Anker Solix S5000 Home Backup Battery Cuts Standby Drain

The Anker Solix S5000 is a new home backup battery designed to waste far less energy while it waits for an outage. Most backup batteries keep drawing a little power to run their own electronics. Over several days, that quiet drain adds up. Anker says its latest model cuts the loss to as little as 8.8W.

How the Anker Solix S5000 Handles Standby Power

Standby draw matters because a battery can run down before the lights ever go out. The Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus, which costs about $3,500, uses a steady 50W in standby mode, according to Jackery’s specs. With its 5,040Wh capacity, that works out to roughly four days of idle time.

Anker claims the S5000 can sit on standby for up to 21 days. Extra battery modules stretch that even further, because the unit expands up to 30kWh.

Fridge Test Results

Anker also shared a real-world figure. In its own testing, the S5000 ran a refrigerator by itself for up to 86 hours.

That number may be conservative. Anker rates the smaller Solix S2000 at 35 hours of fridge runtime. However, our reviewer got 42 hours from that unit in a hands-on test. The S5000 itself has not been tested independently yet, so treat the 86-hour figure as a manufacturer claim.

Output Power: The Main Trade-Off

Efficiency comes with a compromise. The S5000 delivers a steady 4,500W at most. The Explorer 5000 Plus, by contrast, holds 7,200W.

Still, many households will never notice the gap. During a review of the Anker Solix E10 whole-home backup system, one house peaked at just over 3,000W. For essentials like a fridge, lights and a router, 4,500W should be plenty.

Battery Life, Safety and Warranty

The S5000 uses 314Ah LiFePO4 cells. Anker rates them for up to 10,000 charge cycles, while similar devices typically offer 3,000 to 6,000. The company also estimates a service life of up to 15 years.

Safety certification stands out as well. The S5000 carries UL 9540, which evaluates the entire system. The Explorer 5000 Plus holds UL 1973, which covers only the battery cells. Anker backs the S5000 with a standard five-year warranty.

Size, Weight and Ports

At 97 pounds, the S5000 is lighter than the 134-pound Explorer 5000 Plus. It sits closer to the 86-pound, 4kWh Bluetti Elite 400. Two wheels and an extendable handle let you pull it like a suitcase.

The port lineup covers most needs:

• Four 120V three-prong AC outlets: up to 2,400W
• 120V TT-30 port: up to 3,600W
• 240V L13-30 port: up to 4,500W for major appliances
• USB ports: one 12W USB-A, one 15W USB-C and one 100W USB-C

Charging Options and UPS Function

You can recharge the battery at up to 1,800W through its AC cable. Solar panels, Anker’s Smart Generator and third-party 120V or 240V generators also work. Anker says a full charge can take as little as 99 minutes with a suitable power source.

In addition, the S5000 can act as an uninterruptible power supply. Its switchover time is 10 milliseconds, which is standard for this category today.

Anker Solix S5000 Price and Release Date

The list price is $3,600. As usual for Anker, though, the launch deal is cheaper, starting at $2,500. The battery goes on sale October 27.