Jackery and Rockpals sell a variety of power stations and solar panels. What is the difference?
Based on my research, both companies appear to import their power stations and solar panels from China, a standard practice in this industry.
2023 Update: The Best LiFePO4 Power Stations and why they are better.
Many Jackery vs Rockpals articles compare the technical specifications of each power station. I’m going to focus on my personal experience with both Jackery and Rockpals and compare them.
Jackery Vs Rockpals: Which is Better?
Jackery is the clear winner over Rockpals for power stations and solar panels, in my opinion.
If you’re looking for a Jackery alternative, EcoFlow is a better option.
By the way, assume any Jackery links are affiliate links, that disclosure is even more important for this article… you’ll see why soon. Here’s an article about my solar panels and one about camping power.
Why is Jackery better than Rockpals in my opnion?
Because I’ve relied on them for 2 years of working on the road during the large portions of the year.
Related: The Best Portable Power Stations of 2023.
And… because I don’t trust Rockpals based on what I’ve read on the interwebs.
This is my opinion and it’s also why I didn’t buy their power stations or panels to test their gear.
Why I Trust Jackery over Rockpals
I was first introduced to Rockpals in 2020 through Facebook ads.
It was random outdoor images photoshopped with a RockPal.
To me, they were hilarious and it’s why I remember them. (And to be fair, I think all power station companies are guilty of this, especially for their new products.)
Some images were modified to show a Rockpal sitting in the sand, near waterfalls, and other spots I’d never want to keep power stations. I didn’t find all the good ones, but here are some:
However, the price point was good and I believe they got some traction over the years.
They started getting influencers on board to generate nice content with their products. However, the comments are still littered with bad reviews and related comments.
See TrustPilot as an example or read the comments on any of their Facebook ads. Here’s some ads I got in the past day for Rockpals vs Jackery.
Is Jackery a Legit Company? Is it an Alibaba Import?
Jackery is a legit company from everything I can gather online and from my experience with their products.
Is Jackery an Alibaba import? Maybe.
Many businesses start this way. They import a product and if they gain some traction, they will eventually work with the manufacturer to make better products based on feedback they receive from customers.
Whenever I have a choice between two imported products, I choose the one that has been around longer or the company that has a better reputation. Typically, that’s the same company.
In this case, Jackery has been around longer and has a much better reputation, in my opinion.
Jackery has a legit Facebook group of 6,000+ strong individuals with daily activity. I even had to know a little about the product to get admitted into the group.
People are asking questions, providing answers, and genuinely enjoy the product.
You can find employees on LinkedIn, and an office in California.
For Rockpals, I found one, maybe two, employees. It was hard to tell if the one person was an affiliate or an actual employee.
Many small companies don’t have a LinkedIn presence or many employees, so that’s not saying anything besides I tend to trust larger companies than small companies in terms of electronics.
Rockpals Vs Jackery: Naming and Origins
While I don’t know this to be the case, I assume the name “Jackery” comes from the colors of Jackery’s product colors. Their website says they were founded in California and I read on LinkedIn and other places that the founder was a former Apple engineer.
Their website is professional and well-written.
Meanwhile, the first thing in Rockpals’ FAQ is this:
Between this and the advertising, I decided that I’m not going to trust a LITHIUM BATTERY to them.
Not only are these expensive products, but you may be trusting them during an emergency when you need them to work more than ever.
Even more worrisome are the reviews online (not on their website) and the comments on their Facebook ads.
Could they all be fake negative reviews? Yes.
But I challenge you to click on any of their ads when they pop up and start reading the comments for a few days as you get retargeted on Facebook.
And to be fair, you’ll see that for ALL brands in this arena. It’s just much more obvious in Rockpals case over its competitors like Jackery, Goal Zero, and Bluetti.
When there are negative comments on Jackery ads, they tend to be downplaying Jackery’s marketing claims rather than complaining about not being able to get support or the products failing.
Are Rockpal Reviews Fake? Is Rockpals a Scam?
I don’t think Rockpal reviews are fake or that it’s a scam. If I order a Rockpal, I fully expect to receive the product.
However, the reviews talking about the company not honoring warranties or getting back to them are concerning for a potential buyer.
How Affiliate Programs Can Influence Reviews
Websites like mine make money through advertising and affiliate relationships. Influencers use a similar business model.
In an affiliate relationship, a website owner earns a percentage of each sale they refer to the given company.
RockPal offers one of the highest percentages in the industry at 10%, while Jackery provides 5%.
This gets influencers and content creators to start drooling over potential commission payouts.
To get their audience to purchase the products, writers and influencers are incentivized by the 10% commission to give glowing reviews about the product.
Affiliate programs exist in every industry. It’s why it’s difficult to know whether a product is going to meet your expectations or not.
It doesn’t mean every article you read is fake or a lie, it just gives an incentive to not write a negative review because no one is going to buy the product and get you your commission.
And yes, I earn an affiliate commission on any Jackery links in this article.
However, I use their product and I’m happy to recommend it.
I am NOT an affiliate of Rockpals because I choose not to be. Any link you click for Rockpals goes to their site and I get $0.00 if you choose to purchase.
My Experience with Jackery vs Rockpals
Why do I trust Jackery over Rockpals?
I purchased a Jackery Explorer 1000 and 2x 100W solar panels a few years ago.
I initially purchased the Explorer on its own. A few months later, I decided to purchase their solar panels.
Two things impressed me about Jackery’s customer support.
- They honored a discount when they didn’t have to.
- Jackery had a sale running on their site, which was a bundle of the Explorer 1000 and 2x solar panels. Even though mine were purchased months apart, they still gave me the discount.
- Jackery had a sale running on their site, which was a bundle of the Explorer 1000 and 2x solar panels. Even though mine were purchased months apart, they still gave me the discount.
- After I got the solar panels, I realized I didn’t have a Y cable and asked them for a recommendation.
- Instead, they sent me one for free without me asking or paying for shipping. Maybe they should have included it in the first place, but either way, it was easy to get it.
At least they are using those huge profit margins for good customer service.
And both Jackery products are working as intended nearly 3 years later
Conclusion: Which is Better: Jackery or Rockpals?
While this wasn’t a technical comparison of Jackery vs Rockpals, I hope I provided you with some insight into what’s floating around the interwebs on both companies.
While comparing the technical aspects of power stations is important, it is more important to get a quality product.
Go shop around, get retargeting ads on Facebook and read the reviews, join the Jackery Facebook group or similar groups, and try to get comfortable with the brand you are going to trust for your power stations and solar panels.
The ultimate goal is to not buy a lemon from some 16-year-old drop-shipping Alibaba products from his Mom’s basement.
If you go down the Jackery route, I’d appreciate you using this link. I’m almost breaking even on this site!
