Jackery 2000 Explorer review: Power when you need it

AppleInsider

The Jackery Explorer 2000 provides an emergency power option that's extremely handy during a power cut. It's also portable enough for off-grid trips, if you can manage the weight.

Jackery Explorer 2000

We live in an age where electronics, peripherals, and a connection to the internet are the lifeblood for work, careers, and day-to-day life.

From computers to phones to routers and smart appliances, we as people are more connected than we ever have been before. While entire industries and academics can (and do) debate on the effect of being this plugged in, there is one universal truth that we all accept: We need reliable sources of electricity to stay plugged in and online.

If that power source is portable, quiet, and effective without breaking the bank, then all the more reason to consider bringing one into your life.

If you're like me and live in an area where stormy weather can turn on a dime several months out of the year, and losing power isn't a question of "if" but rather "when", you are a prime candidate for a portable power station. A power source to keep your life and connectivity online, outside of the versatility of power-on-the-go for camping, events, and worksites.

In an industry with many name brands and options to choose from, consumers are spoiled for choice when it comes to reliability, options, and cost. Jackery stands out as a well-established name in the business of power stations and portable power, and it sent over the Jackery Explorer 2000.

What is the Jackery Explorer 2000?

The Jackery Explorer 2000 is a portable power station the size of an average Igloo cooler. One that Jackery touts as "Small but Mighty" and one of the lightest, smallest lithium-ion phosphate power stations on the market with multiple outlet options, quick charging, and portability.

Jackery Explorer 2000 Specifications

• 39.5 lbs.


• 13.2in height x 11.5in length x 10.4in width


• Capacity: 45.6Ah/44.8V DC (2042Wh)


• Output: 2200W


• Cycle Life: 4000 cycles to 70%+ capacity


• Ports: Car port, USB-C1 (100W) output, USB-C2 (100W) output, USB-A (18W) output, AC output x 3

Jackery Explorer 2000 review: Inside the box

The Jackery Explorer 2000 arrived at my apartment in a single large box that is incredibly well packed and padded for protection during shipping.

Inside the box, the deliverables were straight to the point with just the Jackery Explorer 2000 and the AC charge cable. No extra accessories, just the unit and a way to hook it up to feed it power.

Jackery Explorer 2000 review: Quality and Features

Straight out of the box, I could tell that the Jackery Explorer 2000 is not a cheaply made or junk product. Everything about it is excellent quality, and even though I would not be using the station on a busy worksite, the sturdiness and downright chunkiness of it is reassuring.

It's great to take a camping trip with, or on-site for a home improvement project. In my testing, the Jackery Explorer 2000 weathered every environment like a champ.

Speaking of its build, and in case you just glanced over the tech specs, I will remind you that the Jackery Explorer 2000 weighs in at just under 40 pounds. If you are someone who has difficulty lifting and walking with that much weight, moving the Jackery Explorer 2000 around could be an issue.

The front of the Jackery Explorer 2000

The Jackery Explorer 2000 does include a sturdy flip handle to make transport easier. Unlike the Explorer 5000 plus model, this power station does not include built-in wheels for transport.

Aside from the charging cable, all the outlets are right on the front of the unit or ease of use. It also has a large and bright display, with text that is easy to read and understand when checking out the battery level and power output.

A close-up of the Jackery Explorer 2000 display and connections

The Jackery Explorer 2000 also includes a powerful built-in light on the front panell that offers three settings: Standard, bright, and strobe (for emergency signaling).

I love this feature made for campers or moments where all the power is out and you're navigating in the dark. At least until you can set up your appliances and additional lights.

Jackery Explorer 2000 review: Charging Options

The versatility of the Jackery Explorer 2000 carries through to the charging options as well, with four options available:

• Wall Charging Emergency Super Charge: 1.7 hours


• Wall Charging: 2 hours


• Solar Charging (200Wx2): 7.5 hours


• Car Charging: 24 hours

In my testing, I allowed the Jackery to run to nearly empty before testing the wall charging methods. The difference between the emergency super charging and the standard wall charging methods felt nominal.

Both methods work well, but I was not blown away by one over the other.

Jackery offers separate solar panels for $479 (or as part of a bundle with the Explorer) for outdoor charging.

I did not have access to these panels for my review, but I have heard a handful of positive reviews for the Jackery solar panels. Specifically for handling large charge loads from large power tools and for keeping a charged Jackery Explorer 2000 topped off over the course of a workday.

There is also a car charging option. While this wasn't tested, I verymuch appreciate that it is available for situations where there is no other option.

Jackery Explorer 2000 review: Usage

A common trend with power station manufacturers is the availability of brand-specific apps to control features and monitor levels. The Jackery app is basic and solid, allowing you to sync up the Jackery Explorer 2000 over your Wi-Fi network.

In my environment, I wanted to test the versatility and ease of use of the Jackery Explorer 2000 in my apartment and work life in the event of completely losing power.

To simulate this, I fully charged the Jackery Explorer 2000 with the wall charging option, and took a few days to run various appliances directly from the station.

The side of the Jackery Explorer 2000

I ran my refrigerator for over 10 hours on just the Jackery Explorer 2000 alone. Running such a large appliance did drain the station to near empty, but with the addition of solar panels this time could be extended.

Jackery states that the Explorer 2000 will charge mobile devices like phones and notebooks dozens of times on a single charge. I ran my router, Mac Studio, and Xencelabs drawing tablet for seven hours with enough power remaining to charge my iPhone and iPad.

While I doubt that I would be using my Mac Studio and tablet if I was in a blackout situation, it is nice to know that I could boot up and get online if I needed to. Being able to run vital medical equipment in a blackout would also bring peace of mind.

If you're curious about the running times for various appliances in your life on the Jackery Explorer 2000, Jackery offers a simulator on their website that allows you to enter the total watts and view the expected run time on a full station charge. My testing was about in line with Jackery's calculator, give or take a bit.

The Jackery Explorer 2000 runs very, very quiet. I only noticed the faint sound of the station while it was active and even then, only when I was in a quiet room with it. This is a great feature.

Jackery Explorer 2000 review: Portable piece of mind

Now it is time to address the elephant in the room: The retail price. The Jackery Explorer 2000 retails for $1,499 US for just the power station and nothing else.

The addition of a single set of Jackery solar panels retails for $479.00 US and other accessories (like a Jackery carrying bag) must be purchased separately. At this price level, some accessories would be nice, if not necessarily the solar panel option.

The Jackery Explorer 2000 is portable, but quite heavy.

The Jackery Explorer 2000 is a worthwhile purchase for those who need it. It is the best portable power station I have used to date, and the versatility of the Jackery Explorer 2000 makes it a multitasker that can travel, work, and play.

I already have the station set up in my home office as an uninterruptible power supply unit that I can put into use for power outages. I love the peace of mind of not losing hours of work when the power flickers.

If you have the budget, I recommend opting for one of the bundle packages from Jackery that includes the solar panels as well, just for the added value. If I find myself using the Jackery outside of my apartment regularly, I will purchase the panels myself for trips and blackouts.

If you're in need of a portable power station, the Jackery Explorer 2000 will serve you well.

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pros

• Excellent storage capacity and power output


• Excellent array of outlets for a variety of appliances and tech


• Sturdy, high-quality build


• Quiet operation


• Highly portable if 40 lbs. isn't an issue


• Solid (optional) app integration

Jackery Explorer 2000 Cons

• Higher cost for entry


• Solar panels are not included

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy the Jackery Explorer 2000

The Jackery Explorer 2000 and all the Jackery accessories are available on Jackery.com



Read on AppleInsider

braytonak

I already have the station set up in my home office as an uninterruptible power supply unit that I can put into use for power outages.

Wait, I was coincidentally looking into this earlier today and Jackery specifically said these were not uninterruptible power supplies. Is this a particular model that does offer this mode of operation? I’ve been looking into one for a fish tank. It seems like you can only find a traditional APC-style UPS with lead acid batteries or these, which are giant batteries. (It’s annoying that they call them generators in places.)

The only hesitation I have is having a block of batteries in my home whose chemistry has been known to let out the fiery demons on occasion. There are variations of the lithium-and-something-else recipe that may be safer than others but I can’t keep them sorted in my head.

eightzero

Chapeau for not using the word "generator" in this article. Know what grinds my gears? When stores call these storage systems "generators."

ahobbit

braytonak said:

Wait, I was coincidentally looking into this earlier today and Jackery specifically said these were not uninterruptible power supplies. Is this a particular model that does offer this mode of operation? I’ve been looking into one for a fish tank. It seems like you can only find a traditional APC-style UPS with lead acid batteries or these, which are giant batteries. (It’s annoying that they call them generators in places.)

Not the Jackery Explorer 2000, this is not a true UPS.

But it has what they call a "20 millisecond UPS pass-through" feature, meaning you can connect it in-between the mains and your device, and it will automatically switch over to battery power in case of a power cut within 20ms.  They recommend to plug in just one device for this feature.  

So this may or may not work for your aquarium.  You would need to test this.  For example if your aquarium pump uses an electronic switch, this switch may reset completely back to OFF, if the power is even just shortly interrupted.  But if the aquarium pump uses a mechanical switch, a 20ms interruption may not be an issue.

A UPS with a 20ms interruption will likely also not work for most desktop computer systems.  They will probably crash if their power is cut for just 20ms.

Jackery's very latest top model, the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus, for the first time offers a true 0ms UPS functionality.

It's the only model currently though, I think.

Being the top model, it is a bit expensive, but I do expect this feature to trickle down over the next 2 years to many of the other models, via model updates.  As adding true UPS functionality really makes sense.

For example the currently sold Explorer 2000 is already the second generation "2000" model, with a few features improved.  

I would not be surprised to see an updated Explorer 2000 or Explorer 2000 Plus model at some point with true UPS functionality like the current Explorer 5000 Plus model.

Of course I am not an insider, nor do I know Jackery's product plans, but I have been following them for years, and in the past this has happened regularly, new features trickling down from their top models to smaller models via updated model releases.

I find their "Plus" series very interesting, which are devices that offer expandable battery capacity via additional battery packs that you can buy separately and connect in a daisy-chain fashion.

So you can start with a basic device, and extend its battery capacity over time with one, two or more battery packs as you have more needs or money, not having to buy an all-new device with a higher capacity.

3-4 years ago, their devices had batteries rated at just 500 recharge cycles until their capacity drops to 70%.  At which point buying a new device after some years made sense.  But nowadays they rate their batteries at 4,000 recharge cycles.  Here it makes sense to just buy additional battery packs if you need more power.

Most "Plus" models currently also have this "20 millisecond UPS pass-through" feature.

edited March 4

mike wuerthele

ahobbit said:

braytonak said:

Wait, I was coincidentally looking into this earlier today and Jackery specifically said these were not uninterruptible power supplies. Is this a particular model that does offer this mode of operation? I’ve been looking into one for a fish tank. It seems like you can only find a traditional APC-style UPS with lead acid batteries or these, which are giant batteries. (It’s annoying that they call them generators in places.)

Not the Jackery Explorer 2000, this is not a true UPS.

But it has what they call a "20 millisecond UPS pass-through" feature, meaning you can connect it in-between the mains and your device, and it will automatically switch over to battery power in case of a power cut within 20ms.  They recommend to plug in just one device for this feature.  

So this may or may not work for your aquarium.  You would need to test this.  For example if your aquarium pump uses an electronic switch, this switch may reset completely back to OFF, if the power is even just shortly interrupted.  But if the aquarium pump uses a mechanical switch, a 20ms interruption may not be an issue.

A UPS with a 20ms interruption will likely also not work for most desktop computer systems.  They will probably crash if their power is cut for just 20ms.

Jackery's very latest top model, the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus, for the first time offers a true 0ms UPS functionality.

It's the only model currently though, I think.

Being the top model, it is a bit expensive, but I do expect this feature to trickle down over the next 2 years to many of the other models, via model updates.  As adding true UPS functionality really makes sense.

For example the currently sold Explorer 2000 is already the second generation "2000" model, with a few features improved.  

I would not be surprised to see an updated Explorer 2000 or Explorer 2000 Plus model at some point with true UPS functionality like the current Explorer 5000 Plus model.

Of course I am not an insider, nor do I know Jackery's product plans, but I have been following them for years, and in the past this has happened regularly, new features trickling down from their top models to smaller models via updated model releases.

I find their "Plus" series very interesting, which are devices that offer expandable battery capacity via additional battery packs that you can buy separately and connect in a daisy-chain fashion.

So you can start with a basic device, and extend its battery capacity over time with one, two or more battery packs as you have more needs or money, not having to buy an all-new device with a higher capacity.

3-4 years ago, their devices had batteries rated at just 500 recharge cycles until their capacity drops to 70%.  At which point buying a new device after some years made sense.  But nowadays they rate their batteries at 4,000 recharge cycles.  Here it makes sense to just buy additional battery packs if you need more power.

Most "Plus" models currently also have this "20 millisecond UPS pass-through" feature.

We tested it with a Mac Studio and a monitor on one test, and an Air Fryer on a second. It works great as a UPS.

edited March 4

mike wuerthele

eightzero said:

Chapeau for not using the word "generator" in this article. Know what grinds my gears? When stores call these storage systems "generators."

The only time we're going to call it that, is when the company uses that explicitly in the product naming.

They are in no way generators. I feel ten calling it that is some kind of SEO bullshit.

edited March 4