Review: Jackery's Explorer 1000 v2 is the easiest power station recommendation I've ever made

Jackery has consistently been a front-runner in the power station market for some years, with more acclaim than just about every other company in the space. Still, last year’s Explorer 1000 v1 lacked in ways the competition didn’t, Jackery’s slow adoption of LiFePO4 battery technology being chiefly among them. This time, that shortcoming has been fixed, giving the v2 roughly 4x the rated charge cycles, but it comes with a significant price cut. The Explorer 1000 v2’s price is just $800 — $300 lower than the previous iteration.

While it’s hard to know how a power station will stack up in every scenario, I’ve tested power stations in camping and minor emergencies in the past. And (un)fortunately, this review couldn’t have been timed any better, since the Explorer 1000 arrived at my doorstep just four hours into a seven-day power outage. While it was practically a lifesaver for me that week, the v2 wound up trading blows with the Explorer 1000 v1 in more than a few ways, revealing that the price cut it took doesn’t come without a cost.

Editor's choice

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2

Jackery's Explorer 1000 v2 is an excellent follow-up to last year's model, with more output, more capacity, and a smaller footprint. While the solar charge rate has been cut in half, the price has also received a significant cut year over year, dropping from $1,100 to just $800.

Pros

• 1500W output& peak charge speed
• Smaller footprint than previous model
• $300 less than the original
• LiFePO4 cells rated for 4000 charge cycles

Cons

• Only 400W solar charge rate

$799 at Amazon $799 at Jackery

Price, availability, and specs

Less is more

Just like its other products, the Explorer 1000 v2 is available at Jackery’s website, as well as at Amazon, and even Home Depot. While the v1 launched at $1,100, the updated model starts at $800, and coupons on Amazon and Jackery’s sites frequently push that price even lower, reaching a cost as low as $550.

Specifications

Weight
24 lbs
Size
12.9" x 8.8" x 9.7"
Capacity
1070Wh
Maximum Discharge
1500W AC
Maximum Charge
1500W
Lifecycles
4000 cycles before 70% capacity
Battery Type
LiFePO4
Solar Charging
400W (2x200WDC ports)
AC outputs
3
USB outputs
1x 18W USB-A, 2x USB-C (one 30W, one 100W)
Protections
3000W surge
Other outputs
12v car port
Expand

What’s good about the Explorer 1000 v2?

What’s better this time around?

The Jackery’s Explorer 1000 v2's headline features are undoubtedly a price decrease compared to its v1, better battery chemistry, and a 68Wh increase in capacity. But the capacity increase doesn’t mean a size increase, since the v2 Explorer 1000 is smaller than what it’s replacing, with a slight weight increase. The first-gen Explorer 1000’s lack of LiFePO4 cells was notable because it allowed competing units like Ecoflow’s Delta 2 to come in at a lower price, with higher power output, and battery cells rated for thousands more charge cycles.

Read our review

Ecoflow Delta 2 review: Wall power without the wall

Ultra-portable, Ultra-powerful

That is no longer an issue; the Explorer 1000 is rated for 4000 full charge/discharge cycles before degrading to 70% charge capacity. While the vastly improved charge cycle rating is a benefit you need years of use to appreciate fully, the same cannot be said about the Explorer 1000 v2’s boost to AC output. While the more expensive v1’s 1000W output wasn’t bad, the bump up to 1500W in the v2 makes it a much better tool in an emergency. I didn’t have to wait very long to put that to the test either, since my first week with Jackery’s Explorer 1000 v2 was spent without power.

When paired with the Bodega car fridge we recently covered, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 gave me over a day of power between charges, keeping refrigerated and frozen groceries from spoiling as an afterthought. Another way it saved the day was by powering my router, making it easy to keep track of utility work happening in my area, all while the local cell towers were overloaded by everyone else in the same boat.

The power output isn’t the only thing that’s changed, either. With a maximum 1500W AC charge rate, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 can go from 0 to 100% capacity faster than the v1, but not significantly, with the new and old iterations of the Explorer 1000 charging just under and over an hour, respectively. While this slight reduction in charge time makes the Explorer 1000 v2 well-suited for power around the house, the newly lowered solar charging speed didn’t do the same for off-grid usage.

The lack of app connectivity is one of the odd exclusions from the first iteration of Jackery’s Explorer 1000. While that’s hardly a make-or-break inclusion, it felt out of place since competitors like Ecoflow included that feature with its entire power station line, including its more affordable River line. What's most strange is that Jackery included app compatibility with its Explorer 2000 from the same release window. Its inclusion this time around is hardly a game-changing feature, and more or less just brings it up to the standard across the product category.

What’s bad about the Explorer 1000 v2?

Not upgraded in every way

One of the standout features of the previous iteration of the Explorer 1000 was that it had the same max charging speed with solar panels as it did with wall power. While Jackery boosted the AC charging speed for the v2, it also cut the solar charge rate in half. The lower 400W cap is still serviceable, and significantly more realistic once solar panel prices are factored in, making it a bit of a moot point.

To be frank, anyone spending nearly three grand on all the solar panels required for that charging speed should budget for a power station with significantly more capacity than the kilowatt-or-so the Explorer 1000 series has. While it could have been easy to cynically chalk that decision up as an actual negative, it feels more like a smart concession to make. Much more notable than any stat that went down is one that went up, but not by as much as it should have.

With 1500W of AC output, the Explorer 1000 v2 is dangerously close to being the same as wall power. However, close isn’t quite there for all appliances, and this led to an issue during my power outage. Getting my refrigerator back up and running was the priority during the outage, and the Explorer 1000 couldn’t quite get it to spin up. In all fairness to Jackery, my fridge is on the older side, predating EnergyStar ratings by more than a few years; the Explorer managed just fine with my parent’s newer fridge. After plugging my refrigerator into an Ecoflow Delta 2, I could see that it was pulling 1700W for just long enough to get past the window for the 3000W surge rating, before dropping to its typical power draw.

Should you buy it?

The compromises don’t compromise it

While the Explorer 1000 v2 isn’t better than its predecessor in every way, it’s much easier to recommend to more people. The minor trade-offs are more than offset by the major price drop, and probably make it the best power station under a grand — costing just $600 to $800, depending on sales. While the reduced solar charge rate makes it a harder sell for die-hard campers, anyone needing more than 400W of solar charging should probably consider something with higher capacity anyway. As it sits, with or without solar panels, the Explorer 1000 v2 is more than enough for most weekend expeditions.

Editor's choice

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2

Despite Jackery downgrading the solar charge rate in its updated Explorer 1000, this version is even easier to recommend thanks to plentiful upgrades and a massive price cut. That drastically reduced price, paired with upgrades to power output, battery chemistry, and charge speed makes the concession seem less and less significant.

$799 at Amazon $799 at Jackery

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