EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus vs Jackery Explorer 240 v2

Our Verdict

These sit close in price (RRPs of £279 vs £259; the River 3 Plus commonly sells around £219 and the Jackery is frequently discounted to £159-179), but the River 3 Plus offers noticeably more real-world capability: double the continuous output (600W vs 300W) and 12% more base capacity (286Wh vs 256Wh), plus genuine expandability up to 858Wh that the Jackery doesn't offer at all. If you catch the Jackery on sale, it remains the cheaper, lighter option for basic device charging; at full price, the River 3 Plus is the stronger buy for anyone who wants headroom to run slightly heavier appliances or grow capacity later.

Which one should you buy?

Running actual appliances (small kettle, hair dryer, toaster) rather than just charging devices: the River 3 Plus's 600W (1200W X-Boost) handles these where the Jackery's 300W (600W surge) generally can't — user reviews specifically note it can run a travel kettle or toaster with X-Boost engaged.

Future expansion: the River 3 Plus can scale to 858Wh with an add-on battery; the Jackery Explorer 240 v2 has no equivalent expansion path, so if you might need more capacity later, the River 3 Plus avoids a full repurchase.

Lightest/cheapest option for simple device charging (phones, laptops, small lights): if you catch the Jackery 240 v2 on one of its frequent UK sales (£159-179), it undercuts the River 3 Plus meaningfully for buyers who only need basic charging and don't need the extra output.

UPS/home office backup: the River 3 Plus's sub-10ms switchover beats the Jackery's 20ms — a difference unlikely to matter for most devices, but relevant if protecting sensitive desktop/NAS equipment specifically.