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Our verdict · Jackery
A light 7 lb station for phones, laptops and lights, with an older battery
A compact, 7 lb station that handles phones, laptops, routers and lights well. Its 300 W output, 100 W solar input and older lithium-ion battery (rated for 500 cycles) put it behind newer small stations.
- Capacity
- 293 Wh
- AC output
- 300 W
- Wall charge
- 4 h
- Weight
- 7.1 lb
Best for
Day trips, car camping and short outages where you only need to charge phones, run a laptop, a router or a few lights.
Skip it if
You want to run kitchen appliances or a fridge, need a long-life LiFePO4 battery, or plan to charge mainly from solar.
- 7.1 lb, easy to carry
- 60 W USB-C for laptops
- Two pure sine wave AC outlets
- 3 + 2 year warranty
- 300 W output
- Older lithium-ion battery: 500 cycles
- 100 W solar input
- About 4 hours to charge from the wall
Rating breakdown (compact (under 1 kwh) class)
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall charging speed | 20% | 0.1 | 90 W input |
| AC output | 20% | 3.3 | 300 W |
| Solar input | 10% | 2.4 | 100 W |
| Portability | 25% | 8.5 | 41 Wh/lb |
| Battery life & warranty | 25% | 8.0 | 5-year warranty, 500+ cycles |
| Capacity (Wh) | 293 |
|---|---|
| Battery chemistry | Lithium-ion (NMC) |
| Rated cycle life | 500 cycles to 80% |
| AC output, continuous (W) | 300 |
| AC output, surge (W) | 500 |
| AC charge time | 4 h |
| Max AC charging input (W) | 90 |
| Max solar input (W) | 100 |
| Solar input voltage range | 12–30 V |
| UPS switchover (ms) | — |
| Weight (lb) | 7.1 |
| Expandable to (Wh) | Not expandable |
| Warranty (years) | 3 + 2 with registration |
Key specs at a glance
What the numbers mean in practice
- 293 Wh capacity: a small battery. Enough to charge a phone 20+ times, run a laptop for a few hours or a router overnight.
- 300 W continuous, 500 W surge: small electronics only; no kettles, microwaves or fridges.
- Lithium-ion (NMC), 500 cycles to 80%: an older chemistry that wears faster than LiFePO4. See LiFePO4 vs lithium-ion.
- 7.1 lb: easy to carry one-handed.
- Not expandable.
- Warranty: 3 years, plus 2 more when you register it with Jackery.
Spec sheets are easy to misread; watts vs watt-hours explains which number answers which question.
Charging speed
Slow by today's standards
From the wall, it takes about 4 hours to refill through its AC adapter. That's slow next to newer stations, which refill in about an hour, so top it up before you need it.
It also accepts up to 100 W of solar (12–30 V), roughly 4–5 hours to full in strong sun with a 100 W panel, plus 12 V car charging. See what size solar panel you need.
Capacity and real runtime
How long it actually keeps things running
Estimated runtimes on the Explorer 300
- Wi-Fi router, DC23 h
- CPAP, no humidifier, DC cord7.7 h
- LED lights (×4), AC5.0 h
- Laptop, AC3.6 h
A router overnight or a CPAP without its humidifier for one to three nights, depending on the machine, is realistic; a fridge isn't. See how long a power station runs a CPAP for figures by setting. For our picks, see the best portable power station for CPAP. Try your own devices in the runtime calculator.
Output: what it can and can't run
Small electronics only
The 300 W rating covers laptops, a router, a small TV, fans, LED lights and camera batteries across its 2 AC outlets. A 60 W USB-C port charges most laptops directly, and there's an 18 W fast-charge USB-A port, a standard USB-A port and a 12 V car socket.
What it won't do: run a kettle, coffee maker, microwave, hair dryer or space heater, or start a fridge. For those, look at a 1 kWh station such as the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2.
Backup (UPS) and app
Pass-through, but no published switchover
It can charge while powering your devices, but Jackery doesn't publish a UPS switchover time, so don't rely on it to keep a desktop PC running through an outage. There's no app.
How it compares
Against bigger, newer stations
| Spec | Jackery Explorer 300 | Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | EcoFlow Delta 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Wh) | 293 | 1024 | 1024 |
| AC output, continuous (W) | 300 | 1500 | 1800 |
| AC charge time | 4 h | 50 min (Emergency, app) | 56 min |
| Max solar input (W) | 100 | 400 | 500 |
| Weight (lb) | 7.1 | 23.8 | 27.6 |
| Warranty (years) | 3 + 2 with registration | 3 + 2 with registration | 5 |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2: over three times the capacity (1,024 Wh), 1,500 W, a LiFePO4 battery and about 50-minute charging, but 23.8 lb.
- EcoFlow Delta 3: 1,024 Wh, 1,800 W, a 10 ms switchover and expandable, but 27.6 lb.
- Bluetti Elite 30 V2: 288 Wh and 600 W in 9.5 lb, with a LiFePO4 battery, a 10 ms or faster switchover and a 5-year warranty, but it can't take extra batteries.
The Explorer 300's edge is size: it's a third of the weight. Jackery also sells a newer Explorer 300 v2 with a LiFePO4 battery.
Who should buy it
And who should look elsewhere
Good fit: day trips and car camping; charging phones, laptops, cameras and drones; keeping a router and lights on through a short outage. See the best portable power stations for camping for bigger options. For more value picks, see the best value portable power stations. See the best small portable power stations. Similar-size alternatives: the EcoFlow River 3 Plus, Anker SOLIX C300 DC and Bluetti EB3A.
Look elsewhere if: you need to run kitchen appliances or a fridge, want a battery that lasts thousands of cycles (consider the Explorer 300 v2 or a LiFePO4 station), or need a UPS for a desktop PC.
FAQ
Quick answers to common questions
What can the Jackery Explorer 300 run?
Devices under 300 W: laptops, routers, phones, small TVs, fans, LED lights and camera batteries. Not kettles, microwaves, hair dryers or fridges.
How long does it take to charge?
About 4 hours from a wall outlet, or about 4–5 hours with a 100 W solar panel in strong sun.
Is the Explorer 300 LiFePO4?
No. It uses lithium-ion (NMC) cells rated for 500 cycles to 80%. The newer Explorer 300 v2 uses LiFePO4.
Can it run a CPAP?
Yes, for about one night without a humidifier using a DC cord. With a humidifier on AC, expect only a few hours.
What warranty does it have?
Three years, plus two more when you register it with Jackery.
