Jackery Explorer 300 Plus vs Goal Zero Yeti 500
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 300 Plus costs $400 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Goal Zero Yeti 500 holds 73% more energy (499Wh vs 288Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Goal Zero Yeti 500 has 400W more surge headroom (1000W vs 600W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- Jackery Explorer 300 Plus is 4.6 lb lighter (8.27 lb vs 12.9 lb).
- Goal Zero Yeti 500 is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 3,000 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
Neither of these will start a sump pump or well pump — both surge below the ~3,400W those motors need. If home backup with pumps is your use case, look at higher-surge models instead of either of these.
A device charger, not a power station. At 8.27 lb and 288Wh it's for phones, laptops and a CPAP — nothing with a heating element or compressor.
Best for: CPAP users and travelers who need days of small-device power in a bag.
Where it falls short:
- 300W output rules out almost every appliance
- 288Wh is a single laptop-day of capacity
A rugged, water-resistant unit for people who'll actually beat it up. You pay a premium over similar-capacity rivals for that durability.
Best for: Overlanders and job sites where the unit will get wet, dusty and knocked around.
Where it falls short:
- $699 for 499Wh is expensive per watt-hour
- Only a 2-year warranty vs 5 years from most rivals
- 120W solar input is very low
| Spec | Jackery Explorer 300 Plus | Goal Zero Yeti 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $699 |
| Capacity | 288 Wh | 499 Wh |
| Continuous output | 300 W | 500 W |
| Surge output | 600 W | 1000 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 8.27 lb | 12.9 lb |
| Max solar | 100 W | 120 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 2h | 1h 25m |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | Jackery Explorer 300 Plus | Goal Zero Yeti 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ❌ | 7.1 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 7.8 hrs | 13.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | ❌ | 5.3 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 6.1 hrs | 10.6 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |