Our Unbiased Jackery 160 Review

Pretty much everything needs to be charged anymore. Books, forms of communication, speakers, music, and even lights usually need to be charged. While this reduces the number of batteries we throw away every year, it can be frustrating when you are going camping and have to think about how you are going to power them. 

Thankfully, if you want something small that is easy to carry with you and doesn’t require much pace, the Jackery Explorer 160 is a great option. It comes with enough power to charge anything you may need on your trip or during an emergency without taking up a lot of space or weight. 

Continue reading below to learn more about the Jackery 160 and how it might be a great option for you.

Basics About the Jackery 160

What Comes With It?

Included in the Jackery Box comes a few items to make your life easier. This includes a manual, and the Jackery portable solar charger itself. 

However, it also comes with an AC adapter and a car adapter charger, as well as a DC to AC car outlet adapter cable, so you can charge your battery bank with no problem, anywhere you go.

Battery and Ports

What makes up a Jackery solar generator? Well, let’s look at the basics. 

First, it has a lithium-ion battery that has 167 watt-hours available to its user. Unlike marine batteries, this power bank can fully discharge without any problems, allowing to use of the battery to its full potential. 

It also has a built-in inverter and MPPT. If you’ve ever looked at installing solar panels, you may have noticed that you need these to be able to fully use your solar energy. 

Thankfully, with the Jackery, you don’t have to buy any additional parts. All you have to do is plug it in and everything will start to work for you.

As for ports, it comes with:

• 1 USB-C
• 2 USB-A
• 1 12V DC port
• 1 AC outlet (110V 100w/150w peak

This means that you can charge any small device, no matter what kind of plug-in it needs to run. Also, the Jackery 160 comes with a flashlight, and an SOS mode, in case of an emergency so you can signal to people where you are or have a light on. 

Tests have shown that neither of these features severely drains the battery, so you should be able to use them for a long time without worrying about the battery dying.

Though it does not come with solar power, it has a DC input on the generator so that you can have solar charging as an option. However, you will have to have a Jackery Solarsaga 60w solar panel, as that is all the Jackery will take.

Weight and Size

If you want a small and lightweight solar battery bank, then the Jackery 160 might be a great option for you. It weighs just under four pounds (3.97 pounds or 1.8 kilograms) and measures 7.4 by 4.5 by 6.7 inches in length by width by the depth (18.8 by 11.4 by 17 centimeters). 

This makes it easy to take with you no matter how full your backpack or car is.

Design and Shape

Not only is the Jackery light and small, but it is also designed well. The design is compact and comes with a handy carrying handle so that you can just pick it up and anywhere.

Solar Panels

While solar panels are not included with the Jackery 160, you can purchase a panel from Jackery to charge your solar portable power station. 

Unfortunately, you have to purchase Jackery’s solar panels. They use the SolarSaga 60W solar panels in conjunction with the Jackery 160 battery bank.

Charging Capabilities

There are four ways to charge the Jackery 160. Each one takes a slightly different time to charge, but they are all pretty comparable.

• Solar panel: 4.5 hours
• Wall socket (wall plug or wall outlet): 5 hours
• Carport: 5 hours
• Electric Generator: depends on the generator.

It is worth noting that these numbers are only to charge the battery bank up to 80 percent. Also, many people say these numbers are pretty optimistic, and that it usually takes a little longer than stated. 

As for what the solar generator can charge, let’s look at that next. We already know what outlets it has, but what does that look like in terms of charging?

According to Jackery, the Jackery 160 can charge:

• Drone: 3 full charges
• Laptop/Macbook: 2 hours
• Small fan: 26 hours
• Cameras: 20 charges
• Cell Phone/iPhone: 16 full charges
• Flashlights/Lights: 29 hours

While these are some of the examples that Jackery gives, it isn’t all. These lithium battery generators can also power things like a TV, hair dryers, laptops, iPad, tablets, electronic sports gear, outdoor devices (like flashlights, speakers, lamps), and more. 

It is made for smaller items, so it doesn’t have enough juice to power appliances like a microwave oven or blender, or bigger electronics. 

It is great for camping, as the Jackery Explorer 160 is designed with safety and adventures in mind.

Pros and Cons

Pros

We love Jackery power stations for many reasons. The first is that Jackery uses lithium-ion batteries. This allows them to have 500 cycles (which is a full charge and discharge), so they last a long time before a decrease in quality occurs. 

It is also quiet. There are no loud noises often associated with a generator, as the only sound you will hear from this is the occasional powering up of a fan. 

There is also the display. If you’ve ever used a small battery pack, you may have noticed that your only indication of charge is a little light that will flash or change colors when it is low. However, with the Jackeyr, you get a display screen that not only provides you the exact charge but your input and output watts. 

It is eco-friendly, without any horrible gas fumes that smell and provide health problems. This also means that you don’t have to go and drive to get gas all the time, as long as there is plenty of sun to use your solar panels. 

Finally, there are multiple charging ports. Usually, you only see one or two charging ports on a lot of battery packs, so you can’t charge everything you want. With four different kinds of charging ports (and five plugins in total) you can be assured that whatever you need to be charged, the Jackery 160 is there for you.

Cons

One of our biggest cons with the product is the fact that although these Jackerys are said to be designed for the outdoors, both the Jackery and the solar panels are not waterproof. They can handle some water splashing on them, but a little rain or a spill, and they are likely to get damaged.

Though the Jackery totes itself as a fishing, outdoor adventure, and outdoor activities solar generator, it seems to fall flat.

Considering that these are outdoor products, you’d think they would be resistant enough to handle a little rain. While the generator might be harder to do, because of the various input and output plugs, we expect solar panels to handle water. 

We’ve handled several solar panels, including foldable ones like these, and they have been waterproof, so we feel like this is just a major design flaw.

Another flaw that seems like an oversight is the lack of power that comes with charging products, especially on the USB-C outlet. Most other Jackery products come with a 60w output, but the Jackery 160 only comes with 30w.

This means that it takes two times as long to charge something like a phone than it would with other solar chargers, even from the same company. 

Finally, we feel that, though we know it is meant to be small, it is a little too small sometimes. There are similar products out there, like the EcoFlow Delta, that can charge a Macbook nearly 20 times over, while this can charge them only twice.

If you are looking for something small and not trying to charge a laptop, this may be fine, but for others it may be a little too small.

How Does it Hold up to Other Solar Stations?

Every solar station has pros and cons that may make it more ideal for one person over the other. However, some companies are better off. If you feel that Jackery might not be for you and want to look at companies of similar qualities, there are a few worth checking out. 

• Lion Energy
• Renogy
• EcoFlow
• Goal Zero Yeti
• Bluetti
• Anker
• Westinghouse

These are all great companies that have pros and cons that might sit with you better.

Comparison with Other Brands

Generator	Peak Watts	Charging Time	Total Number of Cycles	Cost per Cycle	Dimension	Weight
Jackery Explorer 160	160W	4.5 hrs.	500	$0.3	7.4 x 4.5 x 6.7 in	3.97lbs.
Westinghouse iGen	160W	6-7 hrs.	500	$0.3	8.14 x 3.77 x 7 in	3.75lbs.
Phoenix 200	200W	4.3- 5 hrs.	500	$0.3	7.1 x 6.1 x 5.6 in	4.6lbs.

Can a Jackery 160 Charge a Laptop?

Yes, a Jackery 160 can charge a laptop, smartphone, and other items easily with its AC output. It is too small to power things like microwave ovens or other things in that neighborhood of accessories, but for a small, mobile campsite, it has good dimensions and charges easily in the sunlight.

Can Jackery Batteries Be Replaced?

Technically, they can be replaced, but it is tricky to do yourself and Jackery doesn’t offer that option. It isn’t surprising, as many companies that use lithium-ion batteries do not do replacements. This can be a bummer when you only get three or so years with them.

Is Jackery a Lithium Battery?

Jackery does use a lithium-ion battery. While this raises the cost, it also allows the batteries to be fully charged and discharged without major harm to the system, where marine batteries tend to suffer if they are discharged more than 20 percent.

Can I Use My Jackery Indoors?

Since Jackery’s don’t emit fumes like gas generators, there is no harm to your health to leave them indoors wherever you are. 

Also, for the most part, they run silently, so you don’t have to worry about them hurting your ears either. The most they have is a fan that will go off occasionally.

Can a Jackery 160 Run a Heater?

The Jackery 160 is likely a little too small to power a heater, even a mini one. Since the 160 can only offer 100 watts (100w) of power, and most mini-heaters need around 400 watts (400w) of power, it just isn’t possible. 

Not to mention, it would kill the battery pretty quickly. If you want something a little bigger that can power a heater, the Jackery Explorer 2000 would be a great option. It also has a Li-ion battery and can power drones, a CPAP machine, and a Gopro easily.

It might be a little big for explorers and those wanting to sleep under the stars, but if you want to have access to gadgets like a coffee maker, multiple smartphones and cellphones, and a lot of outputs on hand, the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 pro is a great option at a glance and is definitely a bargain for the model. 

If you just want a bit more power, you can also look at the Jackery Explorer 240. It isn’t as big as the Explorer 2000, and it is still light enough to take with you while providing more energy storage.

Related Article:

Power Up Your Adventures: How to Choose the Perfect Jackery for Your Needs

Jackery 160 Specifications

Capacity	167Wh ( 11.6Ah, 14.4V)
Power Outputs	110V 60Hz, 100W (Peak 150W)
DC Charging Input	12V-30V, 42W Max
Auto Shutoff	No
Size	18.8 x 11.4 x 17 cm
Weight	3.97 lbs (1.8 kg)
Included	Car Charging Cable,AC & AC Cable (2 Parts),User Manual
Warranty	2-Years Warranty
Optional Accessories	Jackery SolarSaga 60W Solar Panel
Measurements	7.4 x 4.5 x 6.7 in
Maximum Output Power	100W (Peak 150W)
AC Output Voltages	110V
AC Overloads	Yes
AC Output Frequency	60Hz
AC Cooling Fan	Yes
Charging Rates	100W (Peak 150W)
Charge Times	4.5 Hrs
Flashlight	Yes
12V DC Output Voltage	12V-7A
LCD Meters	Yes
Self Discharge	No

SolarSaga60 Specification That Use To Charge Jackery Explorer 160

Peak Power	68W
Weight	3.3lbs.
Dimension (folded)	34 x 15.9 x 0.2 in
Dimension (unfloded)	11.4 x 16 x 0.6 in
Cell Efficiency	23%
Charging Time of Jackery Explorer 160	4.5hrs.

What Can It Power?

Not the Right Jackery? Check out our other reviews:

Jackery 2000 Pro

Jackery 1500

Jackery 1000

Jackery 1000 Pro

Jackery 880

Jackery 500

Jackery 550

Jackery 300

Jackery 290

Jackery 240

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