Jackery’s New HomePower Is a Great Value. Expandability Gives It a Leg Up Over the Explorer.

One pitfall of buying a small power station is outgrowing its power capabilities. It's easy to underestimate how much power you need, or, as is more often the case, how long you need it to run.

Jackery recently debuted its HomePower 1000 Plus v2, which is very similar to the power station we recommend as the best value, the Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus v2. They have roughly the same battery capacity, weight, and overall design with a convenient built-in folding handle, but there are some key differences. Most notably, the ability to expand your runtime by adding an expansion battery, something you can’t do with the Explorer 1000 (or with most small power stations, for that matter).

If you’ve been considering the less expensive model, there’s a good case for spending a bit more on the HomePower 1000 Plus. I used it for about a week and a half to power my refrigerator, recharge mobile devices, run small appliances, and even fire up some plug-in power tools.

More Power and Expandable Runtime

The HomePower 1000 Plus has a more powerful inverter than the Explorer model. It was able to output up to 1,800 watts and surge to 3,600 watts when using motorized devices such as power tools that demand quick bursts of power when they start up. That extra bit of power matters when you’re running several things at once.

I was able to power a refrigerator, charge a few mobile devices, and run a Keurig coffee maker at the same time with no problems. For the refrigerator test, I simulated a blackout emergency and was able to keep it running for 12 hours—pretty impressive for a power station this size.

What really makes this station shine, however, is the expansion port. The HomePower offers roughly the same capacity as the Explorer, but you can expand that by adding up to five additional batteries. That scenario would allow me to increase my refrigerator’s runtime from 12 hours to five and a half days. While most people probably aren’t going to add that many for such a small station, adding even one gives this power station great flexibility.

Another benefit that is now commonly found in most power stations is the ability to operate as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). When connected to critical devices, like a computer setup, the HomePower 1000 Plus offers a switchover time of 10 milliseconds or less when the lights go out (faster than the Explorer 1000 Plus), as well as three-kilovolt surge protection. So if you find you don’t use your power station on a regular basis for trips or emergencies, you can set it up as a UPS in your computer room.

It Powers Multiple Devices Without Skipping a Beat

Or without tripping the entire station. That’s because two independent circuits power the four alternating-current (AC) outlets (two outlets each), which is uncommon in power stations of this size. This is helpful when plugging in multiple devices. If you accidentally trip one circuit, the other side won’t be affected. It’s a niche feature, but it can be especially handy if you spend time in a workshop and use a variety of tools with different power demands. For comparison, the Explorer only has three outlets that run on a single circuit.

Also on board is one high-powered, 140-watt USB-C port for supporting laptops and fast chargers, as well as a 30-watt USB-C and a USB-A port for older USB plugs.

When recharging, if you can’t get access to AC power, you can use portable solar panels. I found its max input of 400 watts a bit mediocre, but most people won’t be using panels larger than that with a small station like this one, so it’s not a deal breaker.

Is the Power Station Worth It?

The Jackery HomePower 1000 Plus v2 is a bit more expensive than the Explorer 1000 by around $180, but I think the upgrade is worth it. More power and expandable runtime are worth having, and the two-circuit AC power feature is a nice extra to have. Plus, it’s pretty much the same size and weight, so you lose nothing in the portability department. The drawback I found was that the cooling fan is louder than other power stations I’ve used.

You might not care about the extra features, but power stations are like laptops in that you should always spend a bit more than you think you need, because odds are, you’re going to need more.

Shop the Jackery HomePower 1000 Plus v2