Emergency power boxes
Jackery Solar Explorer 1000 Pro – all-rounder for mobile outdoor life
The box with the handle folded out.
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Jackery builds battery packs primarily for camping and wildlife adventures. The new 1000 Pro brings long-lasting batteries, fast solar charge time and a reassuring five-year warranty.
Manufacturers of power boxes are now a dime a dozen. If you look at brands that will probably still be around in a few years, the field thins out considerably. Jackery is one of them. The company comes from California, but the boxes are made in China like all the others. Jackery specializes in power supplies for camping, outdoors and van life. Other manufacturers are primarily aimed at craftsmen or the self-sufficient power supply of small houses.
What does that mean? The devices are (slightly) smaller, lighter and more compact than those of the competition. The Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro is the evolution of the 1000 without the “Pro”. The innovations of the big 2000 Pro come in the smaller class. We looked at the device in practice.
The smallest of the big boxes
The name of the box says it all, it ranks in the 1000 class. That can be translated into about 1000 watt hours capacity and 1000 watt output on 230 volts. Typical for the new generation, not only fromjackery, is that the short-term power output is much higher, here it is up to 2000 watts. This means that devices with a high starting current can also be operated. “Start-up” mind you, real operation of an 1800 watt device does not work. With the box, more than 80 percent of all electricity consumers can be operated, which is enough for everyday mobile use. If you want more power, you also lose mobility, the 2000 Pro from the same company is twice as big and twice as expensive. However, if you are looking for a box for all purposes, with which you can also operate a circular saw and a welding machine when building your log cabin, you have to reach for the 2000 Pro.
The device of the 1000 Pro is made of sturdy plastic, which still feels comfortable and easy to grip. The whole is held in the jackety colors orange and anthracite. The predecessor still had a permanently installed handle. It was beautifully curved and was very comfortable in the hand. But he noticeably increased the box. Storage space is scarce, especially in van life, the successor now has a foldable handle that disappears into the cube.
Long guarantee
The integrated LED lamp is typical forjackery. The box has two sockets for 230 volts. Two USB PD ports of 100 watts and one 12 volt output with car plug. It is relatively light at 11.5 kilograms, the dimensions are 34-26-25.55 centimeters. The device comes with a reassuring five-year warranty. The cells are designed to last a full 1,000 charge cycles before their capacity drops below 80 percent. For someone who uses the box in their free time and not on a daily basis, that’s almost an eternity. Some exits and entrances are protected against moisture with flaps. These boxes are not really dust and water resistant. The power pack and 230-volt converter generate waste heat during operation, so there are ventilation slots accordingly. You shouldn’t leave such a box unprotected in the pouring rain.
In addition to the new battery cells, something has happened when it comes to charging. The box is completely filled in 1.8 hours. This can be done with a 230 volt socket. I like that the box has an integrated charger, so you don’t have to take an extra power pack with you. You can also charge solar. Four solar panels, each with a capacity of 200 watts, can be connected in parallel to the box. They are available from Jackery in very good quality in terms of efficiency and workmanship, but panels from third-party manufacturers can also be connected. Given the weather, we were never able to harvest the sun with full force, but so be it: with around 800 watts of input, you should be able to fill the box up in 1.5 hours. Of course, the 1000 Pro can also be charged via the car plug, but here – as always – there are only 10 amps at 12 volts. That means it lasts.
Charging with solar
The 200 watt Solarsaga panels are a good choice. They can be folded up compactly, are robust and come with a valuable bag. They would be our choice if you don’t want to connect a rigid module. In mobile life, not only the costs for the four panels are decisive, but also the storage space. Four panels should be far too many for a VW bus. Depending on the application, two or even just one panel might be the right choice. We wouldn’t use panels with a small capacity, and their packing size doesn’t decrease dramatically either. Larger solar panels from other manufacturers go up to 400 watts. However, they are then difficult to accommodate because of their size and also become unwieldy because of the increasing weight. If you want to be self-sufficient for a longer period of time, you can’t avoid Panel. Because the one-time charge of 1000 watt hours is then emptied relatively quickly. A larger cool box can be operated with it for two to three days, and then the 1000 watt hours are gone.
Our conclusion
The Jackery boxes are the first choice if you are looking for a power supply primarily for camping and mobile life. The 1000 Pro is the smallest box with which you can operate most power consumers. Hotplates, strong hair dryers and heavy tools are not possible, but if you are careful when packing, you can still use the basic functions in 230 volt operation. The 1000 Pro is a better choice for many campers than an even more powerful device. If you are away for more than a weekend, the storage capacity of the box is not the decisive bottleneck, but the question of how much electricity you can refill. Then it can make sense to take a smaller and cheaper box and invest the savings in solar panels.
We liked the solid construction and the pleasing feel of the box. The company’s good solar panels also speak for them. The 1000 Pro normally costs 1299 euros – like all branded devices in this class. There are also occasional special offers – especially in a bundle with the solar panel.