Jackery 1000 pro: big on-location power in a small package

Pros

• Lithium-ion NMC cells are made by LG (a top-notch, Tier 1 battery manufacturer) or by BAK Battery
  • My particular unit came with BAK batteries
  • Consists of “an array of cylindrical 18650” Li-ion cells
• At 1002 Wh capacity, it nearly matches the Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Lithium’s 1045 Wh
  • Capacity to power a 30″ LCD monitor and Mini PC for 10-15 hours, a Toshiba 50″ Fire TV for almost 8.5 hours
  • That is roughly equivalent to a 92,778 mAh powerbank at 10.8V or a whopping 278,333 mAh at 3.6V
• Pure Sine Wave AC Inverter capable of continuous 1000W power (and 2000W peak) — See TIPS section
• Very well-priced at $999, especially with a $200 discount given to early bird purchasers in March 2020
• Can power AC and DC (USB/12V Car adapter) at the same time (as long as they draw less than 1000W combined)
• Can be used while charging
• Informative LCD with LED backlight
  • Total power coming in (via solar panel or AC adapter)
  • Capacity left (as a percentage)
  • Total power (AC and DC combined

    Suaoki G500 displays the Wattage separately for DC and AC, which I prefer

    ) being used

  • Unfortunately, estimated hours to full charge or empty is NOT shown
• BMS provides built-in overload, overcharge (automatically stops charging when the device is full), and short-circuit protection
• VERY compact at 13.1″ x 9.2″ x 11.1″
• Surprisingly portable at just 22 lbs for a station of this capacity
  • Suaoki G500 (500W) is the same weight
  • Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Lithium is 40 lbs
• Bottom is well-protected by bright-orange, non-slip feet
• Carry pouch included to hold AC charger and cables
• Cigarette socket cable included
• Unexpectedly GREAT customer service
• Technical support was excellent in answering all my questions
• 2 year warranty
• Clear, well-written manual, though details were scarce
• Company is based in California
• Optional: Jackery’s official Carry Bag (photos below)
  • Bag Pros

    Nicer than expected: reflective interior, durable/soft material (like an insulated lunch bag), and spacious enough to keep the AC adapter and cables inside

  • Bag Cons

    Pricey at $55 and has no interior or exterior storage pockets

AC Adapter Input

Car Port

Rockpals 500 vs Jackery 1000

Cables

Cables

Cable Bag

Explorer 1000 Bag

Insulated interior

Space at top for accessories

Closed bag

Why Portable Battery Stations?

I am an avid hiker, camper, and wilderness backpacker and also am one of those guys who has a bug-out bag packaged for emergencies. The ability to bring power with you wherever you go can be both a necessity and comfort. For instance, having a mini fridge to keep your baby’s necessary items cool and to power your medical devices are a must. I am not so much a fan of gas powered generators any more because of their maintenance requirement, noise, and unhealthy exhaust, but if you must have continuous power and have an endless supply of fuel, they are the way to go. But, I prefer the silent, battery-powered ones that could be recharged by the sun and AC outlets.

Rockpals, Jackery, nrgGo, Goal Zero

In A Nutshell

The Jackery Explorer 1000 is an impressively light power station with a professional-looking exterior and flashy, orange color scheme. It packs a LOT of power, uses Tier 1 LG (or BAK Battery) battery cells made by one of the top manufacturers in the World, and is backed by a company that appears, from the stories I have read (and personally experienced), to take customer service seriously. The 1000W of energy (and peak of 2000W) provides enough power for a large amount of electronics and small appliances, such as a laptop, television, mini fridge, medical device (like CPAP), rice cooker, vacuum, water boiler, and circular saw.

Jackery Explorer 1000

The hard, plastic material used to help shed weight (and cost) could be prone to cracking from hard falls or bumps, potentially exposing the Lithium-Ion batteries to puncturing. The fixed carry handle unfortunately cannot be folded, making it not ideal for packing things on top.

Functionally, this is an excellent, portable power station with a multitude of AC and DC outputs, is solar charging capable with MPPT built in, and has a battery management system (BMS) to help ensure safety. Equally important is its verified claim of a pure sine wave — not modified — AC Inverter to produce clean electricity for sensitive electronics. For a power station of this size, its USB-C PD output of 18W falls short of Goal Zero Yeti 500x’s 60W.

Jackery is one of Amazon’s top sellers in the portable power station category with good customer service and reasonable prices, and although this is my first experience with one of their products, I have almost no hesitation to recommend its latest product.

Tip: A battery power station like this one cannot be used to jump start a car. Instead, I suggest getting a small, portable one specifically made for that, such as my favorite: NOCO Genius Boost Car Jump Starter (Lithium Battery).