I love camping and being outdoors, but I also like reading a book at night or watching a movie on my laptop without worrying about the remaining charge while I’m in the middle of nowhere.
Most importantly, I like having emergency backup power whenever there’s a violent storm that brings down power lines and disrupts traffic across my state. After reading quite a few positive user reviews, I decided to get the Jackery Explorer 1000 Watt Generator.
For me, the selling points were the rugged shape and solar charge options.
But is that all this portable power box has to offer?
Here’s my sincere and unbiased review of the Jackery Explorer 1000.
What Is the Jackery Explorer 1000 Watt Generator?
The Jackery Explorer 1000 Watts Generator is the current flagship model of Jackery’s portable solar generators lineup.
The size of a small 12-pack cooler, the Explorer 1000 comes in a sleek orange and grey body with a sturdy integrated handle.
It pairs seamlessly with Jackery SolarSaga 100 watt portable solar panels for eco-friendly off-grid charging.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 is mostly admired by users for impressive build quality, impressive power efficiency, and compact form factor. These three traits make it an excellent solar generator for camping.
Those who are looking for a solar generator for their RV should definitely check out this one.
How Long Does the Jackery 1000 Last?
Jackery does a great job at showing the run time or number of charges for different appliances.
With the Jackery Explorer 1000 generator, you can run:
- Camping lights for 76 hours
- Electric grill for 50 minutes
- Mini fridge for 66 hours
- Macbook Pro for 8 charges
- iPhone for 100 charges
In my own test, this generator has lived up to expectations.
On a 4-day camping trip a few months back, four of us barely made a dent in the battery, with two solar panels charging all day.
Even my bread maker with 450 watts power rating took the battery only down to 73%. And as the solar panels kept taking charge, the battery went back to 100% by lunch.
What Can a Jackery 1000 Power?
A Jackery 1000 can power almost anything you can pack in your trunk for a comfy camping trip. It has three 110V pure-sine wave outlets so you can power your blender, coffee maker, or a mini-fridge.
Pure-sine wave means the inverter generator is safe to use with sensitive electronics like your TVs, computers, or DVD players.
You can charge your gadgets directly through two USB-A and two USB-C ports. You can even charge your car’s GPS using the 12V outlet.
Is Jackery the Best?
No, Jackery is not the best portable solar generator you can buy, but it’s a top-shelf choice.
When it comes to generators like this, the differences really come down to personal preferences. The Explorer 1000 has a good capacity battery and advanced inverter, which together give it a solid overall performance.
It definitely needs a more efficient solar battery charger though. If Jackery upgrades their next model with better input and bigger portable panels, they could have a much more capable product.
There are better generators than the Jackery 1000, but while other inverter generators outperform in surge wattage or weight, they may underperform in other areas.
If you need a reliable generator for weekends out of town or as a backup power supply at home, you can’t go wrong with Jackery in that price range.
Can You Use Jackery While Charging?
Yes, you can use Jackery while charging.
The Jackery 1000 generator has a pass-through charger, which means you can run your items and top up the unit at the same time.
This inverter generator has a handy input and output display so you can see how much power you are using and putting in at the same time.
Jackery Explorer 1000 Benefits
1. Power Output
The Explorer 1000 is a compact powerhouse that can power even your refrigerator in a pinch as long as it runs below the 1000-watt mark.
This feature makes this generator a reasonable choice as a backup power supply in case of emergency.
In case of a statewide blackout, it’s good to know that the Jackery 1000 can pull its weight — in this case, keep my food from spoiling.
What’s more, when the power to my stove goes down, I can simply plug in a slow cooker or a similar appliance and get my meal underway.
For example, when I use my 300-watt rice cooker for 15 minutes, the generator’s battery loses only 4% of power.
The two USB-C ports deliver 18 watts of power, which is enough for most smartphones and tablets. For your laptop, it’s best that you charge it using the three AC outlets.
2. Pure Sine Wave Inverter
The Jackery Explorer 1000 comes with a 1000-watt pure sine wave inverter that allows me to safely plug equipment with delicate electronics.
My power tools and appliances with an electric motor also run more efficiently with generators that come with pure sine wave inverters like this.
3. Decent Ports Option
The Jackery 1000 is bristling with ports of all types, which means you can really make the most out of this generator in a blackout.
Even when I use the three 110V ports for food preparation and lighting, there are still plenty of low-voltage ports for charging my family’s phones.
The Jackery 1000 gives you:
- 3 110V AC ports
- 2 USB-A ports
- 2 USB-C ports
- 1 DC 12V car port
You can also charge your Jackery 1000 from your car’s 12V outlet.
While you may never use this feature in normal situations, imagine a scenario when you need to relocate because of a flood, hurricane, or another extreme weather event.
It’s good to know you can top up your generator on the road, so you have it 100% charged when you reach the higher ground.
4. Clean and Quiet
If you’ve ever used gasoline generators, you know how noisy they can be, not to mention how smelly.
Now imagine throwing an outdoor event or a romantic camping weekend with a fossil fuel rig rumbling in the background. The Jackery 1000 is designed to operate quietly even with cooling fans running. It won’t disturb you or the campers next to you.
More importantly, the Jackery 1000 inverter generator can charge on clean solar power that doesn’t require an engine and fuel tank.
This way you won’t have to deal with dangerous fumes or a fire hazard.
5. Eco-Friendly
You can buy a Jackery 1000 with a pair of SolarSaga 100-watt solar panels which you can use to charge your battery.
Now, solar panels that you can buy in a kit with Jackery may not be enough to power your entire home until the relief arrives.
But they’re enough to keep the lights on and charge your cell phones, so you know what’s going on.
Jackery claims you can fully charge the Explorer 1000 in 8 hours, but in my experience, 10 is more realistic. But that’s not an issue for me, as I can use it and charge it at the same time.
Jackery Explorer 1000 Negatives
My problem sometimes with my Jackery 1000 is the charging speed. At home, it takes me just short of 7 hours to get to 100% full charge.
While that’s even faster than advertised, it’s still a long time.
Especially when compared with its main competitor, the EcoFlow Delta 1300. When plugged into a standard 110V outlet, the Delta 1300 generator goes from zero to 80% in only one hour.
Also, this is a hefty box to lug around.
At 22 lbs, it may not be a problem for people who buy it to use with their boat, RV, or emergency home kit.
However, I planned to use this generator on my camping trips, and let me tell you, with all the gear to schlep around, I never managed to get far from my car.
Pros and Cons of Jackery Explorer 1000 (Summarized)
Pros
Cons
- Solid power output
- Total of 8 plugin ports
- Advanced inverter
- Eco-friendly solar charging
- Excellent customer service and warranty
- Quiet operation
- Average charging speed
- Pretty heavy to carry around
Things To Consider Before Buying a Portable Solar Generator
What Power Capacity and Wattage Do You Need?
The capacity of the portable generator is the amount of power load it can take. It is measured in watts (W), which when applied to power usage translates to watt-hours (Wh).
The more watts, the more appliances you can hook to your generator. You can find wattage for any divide on the sticker at the bottom.
What Charging Options Does It Offer?
A good portable generator should give you multiple charging options.
- Utility Grid — You simply plug one end of the cable with the inverter into the wall socket and the other end goes into the AC socket on the generator.
- Car charging is another option worth having. A 12V car adaptor plugs into the cigarette lighter socket so you can charge your generator on the go.
- Solar panels — Finally, if you really want to be independent of the grid and 100% eco-friendly, look for a generator you can charge with portable solar panels.
Can It Charge Different Devices at Once?
The earliest portable generators had only regular 110V outlets because back in the day, there was little to plug in other than a camping lamp, hot plate, and perhaps a radio.
But now a portable generator features multiple USB-A, USB-C, and AC outlets. Some generators can even charge car devices that use the 12V cigarette lighter plug.
How Durable Is It?
Although many products are advertised as “portable,” not all generators are sturdy enough for you to haul them with your camping gear.
Look for a product with quality plastic housing that can take some abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, a 1000 watt generator can run a refrigerator if the starting wattage is under 1000 watts. A refrigerator has a much lower running wattage but will suck up more power at startup because of the electric motor.
You need five or seven 1000 watt inverter generators to run your house. A home of average size needs between 5000 and 7000 watts to power the essential appliances and lighting. In an emergency, you’ll only want to run the most essential equipment, so in reality, one or two generators will do the job.
Yes, a 1000W generator will run a space heater up to 750 watts. Most space heaters run on 1500 watts but have a lower power 750 watts setting.
No, a 1000W generator won’t run an air conditioner. Even if you have a modest 30-amp air conditioner, you need a generator with at least 14000 running watts.
A 1000W generator can run lights, laptop and desktop computers, a coffee maker, small fridge, flat-screen TV, dishwasher, blender, slow cooker, portable fan, and even some power tools.
Jackery Explorer 1000: Should You Buy It?
The Jackery Explorer 1000 allows you to stay online even in the middle of nowhere and charge essential appliances in your time of need.
Paired with SolarSaga panels, this generator lets you pitch your tent off the beaten paths or provide emergency backup electricity for your home while staying 100% sustainable.
With 1,000 watts of output power and a total of 8 plug points, you can rely on this whether you’re planning a road trip in your van or you’re caught unaware in your home in the middle of a statewide blackout.
Just grab this baby and you’re ready to go.
Quiet yet powerful, eco-friendly yet compact, this portable generator has a ton of useful features and only a few shortfalls.
All this considering, I would recommend the Jackery 1000 as a great choice for your next camping trip or home emergency kit.
