Jackery Solar Generator 500, 518WH Power Station with SolarSaga100W Solar Panel, Mobile Lithium Battery Pack for Holiday RV Camping, Outdoor Adventure, Emergency

I did a lot of homework before investing in the Jackery 500W. After reading many reviews of both Jackery and its main competitors, I opted for what I felt was the most reliable, most sturdy and most simple to use for a non-techie like me. It really is very straightforward with a minimum of buttons to confuse you and very clear instructions. Having watched some of the video reviews, it took no time at all to plug everything in and start charging up electronic devices. It arrived more than fifty per cent charged so I was able to do this without a problem and I was surprised by how quickly my devices charged and how little stored power they consumed.I know next to nothing about electrics but my understanding is that you can run pretty much anything electronic from the Jackery provided it doesn't draw more than 500W so that rules out larger appliances, domestic kettles, heaters etc. For those, you'd need a larger energy pack. I did agonise about whether to go for the bigger Jackery but decided that something that would charge phones, laptops, tablets etc was adequate for my needs. It comes with three USB (A) sockets, a 12v plug socket and a standard UK three pin socket - more than enough for my needs. You can also plug a USB device directly into the solar panel for charging. It doesn't however come with USB (C) sockets so an adaptor is required (or a mains plug) for such use. The simple display panel shows the wattage coming in during charge and the wattage going out to devices.The real gain for me was being able to match up the Jackery solar panel which again is so simple to use, my small grandson could work it out. There's something very satisfying being able to charge a device up using the power of the sun - albeit one tiny appliance! All very relevant now too with the COP summit underway (At time of writing).I daresay this will very quickly become outdated as the technology (and battery power) develops but it's a start and the costs are coming down quickly. I daresay I'll be shopping for the Jackery 500's big brother very soon!

I bought this, plus a folding solar panel charger to take to the Royal International Air Tattoo camping weekend. I was able to keep my phone charged up, inflate my air bed, Charge my laptop and run a 40watt cooler box but ONLY whilst it was connected to the solar charger. Had I had left it run the cooler box on its own it would have drained the battery after a few hours, but with bright sunlight shining on the solar panel, the input charge was around 55 watts and stopped the battery from dropping below 70%. I left it plugged into the solar panel whilst I went into RAF Fairford and when I came back several hours later, the Jackery was fully charged. I don't do much camping but needless to say this will come in useful around the house for if I don't want to use an extension cable. You have to use it fairly regularly or at least keep it charged up or you may shorten its life. For nearly £500 it's a lot of money but one bloke I was talking to was very impressed at how light it was compared to a conventional leisure battery. Don't waste your money on those cheap power packs that have a tyre pump, a jump starter and a mains and USB socket because they're useless. This is worth every penny.

As a photographer I found that charging camera batteries, drone batteries, iPhones and lots of other rechargeable items whilst I was away on trips in the camper van, was draining the leisure battery and the vehicle battery in the van. I bought the Jackery Explorer 500 to enable me to charge everything with it, leaving the leisure battery to deal only with the fridge and the heater. It worked perfectly and I now have the Jackery as a more or less permanent fixture in the van, but the great thing is that it is portable enough to take out whenever I want. The Jackery itself is charged by the solar panels on the roof of the van and rarely goes below 90% charged.All the information you need is given on the display and it is simplicity itself to use. The Jackery is not cheap but I think it is worth the money and very robustly built.If you need extra power in a camper van, caravan or anywhere else, I can highly recommend this piece of kit.FiJI-Images

I looked into battery packs for a road trip I had planned, having zero experience I thought even though more expensive I would go for a brand that seems well known and reliable.I wasn’t disappointed, performed as needed, had plenty of power for my requirements and was easy enough to charge while driving. Zero haste running a USB fan overnight and was pleasantly surprised it only dropped by 6%Price is a little high though especially compared to some and how little use it will get. I also might have been encouraged to look at buying the solar panel if it wasn’t out of my budget

Fantastic power pack , great name and product very good for the price

I like in the country and there are many power cuts. I have no mobile reception so having the internet is important. This magic little box means I can keep essentials going. I just have to make sure that it is fully charged every time a storm is on its way! It charges quite quickly and keeps my modem going for at least 1.5 days.