Jackery 240 Review – 240Wh portable power station
This Jackery Explorer 240 review will tell you everything you need to know about this all-in-one solution to portable off-grid power. The powerbank combines a lithium leisure battery, an inverter and a solar charge controller in one portable unit, making it the perfect addition to a camping trip for access to 230V or 12V power.
It features a 230V AC plug socket, a 12V cigarette lighter socket, and two USB power points. It can be charged from a mains plug socket, from a car’s cigarette lighter socket or from a small portable solar panel.
The Jackery Explorer 240 is the smallest of all the Jackery powerbanks, making it the most transportable, but the least versatile, due to the relatively small inverter and battery capacity. So read on to see what we think of the Explorer 240 in this Jackery 240 review.
Looking for a different size Jackery? Read our Jackery Explorer 500 review and our Jackery Explorer 1000 review if you need a larger portable power station.
Functionality
Within the Jackery 240 is a pure sine wave inverter which converts the battery power into 230V mains power, an MPPT solar charge controller which manages the variable power input from a solar panel, and a lithium-ion battery. Its screen shows power input, output and state of charge, and its face is covered in various charging ports. The unit has a built-in handle, making it easy to move about.
Battery capacity
The Jackery Explorer 240 has 240Wh (17Ah) of battery power. Although this seems small in comparison to most leisure batteries, Jackery have used a lithium-ion battery which means the powerbank can be fully discharged without risking damage to the battery. This means the battery is big enough to fully charge a laptop 3 times (using a 30W charger), a drone 4 times (with a 90W charger), or a phone around 24 times.
Power output
The Jackery Explorer 240 has four different sockets to power your devices:
- 1 x 230V AC plug socket
- 1 x 12V DC car cigarette lighter charger
- 2 x 12V DC USB ports
The 230V power is supplied from the inverter which has a continuous power rating of 200W and a surge rating of 400W. This means the unit can power any 230V appliance with a power draw which is below 200W, but can also handle a higher power draw for very short periods of time.
You can swap between the two types of output (AC and DC) using the buttons on the main face.
Recharging
All Jackery powerbanks can be charged in three different ways:
- From a mains power wall plug (5-6 hours)
- From a car’s cigarette lighter socket (6-7 hours)
- From a 100W solar panel (5-6 hours)
The Jackery 240 can be charged with the Jackery Solar Saga 100W portable solar panel which can be folded out and plugged into the powerbank when you’re parked up and the sun’s out.
Display
The Jackery powerbanks have a useful display which shows power input (such as the power coming in from your solar panel) and power output (to show how much power your appliances are using) measured in Watts. It also shows the current state of charge of the powerbank.
Recommended usage
The Jackery Explorer 240 is a great solution for anyone who needs a lightweight, entry-level powerbank which gives them easy access to 12V and 230V power when they’re out exploring. This size of powerbank isn’t really big enough to substitute a proper campervan electrical system, but it would be a great option for weekend campers and could be used as a backup power source for campervans with only a small leisure battery.
Paired with a Solar Saga 100W solar panel, the Explorer 240 is ideal for charging electronic devices such as phones, cameras or drones, but could also power small 230V appliances such as an electric SUP board pump, a fan, an outside light, or a low wattage TV.
We also think the Jackery powerbanks would make a great addition to a remote-working setup. When the weather allows, it’s great to work outside, and a powerbank would keep you topped up so you don’t have to retreat inside when laptop batteries run low. Although you’ll only get 3 or 4 full laptop charges from the Explorer 240, the addition of a Solar Saga solar panel will continually top up the powerbank when the sun’s out.
Although the Jackery Explorer 240 is a great powerbank because it’s so compact and lightweight (only 3kg), it’s functionality is somewhat limited by the small battery bank and the 200W limit of the inverter. If you want to last longer off-grid, or need to power an appliance which draws more than 200W, you might need the Explorer 500 or even the Explorer 1000.
Where to buy the Jackery Explorer 240
So now that you’ve read our Jackery 240 review, if you’ve decided it’s the right powerbank for you, where can you purchase it?
We now have all of the Jackery powerbanks and solar panels for sale on our webshop, as well as other great powerbank brands, such as EcoFlow and Bluetti. We offer free delivery on orders under £50 and we’ve benchmarked all of our prices to make sure we’re cheaper than competitors.
Jackery 240 FAQs
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The Jackery Explorer 240 costs £245.99 when you buy it from Nohma, which is cheaper than Amazon and we offer free delivery on orders over £50.
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The Jackery 240 can power any 230V appliance with a power draw which is below 200W, such as a SUP board pump, a speaker, a TV, or an outdoor light. It can also charge devices such as laptops, cameras and phones.
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The Jackery 240 power station will last for 12 hours if it’s powering something which draws 20 watts, such as a phone charger. It will last for 2.5 hours if it’s powering something which draws 90W, such as a drone charger.
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The Jackery 240 will take 3.5 hours to fully charge when it’s plugged into a mains socket. It can also be charged from a car’s cigarette lighter socket (5 hours) or from a portable solar panel (5-6 hours using a 60W solar panel).
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The Jackery 240 battery will last for 10 years if you use it around four times per month (on average). The Jackery 240’s battery has a cycle life of 500 cycles. After 500 cycles, the battery’s capacity will be reduced to ∼80% of its original capacity, meaning it will still work, but won’t hold as much charge.
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