S2000 vs C2000 Gen 2 runtime tests, and opinions.

I’ll start out with my thoughts on the power stations and then discuss the tests I ran.

First, these two power stations really should not be compared. I had no doubt that the S2000 was going to exceed the C2000 in run times for all tests, and it did, by a healthy margin. Anker really has this “light to medium duty” power station dialed in for efficiency. The “20% longer runtime” claim is not marketing fluff, unlike like the charging cycle claim. (Hint: it’s for 60% capacity, not the industry standard 80%). However, the C2000 is a beast and can handle a much larger power output should you need it. It also has a higher solar input, 30 amp RV receptacle and 12v port, as well as a faster recharging capability. If those things matter to you, then the S2000 isn’t for you.

These power stations are really geared to two different use cases. But, that said, I am very happy I have both of these power stations. I think I’ll be more likely to reach for the S2000 during a power outage, and I think the average person would, also. But, having the C2000 available for heavier tasks, and as a backup, gives me peace of mind.

I have two relatively minor gripes about the S2000. As many have already stated, the handles on the S2000 could be better. It’s not THAT light, and it does make moving it around a little difficult. And the USB ports could be a little more higher powered. This is an Anker after all! They practically invented 140w USB ports!

Final opinion. If you can only buy one, I would probably go for the C2000. It just has a broader capability, and still has impressive run times compared to the competitors. If you can afford both of them, you will have the best of both worlds. If money is really tight the S2000 at the sale price of $599 is a no brainer. Whenever the C2000 is $749 or below it’s a great value.

Now for the testing.

I ran two “control” type tests with a consistent load using an incandescent lightbulb. One was at 50 watts, the other was 250 watts. Then I tested on a 7 cu ft chest freezer, and started the test when the compressor was off and the internal temperature “warmed up” to 7F degrees. The freezer has a range of around -1F to +9F. It was never opened and is in a climate controlled area of about 70F. Then I ran it on a 23 cu ft refrigerator/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser. I couldn’t really make it an even comparison because there are too many variables with usage, ice dispensing, defrosting cycles etc. (more on that later). In the past, I have noted days can have up to a 500wh difference! On average it pulls about 2000wh, but I’ve seen it as low as 1800wh or 2300wh on any given day. However, for the purposes of this test, it was enough to get a good idea on what these power stations can do, and how they compare in runtimes.

50w Light Bulb
C2000 30 hours 47 mins
S2000 33 hours 22 mins
2.58 hours longer (8.5%)

250w Light bulb
C2000 6hours 34 minutes
S2000 7 hours 37 minutes
1.05 hours longer (16%)

Chest Freezer
C2000 43 hours 12 mins
S2000 52 hours 11 mins
8.98 hours longer (20.79%)

Refrigerator/Freezer with Ice Maker
C2000 15 hours 53 mins
S2000 19 hours
3.12 hours longer (18.9%)

As you can see the spread in runtimes narrows for consistent loads. The S2000 really shines with intermittent loads, because of its very low idle consumption. It gets much more impressive when running a freezer or refrigerator that turns off and on.

Notes: when I ran the refrigerator test on the C2000 the first time it did far worse. Almost a 30% difference at 14.5 hours. I ran it again and got a more consistent performance, compared to the freezer. I suspect there was more ice making and perhaps an extra defrost cycle which can really skew performance. I have seen this happen with other power stations. A lot of people don’t account for the defrost cycles. They can really eat up the power.

I also left out the watt hour calculations. I discovered that my watt meter’s elapsed time was off by quite a bit on all tests, which would mean total watt hours used would be inaccurate. I made note of start times, so I was able to calculate the full run times without the meter.

I hope this helps!