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The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 positions itself as an affordable, high-capacity, and portable power station that operates as a standalone unit. As the name suggests, this power station is pitched at adventurous users with durability in mind, although it works just as well in a home setting – as I found out.
Now, I admit that my motivation to test this power bank wasn’t entirely professional. Despite living in a country with a supposedly strong infrastructure, I’ve found power cuts to be increasingly common over the past few years, which I suppose is a side effect of ‘living in the sticks’.
Anything from a brisk wind or heavy rainfall to a few days of strong sun, and my power will fairly predictably fail for anything from 30 minutes to 12+ hours. A fair inconvenience for someone who works from home.
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I’d already spent hours researching power stations and had actually added a few of Jackery’s units to the basket when the request to review the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 portable power station came in – so I jumped at the chance.
Jackery Explorer 2000 V2: Specifications
Specifications are easy enough to come by. But what do they actually mean for you?
|
Specification |
What does it mean? |
|
2,042 Wh capacity |
You could run a standard laptop and wifi router for around 20 hours, a small electric camping fridge for around two full days or a high-velocity industrial fan for around 14 hours. |
|
2200W output |
It outputs enough power to run almost any household or job site appliance, including microwaves, coffee makers, or electric saws. But you may not be able to run two heat-producing appliances like an air fryer and a hot plate at the same time. |
|
36.6lbs/17.5kg |
It’s around 30% lighter than units with comparable 2 kWh capacity units; most adults can easily carry it short distances, but you wouldn’t want it in your backpack when climbing a mountain. |
|
13.2 × 10.4 × 11.5 in (33.5 × 26.4 × 29.2 cm) |
Easily fits in the trunk of a car or a campervan cabinet with room to spare. |
|
4000 cycles to 70%+ capacity |
It will last over 10 years of daily use before the battery capacity degrades by 30%. This is much better than similar, older units. |
|
100W USB-C PD port, 30W USB-C + 18W USB-A Ports, 12V / 10A car port and 2 AC output ports, 230V ~ 50Hz, 10A max, 2200W rated, 4400W surge peak |
You can plug practically any common item into the power station without the need for an adaptor. |
|
220-240V ~ 50Hz, 10A max input |
It will charge from empty to around 80% in just over an hour. |
|
400W max solar input |
You can fully charge it in around 6 hours with compatible solar panels when used in direct sunlight. |
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2: Hands-on experience
I’ve had the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 portable power station for just over a month now and have already made good use of it.
Unboxing
It turns up in premium packaging, including several boxes and a soft cloth bag, all of which took me a surprising amount of time to get through.
The amount of packaging actually made me question just how rugged the power station truly is, although once I had peeled back the layers and had time to play with it, it became clear that this unit can withstand a fair amount of handling.
The Explorer 2000 has passed the rigorous IEC60068-3-3 seismic test, proving its durability even in earthquakes up to a magnitude 9. Luckily, I’ve had no need to test it to this extent, but it has stood up well to some rough handling and falling out of the boot of my car.
The box also labels the product as a ‘Solar Generator’, although that is only referencing its compatibility; if you want to charge it via solar panels, you’ll need to buy those separately.
Usage
So, I got it unpacked, put it on to charge, and forgot about it for a while. But it didn’t take long for an opportunity to use it to come up. Apparently, a long period of dry weather had led to a tree falling on the power lines near my house, so we had a power cut right in the middle of the day.
I carried the power station into my office, turned it on, and plugged in my laptop. Nothing happened. About 30 seconds of wiggling the plug and pressing some buttons later, my laptop lit up. Turns out you need to select the power source you want to use for it to work. Yes, I should have read the instructions first, but it was a good test of how intuitive it is to use.
Three hours of work later, our electricity came back on. Compared to power cuts pre-Explorer 2000, where I would spend a few hours trying to work from my phone and panicking that the battery was going to die, this one was pretty seamless.
About a week later, another opportunity arose. This time, to test it out in the field. I took my son camping, and given the ridiculously hot weather, I took a large fan along to keep us a little more comfortable in the tent.
We parked about 300 meters from our camping spot, and carrying the power station over was pretty easy; I put the sweat down to the heat rather than the weight of the unit. It sat comfortably in the porch of our tent without getting in the way, and when the evening came, it easily ran all night, powering the fan and charging my phone via its USB-C port.
The last opportunity arose with another untimely power cut. This time when I was halfway through cooking our dinner. As anyone with an energetic five-year-old knows, any delay to food counts as a small domestic emergency. So, I grabbed the power station and plugged our air fryer in.
It only dropped by about 20% whilst running the air fryer for the last 25 minutes. The dinner and my sanity were both saved.
Jackery App
The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 is compatible with the Jackery app, giving you an easier way to control how you use your power station. After the usual sign-up process, you turn your power station on, follow the simple instructions on the screen, and you are ready to go.
The home screen gives some simple insights and controls. You can view the charge level, temperature, current input, and output. You can also turn on/off the DC and AC outputs, switch light settings, and select how long the screen stays on.
Dig a little deeper into the settings, and you can select emergency charging, battery-saving modes, energy-saving modes, and automatic shut-off times. You can also switch between fast charging and quiet charging – ideal if you’re charging near where you are sleeping or working, although I could barely hear it charging in the fast charge setting.
I’m assuming the app is even more useful for Jackery’s interconnected units, but for a standalone unit like the Explorer 2000, it offers some useful, although not essential, tools.
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2: What you need to know
The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 meets my requirements perfectly. However, it isn’t without its downsides, which may matter more to others with different needs.
Unlike some of Jackery’s other products, the Explorer 2000 isn’t modular. This means you cannot expand capacity or functionality as your needs change. What you buy is what you get. If that isn’t likely to meet your requirements in 6 months, you’ll need to start from scratch.
The unit also comes with a 400W max solar output. This is pretty good for those who want to top up the power station on the go, but it isn’t as good as some competitors if that is going to be your primary method of charging.
Heavy users may also find just two AC inputs, one USB-A port, and two USB-C ports a little limiting. If that’s you, you may want to check out the Explorer 3000 v2.
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2: Final verdict
The Explorer 2000 v2 has impressed me for several reasons. Firstly, the build quality and easy setup stand out, limiting setup stress and giving you peace of mind. I also really liked the amount of power you get from such a small and portable unit.
I used it extensively in different scenarios, including working, running home appliances, and during a camping trip, and it never even got close to running out.
It is clearly a capable power station that can handle much more than I’ve thrown at it. However, heavy users may find it limited due to its lack of modularity and small number of ports.
