Reviews: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro, Plus: Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 2000 Plus, Solar Generator with 2042Wh LiFePO4 Battery 3000W Output, Expandable to 24kWh 6000W, Compatible with Solar Panel for Outdoor RV Camping & Emergency
Review: Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus: Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 2000 Plus, Solar Generator with 2042Wh LiFePO4 Battery 3000W Output, Expandable to 24kWh 6000W, Compatible with Solar Panel for Outdoor RV Camping & Emergency.
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 2000 Plus, Solar Generator with 2042Wh LiFePO4 Battery 3000W Output, Expandable to 24kWh 6000W, Compatible
Bring power wherever and whenever you need it with this dependable portable power station.
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
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.
Jackery has upgraded from lithium-ion (Li-Ion) to lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries with the Explorer 2000 Plus. LiFePO4 batteries are less prone to overheating and combustion, making them safer. They also have a longer cycle life. Jackery promises 70 percent capacity after 4,000 cycles for the Explorer 2000 Plus and says you can expect a decade of service. For the Li-Ion Explorer 2000 Pro, Jackery promises 80 percent capacity after just 1,000 cycles.
Sadly, the supplementary battery packs for the Explorer 2000 Plus are still Li-Ion. One advantage is the higher power density, which keeps them smaller than the power station while holding a similar amount of power. They have a far simpler display, which shows remaining battery percentage and a charging indicator. There are two connection ports for linking to the power station and chaining other battery packs, with two DC inputs for solar panels.
You get a three-year warranty with the Explorer 2000 Plus, but that’s extended to five if you buy directly from Jackery or register the device. That’s about as good a warranty as you'll find. There’s an element of brand trust buying a portable power station because you want to enjoy a decent capacity and performance for years.
While I’ve only tested the Explorer 2000 Plus for a few weeks, I’ve had good experiences with Jackery. WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson also really liked the smaller Jackery Explorer 1000. The company’s devices are well-made and relatively long-lasting, but you must take steps to preserve battery health. Jackery suggests regular charging and warns that leaving the Explorer 2000 Plus depleted for a long time (three to six months) will cause it to deteriorate. Of course, this is true of most batteries.
Quietly Amped
The stated capacity for the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is 2042.8 Wh. I was able to eke a little more than that from it. Some portable power stations I tested failed to live up to their stated capacity or performance varied, but the Explorer 2000 Plus was consistent. It can also comfortably put out 3,000 watts, so it had no trouble with a British kettle, electric drill, various TVs, appliances, and smaller gadgets. It can surge up to 6,000 watts, so you can likely plug anything into it without worrying.
Pairing with the Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus ($1,599) gave me 4085.6 Wh. When connected, the two act as a single supply, though the power station drains first. The USB ports fast-charged most of the phones I tested, and the 100W USB-C is enough to charge laptops. For a camping trip, with small appliances and gadgets, you should get at least a day from the power station. Add a battery pack and some panels to top up, and you might go a week or more. When I tested it with a portable AC unit (EcoFlow Wave 2), the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus lasted almost seven hours. With the battery pack, it powered the AC for just shy of 13 hours.
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus /Jackery Explorer 3000 Plus
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One of the things I liked best about the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is the quiet. Having tested several portable power stations over the past few months, I was surprised by how annoying the fan noise can be. If you use a power station in an enclosed space, you’ll notice when the fan kicks in to keep it cool. It often tops 50 decibels and can be loud enough to disturb sleep or drown out conversations.
The fan in the Explorer 2000 Plus seemed to start up a lot less often than those in other power stations and was usually quieter. The Quiet Charging Mode in the app keeps the noise below 30 decibels. It takes longer to charge in this mode, but it’s a welcome option for bedtime. The fastest charging speed refills the Explorer 2000 Plus from the mains in just two hours.
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. JACKERY VIA SIMON HILL
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus/Jackery Explorer 3000 Plus
RATING: 8/10 Buy Now $2,199 AT JACKERY £1,999 AT JACKERY
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Jackery has upgraded from lithium-ion (Li-Ion) to lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries with the Explorer 2000 Plus. LiFePO4 batteries are less prone to overheating and combustion, making them safer. They also have a longer cycle life. Jackery promises 70 percent capacity after 4,000 cycles for the Explorer 2000 Plus and says you can expect a decade of service. For the Li-Ion Explorer 2000 Pro, Jackery promises 80 percent capacity after just 1,000 cycles.
Sadly, the supplementary battery packs for the Explorer 2000 Plus are still Li-Ion. One advantage is the higher power density, which keeps them smaller than the power station while holding a similar amount of power. They have a far simpler display, which shows remaining battery percentage and a charging indicator. There are two connection ports for linking to the power station and chaining other battery packs, with two DC inputs for solar panels.
You get a three-year warranty with the Explorer 2000 Plus, but that’s extended to five if you buy directly from Jackery or register the device. That’s about as good a warranty as you'll find. There’s an element of brand trust buying a portable power station because you want to enjoy a decent capacity and performance for years.
While I’ve only tested the Explorer 2000 Plus for a few weeks, I’ve had good experiences with Jackery. WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson also really liked the smaller Jackery Explorer 1000. The company’s devices are well-made and relatively long-lasting, but you must take steps to preserve battery health. Jackery suggests regular charging and warns that leaving the Explorer 2000 Plus depleted for a long time (three to six months) will cause it to deteriorate. Of course, this is true of most batteries.
Quietly Amped
The stated capacity for the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is 2042.8 Wh. I was able to eke a little more than that from it. Some portable power stations I tested failed to live up to their stated capacity or performance varied, but the Explorer 2000 Plus was consistent. It can also comfortably put out 3,000 watts, so it had no trouble with a British kettle, electric drill, various TVs, appliances, and smaller gadgets. It can surge up to 6,000 watts, so you can likely plug anything into it without worrying.
Pairing with the Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus ($1,599) gave me 4085.6 Wh. When connected, the two act as a single supply, though the power station drains first. The USB ports fast-charged most of the phones I tested, and the 100W USB-C is enough to charge laptops. For a camping trip, with small appliances and gadgets, you should get at least a day from the power station. Add a battery pack and some panels to top up, and you might go a week or more. When I tested it with a portable AC unit (EcoFlow Wave 2), the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus lasted almost seven hours. With the battery pack, it powered the AC for just shy of 13 hours.
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus /Jackery Explorer 3000 Plus
RATING: 8/10
$2,200 AT /THE HOME DEPOT /$2,199 AT JACKERY /£1,999 AT JACKERY
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
One of the things I liked best about the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is the quiet. Having tested several portable power stations over the past few months, I was surprised by how annoying the fan noise can be. If you use a power station in an enclosed space, you’ll notice when the fan kicks in to keep it cool. It often tops 50 decibels and can be loud enough to disturb sleep or drown out conversations.
The fan in the Explorer 2000 Plus seemed to start up a lot less often than those in other power stations and was usually quieter. The Quiet Charging Mode in the app keeps the noise below 30 decibels. It takes longer to charge in this mode, but it’s a welcome option for bedtime. The fastest charging speed refills the Explorer 2000 Plus from the mains in just two hours.
PHOTOGRAPH: JACKERY
Jackery’s SolarSaga 200W Solar Panel fully charged the 2000 Plus from 32 percent in a single scorching day. Many of the power stations I have tested recently came with portable solar panels, but Jackery’s came closest to delivering the stated wattage, consistently producing 170 W, weather permitting. You would have to chain six 200-W panels together to get close to two-hour charging from solar, but it is an option. Just remember that the two DC inputs must be balanced, with the same number of panels plugged into each.
Jackery strongly suggests you not use any other brand of solar panels with the Explorer 2000 Plus, and it uses proprietary connectors. I can’t help feeling this is a shame for folks who own portable solar panels they’d like to use. I would prefer to see standard solar ports and wider support, which many other portable power stations offer. That said, Jackery’s panels are top-notch. The panels are also IP67-rated, though the power station is not waterproof.
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sine Wave AC Outlet, Solar Generator (Solar Panel Not Included) for Outdoors Camping Travel Hunting Emergency
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
One final trick the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus offers is the ability to act as an emergency power supply (EPS). Plug it into the mains, and you can plug vital devices into it and have them work from the grid with pass-through. Should the grid go down, however, the Explorer 2000 Plus promises to switch to battery within 20 milliseconds. It can’t quite match the top uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), which respond in 10 milliseconds or less (sometimes 0 milliseconds), but it will suffice for a freezer or a fish tank.
Watts Up?
PHOTOGRAPH: JACKERY
With such a positive review, you may wonder if I Ohm-itted anything (sorry). There are a few things I don’t love. It may be pushing the definition to describe the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus as portable. Sure, you can wheel it around your house, but it’s hardly all-terrain. You can lift it into an RV or truck, but I would not try to carry it any real distance. The port covers for the car port and the inputs on the rear are annoyingly tight. I had to use a screwdriver to open them and found them tough to get back in. The textured gray plastic finish also marks quite easily. My test unit has a few scuffs already, so I’m not sure how well it will age.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is expensive, but considering the quality and the features, I don’t think it’s unreasonably pricey. If you’re after a high-capacity power supply for the home, I slightly prefer the Zendure SuperBase V6400 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but it’s even less portable and far more expensive. For this kind of capacity and price, you might consider the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max ($1,900), the Zendure SuperBase Pro 2000 ($2,000), or maybe the Anker Solix F2000 ($2,000). They all look like solid picks, but I have only tested the Zendure, and the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is better.
Dependable, easy to use, and relatively quiet, the versatile Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is very impressive. The expandability, solar charging, and safety make this portable power station easy to recommend.
Jackery Solar Generator 4000 Kit, Explorer 2000 Plus and 1X PackPlus E2000 Plus Expandable Battery with 2X200W Solar Panel, 4085 Wh LiFePO4 Battery 3000W Output for Outdoor RV Camping & Home Emergency
About this item
Leaping Performance: With 4085.6Wh gigantic capacity, Jackery Solar Generator Kit 4000 is capable of powering heavy load devices up to 3000W, satisfying all the power needs of outdoor exploration or home use. It whispers QUIET AT ONLY 30dB in operation, leaving you complete peace of mind.
Ultra Fast Charge: Ultra Fast Charging: Only 2 hours is taken to get the Explorer 2000 Plus fully charged from 0 to 100% battery level by connecting to 6*SolarSaga 200W solar panels or connecting to wall outlets.
2kWh - 24 kWh Flexible Expansion: Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus supports up to 5 expandable battery packs with power expanded from 2kWh to 12kWh. 2*Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Power Stations can be connected in parallel to expand the capacity to 24kWh, voltage to 240V and output to 6000W.
Prior to Safety: By adopting advanced lithium technology, Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus and its Expandable Battery are highly temperature resistant, ensuring cells operate efficiently and safely. The built-in cooling system improves heat dissipation efficiency by 30%. Different types of protection including shock resistance and fire retardancy, offers complete safe charging.
Built to Last: Thanks to Jackery's innovative ChargeShield fast charge technology, the battery life of Explorer 2000 Plus Power Station is boosted by 50%. Safe LiFePO4 battery with up to 10 years of use extends the lifespan to the great extent. Smart shallow charging mode further enhances efficiency and reliability. Moreover, Jackery offers a 5-year warranty with a superb customer service.
Jackery Solar Generator 3000 PRO 400W, 3024Wh Power Station with 2x200W Solar Panels, Fast Charging in 2.4 Hours, Intelligent BMS, 2xPD 100W Ports for RV.
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