Reviews

Review: Jackery Explorer 500

Published

6 years ago

June 8, 2020

One of the benefits and drawbacks of a camping trip is that you’re disconnected from the world and don’t have access to electricity. Enjoying the blissful nature without a care in the world can work for some, but it won’t work for everyone.

For those of us who need to stay connected or can’t leave our technologies and gadgets behind – meet the Jackery Explorer 500.

That’s not to say that the Jackery Explorer 500 is only good for power laptops and phones. Not at all. In fact, that would be quite a waste of all the power it has to offer. The Jackery Explorer 500 is equipped with 518Wh/144,400mAh battery capacity all packed inside a 13.32lb package.

The Design

The Jackery comes in a box-like design with a generous handle for ease of handling. It’s clearly designed for the outdoors with its rugged construction and brightly splashed orange side panels. The bright orange also serves a pretty clever functionality. It makes it easy to find when you’re digging through your campsite and also easy to spot in the dark.

All of the ports are neatly organized, circled, and labeled so you’ll never have to wonder which is which.

The LCD screen displays how much power the unit has left and also the input and output. Overall, it’s a clean and simple look that goes well with the rest of your camping gear.

The construction

This is where I want to give the engineers at Jackery some extra credit points. Jackery units tend to be better built than most of their competitors. And you’ll need to take a closer look to see that. Everything about the unit is well thought out, well-engineered, and serves a purpose.

They use Allen screws instead of Phillips to make assembling and disassembling much easier. The construction of the body is made from hard plastic that can take a beating. On the bottom, you’ll find extra-thick rubber feet that keep the unit in place on a smooth or wet surface. These feet are also held together by Allen screws so you can replace them if they become worn.

The side vents are discreet and generous enough to give plenty of airflows when you’re trying to power intense appliances.

And I usually don’t care too much about built-in flashlights because they’re often a cheap gimmick made to look like “added-value”. On the Jackery, they’re actually legit. I don’t know the exact lumen output of these lights, but they’ll likely rival whatever flashlight currently in your toolkit.

Overall, it’s one of the best build quality I’ve seen on a power station.

The ports

There’s plenty of ports here. All of your ports will be located on the front side for easy access. In the center are your three USB type-A ports each outputting 2.4A. On the right side, is what you’re paying for – the AC port. Just your standard AC port capable set at 110V 500W.

There’s also the DC ports on the left side should you ever have a need. For most practical purposes you’ll be using. The Input port is where you’ll plug the power brick or solar panel into in order to charge the unit.

All ports are clearly labeled and organized for accessibility. One thing I felt was missing was covers for the DC and AC ports. At this price range, you’d think they could cover you with a port cover. Just a minor thing I noticed.

The Capacity

As noted, the Explorer 500 is packed with 518Wh/144,400mAh battery capacity. It’s capable of 500W rated power and has up to 1000W surge protection on the AC port. This means you can plug just about anything into the Explorer including microwaves and hairdryers without concerns.

For the average city dwellers and campers, this is plenty of juice to get you through a weekend. It might even be enough to get you through an entire week.

Real-World Performance Test

At the time of this writing we couldn’t take the Jackery outside to test in the wilderness (Covid-19). So we did the next best thing, which was to test with whatever appliances we could indoor.

Phones & Laptops

We couldn’t complete this test because we couldn’t possibly use and drain our phones and laptops fast enough. We recharged a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (5000 mAh) 15 times for an entire weekend before giving up. The Explorer was at 58% strong despite our efforts.

Our two rotating Macbook Pro 15″ 2018 managed to get up to 8 cycles of charges total and depleted the Explorer’s reserve down to 42%. We had to stop our test as we’ve run out of time and had to meet editorial deadlines.

Powering a TV

For our final test we plugged the Explorer into a 60″ Sony Bravia and played Season 2 of Altered Carbon at 100% brightness. Surprisingly, it lasted for most of the reason only giving its last breath towards the end of episode 7: Experiment Perilous. That’s over 6 hours of continuous TV we managed to squeeze out of the Explorer.

Final Verdict

The Jackery Explorer 500 is a portable power station that’s versatile and reliable. Whatever your needs energy consumption needs are, chances are the Explorer will deliver. The flexibility of the AC outlet being able to handle appliances up to 500W with surge protection of up to 1000W makes it useful in just about any situation. If you live in an area where power outages are frequent, having a reliable portable power such as the Explorer 500 will give you peace of mind should there be an emergency.

At $499, it’s an undeniable value. With the build quality and average shelf-life of lithium-ion batteries, the Explorer will be your always available and always dependable backup power for at least a decade.

Reviews

What’s the Best Logo Design Agency in 2025?

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2025

Katrina P

Brands looking for the best logo design services know just how crucial logos are in making a lasting impression across audience segments.

In fact, it has been reported that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) spent $1.8 million on its logo rebrand in 1997. That’s how valuable logos are in communicating one’s brand story and, at the same time, building trust and credibility.

The great news is, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg like the BBC did for a logo that works. With numerous platforms offering unlimited graphic design, you can have a beautiful logo design, along with other visual assets you need for your business.

Here are the top options:

1. Penji

Logo designs by Penji

Hailed by users as the best graphic design company in 2025, Penji offers design expertise without the long-term commitment of hiring an agency or an in-house designer.

Pros:

A vast pool of professional creatives, each with their own field of design expertise
Fast turnaround time of 24-48 hours
Dedicated app where users can request projects and revisions, communicate with their design team, and download designs

Cons:

It may not be a practical service if you only need one to two designs per month.

2. Kimp

Logo design by Kimp

Kimp, meanwhile, is another design-as-a-service provider that provides graphic design and video design.

Pros:

Simple pricing plans (Graphics, Video, or Graphics + Video)
7-day free trial available

Cons:

Graphics and videos are offered in separate plans, and you have to choose the highest plan to get both.

3. Design Pickle

Logo by Design Pickle

Design Pickle is another logo design agency you may want to consider if you need unlimited graphic design and budget is not an issue.

Pros:

Offers a dashboard where you can track your requests
Wide variety of design projects available

Cons:

Its higher tiers are a bit steep compared to its competitors

4. Design Shifu

Last but not least, Design Shifu is a good option for first-time design platform subscribers. Offering the lowest pricing rates among other players, it can be a good option for users with tight budgets.

Pros:

One of the cheapest rates for unlimited graphic design
Good option for design service newbies

Cons:

Lower tiers don’t come with options like custom illustrations

Featured Image Credit: Photo by George Milton from Pexels

Reviews

What’s the Best Graphic Design Company in 2025?

Published

2 months ago

September 30, 2025

Carmen Day

With many internet users searching for products or services online before buying, a strong online presence is no longer optional, but has become essential. That said, many brands aiming to produce consistent visual branding are now turning to unlimited graphic design services.

What’s the best graphic design company offering graphic design as a service today? We rounded up four of the most popular ones in the market, including their top features.

1. Penji

First on our list is Penji, which offers unlimited graphic design at a flat monthly rate. Over the years, this company has emerged as a reliable service provider and has outlasted quite a few players in the design industry.

Features:

A wide array of graphic design services, from branding kits and logos to motion graphics, print design, and web design
Working with them is like working with a creative agency because of a dedicated design team, but without the same cost
Offers more than 120 types of creative services

2. Design Pickle

Design Pickle, meanwhile, is also among the first providers of unlimited graphic design. Their list of services is wide, including motion graphics, but it’s only available in the top tiers.

Features:

Users can request one or two active projects at a time, depending on their plan
Features workflow integrations with Slack and Zapier
Provides social media graphics, print design, logos, and more; offers motion graphics and video, but only for higher plans that cost more

3. ManyPixels

ManyPixels, meanwhile, is among the graphic design service companies often touted as mid-level, affordable graphic design agency for clients who need simple designs. It takes pride in offering reliable services for every client.

Features:

Wide range of designs, from social media posts to marketing assets and web design
Some of its plans provides a dedicated designer
Slack communication available in higher tiers

4. Kimp

Do you need static images and video assets regularly? Kimp offers both. This unlimited graphic company provides graphic design in about 24 hours and video assets in up to four days.

Features:

Motion graphics and static graphics
Transparent pricing model
Provides a dedicated project manager

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels

Reviews

What’s the Best Subscription-Based Graphic Design Service in 2025?

Published

3 months ago

September 10, 2025

Kaytie Cayton

When it comes to subscription-based graphic design services, the right fit depends on your specific requirements, needs, and budget. That said, the best graphic design subscription service would give you the most value for your money and the best results for your project.

Here are four of the most popular unlimited graphic design players and why they are crowd favorites.

1. Penji

Best graphic design subscription service Penji

For years now, Penji has been hailed by users as the best graphic design subscription service. Featuring a state-of-the-art app, it’s one of the creative subscriptions that makes it so easy to request a design and attach all the visual pegs you need. Requesting revisions is also easy; you only need to point your cursor at a section of the design, click, and type in your comment.

The best part? Penji has a powerful team of vetted designers (it only hires the top 2% of creatives), making it arguably the best graphic design subscription service. That means they can handle anything you might need – from logos and branding guidelines to posters, packaging design, and even UI/UX design.

Pricing: Subscriptions start at $499, with a 30-day money-back guarantee

2. Design Shifu

Best graphic design subscription service Design Shifu

Design Shifu can be one of the best creative as a service providers for users who are new to graphic design outsourcing. They also offer one of the cheapest options for limited design credits (not unlimited) which can be good enough for those who are just testing the waters.

Pricing: Starts at $199 per month for 5 design credits

3. Kimp

Best graphic design subscription service Kimp

Kimp, meanwhile, is one of the best graphic design subscription service options for small businesses and startups with a limited budget. They offer a turnaround time as quick as 24 hours and allow two active requests at a time. Their cheapest package is already enough for day-to-day graphic design needs. If you need video design and motion graphics, however, you may want to consider getting their pricier tiers.

Pricing: Starts at $448.50 per month

4. ManyPixels

Best graphic design subscription service ManyPixels

Also included in our best graphic design subscription service providers is ManyPixels. It offers branding and marketing designs, including social media, web design services, and illustrations. Aside from graphic designs, the platform also does video editing and motion graphics, making it a good choice for influencers and ecommerce brands.
Pricing: Starts at $599 per month

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki from Pexels