For a short amount of time, a power outage feels nice. It’s an excuse to cancel plans and settle on the couch with a good book (or an e-reader) instead. That calm feeling fades once a low-battery alert shows up on your phone, and it’s never convenient to not have WiFi at home. But maybe even more inconvenient is the threat of the refrigerator heating up during a power outage.
Food spoilage is one of the biggest bummers of a power outage. It’s never fun to start calculating how many hours you’ve been without power and how many times someone has opened the fridge, releasing precious cooling. Jackery, one of the leaders in portable power stations, has a new solution. I’ve tested dozens of portable power stations, and I’ll admit I find this model to be both functional and one of the best-looking models out there.
What’s special about the Jackery FridgeGuard?
Immediately, you’ll notice the Jackery FridgeGuard does not look like most other portable power stations. Instead of the standard box shape with a handle, the FridgeGuard is a slim rectangle, measuring just a bit over 2.5 inches tall. The unique shape makes it ideal for sitting on top of the refrigerator. Jackery also includes two metal feet that attach to the bottom of the power station if you’d rather have it stand up vertically next to the fridge.
Credit: Lauren Allain
But looks aside, the primary goal of the Jackery FridgeGuard is to keep your refrigerator cooling during a power outage. It has 1,024Wh of battery capacity, which Jackery says should keep a standard refrigerator cooling for about 15 hours.
When testing the Jackery, I plugged it into my bedside Blueair Blue Signature Air Purifier, and set it on a high fan speed, which pulled 17W. That power use means the Jackery would keep my bedroom air purifier powered up for about 27 hours. It also looked pretty slick when I used it at my home workstation.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the Jackery FridgeGuard while testing. At a bit over 23 pounds, I was able to get it on top of my fridge without asking for help. That was pleasing to my independent nature that much prefers to not ask for help.
Spec highlights of the Jackery FridgeGuard
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Capacity: 1,024Wh
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Battery type: LiFePO₄
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Surge: 1,600W
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Weight: Approx. 23.2 pounds
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Dimensions: 23.6 in × 12.8 in × 2.6 in
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Ports: AC (1)
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Expected battery lifespan: 6.000 cycles to 70%+ capacity
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Charge temperature: -4 to 113 degrees F
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Discharge temperature: -4 to 113 degrees F
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Expandability: One Jackery FridgeGuard Battery (1,024Wh)
Easy plug-and-play solution
On top of the physical design, the very nature of how the FridgeGuard functions is unique. Jackery used a plug-and-play function for this power station. Stick it on top of the fridge, plug it into the wall, and then plug your refrigerator into the Jackery, and you’ll have consistent power to the fridge when grid power fails.
The Jackery has a 10-millisecond uninterrupted power supply (UPS), which means it’ll take over powering the fridge within 10 milliseconds of a grid outage. Since we’re often not home or are asleep when the power goes out, using the Jackery FridgeGuard means there’s no concern about a gap in power to the refrigerator.
Once grid power comes back online, the Jackery will recharge itself to 100 percent and be ready for the next outage. From the Jackery app, you can monitor battery level, power output, and power input.
The sleek design makes it versatile at home
In all honesty, portable power stations are for function, not looks. For the most part, we don’t need a power station to look nice. We’re hauling them to the campground, the job site, or using them in the yard to power up tools. But if you’re placing a portable power station on top of your refrigerator to live there permanently, the slim Jackery FridgeGuard looks a lot nicer than a standard brick of a portable power station.
The gray colorway blends in well with my stainless steel fridge. That wouldn’t be the case if I placed the black Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 up there with its orange accents.
While the name suggests using it in the kitchen, I found it great to use around the rest of the house while testing. It makes for a great power backup solution if you sleep on an adjustable base or have a bed cooling system like the Eight Sleep Pod.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
It’s also great for keeping the WiFi router online during a power outage or using it as backup for your home computer. If you sleep with a CPAP, it offers reassurance that you’ll have support all night in case the power cuts out. When testing, I found the Jackery FridgeGuard to be either silent or have a barely detectable fan hum. I never found the noise to be bothersome, even when I had it next to my bed at night.
What I don’t love about the Jackery FridgeGuard
The most glaring downside to the FridgeGuard is the port selection. It’s not even fair to say selection because the FridgeGuard has a single AC port. That’s sufficient if you’re using the Jackery for refrigerator backup power since it only requires a single port. Otherwise, you’re going to have to prioritize what gets to utilize the power of the FridgeGuard.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
It’s also not the best deal when it comes to portable power stations. At full price, Jackery lists the FridgePower at $799. That’s the same list price as the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2, which has a smidge more power at 1,070Wh but a lot more functionality. The Explorer 1000 V2 has three AC ports, two USB-C, one USB-A, and an onboard light.
Should you get the Jackery FridgeGuard?
If your main concern during a power outage is food spoiling, the Jackery FridgeGuard could be a great solution. Its unique design can easily tuck on top of your fridge, and the plug-and-play nature means you’ll have immediate power backup when grid power fails. That’s the ultimate convenience for powering your fridge, an aquarium, or a CPAP machine should the power go out in the middle of the night.
If you’re looking for a portable power station to take camping or use on the jobsite, you’re probably better off with a different model.
Other models worth considering
Both Bluetti and Anker Solix introduced fridge-specific models in the same quarter that Jackery launched the FridgeGuard. The world of portable power stations is getting crowded with models that only have the minorest of minor differences. So I’m surprised to say, all three fridge-backup models are glaringly different.
The Jackery FridgeGuard is the thinnest, so if that’s your main priority, go with the FridgeGuard. Otherwise, here’s a brief rundown of the other two models I’d consider for fridge backup.
Anker Solix S2000
Coming with double the power of the Jackery FridgeGuard, the Anker designed the Solix S2000 as a model that’ll sit nicely atop or beside a refrigerator. Anker says this 2,010Wh is capable of keeping a standard refrigerator running for up to 35 hours. If your home tends to experience longer outages, this capacity might be a better fit compared to the Jackery.
The Solix S2000 also has more ports. You get three AC on the front and dual AC on the back. When placed on your countertop, you can use a rear AC for powering the refrigerator while keeping the front AC ports open for the coffee maker or a lamp. It also has dual USB-C and a USB-A for recharging phones, earbuds, and other small devices. But keep in mind the Solix S2000 has a more traditional portable power station shape. You can set it on top of your fridge, but it might block cupboards.
Bluetti FridgePower
The Bluetti FridgePower has a nearly identical physical layout to the Jackery FridgeGuard. The main difference is the battery capacity. The Jackery comes with 1,024Wh while the Bluetti has almost double at 2,016Wh. In short, that’s going to keep the refrigerator cooling for twice as long. It has two AC ports compared to the single AC port on the Jackery.
The slim design is similar to the Jackery, but the Bluetti is a bit larger and much heavier at 41 pounds compared to the FridgeGuard’s 23ish pounds. The Bluetti FridgePower also tends to be the most expensive model compared to the Jackery and Anker Solix.
How to buy the Jackery FridgeGuard
At the time of launch and writing, the Jackery FridgeGuard is exclusive to Costco and Jackery. Costco members get a better deal, however, where the fridge backup is available for $549.99. If you’re lucky enough to find it in stock at Jackery, the station sells for $799. Jackery also sells a mounting bracket for $49 if you’d rather attach it to a nearby wall instead of setting it on top of the fridge or on the floor.
Source: https://mashable.com/tech/jackery-fridgeguard-review
