Jackery Explorer 1500 Solar Generator Review – Everything You Need to Know About this Portable Power Station
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Solar generators are incredibly useful pieces of solar equipment. Given that they feature a built-in deep-cycle battery, charge controller, and power inverter, they can act as an all-in-one solar power system.
Despite their compact design, these portable units can be used to charge your electronic devices and appliances. Given that they can store solar power, they can even operate completely off-grid. As you can imagine, this makes them perfectly suited for emergency preparedness applications, as they can act as a reliable source of power when you cannot access electricity from the grid. Their portable nature and off-grid capabilities also make them the perfect power source for camping trips, RV adventures, and off-grid living.
How Can We Help?
While solar generators certainly offer plenty of benefits, it can be difficult choosing the right model for your specific needs. To help you make the right choice, we are going to offer an in-depth review of one of the most popular models on the market today – the Jackery Explorer 1500 Solar Generator!
This honest review will tell you everything you need to know about this handy solar generator. We will also offer some alternatives that could be a superior option if your power requirements exceed what the Jackery Explorer 1500 is capable of.
What is the Jackery Explorer 1500?
As mentioned, the Jackery Explorer 1500 is a portable solar generator. It was developed by Jackery Power to act as a powerful, all-in-one power station that would be ideal for RV and camper van enthusiasts, owners of off-grid cabins, outdoor adventurists, and anyone that was interested in emergency home power backup.
At just 35.2 lbs, this compact unit is extremely portable, which helps explain why it is such a versatile solar generator. While the compact size and reasonably large lithium-ion battery are clear highlights, it is worth taking a deeper dive into the Explorer 1500’s specifications to see how well it can actually perform.
What Does the Explorer 1500 Offer?
To help you determine whether or not the Jackery 1500 is a worthwhile investment, we are going to examine its technical specifications and explain what they actually mean.
Jackery 1500 Battery Specifications
Battery Capacity:
The Jackery Explorer 1500 takes its name from its fairly impressive 1,534Wh capacity internal battery. The power is stored within a stable lithium-ion battery, which is certainly noteworthy, as lithium batteries are far more reliable than their inferior predecessors.
Life Cycle Rating:
The Jackery 1500’s battery has a life cycle rating of over 500 cycles. This means that the battery can be fully charged and discharged over 500 times before you notice any significant reduction in its storage capabilities. As any rechargeable battery is used, it will begin to lose some of its original storage capacity.
While this is a natural process that occurs with any rechargeable battery, lower quality batteries degrade much faster than the higher quality lithium batteries. Knowing that you can fully charge and discharge the Jackery 1500 over 500 times before it will begin to lose storage capacity in any noticeable amount is really encouraging and shows us that Jackery Power did not cut any corners when they outfitted the 1500.
Battery Lifespan:
Since it operates around a lithium-ion battery, it also has a respectable lifespan. Lifespan refers to the amount of time the battery can hold a charge before the electricity stored within it drains. Unfortunately, all batteries lose power over time, even when they are not being used; however, some batteries can hold a charge much longer than others.
Thanks to the quality of the Jackery 1500’s battery, it can hold power for over 6 months, which is great news if you plan on using your solar generator as a source of emergency power. If you chose to do so, you could put a charged Jackery 1500 into storage for blackouts and emergencies and have a reasonable expectation that it would still have plenty of stored power when you needed it!
Safety Features:
Another highlight of the Jackery 1500’s internal battery is the fact that it is protected by an effective Battery Management System (BMS). This system offers over voltage protection and short circuit protection, which helps protect the battery and ensure it will continue to last for many years. It even has internal temperature controls, which prevent overheating issues from occurring.
Jackery 1500 Input & Output Capabilities
Power Inverter:
For a relatively small solar generator, the Jackery Explorer 1500 has some fairly impressive output capabilities. This is thanks to the 1,800W power inverter, which can even surge up to 3,600W.
The combination of a 1,534Wh battery and a 1,800W power inverter means that the Jackery 1500 can supply power to a wide range of electronics, including some fairly demanding appliances. For example, the inverter is powerful enough that it allows the Jackery 1500 to supply power to microwaves, electric grills, and pressure cookers. If you are on a camping trip, having a solar generator that is capable of supplying power to kitchen appliances means you can bring some of the luxuries of home to off-grid locations.
For those that are interested in emergency preparedness, the robust power inverter can be incredibly useful. You can use the Jackery 1500 to power anything from LED lights, to a small refrigerator. While everyone else is in the dark, you and your family can enjoy reliable access to electricity.
Output Ports:
The Jackery 1500 features 7 output ports, which means you can charge and supply power to a variety of electronics at the same time. You get 3 AC wall outlet-style plug ins, a 12V DC car-style outlet, 2 USB-A ports, and a USB-C fast-charge port.
In other words, the Jackery 1500 allows you plug your portable devices and electronic appliances directly into it. Whether you are setting up camp, or experiencing a blackout, this range of built-in output ports can be really convenient.
Input Ports and Recharge Times:
Another great feature the Jackery 1500 offers is the ability to recharge the internal battery in three distinct ways. Using the included AC adapter, you can simply plug the 1500 into any standard AC wall outlet. You also have the option to use an included 12V DC car adapter to charge your Jackery 1500 in your vehicle.
The ability to charge the battery using solar power is where the Jackery 1500 really shines. Simply by plugging the 1500 into a solar panel, you can charge the battery and access electricity from any location.
The Jackery 1500’s 1,534Wh battery can be charged in just 6 hours with AC power, 15.5 hours through a DC car port, or in as little as 5 hours by connecting it to four 100W solar panels. While they are not outstanding, these recharge rates are reasonable for such an affordable solar generator.
Our Overall Impression of the Jackery Explorer 1500
Overall, we are relatively impressed by the Jackery Explorer 1500 and can certainly understand why it is such a popular unit. The 1,534Wh lithium-ion battery can store plenty of power and the 1800W inverter ensures that power can be delivered to a wide range of electronic devices and appliances.
The built-in Battery Management System is also a major plus. The output and input port versatility is reasonable, and we like that it features one of the modern USB-C fast-charge ports. While you can certainly find solar generators with more impressive specifications, it is the fact that the Jackery 1500 only weighs 35.2 lbs that really sets it apart. It is so lightweight and compact that there is no wonder it is so popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts.
When paired with solar panels, the Jackery 1500 can truly act as an all-in-one off-grid power station, so it is a true solar generator. Another feature that we did not mention, but really grabbed our attention, is the built-in smart display. This real-time power monitoring system lets you quickly view input and output power information in a clear and concise way. It also gives the remaining power estimate as a percentage, which is really useful when you are running it off-grid.
Overall, we would certainly recommend the Jackery Explorer 1500 to readers that are looking for a reliable and highly portable solar generator that is available at a reasonable price. With that being said, it may be somewhat lacking in storage capacity and output capabilities if you are looking to supply power to larger appliances, or you are in the market for a practical backup power system for your home.
For those that are interested, you can find this powerful little solar generator through the following link: Jackery Explorer 1500 Solar Generator.
Recommended Jackery 1500 Alternatives
For those looking for greater power capabilities and more advanced features, we recommend the following alternatives:
For nearly the same price, the EcoFlow Delta MAX delivers a larger 2,016Wh lithium-ion battery and a more powerful 2,400W inverter than you get with the Jackery 1500.
The Delta MAX’s also recharges at a much faster rate than the Jackery 1500, which is thanks in part to its highly efficient MPPT charge controller. It also expandable, meaning you can connect it to EcoFlow’s Smart Batteries and increase the storage capacity to an incredible total of 6,026Wh. When paired with the built-in Emergency Supply Power Mode, the expanded battery can make the Delta MAX a true emergency backup system for blackouts.
When you consider some of the other convenient features, like Wi-Fi connectivity, a greater number and variety of output ports, and a lightning-fast 800W charge rate, the Delta MAX certainly presents itself as an interesting alternative to the Jackery 1500.
Like the Delta MAX, the Bluetti AC200 MAX also delivers a much larger battery and a more powerful inverter. While it is more expensive than the Jackery 1500, you get plenty of power.
The 2,048Wh battery can be increased to a maximum storage capacity of 8,192Wh by connecting the AC200 MAX to Bluetti’s B300 expansion batteries. The battery also has a truly impressive life cycle rating of 3,500+ cycles, which means it will outlast the Jackery 1500 by a significant amount.
A robust 2,200W pure sine wave inverter means the AC200 MAX offers plenty of output power and a 900W solar input rating means that you can charge the internal battery relatively fast. One of the best features is the fact that it can multi-charge, meaning you can plug the AC200 MAX into solar panels and an AC wall outlet at the same time to achieve an input rating of 1,400W. This means the massive battery can be charged in as little as two hours!
Overall, it is a versatile solar generator that offers some appealing upgrades over the Jackery 1500. With that being said, it is more expensive and weighs nearly twice as much, so it might not be for everyone.
For those with power needs that far exceed the capabilities of the Jackery 1500, the Delta PRO is a significant upgrade. This powerful solar generator was designed to be a true home battery backup system, which explains why it features an enormous 3,600Wh LiFePO4 battery.
Like the other Jackery 1500 alternatives, the Delta PRO is expandable; however, the Delta PRO’s storage capacity can be increased to some truly mind-blowing levels. It can easily connect to multiple 3,600Wh expansion batteries to a total battery capacity of 25,000Wh, or 25kWh! This puts the Delta PRO in the same category as the Tesla Powerwall 2 as a full home battery system.
With an input rating of 6,500W, it also features industry-leading charging capabilities. The powerful 3,600W inverter also means you can use the Delta PRO to run large-scale appliances, like fridges, ovens, and even power tools. When two Delta PROs are paired together, the output power rating can increase to 7,200W/240V. This is some serious power!
While it is over double the price as the Jackery 1500, the Delta PRO certainly justifies its price tag!
