This portable power station is a storm weather essential — and you can keep your tech charged during a blackout for $100 less ahead of Prime Day
I've been reading about some of the damage caused by the nor'easter storm hitting parts of the East Coast this week, and it got me thinking about power outages. A helpful investment to make if you're concerned about them is a portable power station.
Earlier this year, I tried one out for myself during a couple of camping trips. On a hunch, with Amazon Big Deal Days taking place next week, I took a look and was pleased to see the device I tested, a Jackery Explorer 2000, is currently reduced by over $100 at Amazon right now.
It's important to note that this is a 2042Wh capacity battery, so it's not going to provide you with full emergency power in the event of a blackout. But what it can do is give some of those all-important appliances (not to mention your cell phone) several hours of juice while you wait for the power to come back on.
The deal above only covers the power station itself, but you may also want to consider buying it bundled with Jackery's solar panels. You can currently pick up the Explorer 2000 with two 200W panels for $1,329 at Amazon, which is $310 off the full price.
I found the Explorer 2000 to be heavy — it weighs 39.5lbs (17.9kgs) — but very robust. It's got a carry handle which makes things easier, and Jackery does point out this model is lighter than rival stations at this capacity. My colleague, Tom, has spent some time with a model from Anker and swears it's been a game changer.
Power is served through two USB-C ports (one 30W and one 100W) and one USB-A (18W) port. My British model has two AC 2,200W sockets, but the American version packs three. Finally, you also get a DC 12 V input — the same as your car’s cigarette lighter.
There’s also a built-in LED light with three modes: Low Light, High Light and SOS. Meanwhile, the LCD display tells you the current percentage, input/output power and your remaining charge time. It’s all remarkably simple to use, which is exactly what you want when the power suddenly goes out, and you need to get the fridge plugged in as quickly as possible.
If you're on the lookout for other storm essentials to pick up while the prices are down, my colleague Will has a list of 15 essential tools you shouldn't be without right here.
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