Jackery Explorer 100 Plus vs Goal Zero Yeti 1500
Side-by-side on the specs that decide it — surge, capacity, runtime and price.
Both models' specs verified against manufacturer listings · Last updated
The short answer
Jackery Explorer 100 Plus costs $1550 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Goal Zero Yeti 1500 holds 1420% more energy (1505Wh vs 99Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Goal Zero Yeti 1500 has 3344W more surge headroom (3600W vs 256W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- Jackery Explorer 100 Plus is 50.6 lb lighter (2.13 lb vs 52.75 lb).
- Goal Zero Yeti 1500 is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 2,000 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
Jackery Explorer 100 Plus
At 2.1 lb this is a laptop battery with an AC outlet. Genuinely pocketable, genuinely limited.
Best for: Air travelers and photographers topping up cameras and laptops.
Where it falls short:
- 128W output runs almost nothing with a motor or heater
- 99Wh is roughly one laptop charge
Goal Zero Yeti 1500
The new-for-2026 LiFePO4 Yeti 1500 — a big durability and cycle-life upgrade over the older 1500X it replaces.
Best for: Home backup buyers who want Goal Zero's build with modern battery chemistry.
Where it falls short:
- 52.75 lb — a two-hand lift
- 600W solar input is modest for the capacity
| Spec | Jackery Explorer 100 Plus | Goal Zero Yeti 1500 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | $1699 |
| Capacity | 99 Wh | 1505 Wh |
| Continuous output | 128 W | 2000 W |
| Surge output | 256 W | 3600 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 2.13 lb | 52.75 lb |
| Max solar | 100 W | 600 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h 48m | 1h 30m |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | Jackery Explorer 100 Plus | Goal Zero Yeti 1500 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ❌ | 21.3 hrs |
| Mini fridge | ❌ | 40.6 hrs |
| Chest freezer | ❌ | 16.0 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 2.1 hrs | 32.0 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | 1.6 hrs |