Portable power stations are soaring in popularity. They enable off-grid living, provide power for camping and road trips, and allow you to use power tools in sheds and garages without outlets. Some folks want a backup supply or emergency cover for power outages. The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus can do it all. It is quick and easy to charge from the mains or solar panels, has plenty of ports and outlets for charging different devices, and performed consistently well in my tests.
If the 2-kilowatt-hour capacity of the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus isn’t enough, you can expand it. You can add up to five battery packs to each Explorer 2000 Plus to take your total power all the way up to 12 kWh, and you can join two for a grand total of 24 kWh. I tested the UK version of the Explorer Kit 4000 (£3,299), which comes with one battery pack, and Jackery also sent a SolarSaga 200W Solar Panel ($699).
Powering Up
Photograph: Jackery
Portable power stations are utilitarian, and while the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is no exception to that rule, it manages to stand out from the crowd. The dark gray body of the Explorer 2000 Plus contrasts with the bursts of orange in the recessed handles, the wheel rims, and the cables. Jackery’s use of orange in the logo and highlights gives its products a distinct visual signature.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is heavy and bulky, weighing 61.5 pounds. You can lift it with the recessed handles on either side, but I recommend extending the telescopic handle to take advantage of the rear wheels. Each battery pack weighs 41.9 pounds and can stack neatly on top of the Explorer 2000 Plus. Jackery provides an extremely thick orange cable that locks into place on the back to join the power station and battery packs together, and they effectively act as one when connected.
With three AC outlets (the US version has five), a car port (12 V, 10 A), two USB-A (18 W), and two USB-C (100 W) ports, the Explorer 2000 Plus is well equipped. There’s also a DC extension port on the back for attaching battery packs, two DC inputs for solar panels, and an AC input for charging from the mains. You will find a power button on the front and separate buttons to turn on the AC and DC ports.
The display provides all the pertinent info, including remaining battery percentage; watts in and out; remaining battery time estimate at this wattage level; and indicators for connectivity, modes, charging, and temperature warnings. You can use the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus easily with the physical buttons and display, but if you connect to the app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, you can control it from your phone, tweak charging and power saving settings, and upgrade the firmware.
The Jackery app.
English (US)