The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station is a 1,070-watt-hour battery the size of a small toaster oven that can keep a refrigerator running during a power outage, charge a laptop for a full workday off-grid, or power a CPAP machine on a camping trip. The v2 designation refers to Jackery’s switch to LiFePO4 battery chemistry, which delivers a 10-year lifespan with 4,000 charge cycles before the battery degrades to 70 percent capacity. The previous generation used a lithium-ion battery rated for 1,000 cycles, so the v2 model effectively quadruples the unit’s useful life.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is on sale at Amazon for $429, marked down from the $799 list price. That’s a $370 savings, or 46 percent off.
A robust portable power station that can keep you online
The Explorer 1000 will handle all but the most heavy-duty household appliances’ power requirements. The 1500-watt pure sine wave AC inverter can provide enough power to run the start-up surges required by refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, and small power tools. Additionally, the inverter has a surge capability of 3000 watts for just that brief period when a compressor turns on. There are three AC outlets and two USB-C ports, one of which supports 100W fast charging PD. It also has one USB-A port and a 12V DC auto port, so you have all the options to charge everything you need each day.
Typically, a full charge of this unit would last around 17 hours for a refrigerator, 32 hours for a CPAP machine, 12 hours for a TV and laptop combo, and 50+ charges for a cell phone. So, if a family were to experience a long-term power outage requiring them to store perishable foods at home or run a medical device such as a CPAP or oxygen concentrator, the Explorer 1000 would provide approximately 1 day of power.
The unit supports four input methods. A standard wall outlet fully charges the battery in about 1 hour in AC fast-charging mode, or 1.7 hours in standard charging. A 200-watt solar panel takes 6.5 hours, a 12V car outlet takes 12 hours, and a small generator can run the unit through the AC port. The 1-hour wall charging is the spec that separates this from the older generation, which took 6 to 8 hours from empty.
Smart features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for monitoring battery level, output, and remaining runtime through the Jackery app. The unit weighs 23.8 pounds, light enough for one person to carry to a car or out to a campsite without needing a hand truck. ChargeShield 2.0 technology adds 62 protective safeguards across the battery management system, so you can leave it sitting with minimal supervision.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 normally costs $799, and right now it’s $429. At nearly half off, the price covers the power station, the AC charging cable, the car charger cable, a user manual, and the 5-year warranty Jackery extends with the LiFePO4 generation, the kind of multi-purpose backup investment that pays off the first time the lights go out for more than an hour.