Jackery Review: Solar Generators

Founded in 2011, Shenzhen Hello Tech Energy Co., Ltd. created "Jackery", the leading brand of light-charged outdoor power supply, and, with their affiliate program, became an overnight influencer favorite. They offer a special club for influencers and enthusiasts who will review their products in exchange for discounts and perks.

Prices are a little higher, but quality is better

Prices are a little higher here than with the bargain-priced solar generator brands, but Jackery has sold millions of units, and overall, most have lasted 2-4 years before a repair is needed or something goes wrong. The very highly-reviewed Jackery Solar Generator 1000 starts at $1,299 and includes a solar panel and expandability. If you don't need that much power, you can opt for lesser power and get a model priced around $800.

Lighter weight generators are easier to handle

Overall, Jackery solar generators are lighter than other solar generators. Not only that, the Jackery products have a great handle.

Different clubs available

Customers can get rewards points and gain tiered membership if they sign up on the Jackery website. Points can be earned by liking and following the company on social media channels, submitting birthday information, and other means in addition to buying products. Depending on the tier, they get different discounts and perks. There is also the Jackery Explorer Club, which is an exclusive ambassador program that is geared toward influencers who can get free products to review, along with discounts and access to the Jackery website audience.

User-friendly experience

You can go to many DIY solar groups and forums online, and inevitably at each and every one there are a handful of posts of seasoned hobbyists who will recommend Jackery as the perfect pick for someone who knows nothing about solar generators. Jackery products are very easy to use out of the box, and many who are unfamiliar with the technology - or any technology at all - find setting up a Jackery solar generator to be a pleasant experience.

Trade-in program offered

Jackery offers a trade-in program for older solar generators. If you are interested in an upgrade, you can turn in your old generator for a credit toward a new one. At the time of this review, Jackery was offering $40 to $430 in the form of a Jackery gift card for several types of older generators.

Offers discounts for service workers

Jackery offers a stackable 3% discount off for medical workers, healthcare professionals, first responders, military workers, and teachers. This means you can combine this discount with other discounts.

Extended warranty

The Jackery solar generator warranty is 3 years on some products and 5 years on other products. This is longer than most solar generator companies.

Customer service problems

We have seen a few more new negative reviews in the last year that indicate some older Jackery units are starting to have problems. When some customers tried to contact support, they encountered difficulties getting Jackery to honor their warranty policy. It appears that it is similar to other solar generator companies: the customer must send in pictures and videos of themselves following repair advice from customer support or videos of error codes. Prepare to spend a month or so resolving any warranty/return issues that are happening outside of the 30-day purchase window. We are concerned about how Jackery will handle future customers when the solar generators begin to age and break down.

Jackery is a solidly average solar generator brand

Jackery was one of the first solar generator companies to grab the attention of the American consumer. With viral marketing and a great-looking product with so many features, it was an immediate hit. It's gotten good reviews in the past several years, and people have been generally happy with it. There are some recent customer service and returns issues that took it down a few stars, but Jackery is still a solidly average pick - especially for those who are just starting out and don't know a lot about solar generators.

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On the Jackery website