Jackery Explorer 240 v2 Portable Power Station 256Wh 300W

At Jackery, we mainly know the big yellow suitcases that are found in all campsites. The Explorer 240 v2 is the opposite of this cliché: the smallest station in the range, 256 Wh, 3.6 kg, the kind of object you forget in a corner of the bag until you really need it. To put it in perspective, our reference Explorer 1000 Plus weighs 14.5 kg, a hefty baby that you carry with two hands. This one fits in one hand, and that's the whole point.

We clearly classify it as a ultra-portable battery: not the station that powers the house during a blackout, but the one that follows you everywhere, on a hike, in a light van, on a shoot, or during a long trip. The LiFePO4 chemistry and the 5-year warranty on a product at this price point is rarer than one might think at this level of the range.

Who is this station for?

If you're looking for a battery to live year-round in a van, keep looking, this isn't it (rather look towards the 1 to 2 kWh range). The 240 v2 targets a specific use: the light traveler who charges their small devices. Phone, tablet, action cam, drone batteries, headphones, and the laptop via the USB-C 100 W. Feedback from creators filming outdoors all revolves around this same use: you place it on the camping table or in the trunk, and charge the equipment while you work.

The second audience is light emergency and backup: keeping phones charged on a long trip with kids in the back, running a router or a small projector in the evening under the tent, or serving as an inverter for a sensitive device during a micro-outage. As long as you stick to small electronics, it gets the job done.

Features to know

The 230 V AC output is unique and capped at 300 W continuous (about 600 W peak). Specifically: a laptop, a small fan, a lamp, a travel projector, yes. A kettle, a microwave, or a coffee maker, no, it goes into safety mode. That's the rule of the game for a station of this size, so it's good to know in advance.

On the ports side, you have the essentials: 1 x 230 V socket, a USB-C 100 W input-output that also serves to recharge the station, a second USB-C 15 W, a USB-A 15 W, and a 12 V car socket. You can use everything at the same time. An LED lamp with SOS mode is integrated on the front, handy for camping or in case of a breakdown.

What is the daily autonomy?

256 Wh, you need to be realistic about what that represents. It's several dozen phone charges, a good handful of full charges for drone or action cam batteries, or enough to last a day of remote work in the great outdoors with a laptop. It lasts a long time on small USB devices.

Where you need to be careful is with the 230 V socket: the inverter electronics consume a bit in the background, so avoid leaving the AC output on for no reason (the app's energy-saving mode is there for that). For a fridge or a device that can run on 12 V, it's better to use the car socket, it's much more efficient.

Recharge: AC, solar, or car

A full AC charge takes about 2 hours on normal charge, and drops to around an hour if you activate the emergency fast charge from the app (to be reserved for urgent cases, it puts more strain on the battery). No need for an adapter, a simple AC cable is enough.

You can also fill it via the USB-C 100 W with a compatible charger, from the car, or via solar up to about a hundred watts. A point of honesty: the 240 v2 does not have a dedicated solar input like the XT60 found in EcoFlow or Bluetti, everything goes through USB-C, and you often need the Jackery adapter to connect a panel or the car. It's simpler to understand for a beginner, but less practical if you already have a set of traditional panels.

Screen, app, and UPS function

The LCD screen displays the battery percentage, incoming and outgoing power, and an estimate of the remaining time that updates live. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app takes all this remotely and adds useful settings: fast charge, energy-saving mode, screen off, software updates. It's a real convenience when the station is in the trunk or under the tent.

It also includes a UPS function: connected between the AC and a sensitive device, it switches to battery in less than 20 ms in case of a power outage. On such a small station, it's a valuable bonus to protect a computer or small equipment.

Why buy from Vantour?

We send you to purchase directly from Jackery, not from a third-party reseller: 100% authentic and official product, stock managed by the brand, and customer service handled directly by Jackery (5-year warranty, 3 + 2, that's what makes the difference on this model). No intermediary slips between you and the brand.

On pricing, to give you a concrete idea: Recommended price £259,00, on sale at £189,00 at the brand.

Our opinion in two words

We are team EcoFlow at heart, and the 240 v2 isn't going to make us change ecosystems. But for what it is, a serious mini backup station, durable and simple, it checks the right boxes: the foldable handle that we like at Jackery, the LiFePO4 with a 5-year guarantee, the screen and the app, all for an entry-level price. If you're hesitating to upgrade in capacity or power, take a look at our more robust stations in the battery category.