Jackery Explorer 500 Review – A Portable Power Station
Take free energy from the sun and store it in a chunky battery pack to power your camping gear – is this too good to be true? We find out…..
What we like about the Jackery 500: Off-grid camping; Rugged; Great solar panel;
What we don’t like about the Jackery 500: Single AC output; No wireless phone charging
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Jackery are an American company who recently celebrated their ten year anniversary. They specialize in clean electricity generation and associated power storage in rugged battery packs for camping and off-grid living. We like the cut of their jib in a world of rapidly rising gas and electricity prices, and have been itching to properly test some of their gear to see how it could help our lifestyle – both at home and when camping.
We were lucky enough to recently get hold of their mid-range Jackery Explorer 500 battery power station and the SolarSaga 100 solar panel for some in-depth testing. The two products can be bought and operated separately (this is worth thinking about because surprisingly even the solar panel can charge small electrical gadgets on its own), or alternatively bought together as the Jackery Solar Generator 500. If you choose the latter then you can save some money as the combined bundle works out slightly cheaper than the separates.
What is the Explorer 500?
So what are these products, and who are the target market? Well it’s actually a fairly simple proposition, but executed extremely well. The Jackery 500 is a lithium power pack, similar to the small power packs which you can use to charge up your phone when you’re out and about and nowhere near a mains plug. The difference is in the size and range of outputs on offer with the Jackery offerings.
The ‘500’ in the Explorer range firstly signifies 500W of power output (i.e. how much ‘oomph’ it has) and secondly, it refers to the onboard power storage of 518Wh – this is the amount of power in the tank. 518Wh means that this version of the Explorer would power a 518W hairdryer continuously for one hour, or a 25W camping lantern for 20 hours – the choice is yours how you consumer the power once it’s in the reservoir. It can power AC or DC sources as well as provide USB power for all manner of gadgets – we’ll get into the detailed specs later in the review.
Battery Pack Applications
So who are they for? Well, we can see a use for these types of gadgets in a range of scenarios. For example, you may wish to have an alternative source of power on tap at home in case of power cuts, or simply if you wish to take advantage of lower electricity costs at night – charge up the Explorer when the ‘leccy’ is cheap and then use the power at peak times when the costs have risen. Alternatively these power packs are great for outdoor hobbies like drone flying, whereby you can charge gadgets on the fly, literally! Finally, there is the camping, boating and general off-grid outdoor life uses. Having a power source on tap could be invaluable to making your time away more enjoyable and even potentially safer.
Other Versions in the Explorer Range
If you need more power than 500W then Jackery do sell more expensive 1000W and 1500W power stations in the Explorer range, and this can massively extend the range of items that you can power. This is certainly worth investigating if you are likely to need to power a kettle or mini-oven for example. They also sell smaller capacity options if budget or packing space is limited, but I can see more limited use cases for these – certainly for our family camping life.
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Jackery Solar Generator 500
The Joy of Solar and Storage Combined
It should be clear that even the largest battery packs are not going to last for a week or two of wild camping unless you’re just using the pack intermittently to charge small gadgets like phones. For continuous operation with a thermoelectric coolbox say, which might draw 50W, you would only be able to run it for around ten hours using the Explorer 500 before all the power is gone. You need an alternative method of recharging when you don’t have a handy mains supply nearby.
Enter solar power. The ultimate renewable energy source (although this isn’t strictly true because the sun will explode in around seven billion years), using a solar panel like the Jackery SolarSaga 100 in combination with the Explorer 500 is a way of producing continuous operation, as long as the sun is shining. You can draw power from the battery at the same time as the battery is getting topped up. We’ll get into more details on the specific UK limitations of this wonderful principle below.
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Jackery Explorer 500 – Design and Key Specs
A full range of specifications for the Jackery 500 are included in our clickable summary table opposite, but it’s worth highlighting a few here.
In particular, the dimensions. The Jackery 500 measures a reasonably compact 30.1 x 19.3 x 24.2 cm and weighs 6kg. Not too big or heavy. For reference, the higher power Explorer 1000 weighs a more hefty 10kg. We really like the size of the 500 for a typical camping weekend.
Jackery have designed a very rugged outer casing for the Explorer range. There’s an extremely sturdy carry handle, and all the inputs, outputs and display are on the front panel of the device which makes for easy control and monitoring.
| BATTERY INFO | |
|---|---|
| Capacity: | 518Wh (21.6V, 24Ah) |
| Cell Chemistry: | Li-ion NMC |
| Lifecycle: | 500 cycles to 80%+ capacity |
| Management System: | BMS, Over Voltage Protection, Short Circuit Protection |
| Recharge Times | |
|---|---|
| AC Adapter: | 75 Hours |
| 12V Car Adaptor: | 7.5 Hours |
| Electric Generator: | 7.5 Hours |
| SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel: | 9.5 Hours |
| PORTS | |
|---|---|
| AC Output: | 110VAC, 60Hz, 500W (1000W Surge) |
| USB-A Output: | SV, 2.4A |
| Car Output: | 12V 10A |
| DC Output: | 12V, 7A (6.5mm*1.4mm) |
| DC Input: | 12V-30V (100W Max) |
| GENERAL | |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 13.32 lbs (6.04 kg) |
| Dimensions (LxWxD): | 118x76x9.2 in (30.1 x 19.3 x 24.2 cm) |
| Operating Usage Temperature: | 14-104F (-10-40°C) |
| Certification: | CEC DOE, FCC, UL ROHS, CA Prop 65 |
| Warranty: | 24 Months |
| Optional Accessory: | Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel |
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Charging the Jackery 500
The Explorer 500 comes complete with an AC power adapter for mains charging and a 12V car cigarette lighter adaptor for charging in a vehicle. Make sure the engine is going though or it will drain your battery. Both chargers have a decent length of cable and end in an 8mm adapter which fits snugly into the Input Socket of the power station. Check out our labelled diagram opposite. This is also the socket into which you can plug the output from the SolarSaga 100 solar panel. When power is turrned on, or the sun is shining then a blue LED next to the input socket lights up and the display will show the amount of power entering the Explorer. Be aware that the max input power of the Explorer 500 is only 100W and so you cannot combine two solar panels for faster charging (which you can on the Explorer 1000).
Explorer 500 Output Ports – Harnessing The Power
As mentioned, the Jackery Explorer 500 is a mid-ranged and mid-priced power station. As such, you don’t get the full panoply of outputs that you might see on alternatives like the EcoFlow Delta 1300 or even the Explorer 1000. In part this is due to the size of the device, and needs to be part of your decision making process when buying. Can you live with only one AC outlet for instance? You can always pack a 3-way extension cable to split the AC power.
There are three USB-A outputs on the Explorer 500, all using the standard 2.4amp output which is perfectly fine for phone charging. I was slightly surprised not to see at least one higher power USB-PD socket on board with 5 amps of output. Once you’ve experienced high power fast phone charging, you don’t want to go back. There is also no wireless phone charging offered, unlike the lower-powered 300W Bluetti/Poweroak AC-50S.
Finally, there are three 12V output ports. One is the standard 10 amp car cigarette lighter socket which can drive a range of camping gadgets including lights, cool boxes, 12V TVs and kettles etc. There are also two 6.5mm 7 amp 12V sockets included which may be a US standard – I’ve never seen any product which uses them!
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Jackery Solar Generator 500 - In Use
After unboxing the Explorer 500, the charge level was at 44%, and so I tried the AC charger as a first attempt. It takes around 7.5 hours in total from 0-100% and that ties up with the 3.5 hours it took to reach 100% for me.
I ran straight up to my music room and plugged my Boss Katana guitar amplifier into the Jackery and pressed the AC-power button. I then switched on the amp and was able to play with absolutely no problems.
I then jumped into our Marco Polo campervan and drove to the nearest park for some outdoors experiments. I was able to easily work on my laptop with the Explorer 500 providing charge while I worked on the Camping Secrets website – I can see that this device would be excellent for working in the van away from home if I fancy a change in surroundings from the house – a mobile office!
Coolbox Operation
I then plugged in our electric coolbox. This draws around 50W and so would flatten the Explorer 500 in around ten hours of continuous use without the solar panel attached. It worked extremely well and was soon cold enough to chill some cans of coke I had brought along for the morning.
Finally I had a go at powering something a little more potent. We keep a Kenwood whisk on board the campervan which is rated at 450W – just less than the maximum 500W level of the Jackery. I was able to operate this on all five power levels successfully which was really satisfying and impressive.
Jackery Solar Generator 500
Jackery SolarSaga 100 – Charging the Explorer via Solar Power
The Jackery SolarSaga 100 is a foldable solar panel which can be used on its own or in conjunction with any of the Explorer range from the 300 and above. On the larger Explorer 1000 and 1500 you can double up the panels for faster charging, but this is not possible on the 300 or 500.
The panel folds in half when not in use and measures 61 x 53.5 x 35 cm. The two halves of the panel are joined together with magnets which work surprisingly well and can hold it firmly shut. The weight of the panel is light at about 4kg (Jackery say 4.69kg but we measured lighter).
The SolarSaga 100 has a nice orange ruggedized handle which makes it easy to carry around. On the back of each half of the panel there is a leg which can be pulled away from the main surface (it is attached using Velcro) and then used to prop up the panel to face the sun at an angle. The angle can be adjusted although it is not as flexible as an adjustable stand or even plastic or metal legs would be.
The back of the panel also features the output port of the onboard MPPT controller (the electronics which regulate the power delivery). There is a long cable which plugs into the Jackery Explorer power station, but the panel can also be used with other brands of power station. However,you may need an adapter to convert the 8mm Jackery plug to the one used by the other brand.
There are two additional outputs on board, both USB. There is a standard USB-A socket and also a USB-C. This is surprising to see as there isn’t one on the Explorer 500 and is actually quite welcome for directly charging modern phones and laptops.
One consequence of having these onboard outputs is that you can actually charge your gadgets directly from the solar panel and not bother with the Explorer 500. Of course, you are then reliant on there being sufficient sunshine, but it’s certainly welcome functionality to have.
Simultaneously Charge and Use Power
On a windy day of testing I was lucky enough to get some winter sun in the UK to try charging the Explorer 500 using the SolarSaga 100. One great feature of the combination is that you can charge the Explorer at the same time as you are powering your gadgets with it. Very nice and helps illustrate how you might achieve continuous off-grid living.
Jackery Solar Generator 500
I found that it was essential to get direct sun on the SolarSaga 100. When it was cloudy, the power generation was only in the 5-10W range – this would take about 50 continuous hours to charge up the Explorer 500, so at 12 hours per day (optimistic), that would be at least 4 days.
However, when the sun was shining directly on the panel, I managed to get 65W of power which was actually more than my laptop was drawing from the Explorer at the same time. Nice! This was self-sustaining operation and felt rather nice – almost like perpetual motion! Charge time with the SolarSaga at max power would be something like 9.5 hours.
Jackery Explorer 500 and SolarSaga 100 - Thoughts and Conclusions
There is no doubt in my mind that self-sustaining energy generation and storage will be a big technological trend over the upcoming years. The combination that Jackery have put together here with solar power and a flexible power station is excellent. The products are built well and reliably do their job. Top marks on that front, even though I have some minor quibbles about the USB port types and the number of AC outlets included.
My main question marks are over the use of the solar power with the battery when camping in the UK. Our country is notoriously rainy and cloudy, and neither the SolarSaga or the Explorer are particularly waterproof. I found that without direct sun, the power generation was quite low and in high wind the panel was blowing over all the time. A sightly disappointing experience, although I later noticed some ring eyelets in the panel which I could have used to secure it down better – my mistake. When the sun was shining then power generation of 65W was lovely and I found I could work on my laptop without loss of charge.
Regarding the Explorer 500 itself, I would recommend pushing for the Explorer 1000 if you are able to afford it. That extra 500W opens up the door to powering fan heaters, ovens, power tools and travel kettles, something that just isn’t possible with the smaller 500.
In summary, I love the idea and the execution of the Jackery equipment and can highly recommend it if you like to wild camp (i.e. no mains hookup) in the summer months. If you can reliably keep the panel in operation all day then you can have pretty much perpetual power, and for that we should all be excited. It’s also excellent to have primed for action at home in the event of a power cut. Highly recommended.
Jackery Solar Generator 500
