EcoFlow DELTA 2 vs Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro: which to buy in South Africa (2026)

Prices checked 25 October 2026. Prices and stock change often – always confirm on the retailer's page before buying.

We have not tested either unit ourselves. This comparison uses only the manufacturers' own pages (EcoFlow South Africa, EcoFlow US, Jackery South Africa and Jackery UK) and the prices listed on South African pages on the date above. Where two official pages disagree, we say so rather than guess.

Quick answer

For load-shedding at home, used several times a week: the EcoFlow DELTA 2. It has LiFePO4 cells rated for 3000 cycles to 80% (the Jackery is rated for ≥1000), 1800 W output against 1000 W, six AC outlets, an optional extra battery, and a 5-year warranty from EcoFlow ZA. It was also the cheaper of the two on the official SA stores: R16,499 vs R17,999.
For carrying around and fast solar top-ups: the Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro accepts up to 800 W of solar (the DELTA 2 takes 500 W) and is a little lighter (11.5 kg vs 12 kg). Jackery SA says it has “true UPS functionality”.
Capacity is almost the same: 1024 Wh vs 1002 Wh, so runtimes on the same load differ by only about 2%.

Side-by-side specifications

Spec	EcoFlow DELTA 2	Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro
Capacity	1024 Wh	1002 Wh
Battery chemistry	LFP (LiFePO4)	Lithium-ion (18650 cells, per Jackery SA; “ternary lithium”, per Jackery UK)
Rated cycle life	3000 cycles to 80%+ capacity	≥1000 cycles to 80% capacity
AC output (continuous)	1800 W total	1000 W, 230 V pure sine wave
Surge / peak	2700 W surge; X-Boost up to 2200 W (see note)	2000 W surge peak
AC outlets	6	2
USB-C	2 × 100 W max	2 × 100 W max
USB-A	2 × 12 W + 2 × 18 W fast charge	2 × 18 W (Quick Charge 3.0)
12 V car outlet	126 W max (plus 2 × DC5521, 38 W)	12 V, 10 A
AC (wall) charging	1200 W input; 0–80% in 50 min, 0–100% in 80 min (EcoFlow US)	About 1.8 hours to full
Solar input	11–60 V, 15 A, 500 W max	2 × MPPT, 17.5–60 V, 11 A each; 800 W max combined
Solar charge time (manufacturer)	3–6 hours (e.g. 1×400 W or 2×220 W panels)	1.8 h with 4×200 W; 7.5 h with 2×100 W
Car charging	12 V/24 V, 8 A	12–17.5 V, 8 A per port, two ports (16 A); 5.4–10 h (Jackery SA)
Grid-failure switch-over	EPS auto-switch to battery; switch-over time in milliseconds not stated on the pages we checked	UPS function stated; switch-over time not stated on the pages we checked
Expandable	Yes: one DELTA 2 Extra Battery (2048 Wh total) or DELTA Max Extra Battery (3040 Wh total)	No expansion battery mentioned on Jackery SA or UK pages
App	Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	No app (Jackery UK FAQ)
Weight	12 kg	11.5 kg (Jackery SA also says “just 11kg” in one bullet point)
Dimensions	400 × 211 × 281 mm	34 × 26 × 25.5 cm
Warranty (SA)	5 years (EcoFlow ZA)	2 years (Jackery SA)
Price (25 Oct 2026)	R16,499 at EcoFlow ZA (regular R17,999)	R17,999 at Jackery SA (was R19,999)

Specs from EcoFlow ZA and Jackery SA unless another source is named. Price is the listed price on each brand's South African store on 25 October 2026.

Runtime estimates for common load-shedding setups

These are our estimates, worked out from the manufacturers' Wh figures. They are not manufacturer claims or test results. We use the same 0.85 factor Jackery uses in its own runtime formula (“Working time = 1002Wh × 0.85 / operating power of your device”) to allow for inverter losses, and apply it to both units so the comparison is fair. EcoFlow does not publish a factor.

Usable energy (estimate): DELTA 2 = 1024 Wh × 0.85 ≈ 870 Wh. Explorer 1000 Pro = 1002 Wh × 0.85 ≈ 852 Wh.

Runtime ≈ usable Wh ÷ total watts of everything running at once.

Example load (your watts will differ)	DELTA 2 (est.)	Explorer 1000 Pro (est.)
Router + fibre ONT, 24 W	~36 h	~35 h
Home office: laptop, monitor, router, ONT, 120 W	~7.3 h	~7.1 h
TV, decoder, router and LED lights, 200 W	~4.4 h	~4.3 h
Desktop PC and monitor, 400 W	~2.2 h	~2.1 h
Single 1500 W appliance (e.g. kettle)	~35 min (within 1800 W rating)	Not possible: above the 1000 W rating

For a typical 2 to 4 hour load-shedding slot, either unit covers Wi-Fi, a laptop, a TV and lights with room to spare. The real differences are what happens when you plug in something big, and how many outages the battery can handle over its life:

Bigger appliances: Jackery SA says the 1000 Pro shuts off once total AC load goes over 1000 W, and that appliances with heating elements may not work. The DELTA 2's 1800 W rating covers kettles, microwaves and air fryers in EcoFlow's own appliance list (although they drain it quickly).
Cycle life: using the rated figures, one full cycle per day uses up the Jackery's 1000 rated cycles in roughly 2.7 years, and the DELTA 2's 3000 in roughly 8.2 years. That is simple arithmetic, not a lifespan guarantee. Jackery describes its 1000-cycle rating as “twice a week for 10 years”.
Fridges: both brands list fridges as supported loads. EcoFlow gives 7–14 hours for a 120 W fridge on the DELTA 2. Fridge consumption varies a lot, so see our fridge guide to work out your own number.

UPS / EPS: keeping the Wi-Fi up when the power cuts

Both brands say their unit can stay plugged into the wall and take over when the grid goes down. EcoFlow ZA describes the DELTA 2 as an EPS (emergency power supply) that will “auto-switch to battery power when the grid goes down”, and EcoFlow US calls this “AC Always-On”. Jackery SA says the 1000 Pro has “true UPS functionality”: it passes wall power through to your devices and switches to battery during load-shedding. Its FAQ also says the unit can stay plugged into the wall permanently and turns off charging once full. Neither page we checked gives a switch-over time in milliseconds. Routers and laptops are usually fine, but if you need to keep a desktop PC from restarting, ask the seller for the switch-over time before you buy.

Note: the DELTA 2 page on EcoFlow ZA also mentions transfer times of “1~2s”, “about 1 second” and “0.2 seconds”. These refer to EcoFlow's separate transfer switch accessory (for wiring into your distribution board), not to the DELTA 2's own EPS switch-over.

Where the official pages disagree

DELTA 2 X-Boost: the descriptive text on EcoFlow ZA says “up to 2400W”, but the spec table on the same page and the EcoFlow US page both say 2200 W. We use 2200 W.
DELTA 2 number of devices: EcoFlow ZA says up to 13 devices at once and EcoFlow US says up to 15. The ZA spec table lists 6 AC outlets.
DELTA 2 charge time: EcoFlow ZA lists 1200 W AC charging and “7x faster AC charging” but gives no time. The 50 min (0–80%) and 80 min (0–100%) figures come from EcoFlow US.
Jackery weight: Jackery SA says “just 11kg” in its feature list but 11.5 kg in its spec table and body text. Jackery UK also says about 11.5 kg.
Jackery car charging: Jackery SA quotes 5.4–10 hours. Jackery UK says 12 hours with one car charger, or 6 hours with two.
Jackery warranty: Jackery SA lists a 2-year warranty. The Jackery UK page mentions a 5-year guarantee, but that is a UK offer, so South African buyers should go by the 2 years listed by Jackery SA.

EcoFlow DELTA 2

1024 Wh LFP (LiFePO4) battery rated for 3000 cycles to 80%+ capacity, six AC outlets with 1800 W total output (2700 W surge), two 100 W USB-C ports, 1200 W AC charging, 500 W solar input, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app control, 12 kg and a 5-year warranty, according to EcoFlow South Africa. You can add one DELTA 2 Extra Battery (2048 Wh total) or a DELTA Max Extra Battery (3040 Wh total). EcoFlow ZA listed the DELTA 2 Smart Extra Battery at R10,999 (regular R12,999). The page comes with SA standard plugs.

Price: R16,499 at EcoFlow ZA (regular R17,999; checked 25 Oct 2026).

Check price at EcoFlow ZA

Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro

1002 Wh lithium-ion battery rated for at least 1000 cycles to 80% capacity, two 230 V pure sine wave AC outlets (1000 W continuous, 2000 W surge peak), two 100 W USB-C ports, about 1.8 hours to recharge from the wall, up to 800 W of solar through two MPPT inputs, a stated 46 dB working volume, 11.5 kg and a 2-year warranty, according to Jackery South Africa. The SA page lists the South African 3-prong plug and NRCS among its certifications. Jackery UK's FAQ says there is no app.

Price: R17,999 at Jackery SA (was R19,999; checked 25 Oct 2026). On the same day Jackery SA also listed open-box units at R16,199 (Grade A, “Like New”) and R14,399 (Grade B, “Excellent”), and a bundle with a 200 W solar panel at R22,999. Check the warranty terms on any open-box unit before you buy.

Check price at Jackery SA

Other SA retailers

Takealot also sells both models, but we could not load Takealot's pages to check a price today, so we are not quoting one. Compare for yourself: EcoFlow DELTA 2 on Takealot · Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro on Takealot. These are ordinary links, not affiliate links. Make sure any listing you buy has the SA plug and a local warranty.

Verdict

For most South African homes buying a power station mainly for load-shedding, the EcoFlow DELTA 2 looks like the stronger choice on paper. On the official SA stores it was cheaper, and it has three times the rated cycle life, 800 W more continuous output, three times as many AC outlets, the option to add capacity later, and a longer SA warranty. The Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro makes more sense if you will mainly charge it from solar away from home (800 W vs 500 W input), want something slightly lighter, and your loads stay under 1000 W.

Safety notes

Do not connect a power station to your home wiring yourself. A transfer switch must be installed by a registered electrician, who will issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC). EcoFlow ZA gives the same advice.
Stay within the rated output. Jackery SA says the 1000 Pro shuts off above 1000 W.