Brian Cooley At it again. Delivering More than enough information, than a normal consumer needs.. That in itself, is a plus!!! Hence why you, Mr. Cooley, have a Following.. PLEASE CNET Bring back the powerhouse of a show, "CNET on Cars."
For Dometic CFX3 35 portable fridge freezer, which Brand portable power station will be the best for 2 day's continue operation? Can anyone tell me about it? I prefer lifepo4 power station but which company lifepo4 power station is the best? Im little bit confused I have heard Renogy Phoenix 1000 is lifepo4 battery made with 3000 cycle lifespan. But I want to know more.
Your review is incomplete without including the EGO "Power Station", which blows everything else away, because the EGO design uses EXTERNAL lithium-ion battery packs that can be replaced while the system is running. No more mysteries about how the user is supposed to replace batteries after an average of 500 cycles. Also, please note that the life of a lithium-ion battery can be greatly extended by keeping the battery charge to somewhere between 30% and 80% of maximum charge, which also applies to lithium-ion batteries in cell phones, iPads, laptop computers, etc.
Absolutely. I don't buy battery powered gadgets if I can't replace the battery. If I can't readily replace the battery the device is disposable. I have a handful of DeWalt 20 volt packs and, in my experience, they begin to die a slow death after about 5 years or so regardless how many times they've been charged. The DeWalt power station is on my want list because I have batteries and more will prolly be available when needed. The bad news is the DeWalt produces square wave AC.
I've always enjoyed watching Brian Cooley's videos. They are informative and I really enjoys his presentation style, honest with just a touch of humor.
scammers, there was a whole rash of them here on TH-cam pushing black boxes with god only knows what sort of fire hazard inside.....yeah p.s. just finished watching this "review" it is a sales pitch and the device is a black box of fire hazards as near as i can tell.
These are a nice idea. However, they are still more expensive than an equivalent generator. And, a 32oz can of TruFuel lasts me for most of the day. A $1000 for the generator plus $6 a day in fuel is a lot more convenient than power stations are at the moment. But, I do hope the technology keeps improving.
Great entry video for anyone seriously interested in this. I honestly went with goal zero for a couple reasons. 1. Being able to use my phone to turn on and off the powerstation. 2. A 60w pd port was a must for me. Definitely if I had a house though I'd be looking at a lifePO4 battery with a solar panel on your house.
I have a Goal Zero 10 (or what ever it's called). It has two 10" solar panels. I don't know how, but the panels are a lot more efficient than most other panels of the same size.
@Pepe Pupu Well in my setup in my van I have my goal zero in an area that is inconvenient. Being able to use my phone to turn on and off the usb or inverter is very practical for my case. If I had it in my house or in a camping trip I wouldn't even bother.
Great video! One error: Just as a 20amp outlet maxes out at about 16 amps, a 15 amp outlet maxes out at about 12 amps. In both cases it's recommended that they operate at 80% of their maximum, to be on the safe side. So the NEMA 5-20 outlets on the Jackery 1500 are a *LOT* better than the NEMA 5-15 outlets on most other power stations, not just a little bit better.
Great video. I have a Bluetti AC 200P which runs our full size refrigerator for 2 days. Most of our power outages last 1 day, so it was a good investment for us.
You don't need a power station to run a refrigerator during a power outage you can achieve the same result with a excellent cooler. Your primary focus should be power for a number of reasons especially in a disaster.
I've seen thousands of these youtube videos on these power stations but this right here is unequivocally the best video I've ever seen so far. The demo and instructions were flawless. Very easy to comprehend. Especially the watt hours part. A lot of videos failed to break it down.
Best advice I can give is to avoid all Jackery products. While they're well-made and reliable their charge speed, battery specs, price, proprietary connectors, and countless other details make them one of the very worst values on the market. Bluetti and Ecoflow are the brands I recommend for most people and theres a good reason for it. They're a much greater value, more powerful, charge faster, use better batteries, etc. Really there is not a single reason I have heard to justify Jackery products other than "I already own them so I want to stick with the company I know and trust" which is just excusing one bad purchase with a prior bad purchase.
Jackery makes a excellent product. I compare it to a Honda gas generator in terms of quality. Can you get something similar for less? Sure, but if you want quality it does cost more.
@@jaya.0069 They make portable power stations in 2021 that have the same solar input limit of no name chinese clones from years ago, still dont use lifepo batteries, charge 2-8X as much as the competition for their proprietary solar panels, and lack features which have been standardized among the rest of the industry for a while now. They're barely beginning to creep up to being considered competitive with options that will cost 10-30% less. So how are they second to none? From my perspective they're the last thing I would ever spend my money on in this product category. I'd rather DIY a solar system than bother with Jackery and their ridiculous solar charge times. When compared to my Ecoflow River Pro, for example... the Jackery Explorer 500 claims 1/2 the solar input but in reality is closer to 1/3. Same unit has 518wh and puts out 500W. The Ecoflow puts out 600W and has a capacity of 720wh. Ecoflow doubles as a UPS. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has an app for easy remote monitoring. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has an expansion port that doubles the capacity. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has Xboost technology built in which allows this tiny unit to run a microwave or even a 5000BTU ac unit. Ive never seen a Jackery 500 do that. The Ecoflow charges at up to 600W from AC power meaning it can go from dead to full in under 100 minutes. Jackery doesn't do that either. So what do all these added benefits cost? Less than the Jackery name, apparently. I got my River Pro for $430 where the Jackery goes for $450 despite being worse in every way except weight... I guess if that 1lb and whatever $20 weighs matter that much to you, Jackery might be the way to go. For those who know a superior product has to have some way of showing it is superior the Ecoflow makes more sense. I got the River Pro and the add on battery for $700. Thats 1440wh at 600W for about 50% more money... nearly triple the capacity. Not to mention I can use whatever panels I want because Ecoflow doesnt use proprietary connectors to try to lock me into their products. I got 600W of folding solar panels for $440 from Dokio. $440 from Jackery wouldn't even buy you 200W worth of solar panels. How is Jackery better? Let's not forget the newer brands like Bibene which offer better deals too. Their $380 500W unit offers 618WH, uses superior lithium iron phosphate cells, and with a $5 modificiation can accept 300W of solar input... for over 20% less than the Jackery. Jackery is not competing in any way with any of these companies. They're certainly not beating any of these companies either.
@@1FAST91SONOMA See the exact clones of Jackery panels I bought for only 200....for 220 watts...I videoed them! Sadly they`re out of stock. And these actually put out 95% of rated output in December.
Nice, looking at upgrading. I currently have a Jackery Explorer 240 (UK 240 Volt version). I sometimes have to work remotely (literally in a field) with my laptop. I found that using a 12v laptop power lead, I could make my laptop last around 8 hours before it 90% drained my Jackery (with 2 hours left in the laptop battery as reserve),as it was only drawing 21 watts constantly, as opposed to using a standard UK 240V mains laptop lead which gave me around 2-2.5 hours (plus 2 hour laptop battery reserve) as it uses more watts.
@@davidliu36 Hi David, I am in Britain., that's why I specified I have the UK version as we use 240v Mains, with a UK 3 pin different outlet as opposed to the US 110v 2 pin outlet.
For Dometic CFX3 35 portable fridge freezer, which Brand portable power station will be the best for 2 day's continue operation? Can anyone tell me about it? I prefer lifepo4 power station but which company lifepo4 power station is the best? Im little bit confused I have heard Renogy Phoenix 1000 is lifepo4 battery made with 3000 cycle lifespan. But I want to know more.
One important thing you left out is that these two charge through adapters, not a straight 120 v wire, such as Ecoflow. The latter can be used as a UPS. You can plug a freezer, for example, into the latter, plug the unit in and go away. If the power fails it will run on the battery as long as it lasts and when the power comes back will go back to the grid. These units tested with 9 or 12 volt DC chargers won't do that. In the event of a power failure you have to be there, plug the appliance into it and turn the unit on.
Nice, informative overview. Too bad (this late in the year) that there wasn't room on the table for the Buletti EB70. All things considered, it's an absolute slayer when it comes to capacity, versatility, and price.
I have been using an Orion Dynamo (155w lithium) for my Astrophotography so this never arose as a question but with these larger units and recharging the obvious question is "Can you charge the unit with the solar panels WHILE using it?" E.g. Can you have your TV hooked up and watching a football game during the day and charge it with the solar panels AT THE SAME TIME so that when night time comes the unit is NOT depleted?
That was a great review. Thanks for making it. Another great reason to get one of those, instead of a liquid fuel-powered generator is because these devices are silent, while generators are not just noisy, but they're illegal to run at night, at least that's the law for suburban areas, where I live. (Here, it's also illegal to run any power tool [generators are a power tool] for more than two hours of continuous use per day, in a suburban area.) While I'm not really in the market to buy one of those devices (partially, because I'm in Australia, so we'll have different units), an important oversight is whether or not these devices have automatic shut-off, if the battery gets down to a certain level, to protect the battery from being ruined.
This was one of the best videos I have seen on this topic. I know little to nothing about amps or watts etc. I appreciate your explaining it in terms of usage -camping vs at home. Supplement power vs extended loss of power. Items being charged, I.e. tv, fridge, computer, phone, etc. i really appreciate it
@@jaya.0069 Real glass solar panels last decades and put out the actual wattage rating. If you need solar powered USB ports or portability get a cheap folding solar panel with ETFE coating. There`s no need to overpay. Shop around.
Why doesn't anybody tell us whether this thing will run a 1500 watt heater overnight on a full charge it's just the simplest question no one will answer
These are severely under powered compared to the competition these days. And they are overpriced, in my opinion. Really surprised CNET would choose to mention these units instead of others. I would not consider these to be impressive at all.
That was an excellent presentation, Mr Cooley. I learned exactly what I came for. I'm looking to start a house build and won't have grid power in the first stage for cutting forms and batter boards. Last time I worked construction was in 1999. Things have changed a little. I need something that will run a small air compressor for tools, air up tires, etc. And I really want to avoid the constant gas engine noise like a generator makes if at all possible.
Even though this is a pretty recent video the newer lithium phosphate ion chemistry blows away the jackery and anker. They can go 3500 cycles versus your 500. Prices keep coming down and newer models keep coming out so it's worth waiting if you're looking for a solar power generator.
I agree! LFP batteries are the way to go. Anker 757 is LFP. I have the OUKITEL P2001 and it uses that chemistry too. It can supercharge insanely fast. Using AC, it's 0 to 100% in like 1.8 hrs.
@@Albopepper No big arguments can be made as LfP batteries are way ahead of the game. The only disadvantage is the weight. I had the big echopro and have to put it on a 4 wheel cart
Yes a power station is great but it has to be charged up it will be useless without a rechargeable A/C or you can use a gas powered generator to charge up a power station.... When electricity is not available....
I have a RavPower station as my small one and is designated entirely for cell phones because communication during a power outage is critical. I also have a very large Bluetti EP500 pro. That will run a space heater or the a/c for a few hours and that is what it is designated for. I also have a gas generator. The gas ones can become glitchy if people aren't good at maintaining them. My solar ones are for night and for if the gas generator fails. The gas generator easily runs my whole house for 14 hours per filling. But it is too loud for night. Whatever you do, you shouldn't rely on one thing for emergency. I say that because I have been through extended power outages.
This is the greatest video I’ve seen on power stations. I was always struggling to understand watt hours, and he just said it in the most basic way possible. Thank you
I find it hilarious how the reporter proceeds to start a gasoline powered generator inside an enclosed environment something all generator manufacturers warn you not to do due to carbon monoxide poisoning! Kids don't try what we did at home! 😂
This gentleman knows how to explain things. After he's done, you have zero questions except why CNET doesnt give him a raise...😅. Great work. Keep it up and thank you.
Power stations like this are cool, but the Jackery 1500 retails for like $1600. You could get a whole-house generator for less than that (not including cost of installation).
From personal experience, you need enough solar panels to recharge your system in about 3 hours. Why? Because even in bright climates you get a max average of 5 solar equivalent hours per day, from sunrise to sunset. If you cut it thin, one or two bad days with clouds around noon can leave you powerless.
They can far exceed 500 charges before battery degradation. 1. Try to keep the charge between 20% and 80% 2. Don't draw too much power too fast, 1500W try to keep the draw at 1000W, 777W try to keep it the draw at 450W 3. If you're not using it for a while, drop the charge to between 30%-40% for long term storage, then before you use it give it a good overnight charge. 4. Only charge to 100% when you know you'll use it in the next 24 hours. 5. Don't let them sit in the hot sun, especially when charging or discharging. 6. DO NOT RAPID CHARGE! This gets the batteries hot. Always charge slowly (if you can) 7. This is the same for ANY li-ion battery, so follow this advice for a long lasting battery. 1000-1500 charges before you see any degradation, and it will also be slower degradation too. Google: preventing dendritic crystals in li-ion batteries
jackery technically is a SOLAR GENERATOR, it also doubles as an inverter because it changes the DC direct current into usable AC current, and can be used while charging from a solar charge port, or even directly viia a usb-c fast charger, that has a outport on a petrol generator, and can run in tandem with the solar panel as well to charge and convert DC from both sources to usable AC
None of these are solar generators until you connect up a solar panel. With some panels, they're generators. Take away the panels... PORTABLE POWER STATIONS.
Good to see reviews that are from sites that are viewed more broadly by the pubic. Yes, these can be very useful during a power outage or even on a camping trip. I personally have one made by Anker as described in the video. I also have a higher powered unit. But mine is an Eco Delta 1300. There are many versions now available. Thanks for spreading the word. More people need to hear and see about these useful devices especially as our grid system is getting older and vulnerable.
Thank you for the information. I've been in the market for a generator since the Texas deep freeze earlier this year. Now I'm considering a power generator to power the essentials. For the price range, I wonder if there are any LFP battery power generators worth the buy. I do not want to feel "limited" in my usage of a power generator with a 500 cycle lithium battery.
What's your price range? There are some great options out there from Bluetti. One thing to note is that those battery cycle stats all reference full 100% to 0% discharges not partial ones. And even after you "hit" that life cycle number (hard to do if you're living on-grid full time) you'll still benefit from the pass through capabilities that many of the premium brands offer. Which basically means if you're device is rated to accept 1200watts of solar input you'll still get that in peak daylight hours but you're battery will only hold a fraction of the originally stated capacity (can be anywhere from 60 to 80%).
In Texas as well. I rely on my Champion inverter generator for major appliances like portable ac and refrigeration (it’s dual fuel and we have a 200gal propane tank). I have the Bluetti 55 specifically for illumination and light charging like cell phones or running my wireless router. I would never depend on the batteries for emergencies like we had last February.
In 2020 I bought the Jackery 1000 and two solar panels for emergency power in California due wildfires and planned power outages. I also use it for car camping. The "sol-gen" works great! BTW California's new law bans the sale of small gas powered generators, string trimmers and leaf blowers. The handwriting is on the wall as far as buying gas powered devices in our state.
Very good video. I bought a similar product similar to one of these a couple of years ago, a Poweroak with a battery capacity of 400 W/h. As my TV only consumes 40 Watts and all my lamps have LED bulbs, this gives me a couple of nights of usage during power cuts and has already proved itself useful.
@@rosablevins9067 I always recharge the Poweroak fully after the mains supply returns and also keep a diary note to check the state of charge every 3 months. I'm happy with its performance, so far.
Another option is that you can use them in addition to a generator. These can be your first option and then when they run out, you can start up your generator and run electronics off of that while also recharging your portable power station off the generator.
That is what I do. Years of power outages have taught me that power should always be diversified. First off, I have had generators not start and it took a day or so to get it repaired. I have also had storms where they did start but the power was out for 10 days and the first days, the trees blocked the route to the gas station and the gas stations couldn't accept credit cards, only cash, and by the 10th day, the gas stations were running out of gas and I was running out of cash. I have 2 solar power stations, one small solely for my cell phone. One large, solely for heat and a/c. I don't use the power stations for the fridge in the winter, I have a Yeti and the great outdoors for winter. Heating and cooling are life and death.
Our plan is to use our EcoFlow River Max (~576Wh) to supplement our gas generator during power outages. That way powering or charging smaller electronics won't require running the generator which will be focused on powering fridges and freezers, plus recharging the River as needed. The addition of solar panels may be something to consider also.
A common application for these devices is emergency/occasional use and an important factor to consider is storage drainage rate. That's when yo charge it to 100% leave it in storage and 3 months down the road come back to use it only to know that now you only have 60% of battery charge.
The lithium iron phosphate batteries are excellent options for storage. And more charge cycles than those Jackerys. Even still, they should get cycled every 3 months. So if you take them out & use them, then they'll always have a charge when you need them.
@@Albopepper Just top them off once per month. People often forget even the best of these lithium batteries have about a 3 year shelf life at most. They will have greatly degraded by this point. I actually prefer ternary lithium battery models. They are much smaller and pack more of a punch with better energy density. You can find nice aluminum fanless units that use passive cooling, they are about 30% smaller than most others.
As a homeowner, don't bother with these for backup power. They won't do much for long. As Vanya said, go with car batteries and an inverter and you'l get way more bang for your buck. These portables are more for glamping than anything.
Ok I have a question. I recently got an electric snow blower since I have long sidewalks. Unfortunately I need at least 2 extension cords to reach the end. I was considering using a portable power pack with a shorter cord so I can just carry the power with me. Without worrying about running over the long cords. I don't know much about the specs of a power pack or which one is suitable for my need. What should I be looking for before I buy?
Get the blower with 2 battery packs on it. The blower with 1 battery pack is very weak. You might feel like you wasted your money on it. Get the double battery model. It was worth the extra money for me.i use it to blow dirt, etc, out of semi trailers. I bought mine from Walmart.
I have an electric Snowjoe snow blower and yep, I accidentally ran over the cord. it was cheaply made plastic, it works but I do have to push it, I'm not even going to bother with a battery electric one, I'm going to get the full gasoline model, it's just too much work and cold for a battery to cope with anything more than a very small area/sidewalk, not my 100 foot driveway at zero degrees- batteries hate cold and lose a LOT of capacity when cold.
jackery is garbage , I purchased a unit from them for 1,800.00 the thing didn't work out of the box . I returned it for a complete refund . I went with the eco flow river . way better more affordable
I saw a Solar panels with Generator on Amazon less than $200, with 24000 W AH Way Better than paying $500 for the Jackery with less Watts and No Panels 😢
Very good comparison between battery power stations and gas generators. I have one of each and see unique uses for each one. Nice and concise, honest review.
Do your research diligently. I recommend any generator that can run a regular refrigerator. 1500+ watts. Jackery, Bluetti, and EP something. The more ways to charge, the better. Even a cigarette outlet (which is the slowest way) is better than nothing.
As a prepper and prepping channel im glad these are becoming more main stream. Tons of uses during emergency situations. Good video and lots of information
If 500 cycles is a problem - go Lithium Iron Phosphate. They will go thousands of cycles before dying, easily 4-5x as long. There are some of these things that use that alternative chemistry. However, they need to be topped up more frequently, as they self-discharge 5% a month - much more quickly than a standard Li-Ion battery. So if you are putting it in a closet and expect to forget all about it until the power goes out, go with regular Li-Ion.
This bloke could sell water to a fish.
People will be kicking themselves in few weeks if they miss the opportunity to buy and invest in bitcoin
I invested in both gold and crypto but the crypto is more profitable
I wanted to trade crypto but got confused by the fluctuations in price , from,
That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like Mr Mason Waiter
I heard his strategies are really good
My first Investment with Mr Mason Waiter profits of over $24,320 US dollars and ever since then he has Been delivering
You are the first person to explain what the wattage means on these portable stations. Thank you.
Brian Cooley At it again. Delivering More than enough information, than a normal consumer needs.. That in itself, is a plus!!! Hence why you, Mr. Cooley, have a Following..
PLEASE CNET Bring back the powerhouse of a show, "CNET on Cars."
Look for Lifepo4 power stations, they can cycle 2000-3000 times instead of the 500 cycles in these and are safer and can work in higher/lower temps
Any recommendations?
These are expensive! WOW
For Dometic CFX3 35 portable fridge freezer, which Brand portable power station will be the best for 2 day's continue operation?
Can anyone tell me about it?
I prefer lifepo4 power station but which company lifepo4 power station is the best? Im little bit confused
I have heard Renogy Phoenix 1000 is lifepo4 battery made with 3000 cycle lifespan.
But I want to know more.
@@GPG7754yes. Anker.
I love Cooley, he's a great presenter and honest.
He was the guy behind CNET radio back in the day. I aspire to be like him
Honest, 🤣🤣🤣💀💀💀.
Honest? 🤥
@@DUNGSTA Why ?
Amazing info. Not a single second of useless info. He is impressive
Your review is incomplete without including the EGO "Power Station", which blows everything else away, because the EGO design uses EXTERNAL lithium-ion battery packs that can be replaced while the system is running. No more mysteries about how the user is supposed to replace batteries after an average of 500 cycles. Also, please note that the life of a lithium-ion battery can be greatly extended by keeping the battery charge to somewhere between 30% and 80% of maximum charge, which also applies to lithium-ion batteries in cell phones, iPads, laptop computers, etc.
Now that's good to know! I'm going to look for one of those. Also re phones &c
I completely forgot about that one. Thanks! 👍
Absolutely. I don't buy battery powered gadgets if I can't replace the battery. If I can't readily replace the battery the device is disposable. I have a handful of DeWalt 20 volt packs and, in my experience, they begin to die a slow death after about 5 years or so regardless how many times they've been charged. The DeWalt power station is on my want list because I have batteries and more will prolly be available when needed. The bad news is the DeWalt produces square wave AC.
What about ecoflow
EGO is junk and their customer service department might as well not exist.
I've always enjoyed watching Brian Cooley's videos. They are informative and I really enjoys his presentation style, honest with just a touch of humor.
He’s so old school, reminds me of the great school teachers that loved to teach.
its my first time seeing this guy explaining anything. he's the dad we all wish we had. thank you. very informative
Me too! He’s awesome!
Speak for yourself. I have a great dad.
@@Caderiche was you wouldn’t be in this comment section 😂😂😂
What crazy person ever called these things generators? 😂
scammers, there was a whole rash of them here on TH-cam pushing black boxes with god only knows what sort of fire hazard inside.....yeah p.s. just finished watching this "review" it is a sales pitch and the device is a black box of fire hazards as near as i can tell.
Haha
If they can be regarded via solar then they can be classified as generators. But it without the solar panels then it can't be called a generator.
The same people that us football fields as a unit of length
@@kevint1910 You have no idea how ignorant your statement is!
The Jackery Explorer 1500 is nice but it really is expensive compared to the other power stations.
the thumbnail made me think you hired carlos esposito
These are a nice idea. However, they are still more expensive than an equivalent generator. And, a 32oz can of TruFuel lasts me for most of the day. A $1000 for the generator plus $6 a day in fuel is a lot more convenient than power stations are at the moment. But, I do hope the technology keeps improving.
it will be a bad day for you when there is no longer any fuel
@@anarchyorslavery1616 I totally agree. Hopefully, when that day comes power stations will be much improved.
This expensive battery is clean…but except for solar recharging it’s as dirty as any power use.
Good to see Brian Cooley. I've been watching his videos since 2012, the top 5 series.
Great entry video for anyone seriously interested in this. I honestly went with goal zero for a couple reasons. 1. Being able to use my phone to turn on and off the powerstation. 2. A 60w pd port was a must for me. Definitely if I had a house though I'd be looking at a lifePO4 battery with a solar panel on your house.
I have a Goal Zero 10 (or what ever it's called). It has two 10" solar panels. I don't know how, but the panels are a lot more efficient than most other panels of the same size.
@Pepe Pupu Well in my setup in my van I have my goal zero in an area that is inconvenient. Being able to use my phone to turn on and off the usb or inverter is very practical for my case. If I had it in my house or in a camping trip I wouldn't even bother.
Great video! One error: Just as a 20amp outlet maxes out at about 16 amps, a 15 amp outlet maxes out at about 12 amps. In both cases it's recommended that they operate at 80% of their maximum, to be on the safe side. So the NEMA 5-20 outlets on the Jackery 1500 are a *LOT* better than the NEMA 5-15 outlets on most other power stations, not just a little bit better.
Excellent point!
@@Erin-Thor This is the most informative and least informercial I've seen. Thank you.
@@kylehill3643 ahh, you’re welcome! But why are you thanking me? 🤣
@@Erin-Thor Very helpful! Thank you so much! I've been looking for this comment!! 🙏🏼
@@Jesus_616_Christ LOL! Shouldn’t Steven Hurdle be the recipient of your praises? 😎
Great video. I have a Bluetti AC 200P which runs our full size refrigerator for 2 days. Most of our power outages last 1 day, so it was a good investment for us.
You don't need a power station to run a refrigerator during a power outage you can achieve the same result with a excellent cooler. Your primary focus should be power for a number of reasons especially in a disaster.
I've seen thousands of these youtube videos on these power stations but this right here is unequivocally the best video I've ever seen so far. The demo and instructions were flawless. Very easy to comprehend. Especially the watt hours part. A lot of videos failed to break it down.
Agreed
The watt hour was the exact comment I dropped. The rest assume I already understand it hahaha
How much longer are we going to have to wait, until " Back To The Future " Mr Fusion home energy reactors become reality ?
My mind is blown by this presentation. So informative, all questions answered & so organized. Amazing job!
Best advice I can give is to avoid all Jackery products. While they're well-made and reliable their charge speed, battery specs, price, proprietary connectors, and countless other details make them one of the very worst values on the market. Bluetti and Ecoflow are the brands I recommend for most people and theres a good reason for it. They're a much greater value, more powerful, charge faster, use better batteries, etc. Really there is not a single reason I have heard to justify Jackery products other than "I already own them so I want to stick with the company I know and trust" which is just excusing one bad purchase with a prior bad purchase.
Jackery makes a excellent product. I compare it to a Honda gas generator in terms of quality. Can you get something similar for less? Sure, but if you want quality it does cost more.
Totally not accurate! Jackery products are second to none. You can buy cheaper, but they certainly are not better!
@@jaya.0069 They make portable power stations in 2021 that have the same solar input limit of no name chinese clones from years ago, still dont use lifepo batteries, charge 2-8X as much as the competition for their proprietary solar panels, and lack features which have been standardized among the rest of the industry for a while now. They're barely beginning to creep up to being considered competitive with options that will cost 10-30% less. So how are they second to none? From my perspective they're the last thing I would ever spend my money on in this product category. I'd rather DIY a solar system than bother with Jackery and their ridiculous solar charge times. When compared to my Ecoflow River Pro, for example... the Jackery Explorer 500 claims 1/2 the solar input but in reality is closer to 1/3. Same unit has 518wh and puts out 500W. The Ecoflow puts out 600W and has a capacity of 720wh. Ecoflow doubles as a UPS. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has an app for easy remote monitoring. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has an expansion port that doubles the capacity. Jackery doesn't. Ecoflow has Xboost technology built in which allows this tiny unit to run a microwave or even a 5000BTU ac unit. Ive never seen a Jackery 500 do that. The Ecoflow charges at up to 600W from AC power meaning it can go from dead to full in under 100 minutes. Jackery doesn't do that either. So what do all these added benefits cost? Less than the Jackery name, apparently. I got my River Pro for $430 where the Jackery goes for $450 despite being worse in every way except weight... I guess if that 1lb and whatever $20 weighs matter that much to you, Jackery might be the way to go. For those who know a superior product has to have some way of showing it is superior the Ecoflow makes more sense. I got the River Pro and the add on battery for $700. Thats 1440wh at 600W for about 50% more money... nearly triple the capacity. Not to mention I can use whatever panels I want because Ecoflow doesnt use proprietary connectors to try to lock me into their products. I got 600W of folding solar panels for $440 from Dokio. $440 from Jackery wouldn't even buy you 200W worth of solar panels. How is Jackery better? Let's not forget the newer brands like Bibene which offer better deals too. Their $380 500W unit offers 618WH, uses superior lithium iron phosphate cells, and with a $5 modificiation can accept 300W of solar input... for over 20% less than the Jackery. Jackery is not competing in any way with any of these companies. They're certainly not beating any of these companies either.
@@1FAST91SONOMA See the exact clones of Jackery panels I bought for only 200....for 220 watts...I videoed them! Sadly they`re out of stock. And these actually put out 95% of rated output in December.
How about a review on the mango power union!!!!!!
Nice, looking at upgrading. I currently have a Jackery Explorer 240 (UK 240 Volt version). I sometimes have to work remotely (literally in a field) with my laptop. I found that using a 12v laptop power lead, I could make my laptop last around 8 hours before it 90% drained my Jackery (with 2 hours left in the laptop battery as reserve),as it was only drawing 21 watts constantly, as opposed to using a standard UK 240V mains laptop lead which gave me around 2-2.5 hours (plus 2 hour laptop battery reserve) as it uses more watts.
Good. Why do you use British standards in the United States?
@@davidliu36 Hi David, I am in Britain., that's why I specified I have the UK version as we use 240v Mains, with a UK 3 pin different outlet as opposed to the US 110v 2 pin outlet.
For Dometic CFX3 35 portable fridge freezer, which Brand portable power station will be the best for 2 day's continue operation?
Can anyone tell me about it?
I prefer lifepo4 power station but which company lifepo4 power station is the best? Im little bit confused
I have heard Renogy Phoenix 1000 is lifepo4 battery made with 3000 cycle lifespan.
But I want to know more.
Cooley by far my favorite CNET editor! Great video!
He killed it except for not really speaking to the diff types of batteries such as the lifepo4.
used 1000wat version for over 2years now , very satisfied
Same here and it's an amazing product!
One important thing you left out is that these two charge through adapters, not a straight 120 v wire, such as Ecoflow. The latter can be used as a UPS. You can plug a freezer, for example, into the latter, plug the unit in and go away. If the power fails it will run on the battery as long as it lasts and when the power comes back will go back to the grid. These units tested with 9 or 12 volt DC chargers won't do that. In the event of a power failure you have to be there, plug the appliance into it and turn the unit on.
Good to know. Thanks for the info
The Ecoflow Delta Max 2000 is not a true UPS. With a 30ms switchover time, it is considered an EPS. The Anker 757 is
Nice, informative overview. Too bad (this late in the year) that there wasn't room on the table for the Buletti EB70. All things considered, it's an absolute slayer when it comes to capacity, versatility, and price.
100%
I am amazed at how much energy you can get from the sun with three fold out panels.
I have been using an Orion Dynamo (155w lithium) for my Astrophotography so this never arose as a question but with these larger units and recharging the obvious question is "Can you charge the unit with the solar panels WHILE using it?" E.g. Can you have your TV hooked up and watching a football game during the day and charge it with the solar panels AT THE SAME TIME so that when night time comes the unit is NOT depleted?
You can with the Jackery, I have the 1000 and do it often.
That was a great review. Thanks for making it.
Another great reason to get one of those, instead of a liquid fuel-powered generator is because these devices are silent, while generators are not just noisy, but they're illegal to run at night, at least that's the law for suburban areas, where I live. (Here, it's also illegal to run any power tool [generators are a power tool] for more than two hours of continuous use per day, in a suburban area.)
While I'm not really in the market to buy one of those devices (partially, because I'm in Australia, so we'll have different units), an important oversight is whether or not these devices have automatic shut-off, if the battery gets down to a certain level, to protect the battery from being ruined.
This was one of the best videos I have seen on this topic. I know little to nothing about amps or watts etc. I appreciate your explaining it in terms of usage -camping vs at home. Supplement power vs extended loss of power. Items being charged, I.e. tv, fridge, computer, phone, etc. i really appreciate it
Isn’t the Jackory basically a generator if you can use solar panels to generate electricity
Yes, and you can use it while connected to solar panels to charge it.
Brian Cooley is one of the best presenters on earth. Really appreciate him.
Do yourself a favor if you plan to charge by solar at home...get the cheaper and more efficient normal solar panels.
Depends on your needs. These things are perfect for emergency situations.
@@jaya.0069 Real glass solar panels last decades and put out the actual wattage rating. If you need solar powered USB ports or portability get a cheap folding solar panel with ETFE coating. There`s no need to overpay. Shop around.
This guy can explain anything and can keep me interested for some reason ...awesome
Why doesn't anybody tell us whether this thing will run a 1500 watt heater overnight on a full charge it's just the simplest question no one will answer
These are severely under powered compared to the competition these days. And they are overpriced, in my opinion. Really surprised CNET would choose to mention these units instead of others. I would not consider these to be impressive at all.
What’s the alternative
can you cite better alternatives?
This wasn't a review, it was a discussion of typical features and buying considerations just using these as examples.
based on your comment I know you know what you're talking about ..
Yeah, I have tons of videos reviewing every single one on the market. Check out my most recent review of the jackery to see what I mean.
Hard to believe but I've lived my whole life without a generator. Maybe I should write a book about it.
That was an excellent presentation, Mr Cooley. I learned exactly what I came for. I'm looking to start a house build and won't have grid power in the first stage for cutting forms and batter boards. Last time I worked construction was in 1999. Things have changed a little. I need something that will run a small air compressor for tools, air up tires, etc. And I really want to avoid the constant gas engine noise like a generator makes if at all possible.
I still go with a generator. Takes overnight or even longer to charge a big battery, compared to a minute to fuel up a generator.
Can you have this charging themselves from the wall and in the same time deliver power? Like a UPS?
Even though this is a pretty recent video the newer lithium phosphate ion chemistry blows away the jackery and anker. They can go 3500 cycles versus your 500. Prices keep coming down and newer models keep coming out so it's worth waiting if you're looking for a solar power generator.
I agree! LFP batteries are the way to go. Anker 757 is LFP. I have the OUKITEL P2001 and it uses that chemistry too. It can supercharge insanely fast. Using AC, it's 0 to 100% in like 1.8 hrs.
@@Albopepper No big arguments can be made as LfP batteries are way ahead of the game. The only disadvantage is the weight. I had the big echopro and have to put it on a 4 wheel cart
Total Watt hours minus the invertors efficency watt %, so a be 70% of advertised Total Watt hours.
Can it charge an EV that uses regular house current
Excellent question.
Yes a power station is great but it has to be charged up it will be useless without a rechargeable A/C or you can use a gas powered generator to charge up a power station.... When electricity is not available....
I have a RavPower station as my small one and is designated entirely for cell phones because communication during a power outage is critical. I also have a very large Bluetti EP500 pro. That will run a space heater or the a/c for a few hours and that is what it is designated for. I also have a gas generator. The gas ones can become glitchy if people aren't good at maintaining them. My solar ones are for night and for if the gas generator fails. The gas generator easily runs my whole house for 14 hours per filling. But it is too loud for night. Whatever you do, you shouldn't rely on one thing for emergency. I say that because I have been through extended power outages.
Same here. Gas for night and solar bluetti for the day
I just wanna power a laptop for 12 hours straight… that’s all I need. Which is good for that ?
This is the greatest video I’ve seen on power stations. I was always struggling to understand watt hours, and he just said it in the most basic way possible. Thank you
I find it hilarious how the reporter proceeds to start a gasoline powered generator inside an enclosed environment something all generator manufacturers warn you not to do due to carbon monoxide poisoning! Kids don't try what we did at home! 😂
This gentleman knows how to explain things. After he's done, you have zero questions except why CNET doesnt give him a raise...😅. Great work. Keep it up and thank you.
His research is lazy
Power stations like this are cool, but the Jackery 1500 retails for like $1600. You could get a whole-house generator for less than that (not including cost of installation).
From personal experience, you need enough solar panels to recharge your system in about 3 hours. Why? Because even in bright climates you get a max average of 5 solar equivalent hours per day, from sunrise to sunset. If you cut it thin, one or two bad days with clouds around noon can leave you powerless.
They can far exceed 500 charges before battery degradation.
1. Try to keep the charge between 20% and 80%
2. Don't draw too much power too fast, 1500W try to keep the draw at 1000W, 777W try to keep it the draw at 450W
3. If you're not using it for a while, drop the charge to between 30%-40% for long term storage, then before you use it give it a good overnight charge.
4. Only charge to 100% when you know you'll use it in the next 24 hours.
5. Don't let them sit in the hot sun, especially when charging or discharging.
6. DO NOT RAPID CHARGE! This gets the batteries hot. Always charge slowly (if you can)
7. This is the same for ANY li-ion battery, so follow this advice for a long lasting battery. 1000-1500 charges before you see any degradation, and it will also be slower degradation too.
Google: preventing dendritic crystals in li-ion batteries
The entire reason someone gets one of these is that they’re easy to use. The average buyer is not going to go through that hassle
If you charge it every day… you have less than two years before the battery goes kaput 500 charges is nothing
Great presentation. Great presenter.
This chap's a 10 on the Ten-Scale.
I really learned a lot! Thank you!
Why didn't u say fridge kills it fast, another shady infomercial ..
jackery technically is a SOLAR GENERATOR, it also doubles as an inverter because it changes the DC direct current into usable AC current, and can be used while charging from a solar charge port, or even directly viia a usb-c fast charger, that has a outport on a petrol generator, and can run in tandem with the solar panel as well to charge and convert DC from both sources to usable AC
None of these are solar generators until you connect up a solar panel. With some panels, they're generators. Take away the panels... PORTABLE POWER STATIONS.
If you find a Honda generator difficult to use…. There’s no hope for you.
Thank you for the review on those portable power stations. I agree no noise charging station is always a good thing. gas generators way too noisy.
Lol
Who is this bloke? I couldn't stop watching....he could make toilet paper sound interesting....
What a guy!!!
Good to see reviews that are from sites that are viewed more broadly by the pubic. Yes, these can be very useful during a power outage or even on a camping trip. I personally have one made by Anker as described in the video. I also have a higher powered unit. But mine is an Eco Delta 1300. There are many versions now available. Thanks for spreading the word. More people need to hear and see about these useful devices especially as our grid system is getting older and vulnerable.
Don’t call it a generator?
Add a solar panel to it.
Don’t make foolish statements.
Thank you for the information. I've been in the market for a generator since the Texas deep freeze earlier this year. Now I'm considering a power generator to power the essentials.
For the price range, I wonder if there are any LFP battery power generators worth the buy. I do not want to feel "limited" in my usage of a power generator with a 500 cycle lithium battery.
What's your price range? There are some great options out there from Bluetti. One thing to note is that those battery cycle stats all reference full 100% to 0% discharges not partial ones. And even after you "hit" that life cycle number (hard to do if you're living on-grid full time) you'll still benefit from the pass through capabilities that many of the premium brands offer. Which basically means if you're device is rated to accept 1200watts of solar input you'll still get that in peak daylight hours but you're battery will only hold a fraction of the originally stated capacity (can be anywhere from 60 to 80%).
In Texas as well. I rely on my Champion inverter generator for major appliances like portable ac and refrigeration (it’s dual fuel and we have a 200gal propane tank). I have the Bluetti 55 specifically for illumination and light charging like cell phones or running my wireless router. I would never depend on the batteries for emergencies like we had last February.
It's not a power generator! It doesn't generate any power. It's just a big battery.
@@austinhernandez2716 Unless they don't plan on getting a solar panel then yes it's just a big battery and an inverter.
Interesting! Well the battery will die 500 charges in not a lot honestly.
Wow, he's using the gas generator indoors...
I thought CNET was independent reviews, not sponsored advertising?
In 2020 I bought the Jackery 1000 and two solar panels for emergency power in California due wildfires and planned power outages. I also use it for car camping. The "sol-gen" works great! BTW California's new law bans the sale of small gas powered generators, string trimmers and leaf blowers. The handwriting is on the wall as far as buying gas powered devices in our state.
I also bought the Jackery 1000, that little guy is amazing!
Another person that didn’t do much research, and just used Amazon
Very good video. I bought a similar product similar to one of these a couple of years ago, a Poweroak with a battery capacity of 400 W/h. As my TV only consumes 40 Watts and all my lamps have LED bulbs, this gives me a couple of nights of usage during power cuts and has already proved itself useful.
Do you have to recharge it after it is used up? I do know well enough about this equip.
@@rosablevins9067 I always recharge the Poweroak fully after the mains supply returns and also keep a diary note to check the state of charge every 3 months. I'm happy with its performance, so far.
I was about to stop watching... THEN? You, Sir, ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION I had about these things. Thanks so much! I appreciate YOU!!!
Just go buy a regular car battery and an inverter for a whole lot cheaper price.
super ghetto lol......and this is much more convenient
Thank you Gus Fring! i hope you dont kill me.
Great video. Also, props for using that Zebra F-701. My favorite pen. I’ve also used the same one (with refills) since 2007.
Can they be charged off of solar panels while they're being used for continuous run?
Another option is that you can use them in addition to a generator. These can be your first option and then when they run out, you can start up your generator and run electronics off of that while also recharging your portable power station off the generator.
That is what I do. Years of power outages have taught me that power should always be diversified. First off, I have had generators not start and it took a day or so to get it repaired. I have also had storms where they did start but the power was out for 10 days and the first days, the trees blocked the route to the gas station and the gas stations couldn't accept credit cards, only cash, and by the 10th day, the gas stations were running out of gas and I was running out of cash. I have 2 solar power stations, one small solely for my cell phone. One large, solely for heat and a/c. I don't use the power stations for the fridge in the winter, I have a Yeti and the great outdoors for winter. Heating and cooling are life and death.
This is a technology for the 80's
Why how
Our plan is to use our EcoFlow River Max (~576Wh) to supplement our gas generator during power outages. That way powering or charging smaller electronics won't require running the generator which will be focused on powering fridges and freezers, plus recharging the River as needed. The addition of solar panels may be something to consider also.
Wrong application.....
@@RandJ1996 ?
I’ve got a jackery 1000 .. wow it’s Awesome 😎
A common application for these devices is emergency/occasional use and an important factor to consider is storage drainage rate. That's when yo charge it to 100% leave it in storage and 3 months down the road come back to use it only to know that now you only have 60% of battery charge.
The lithium iron phosphate batteries are excellent options for storage. And more charge cycles than those Jackerys. Even still, they should get cycled every 3 months. So if you take them out & use them, then they'll always have a charge when you need them.
@@Albopepper Just top them off once per month. People often forget even the best of these lithium batteries have about a 3 year shelf life at most. They will have greatly degraded by this point. I actually prefer ternary lithium battery models. They are much smaller and pack more of a punch with better energy density. You can find nice aluminum fanless units that use passive cooling, they are about 30% smaller than most others.
I’m going to use mine to live in my storage unit!
As a homeowner considering my options for backup power, this was extremely helpful. Thanks Brian!
Just buy 12v car batteries and an inverter... WAY cheaper. Also you can upscale adding more batteries.
As a homeowner, don't bother with these for backup power. They won't do much for long. As Vanya said, go with car batteries and an inverter and you'l get way more bang for your buck. These portables are more for glamping than anything.
My question is if I were to fully charge it set it aside what is the shelf life of that battery?
Yes that's something I'd like to know as well.
Ok I have a question. I recently got an electric snow blower since I have long sidewalks. Unfortunately I need at least 2 extension cords to reach the end. I was considering using a portable power pack with a shorter cord so I can just carry the power with me. Without worrying about running over the long cords. I don't know much about the specs of a power pack or which one is suitable for my need. What should I be looking for before I buy?
Get the blower with 2 battery packs on it. The blower with 1 battery pack is very weak. You might feel like you wasted your money on it. Get the double battery model. It was worth the extra money for me.i use it to blow dirt, etc, out of semi trailers. I bought mine from Walmart.
How much is the big one??
@@torureid3461 you can literally save $44 by buying it now versus when I bought mine. Congratulations.
I have an electric Snowjoe snow blower and yep, I accidentally ran over the cord. it was cheaply made plastic, it works but I do have to push it, I'm not even going to bother with a battery electric one, I'm going to get the full gasoline model, it's just too much work and cold for a battery to cope with anything more than a very small area/sidewalk, not my 100 foot driveway at zero degrees- batteries hate cold and lose a LOT of capacity when cold.
jackery is garbage , I purchased a unit from them for 1,800.00 the thing didn't work out of the box . I returned it for a complete refund . I went with the eco flow river . way better more affordable
I saw a Solar panels with Generator on Amazon less than $200, with 24000 W AH Way Better than paying $500 for the Jackery with less Watts and No Panels 😢
Very good comparison between battery power stations and gas generators. I have one of each and see unique uses for each one. Nice and concise, honest review.
Will the Jackery power a 1500 watt space heater?
I’ve been trying to compare these two for the longest time…thank you for making this comparison video!🤘🏼
Do your research diligently. I recommend any generator that can run a regular refrigerator. 1500+ watts. Jackery, Bluetti, and EP something. The more ways to charge, the better. Even a cigarette outlet (which is the slowest way) is better than nothing.
Why isn’t this amazing man reviewing cars anymore. It was a perfect combo.
As a prepper and prepping channel im glad these are becoming more main stream. Tons of uses during emergency situations. Good video and lots of information
Cooley is a great presenter. Clear and accurate.
Nice review, Brian. Watt-hours is a measure of available energy, not power 2:02.
"They're really easy to use, if you find them easy to use! A lot of people don't."
Classic Cooley, always good to see a review by him.
I purchased one of these devices along with a generator after the Texas blackout of February 2021. Great explanation of watt hours.
Also these devices work great for CPAPS.
All I want for Christmas is a large Portable Power Station lol.
Just purchased my Powerhouse II 800. I know I'm gonna love it.
This guy is the Mike Rowe of advertising
If you are in the market to buy you should consider a charger with a LiFePO4 battery (more cycles among other benefits)
If 500 cycles is a problem - go Lithium Iron Phosphate. They will go thousands of cycles before dying, easily 4-5x as long. There are some of these things that use that alternative chemistry. However, they need to be topped up more frequently, as they self-discharge 5% a month - much more quickly than a standard Li-Ion battery. So if you are putting it in a closet and expect to forget all about it until the power goes out, go with regular Li-Ion.
May not of talked about all the brands, but he's the only one who could break this down for us. Now I know what I need for our needs. Thank you
Well explained. I know little about solar energy but I now know more because of your explanation. Thank you and will done.