Introducing the Jackery Explorer 240, EcoFlow River 2, and Bluetti EB3A
We’ll be comparing three popular portable power stations for use on the go: the Jackery Explorer 240, EcoFlow River 2, and Bluetti EB3A. All three models fall under the $300 price point, making them budget-friendly options compared to pricier competitors.
The Jackery Explorer 240 is the least expensive at around $250. It’s outfitted with a 240 watt-hour lithium-ion battery capacity and 200 watt AC power output. Jackery claims it can recharge from 0-100% in about 14 hours.
At the mid-range price point, the EcoFlow River 2 costs approximately $290. It packs 288 watt-hours of battery capacity with a 300 watt AC output. EcoFlow says it can recharge from dead to full battery in 3-6 hours.
On the higher end, the Bluetti EB3A comes in just under $300. It touts a 268 watt-hour battery capacity, 600+ watt AC output, and claims a recharge time of about 2.5 hours.
We’ll put these specs to the test by draining the batteries and clocking full recharge times. We’ll also push the power output limits by running energy-intensive appliances. Let’s see how they compare for real-world portable power needs.
Battery Capacity Test
To test real world battery life, I ran a box fan continuously on each power station until the battery was fully drained. The box fan draws about 50 watts of power.
I started each test with the battery charged to 100%, then turned on the box fan and let it run until the power station shut off when the battery reached 0%. Here were the runtimes I recorded for each portable power station:
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Jackery Explorer 240 – powered the fan for 7 hours and 15 minutes before shutting down at 0%.
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EcoFlow River 2 – ran the fan for 5 hours before the battery depleted.
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Bluetti EB3A – lasted the longest at 10 hours of runtime with the box fan.
The Bluetti EB3A clearly has the highest battery capacity of the three, able to run the 50W fan for a full 10 hours on a charge. The Jackery Explorer 240 was second best at just over 7 hours, while the EcoFlow River 2 had the shortest runtime at 5 hours before the battery was drained.
Recharge Time Test
Battery recharge time is a crucial consideration for portable power stations. To test and compare the recharge times, I fully drained each power station to 0% battery before plugging them into AC power to recharge.
I timed how long each power station took to recharge from a dead 0% battery to 100% full charge. The Jackery Explorer 240 took the longest by far at over 8 hours to fully recharge its 240Wh capacity battery from empty. The EcoFlow River 2 with its 288Wh battery took about 4.5 hours to recharge.
The Bluetti EB3A was the fastest, taking only 1.6 hours to recharge thanks to its high-speed charging capabilities. With the Bluetti, you can easily recharge during a lunch break or overnight to have your power station ready to go the next morning. The much quicker recharge time gives the Bluetti EB3A a clear advantage in convenience.
Ease of Use Comparison
The Jackery, EcoFlow, and Bluetti portable power stations were compared on how easy they are to use right out of the box, including their displays, buttons, ports, and overall setup.
Jackery Explorer 240
The Jackery Explorer 240 has an easy to read LCD display showing the battery percentage, input and output power, and operating mode. There are two AC outlets, a 12V car outlet, dual USB-A ports, and a DC barrel connector. The buttons to turn it on and off and check the battery level are straightforward. Overall the Jackery is very simple and intuitive to use immediately after unboxing it.
EcoFlow River 2
The EcoFlow River 2 portable power station has a bright color touchscreen display packed with information including precise battery percentage, voltage, and current power usage. It has 6 AC outlets, 4 USB-A ports, a 12V car outlet, and an XT60 port for solar input. The touchscreen and buttons make operation very easy. Of the three power stations tested, the EcoFlow has the most convenient and feature-packed user interface.
Bluetti EB3A
The Bluetti EB3A portable power station has a small LCD display showing battery percentage, input and output status. It has 4 AC outlets, 2 USB-A ports, 1 USB-C PD port, and 1 12V car outlet. There are simple buttons to turn on/off output and check battery level. While the LCD is basic, the EB3A is still very straightforward to start using out of the box.
Power Output Comparison
Testing the inverters by running high-wattage appliances
The power output of each portable power station was tested by plugging in appliances with high wattage draws to see if the inverters could handle the loads without overload protection being triggered. The Jackery Explorer 240, EcoFlow River 2, and Bluetti EB3A were each tested with various common household appliances.
First a 1200W microwave oven was plugged into each model and run for 1-2 minutes to heat up food and water. The Jackery Explorer 240 overloaded and turned off within 30 seconds, while the EcoFlow River 2 and Bluetti EB3A had no issues running the microwave for the full test duration.
Next a 900W blender was tested by blending a smoothie recipe on high speed for 1 minute. Again the Jackery Explorer 240 overloaded quickly, but the EcoFlow River handled the blender without issue. The Bluetti EB3A performed the blender test flawlessly as expected.
Finally a 1500W electric skillet and 1800W power drill were tested briefly on each model. The Jackery Explorer 240 could not run either appliance without instantly overloading. The EcoFlow River 2 was able to handle brief usage of the skillet and drill, while the Bluetti EB3A powered both appliances easily under heavy long-duration loads.
This power output testing showed that the Jackery Explorer 240 has a relatively low 200W limit for high wattage appliances. The EcoFlow River 2 can handle appliances up to 300W. But the Bluetti EB3A clearly has the most capable inverter, able to run high wattage loads above 600W without any problems. This power flexibility makes the Bluetti EB3A the best suited for high power devices like small kitchen appliances, power tools and more.
Max Wattage Results
The max wattage results showed clear differences between the power capabilities of each portable power station’s inverter. The Jackery Explorer 240 was only able to output a peak of 200 watts before hitting its overload protection and shutting off power. This means it can only handle smaller loads like phone charging, fans, and lights.
The EcoFlow River 2 performed better, able to output up to 300 watts before overload protection kicked in. This allowed it to run medium-sized appliances like blenders and mini-fridges temporarily. However, the 300W max output still limits what you can power with the EcoFlow compared to other options.
The Bluetti EB3A outperformed both by far, able to handle well over 600 watts before overload protection shut it down. During testing, it powered high-wattage appliances like microwave ovens and circular saws without any issues. This much higher power capacity makes the Bluetti EB3A the most versatile for running a wide range of electronics and tools. When it comes to max wattage, the Bluetti’s 600+ watts beat the 300W EcoFlow and 200W Jackery by a considerable margin.
Voltage Limiting allows EcoFlow and Bluetti to run more appliances
The Jackery Explorer 240 has no voltage regulation capability. This means the AC output voltage remains constant at around 110V. If an appliance tries to draw over 200W, the Jackery’s overload protection will trigger and shut off power.
The EcoFlow River 2 and Bluetti EB3A use advanced inverter technology to adjust the AC output voltage dynamically. This voltage limiting allows them to run appliances up to their maximum rated wattage without tripping the overload protection.
For example, the EcoFlow River 2 can put out up to 300W by adjusting the output voltage under load between 110V to 120V as needed. The Bluetti EB3A has an even wider voltage range, allowing over 600W through voltage adjustment from 110V to 130V.
This voltage regulation gives the EcoFlow River 2 and Bluetti EB3A greater flexibility to run more types of appliances, especially motor-driven tools and appliances that temporarily spike above 200W on startup. The Jackery is more limited in this regard since its 200W overload protection will shut off power if trying to run many common appliances.
Jackery has the most capacity but takes almost all day to recharge
The Jackery Explorer 240 has a decent battery capacity of 240 watt hours. In our battery drain tests, it was able to power a box fan on full speed for around 9 hours before the battery was depleted. This gives it the longest runtime of the 3 portable power stations tested.
However, the Jackery has a major downside when it comes to recharging. It took over 22 hours to recharge from 0% to 100%. This is because it only includes a 60W AC charger. There is no option for faster solar recharging either. Having to wait nearly an entire day to recharge your power station makes the Jackery Explorer 240 very inconvenient compared to the others.
While the capacity allows long runtimes, the excruciatingly slow recharge speed limits the usefulness of all that battery capacity. Unless you have more than a day between uses to recharge, the slow recharge time is a significant drawback.
EcoFlow Power Limitations
Although the EcoFlow River 2 has a decent recharge time of around 2 hours to full charge, its max power output is limited to 300W. This means you can’t run higher-draw appliances like some induction cooktops, power tools, or kitchen appliances since they require over 300W.
While the EcoFlow’s X-Boost feature allows it to briefly supply up to 1800W, this is only for a few seconds and not suitable for sustained power draws over 300W. For example, we found the EcoFlow River 2 was able to boil a small pot of water on an induction cooktop, but then overload protection kicked in a few minutes into simmering pasta.
The 300W pure sine wave inverter is powerful enough to charge laptops, run fans, lights, mini-fridges and other basic needs. But don’t expect to run power tools, blenders, microwave ovens or anything over 300W continuously.
So if you need more than 300W of power output, the EcoFlow River 2 isn’t the best choice. For a portable power station under $300 with a more capable inverter, we’d recommend looking at the Bluetti EB3A or Jackery Explorer 300 instead.
Bluetti EB3A is the Best Value Portable Power Station
The Bluetti EB3A stands out as the overall best value portable power station under $300. Here’s why:
Fast Recharge Time
Of the three power stations tested, the Bluetti EB3A had the fastest recharge time. It was able to go from 0% to 100% battery charge in only 1.6 hours. This rapid recharge time makes it much more convenient to quickly top up the EB3A after using it. You won’t have to wait overnight to fully recharge it like the Jackery model.
600W+ Power Output
With a 700W pure sine wave inverter, the Bluetti EB3A can handle over 600W of power output easily. This high power capacity allows you to run more high-wattage appliances and devices compared to the lower-powered Jackery and EcoFlow models. Whether you need to run power tools, a microwave, electric grill or other appliances, the EB3A has the inverter power to handle it.
Best Overall Value
Considering its combination of fast recharge time, high power inverter, and 280Wh capacity, the Bluetti EB3A provides the best overall value for a portable power station under $300. It outperforms the Jackery and EcoFlow models for real-world usage. The EB3A strikes the right balance of portability, capacity, and power output at an affordable price point.
Conclusion
After testing and comparing the Jackery Explorer 240, EcoFlow River 2, and Bluetti EB3A portable power stations, the Bluetti EB3A emerges as the best overall choice for under $300 based on the criteria tested.
The Jackery Explorer 240 had decent battery capacity to run appliances for several hours or charge devices multiple times. However, the slow recharge time of almost a full day makes it less convenient for frequent use.
The EcoFlow River 2 improved on recharge time, taking only a few hours to fully recharge. But its max 300W power inverter significantly limits what you can run on it, triggering overload protection frequently.
The Bluetti EB3A offers the best balance of fast recharging and high power output of the 3 models tested. It recharged from 0-100% in under 2 hours. Its 600W+ modified sine wave inverter allowed running higher wattage appliances like a microwave without any issues. For only $299, the Bluetti EB3A packs impressive performance and represents the best overall value for a portable power station under $300. Its combination of rapid recharge, high power output, and competitive pricing make it the top choice compared to the Jackery and EcoFlow models tested.
Comparison Chart
Here is a comparison of the key specifications between the Jackery Explorer 240, EcoFlow RIVER 2, and Bluetti EB3A:
As you can see, the Bluetti EB3A has the fastest recharge time at 2-3 hours and the highest power output capability at 600W/1200W surge. This makes it the best overall option for a versatile portable power station under $300.