Portable power stations are invaluable devices. I think everyone should have one in their home because they have obvious utility, especially in our world reliant on electronic gadgets. Unfortunately, we never think to buy one until the power goes out at 2am and our phone battery is almost dead. In this Jackery 300 review we’ll look at why this might be a good choice for you; as well as look at a couple other indoor generator that you might want to consider.
Uses of a Portable Power Station
Portable power will never go out of style. It’s one of the few type of products available that I know will be valuable in 100 years. We’ll always need a power source, no matter how advanced we get. Basically, anywhere you need power on the go, like camping, then a power station is a wise purchase. The Jackery 300 is small enough that you can take it anywhere at only 7.1 lbs. My dog can even carry it — if he had arms.
For me, the most valuable use of a battery station is that you can use them indoors. The power doesn’t even have to go out, you might need to run a device and you’re too far away from your living room wall. Rather than find an extension cord, simply bring out your power station. I do this all the time. It’s far more convenient than using the power in my apartment as most of the outlets are taken already.
You’ll really think you’re a genius when the power goes out and you have your Jackery 300 by your bed. Everyone in your home will also tell you what a smart idea it was to buy one. Trust me on this one. The Jackery 300, and all other portable power stations don’t produce any fumes as they are powered by a battery. No maintenance. No fumes. Safe to use indoors.
Jackery 300 Review / Explorer
Features :
- 2.5 Hours to Full Recharge: Charging by a 90W wall charger and 60W USB-C PD charger simultaneously, the Explorer 300 can be charged to 80% in only 2 hours. You can also recharge the Explorer 300 via a solar panel, car, or generator.
- Updated Multi-functional Outputs: 2xAC outputs (300W/peak 500W), 60W PD USB-C, QC3.0 USB-A, USB port & 12V carport. With multiple ports, you can charge all the devices you need at once.
- High-Quality MPPT Technology: The built-in MPPT technology provides faster solar recharge rates. The Explorer 300 can be quickly recharged from the sun in 5.5 hours with a SolarSaga 100W solar panel.
- Portable and Durable: The Explorer 300 portable power station has a user-friendly design, small size, and durable handle, making it lightweight, stylish, and easy to carry.
- Reliable and Safe Power: With clean lithium-ion technology, the Explorer 300 is safe and eco-friendly. The built-in Battery Management System (BMS) and pure sine wave inverter protect your sensitive devices from damage
OVERVIEW —
Before you decide which power station to buy you need to determine what you’ll be using it for. This is absolutely critical, and if you don’t do this you might find you won’t have enough power to run what you thought it would run. The Jackery 300W is a small capacity battery generator, so, no, it won’t run your fridge. For that you’d need at least a 1000W to 1500W generator, depending on the fridge.
VIDEO | A Closer Look at the Jackery 300 Explorer
The Jackery 300 Explorer can consistently output 300W and it has a peak capacity of 500W. I don’t know how much you know about generators, so I’ll give you a quick explanation of how to make sense of these numbers.
Every device requires a certain amount of energy (Watts) to run properly. It will be labeled somewhere on the device. It’s required by law. Look for the ‘wattage’ of the device. Depending on the device, usually it also has something called “surge watts” (also, ‘peak’ & ‘starting’). These all mean the same things. What this represents is the amount of power required to start the device. It requires more energy to get a device started but once it’s running, the “running” watts drops lower. In the case of the Jackery Explorer 300, it has a starting watts of 500. In other words, it won’t power any device that requires more than 500W to get started or 300W to keep running. And those numbers are the maximum for the device, NOT for each outlet.
I hope this makes sense. You can use a wattage calculator to help you get a better idea of how much power you actually need in a portable battery generator.
Here are some examples from the Jackery site as to what the 300 Explorer can power :
- Laptop (2.5 Charges)
- 20W Fan = 13 hours
- iPhone 8 = 30 charges
- 5W Light = 27 hours
- 60W TV = 4.5 hours
As you can see, the Jackery 300 is designed for light-duty power needs. Have a look at the technical specifications for more precise details.
Tech Specs :
| Capacity : 293Wh (14.4V, 20.4Ah) |
| Cell Chemistry : Li-ion NMC |
| Lifecycle : 500 cycles to 80%+ capacity |
| Management System : BMS, Over Voltage Protection, Short Circuit Protection |
| Lifecycle : 500 cycles to 80%+ capacity |
| AC Output : 110VAC, 60Hz, 300W (500W Surge) |
| USB-A Output : 5V, 2.4A |
| Quick Charge 3.0 Output : 5-6.5V, 3A / 6.5-9V, 2A / 9-12V, 1.5A |
| USB-C PD Output : 5V, 9V, 15V, 20V, 3A |
| Car Output : 12V, 10A |
| DC Input : 12V-30V (90W Max) |
| AC Adapter : 4.5 Hours |
| 12V Car Adaptor : 5 Hours |
| SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel : 5 Hours |
| USB-C PD : 5.5 Hours |
| Weight: 7.1 lbs (3.2 kg) |
| Dimensions (LxWxD) : 9.1 x 5.2 x 7.8 in (23 x 13.3 x 19.9 cm) |
| Operating Usage Temperature: 14-104F (-10-40℃) |
| Certification : CEC, DOE, FCC, QC3.0, ROHS, CA Prop 65 |
| Warranty : 24 Months |
| Optional Accessory : Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel |
Charging Options / Jackery 300 Explorer
Charging speed is on the most important aspects of a power station, and luckily the 300 Explorer is reasonably quick. It takes 2 hours to charge it to 80% of it’s full capacity.
Also, it’s solar ready and can be charged by Jackery SolarSaga 100 in 3.5 hours to 80% maximum capacity. Of course, that depends on the sun conditions. These numbers assume a sunny day, so a cloudy day will take much longer.
If you use the car outlet it will take 3.7 hours to charge to 80% capacity.
Jackery isn’t the fastest charging power station available, that prize belongs to the EcoFlow line of power stations, which I’ll look at later in this article. You’ll be amazed at the difference when it comes to charging speed.
Having said that, I highly recommend the Jackery 300, or any Jackery product. They make a range of power stations, depending on your needs. The 300 Explorer is well reviewed by the people who bought it. Customer satisfaction is very high. It’s very well made, easy to use, has an illuminated screen making everything easy to see in the dark. Also, Jackery has high standards when it comes to manufacturing and safety so know that you’re getting a high quality product that will be safe to use.
Customer Service / Jackery
Lastly, Jackery has exceptional customer service. They’re always available to respond to your questions or concerns, or if you have a warranty issues. I’ve read a few customers complain about Jackery not responding to their questions, but those complaints are in the minority. It’s always difficult to know the circumstances as to why a manufacture seems to ignore a few customers but not the other 99.9%. In our day of email and technology, sometimes messages get overlooked in the pile of emails. No brand is perfect, but in the case of Jackery, they have proven themselves to be exceptional with creating reliable portable power stations and I’m confident they’ll be there for you if you ever have a problem. If you have a story you want to share, feel free to contact me.
EcoFlow River Pro / More Power / Fast Charging
You won’t find a faster charging power station than the ECOFLOW brand. The River Pro is double the power size of the Jackery 300, so this isn’t a direct comparison, but in terms of charging speed, all of their models can recharge to 80% capacity in one hour. That’s lightning fast, and the fastest in the industry. Speed makes a difference and I think you should consider an ECOFLOW model for this reason alone. The equal model to the Jackery 300 is the ECOFLOW River MINI (300W run / 600W peak).
Features :
- 3 x 600W AC OUTLETS AND 720Wh CAPACITY The RIVER Pro can power up to 10 devices simultaneously with multiple outlet options, including 3 pure sine wave AC outlets. It offers up to 720Wh power and it weighs just 16.8 lbs, which makes it a portable power source for adventure on the go.
- RECHARGE FROM 0-80% WITHIN 1 HOUR The patented EcoFlow X-Stream technology enables you to charge the RIVER Pro from 0%-80% within one hour and offers a full charge in just 1.6 hours.
- DOUBLE CAPACITY FROM 720Wh to 1440Wh Add a RIVER Pro Extra Battery to double the capacity from 720Wh to 1440Wh. This is ideal for situations like traveling, camping, or group outdoor activities where you need more power for more devices.
- POWER A WIDE RANGE OF APPLIANCES The RIVER Pro can power some devices up to 1800W with the X-Boost mode on, which lets you power about 80% of essential devices like kitchen appliances and DIY tools. Use devices below 1200W for the best product use.
OVERVIEW —
My job is to help you determine what’s right for your needs. The challenge is that every reader is different so I try to highlight the features that make each product unique, and the ECOFLOW brand has become a leader when it comes to portable power stations, and every model has its unique set of features.
As I said earlier, the charging speed is best in class. It can be fully charged in 1.6 hours and 80% charged in one hour. It can power devices up to 1800W when you use the built-in X-mode boost. This is another unique feature that enables you to run power hungry devices like : heaters, blow dryers, portable air conditioners, power tools, full size fridge and so much more. This is a highly versatile power station because it hits the sweet spot in terms of having enough power to run the majority of your devices and appliances (but not all at once). It won’t power you home, look at the Delta Pro for that.
Expandable Battery
Another feature I absolutely love about the River Pro is that you can double your power by purchasing an ECOFLOW battery that connects directly to the River Pro and suddenly you have 1440WH. I love the modular and expandable aspect of their design. If your power needs change you can just purchase the optional battery rather than having to buy the full price model. This makes the power cost cheaper. I love having options because it’s hard to know how much power you might need in the future. Either way, ECOFLOW has solved this problem.
VIDEO | Learn More about the ECOFLOW Line of Battery Generators
Here are a few more options for you to consider. All are excellent options. I don’t promote garbage products on this site. I will never promote anything I don’t believe in. I don’t promote no-name brands, even though they are cheaper. Why? Because quality matters and especially with portable power stations you want to be certain that the quality control is high and they’re built for your safety. I would never buy a generic brand portable power station. Also, will you get customer support if you need it? I doubt it. Just my opinion, but I won’t recommend anything I wouldn’t buy.
Visit the ECOFLOW site to learn more about the brand and their line of products or visit their store on Amazon.
Tech Specs / ECOFLOW River Pro
| Net Weight : 16.8 lbs (7.6kg) |
| Charge Temperature : 32 to 113°F +/- 5°F (0 to 45°C +/- 3°C) |
| Warranty : 24 months |
| Full Recharge Time : 1.6 Hours (AC) 8 Hours (12V Car Adapter) 4-8 Hours (Using 2x 110W Solar Panels in parallel :with direct sunlight) 6-12 Hours (Using 1x 160W Solar Panel with direct sunlight) |
| Shelf Life : 1 year (once fully charged) |
| Management Systems : BMS, Over Voltage Protection, Overload Protection, Over Temperature Protection, Short Circuit Protection Low Temperature Protection, Low Voltage Protection, Overcurrent Protection |
| AC Charge Input Power : X-Stream Charge 660W Max |
| Solar Charge Input : 200W 10-25Vdc 12A Max |
| AC Output (x3) : 600W (Surge 1200W) total, 120Vac ( 50Hz/60Hz) |
| USB-A Fast Charge (x1) : 5V/2.4A,9V/2A,12V/1.5A 18W Max |
| Car Power Output (x1) : 136W, 13.6Vdc, 10A Max |
| Dimensions : 11.4 x 7.1 x 9.3in (28.9 x 18.0 x 23.5cm) |
| Discharge Temperature : -4 to 113°F +/- 5°F (-20 to 45°C +/- 3°C) |
| Charging Method : AC Wall Outlet, 12V Car Adapter, Solar Panel(s) |
| Capacity : 720Wh (28.8V) |
| Cycle Life : 800 cycles to 80%+ capacity |
| Testing and Certifications : UL Standard, CE, FCC, RoHS, RCM |
| AC Charge Input Voltage : 100-120Vac (50Hz/60Hz) |
| Car Charger : 12Vdc 8A Max |
| USB-A Output (x2) : 5Vdc, 2.4A, 12W Max per port |
| USB-C Output (x1) : 5Vdc, 9Vdc, 12Vdc, 15Vdc, 20Vdc, 5A, 100W Max |
| DC5521 Output (x2) : 13.6Vdc, 3A Max per port |