B., a verified Anker buyer, writes, “Bought this a few weeks before the flood, and without it, I would be in the dark using candles. Instead, I was brewing specialty coffee gaming on my PS5.”
Five-star Amazon reviewer, Ronald Rivet, writes, “We bought ours and we love it because it powers our entire cabin! It’s whisper quiet…My bathroom fan is like 10 times louder. I get over an entire day with the F3800/expansion battery and we plan on adding one more expansion battery.”
Not every buyer is totally thrilled. “I just recently received my F3800 (over the [EcoFlow] Delta Pro Ultra). My thoughts on it are mixed,” says one Redditor. “6000 watts is plenty for my home but that 3.8kwh battery is its weakest link. You really need to either go for expansion batteries and or the smart panel and a second unit. That really unlocks the potential with higher solar panel power input and of course higher energy storage capacity.
Others are happy with the company and product, but say it’s nothing to write home about as the technology of portable power stations increases across the board. Per one Redditor, “All these battery backup solutions are starting to offer the same price and features. It comes down to support and Anker is leading it, I’ve had great luck reaching out to them and very happy with their product.”
So far, Anker makes the only portable power station in this class available in the U.S. By “in this class,” I mean a truly portable station with 240V and a powerhouse 6,000W inverter. The closest other options are:
This isn’t surprising. Anker has been at the forefront of power station innovations for years, including being one of the first companies to use the safer LFP battery technology and to integrate features like built-in fast chargers.
The Anker Solix F3800 portable power station with 240V capabilities is a cutting-edge, pro-level, versatile piece of equipment. It can power anything you need during a home electrical outage while remaining nimble enough to carry to remote sites to run tools, portable refrigerators, RVs and even give a boost to EVs. It’s durable, reliable, aesthetically charming and intuitive to use.
Another aspect we appreciate is Anker’s upfront advertisement of its features. There are no hidden accessories required to get it to charge at the speeds they promise or otherwise perform to top specs. Plus, Anker has truly helpful customer service and is the real deal when it comes to product research and development. That’s increasingly rare these days in this rapidly emerging technology sector, rife with pop-up companies eager to slap their brand on inferior products.
The Anker Solix F3800 is a power station with high AC output power and capacity and 120V/240V dual-voltage support to provide power for your entire home.
Currently, the F3800 is available on the brand’s website where it retails for $3,999. You can also find it at The Home Depot, Amazon and Best Buy.
The term portable power bank generally refers to small devices that hold enough power to charge a smartphone, laptop or other personal electronic equipment through USB ports. On the other hand, portable power stations contain larger batteries, plus inverters, which (depending on the model) are capable of running appliances, power tools, CPAP machines, home lighting and more. Most portable power stations also integrate solar charge controllers so they can be recharged with solar panels.
The Anker portable power station’s longevity depends on what you’re powering with it and how long. The Solix F3800 contains 3,800 watt-hours, which means if you’re using an 800-watt coffee maker, it will last for 4.75 hours (800 watt-hours x 4.75 hours = 3,800 watt-hours). However, if that coffee maker only needs to run for five minutes to brew a pot of coffee, that means you could brew 57 cups of coffee with those 3,800 watt-hours.
Yes, the Solix F3800 system can be used for home electricity backup in the case that the power goes out. Many customers have reported using it during power outages to power essential appliances, like refrigerators and fans.
In ideal conditions (i.e., full, direct sunlight), it will take about 9.5 hours to fully charge the Solix F3800 battery with a single 400-watt solar panel. How is this calculated? 3800 watt-hours divided by 400 watts equals about 9.5 hours. However, in real life conditions, including the Earth’s normal rotation around the sun, it will likely take 20 hours or so to fully charge the F3800 in sunny conditions.
