Be it a road trip, outdoor work, or a medical emergency, portable power stations play a vital role in keeping your gadgets running. There are so many battery generators on the internet which makes it harder for you to choose the one that fits all of your requirements. In order to ease your research, we have compared two of the best power stations with an output of around 250Wh and costing under $250.
These types of low-capacity battery stations are most used as a CPAP battery backup or to keep small electronics running during your camping or road trip.
In this article, I am comparing Rockpals (300W/280Wh) and Jackery Explorer (200W, 240Wh). Both of these products are exceptional in quality and have received the best ratings and reviews from the community.
The models being compared in this article are:
What’s in the Box
Let us have a look at what comes inside the box when you make the purchase.
Rockpals 300
- Rockpals 300 Portable Power Station
- AC Charging Adapter
- Car Charger Cable
- Warranty Card
- Safety Precautions Card
- User Guide
- Quick Start Card
Jackery Explorer 240
- Jackery 200W Power Station
- AC Adaptor and AC cable
- DC to 12V cable
- User Guide
Physical Specifications
Rockpals with a weight of 7.7lbs and 10 different ports have a kind of unique look to it. It more or less looks like a portable soundbox. With an LCD display at the top, each section of ports has a dedicated switch. You can charge Rockpals using AC Wall Charger, 12V Car charger and Solar Panels.
Rockpals 300W Power Station
On the other hand, Jackery Explorer got just 4 ports and weighs just 6.6lbs. Jackery also features an LCD display and capable of charging via AC Wall Outlet, 12V Car adapter and Solar Panels.
| Rockpals 300 | Jackery Explorer 240 | |
| AC Power | 1 × 200W, 400W Max | 1 × 300W, 600W Max |
| DC Ports | 3 × 12V/4A, 1 × 24V/3A, 1 × 12V/8A | 1 × 13.3V, up to 10A |
| USB Ports | 2 × USB 3.0 , 2 × 2.1A Port | 2 × USB-A ports |
Aesthetically Jackery looks better but Rockpals gives you more flexibility with double the ports compared to Jackery. Weight and charging methods are almost the same and shouldn’t matter much.
If you are looking for a higher capacity, you may refer to our power station buying guide
Battery Capacity and Power
Rockpals 300 got the power of 300W with a battery capacity of 280Wh. Whereas Jackery Explorer 240 got the power of 200W with a battery capacity of 240Wh.
So it is quite clear that Rockpals can power devices like CPAP, mini-refrigerator, an LCD television, fans, and a laptop effortlessly. Jackery due to its limited power capacity cannot be used for devices that require more than 200W for operation.
Also, Rockpals 300 with a larger battery capacity can run your devices for a longer duration compared to Jackry Explorer 240.
When it comes to surge Rockpals got a surge capacity of 600W and Jackery just 400W.
Charging
Both Rockpals and Jackery Explorer support 3 charging methods i.e AC Wall charger, Car Charger and Solar Panels. Let’s look at the details of charging time for each of these methods.
| Rockpals 300 | Jackery Explorer 240 | |
| AC Wall Charger | 6-7 Hours | 8 Hours |
| Car Charger | 6-7 Hours | 8 Hours |
| Solar Panel | 5-7 Hours (100W) | 10 Hours (60W) |
Both power stations lack fast charging capability.
Overview
I have summarised both the power stations in the below table. Take a look at the side by side comparisons of Rockpals and Jackery Explorer.
| Rockpals |
Jackery | |
| Power Capacity (W) | 300 | 200 |
| Battery Capacity (Wh) | 280 | 240 |
| Price | $234 | $250 |
| Price/Wh | $0.83 | $1.04 |
| CPAP Backup Time (Approx) | 3.5 Nights | 3 Nights |
| Solar Panel Support | 100W | 60W |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs | 6.6 lbs |
*Numbers may be approximate. CPAP backup time is based on Resmed Airsense 10
Rockpals 300 vs Jackery Explorer 240: Which one to consider?
Both of these power stations are highly rated and have received great feedback from the users. Also, both of these are very reliable brands with a good name in portable battery generators. if you look at the specifications, Rockpals clearly outweighs Jackery, both in terms of price and technical capabilities. If you are more into aesthetics or brand name, go with Jackery.
If I were you, I would go with Rockpals because I am getting a bigger battery, larger power rating, and 100W solar panel input. It is also easier to find a variety of 100W solar panels than 60W. I have written an article on the best solar panels, you can check it here.
Last update on 2024-04-16 / Links / Images from Amazon PAAPI
