Jackery 1000 V2 Review: What’s New, Has Jackery Learned from Their Mistakes, & Should You Buy It?
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 has arrived, boasting a smaller footprint, faster charging, and improved functionality over the original—or at least that’s what Jackery’s marketing claims. But does it truly stand out in a market saturated with similarly sized portable power stations?
We put it to the test to see if it lives up to the hype and, more importantly, if it’s worth your hard-earned money. We’re going to dive into the design, specifications, and how it performed in our real-world tests. From efficiency to surge handling, we’ve tested this unit extensively to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your needs.
Let’s check it out!
Specs Overview
Before we get into our testing, let’s take a quick look at the specifications the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 brings to the table:
Weight: At just 23.8 lbs, it passes the Tiny Baby Lift Test with flying colors.
Battery Capacity: It packs a 1,070Wh battery; however, the battery is not expandable. If you are looking for expandability, you do have the option to upgrade to the Jackery 1000 PLUS.
Inverter: Supports a 1,500 watt output.
Charging Options:
120V AC Wall Plug Input: 1,000W charging with an option for a 1,200W input if you put the unit in “Emergency Charging Mode”. This is a new feature that allows you to overload the AC input. While it’s a cool feature, it’s probably not that great for the longevity of the battery if you use it too often. Still, it could be handy for situations where you need power as quickly as possible.
Solar Input: Dual MC3 connectors, which are supposed to offer a combined 400W solar input
Output Ports:
x3 AC outlets
x2 USB-C (one 100W)
x1 USB-A
x1 12V car socket (a really nice feature given how many brands are moving away from these ports)
Additional Features: A top-mounted flip-up handle, app compatibility, an integrated LED light, and the Emergency Charging Mode discussed above.
Price: It is listed at $799 on Jackery’s own website, but we have seen it available for less elsewhere.
Performance Testing
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s dive into its performance and see what it gets right—and where it falls short. Since this thing was designed primarily for off-grid mobile power, like camping trips, let’s start out by seeing how well that built-in battery actually stacks up.
Efficiency Testing:
Whenever we get our hands on a new power station, the efficiency of the battery is always a critical factor in determining the overall performance of the unit. Afterall, if the unit can’t deliver the power it has stored in its battery, it’s not really going to be that useful when you don’t have access to grid power.
This is especially true when you’re talking about a power station that you’re going to be taking on off-grid adventures, like camping trips, overlanding expeditions, or any other type of situation where you are in a remote location.
To test the Jackery 1000 V2’s efficiency, we ran a load of 1,479 watts—just shy of its maximum 1,500W capacity. Doing so pushed the unit to its limits, as the inverter and cooling fans had to work hard for it to be able to sustain that output. This is also where power stations are at their least efficient, so it’s a good way to test any unit.
Based on its capacity, the unit should have lasted 43 minutes with this load. However, it clocked in at 37.5 minutes, giving it an efficiency rating of 87.5%. We would actually consider this to be really impressive, especially for a relatively small power station. To put it in perspective, an 87% efficiency means that a 100W heated sleeping bag would last roughly 13 hours—perfect for keeping warm during a chilly camping night.
The truth is, we get pretty psyched about any power station that delivers an efficiency rating over 85%, so this is a huge positive for the 1000 V2.
Testing the Surge Capacity:
Surge handling is another area where the Explorer 1000 V2 impressed us. It handled loads of just over 1,500 watts—peaking at 1,560 watts—for an impressive 10 minutes before we decided to just stop the test out of boredom.
This means the unit is ideal for handling short bursts of higher power demands, like when you’re starting an appliance with a high initial power draw. It also means you’re not going to shut the thing down if you accidentally exceed that output rating for a minute or two.
When pushed further, it managed a 2,200W surge for a couple of seconds before shutting off. This is standard behavior for most power stations in this class. While it’s reassuring to know that the unit can tolerate small overages without immediately shutting down, it also won’t allow you to push it to ridiculous levels, which is probably good for the unit in the long-run.
AC and Solar Charging Speeds:
We tested the charging speeds in two scenarios:
Standard Charging Mode: Starting from 0% battery power, the unit fully charged in about 1 hour and 35 minutes when plugged into a standard AC wall outlet. While this is not the fastest speeds we’ve seen, it’s respectable for a unit of this size. Sure, we would have been happier if it charged in under an hour, but this is supposed to be where the so-called “Emergency Charging Mode” comes into play…
Emergency Charging Mode: With this mode enabled, we shaved the charge time down to just under an hour. However, it’s also worth remembering that regularly using this mode could negatively impact the battery’s longevity, so it’s probably not a good idea to abuse it. So, realistically, you’re looking at AC charge speeds of about an hour and a half, which isn’t anything to write home about.
When it comes to solar charging, the unit supports up to 400 watts of input. Under optimal conditions, it recharged in about 4.5 hours, making it a practical option for sunny, off-grid adventures, but not something that’s going to allow you to top up the battery at crazy speeds. This is particularly true if you’re using folding panels, which are rarely as efficient as your standard rigid solar panels.
Pass-Through Charging Tests:
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 supports pass-through charging, which means you can power your devices with it as the unit itself is charging. This is particularly useful for camping or emergencies, where you might have the unit plugged into solar panels as you’re using it to supply power to your devices.
While the pass-through feature works, we did notice that the input power diminishes significantly when you’re running the inverter under a heavy load. For example, while we were running a 1,400W load as the V2 charged, the input was minimal. With lighter loads—like around 100 watts—the unit accepted a near-full input.
It's nothing to be overly disappointed with, but definitely worth noting.
Testing the Noise Levels:
One pleasant surprise we picked up on was the really low noise levels while this thing was running. Even under heavy loads, the unit remained fairly quiet, especially compared to some of its much louder competitors.
This makes the unit a good choice for situations where excessive fan noise might be disruptive, like in a cramped camper van, RV, tent, or even in your bedroom or living room as you’re facing a power outage.
What We Like and Dislike About the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 Power Station
Now that we’ve seen how it performed, it’s time to discuss the main things we liked and disliked about the unit and the Jackery brand more generally.
What We Liked:
Let’s start off on a positive note by discussing the things we liked about it.
The Compact and Functional Design:
The new flip-up handle is a simple but appreciated upgrade over what you got with the unit’s predecessor. It’s comfortable to carry and folds flat for easy storage, making it perfect for road trips or camping.
The sleek design also puts all of the output ports on the front for greater accessibility, while plastic covers protect the AC outlets from moisture—another nice touch for outdoor enthusiasts.
Overall, it really seems like a practical unit for camping trips, which is probably what most buyers will have in mind if they’re looking at picking one up.
The “Emergency Charging Mode” Feature:
This new feature allows you to bump the AC charging speed from 1,000W to 1,200W when needed. It’s great for emergencies but keep in mind that frequent use may degrade the internal battery’s lifespan.
While we probably would have just preferred if the standard AC input was higher, having this option could be really handy if you’re about to head out on a trip and need to power it up as quickly as possible, or if you see there’s an incoming storm and want to make sure your unit is ready for a blackout.
The Built-In Light:
You know we are huge fans of built-in lights on power stations here at The Solar Lab, so it was one of the first things we picked up on when we unboxed the Explorer 1000 V2!
The integrated light works really well and would be a really handy feature for camping situations or power outages. Whether setting up a tent or navigating a dark room, it’s practical and eliminates the need for carrying a separate flashlight or using your phone’s flashlight.
App Integration:
Jackery’s app is straightforward and effective. It’s the same app we have seen used for their previous models, so there’s nothing new there, but it also has all of the features you would want for a power station of this size.
Through the app you can monitor the battery, toggle the inverter, and activate Emergency Charging Mode. It’s nothing overly flashy but adds a layer of convenience that’s definitely appreciated.
The Availability of Bifacial Solar Panels (Optional):
Jackery’s optional 100W bifacial SolarSaga panels offer excellent efficiency—especially if you angle them correctly. They’re much better than the panels the brand used to offer; however, the new cable placement on these panels also feels a bit less user-friendly compared to older models.
While you don’t have to buy your panels from Jackery, the fact they upgraded them shows that they’re starting to take solar functionality for their power stations more seriously.
What We Didn’t Like:
Now that we’ve praised this thing, let’s tear it down a bit, starting with the thing we dislike the most about Jackery as a brand.
Jackery’s Misleading Marketing Claims:
This is nothing new from Jackery, but it’s incredibly annoying. For whatever reason, their website is a complete mess. Not only is the website difficult to navigate thanks to endless popups and unnecessary windows, it’s packed with misinformation about their products.
For example, Jackery advertises this unit’s solar input as being 600 watts with six panels, but the actual max input is 400 watts as stated on the unit itself. This kind of inconsistency can mislead buyers, including those who may end up spending their hard-earned money on two extra solar panels.
We’ll never understand why Jackery does this kind of thing. Just list accurate specifications for your power stations!
The Non-Expandable Battery:
Unlike some competitors, the Jackery 1000 V2 doesn’t support expandable batteries. This limits its long-term versatility, especially for users who are looking for a scalable system. It’s not a huge problem, but we always like equipment that can grow with users and be upgraded in the future.
The Outdated MC3 Connectors:
Jackery continues to use MC3 connectors for their solar input instead of the more common MC4 variety. This makes it harder to pair the unit with third-party solar panels and feels like an attempt to lock users into their brand’s ecosystem.
It’s a bit like how Apple always has their own charging port on their phones and laptops, so buyers have to buy Apple or Apple-approved accessories. Basically, it’s not exactly a consumer-friendly decision, but they seem to insist on it.
The Pricing:
At $799, it’s a solid but pricey option. Competitors offer similar features—and often expandable batteries—at comparable or even lower prices. With that said, we’ve already seen it offered for less through other retailers, and we even have some discount codes listed at the bottom of this article that you can use to shave some dollars off that MSRP.
Speaking of other retailers, if you want to pick one up, we’d probably recommend buying the unit through someone other than Jackery. Not only are you probably going to find a better price, third-party retailers are going to have better customer service and return policies than Jackery.
We’ve discussed the fact that Jackery’s customer support seems to have fallen off a cliff in the last year, and it looks like nothing has really improved on that front judging by their dishonest website.
Our Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2?
The Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 offers meaningful improvements over its predecessor, including a smarter design, faster charging rates, improved efficiency, and a few other upgraded features. Overall, it’s an excellent choice for casual users who value simplicity and portability.
With that said, the lack of expandability for the battery, outdated solar inputs, and Jackery’s inconsistent marketing might be deal-breakers for some. If you’re already a fan of Jackery or don’t mind a few of this unit’s quirks, it could be a really reliable option.
While we have a few issues with Jackery, particularly their branding, Robbie regularly brings his personal Jackery power station with him when he goes camping and he’s really satisfied with it, so it’s not like we wouldn’t recommend their products. They’re well made, but it’s always a good idea to know what to expect before you buy.
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