Growing up inTexas , I’ve encountered my fair share of power outages over the years, and I’ve seen loved ones without power for days due to winter storms, summer storms, and hurricanes. Some homes have generators that help them get through, or more recently, solar panel installations with battery backups likeTesla’s Powerwall.

Less expensive and more portable solutions are just starting to come onto the market, and the Anker SOLIX F3800 is the sleekest and most versatile of the portable power stations I’ve used. I had the opportunity to test the Anker SOLIX F3800 and all its features in my home, and I have to say I was really impressed.

Price, availability, and specs

The Anker SOLIX F3800 retails for $4,000 but can regularly be found on sale for up to $1,000 off its usual price. It’s currently available from Amazon, The Home Depot, and directly from Anker.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 is intended to be a one-size-fits-all home backup power station. The portable tower stands just over 2 feet high and sits on wheels to help maneuver its 130lb frame around your home. It features just about any plug you could ever need in the event of a power outage to keep your devices charged or even your appliances running. The F3800 includes 3 USB-C and 2 USB-A outlets just below the front display, and 8 AC outlets on the side, including six standard 20A wall outlets, one 30amp NEMA 13-40 outlet, and one NEMA 14-50 50amp outlet, which can be used for charging your electric vehicle or powering large electronic appliances.

Recent leaps forward in battery technology are partly why power stations like the F3800 entering the market, and the LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries in the F3800 are the perfect candidates for this kind of device. LFP batteries can handle holding a full charge much better than traditional Li-ion batteries and have more charging cycles in their lifespan, extending their usable life. It’s for these reasons, as well as their relative affordability, that we have seen an increasing number of electric vehicles transition to this type of battery.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Anker F3800’s spec sheet is its versatility. The F3800 can optionally be installed directly as a battery for your house and can even be recharged with solar panels. It also functions as a giant UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to protect your most sensitive devices during power surges or outages.

What I liked about the Anker SOLIX F3800

I love my new giant UPS

As I started testing and living with the Anker SOLIX F3800, it became clear to me that this device performed its primary function beautifully. Once I got it out of the box and charged it up, I was able to use it to charge my devices and power things around my home that I might need during a power outage, like air filters, our refrigerator and freezer, or even our laundry machines if we’re out of power that long. Without a doubt, the F3800 is a stellar battery backup.

But what I was really most excited to try out was the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) feature. Of the six 20-amp wall outlet plugs on the side of the device, three function as a UPS. Using an extension cord, I connected my entire office setup to the F3800—my gaming PC, two monitors, and all relevant powered peripherals like my speakers. A simple press of a button to turn on the AC outlets, and the F3800 started pumping out steady, clean, sine-wave power, with a 20ms transfer time.

With my PC still running, I turned off the breaker to my office, simulating a power outage, and without missing a beat, the F3800 began delivering steady power, and my PC didn’t even notice. I could see in the Anker app that I had over 14 hours of remaining power when just writing an article or answering emails, and over 5 hours of remaining power if booted into a CPU- and GPU-intensive game. Either way, it’s plenty of time to save what I’m doing and safely shut it all down.

When considering a power outage scenario, one of the most important things I could think of was keeping our refrigerator and freezer running so that food wouldn’t spoil. My GE fridge is rated to use 667kWh of power per year, and the Anker F3800 has a capacity when fully charged of 3,840Wh. Some quick math says I should be able to back up my fridge for over 50 hours.

Using the convenient pop-up handle, I easily wheeled the 130lb F3800 to the kitchen to find out. Sure enough, when I plugged my fridge into the F3800, it showed that I had over two full days of backup power in the Anker app. That is just enough to get through most power outages and would give my wife and I ample time to consume what we have and avoid too much spoilage.

What I didn’t like about the Anker SOLIX F3800

A price tag as big as the unit itself

I’ll keep it simple. There is nothing about the function, performance, or day-to-day use of the F3800 that I didn’t like. It’s easy to set up and manage from the app via Bluetooth, it has wide versatility for different situations and use cases, and it’s a sleek-looking product.

The only thing I didn’t like about it is that I was physically unable to bring this thing indoors on my own after it was delivered, and that the price tag can exceed $4,000 after tax when not on sale. It’s fair to call the F3800 what it is, which is an investment. If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or power outages for any other reason, you might find this a more worthwhile investment than if you haven’t experienced a power outage or surge in years.

Verdict: Should you buy the Anker SOLIX F3800?

The Anker SOLIX F3800 is one of those tools you didn’t know you needed until you get one, then you realize you now can’t live without it. The peace of mind knowing that, whether it’s a severe storm or a random incident like a car crashing into a transformer and knocking out power for 5 hours (which happened to us once), our refrigerators, fans, baby monitors, pet lamps, space heaters, and more can all seamlessly keep working while we wait for power to be restored is priceless.

If you can swing the price tag, and have space for this around your house, then the Anker SOLIX F3800 might just be the best investment you can make for you and your family’s peace of mind.