This is an in-depth review of the Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core with comparisons against the Yeti 1000x and Jackery Explorer 1000. The 1000Wh battery capacity hits the sweet spot for many consumers for the right balance of power and portability.Goal Zero in a surprise announcement launched the Yeti 1000 Core power station five weeks after the flagship Yeti 1000x was available for purchase. It is an Amazon-exclusive product in an apparent effort to counter lower-priced batteries offered by its online-only competitors.First, the Yeti 1000 Lithium (previously simply known as "Yeti 1000"): It was GZ's first 1,000Wh lithium battery that was introduced in 2017. It is no longer sold, but some still understandably confuse it for the newer models. It is NOT the same as the 1000 Core or 1000X.The 1000 Lithium was replaced with the 1000X with a promise to be lighter, more powerful, and more efficient (with a built-in MPPT solar charge controller) — alas, at a slightly lower battery capacity. As the company's new flagship, it retained the ability to integrate into GZ's vast ecosystem of products and accessories that are designed for off-grid travel, work, and whole-house emergencies. Emphasis on “ecosystem”. The Yeti X line can be extended for a wide variety of uses that most competitors, like Jackery and Rockpals, cannot match.Jackery is a competitor known for products that are lower cost, lighter, and come with great customer service. They sell directly to consumers primarily through online sales channels, thus saving some middleman expenses, instead of physical stores (like REI and Walmart) where GZ had already established a strong foothold. Indeed, the Jackery Explorer 1000 costs $300 less than the 1000X and is a great, standalone unit for those who do not need to integrate directly with a vehicle's battery or whole house. For many, the Explorer is “good enough”, but then there are also those who want the “best” (myself included, usually). Take for example the difference in both batteries' enclosures. In an apparent effort to lower cost and weight, Jackery chose to go with a hard, plastic shell that could crack when dropped. This could potentially expose the internal battery and result in serious injury to life or property. The 1000X, on the other hand, is housed within a metallic case that makes it more durable but also heavier.With the launch of the 1000 Core at the same price point as the Jackery Explorer 1000, GZ made available a compelling, lower-priced product that turned many heads. It certainly did mine! Is it better than the Explorer 1000? Let's look at the differences between the 1000X and 1000 Core first.The new 1000 Core model retains the same dimensions and ports as its flagship sibling, but at a reduced price of $999, a slightly smaller AC inverter (1,200W continuous, 2,400W peak), and a lower, maximum charging input of 300W. It also loses support for the Yeti Link expansion module that would have allowed it to be extended with the Yeti Tank expansion batteries, or integrated with the Home or Vehicle with the appropriate kits. In other words, it is GZ's direct answer to the Jackery Explorer 1000 as a standalone power station.When considering whether the 1000X or 1000 Core is better, I recommend the Core for most consumers who do not need to integrate their battery with a vehicle or home, or to support more high-powered devices or appliances. The X would be for those who want to be able to extend its capacity with more batteries, integrate into the home in case of a power outage, or vehicle for those living the nomadic “RV” life. It would also be for those who need the higher AC Inverter output of 1,500W (continuous) or 3,000W (peak) for more demanding power tools or appliances. Both power stations are fully solar-charging capable and have an efficient, integrated MPPT solar charge controller, although the 1000x can be juiced with more powerful solar panels for faster charging at up to 600W (versus the Core's 300W).Between the Jackery Explorer 1000 and 1000 Core, the differences are less pronounced. As previously stated, both are priced the same at $999, and even though the Explorer has a negligible 19Wh battery capacity advantage, its AC Inverter is less powerful with a continuous output of 1,000W (2,000W peak) than the Core's 1,200W (2,400W peak). Essentially, the Yeti can drive more higher-powered devices and appliances. Also of some importance is that the Yeti can be charged faster at up to 300W versus the Explorer's 200W, but is heavier at 31.7 lbs than the latter's weight of 22 lbs, a 44% difference. This is likely due to GZ using better quality components (like a metallic enclosure instead of hard plastic). At one point, both companies used Tier 1 battery cells manufactured by LG, but Jackery switched to Chinese BAK Battery last year. Both power stations are essentially similar in overall size.WHAT'S BEST?- GZ Yeti 1000X – Most professional, but higher-priced-- Larger AC inverter to accommodate higher-powered appliances, super-fast charging at up to 600W, quality components and Tier 1 LG battery cells, and capability to be extended with additional batteries, vehicle integration, and whole-house emergency power- GZ Yeti 1000 Core – Best value for price and power-- Mid-sized AC inverter, fast charging at up to 300W, quality components and Tier 1 LG battery cells, and lower price- Jackery Explorer 1000 – Lightest and lower-priced-- Smaller AC inverter, lightest, good components and BAK Battery cells, and lower priceAll three batteries can be charged via the Anderson Powerpole (APP) or 12V car ports, use a high-quality Battery Management System, and output Pure-Sine Wave AC for sensitive electronics.TIP: A battery power station like this one cannot be used to jump start a car. Instead, check out the NOCO Genius Boost.PROS- Lithium-ion cells made by LG (a top-notch, Tier 1 battery manufacturer)- Very professional, tough look with a pleasing color scheme, though I'm not a fan of the odd-looking top storage compartment that breaks the clean lines of the Yeti 500x-- Aluminum exterior helps protect against bumps and battery puncture--- Given that Li-Ion batteries become more volatile as capacity increases, this added protection is important--- Environmentally friendlier than hard plastic-- Vertical, rounded edge grilles provide extra grip, heat dissipation, and act like bumpers--- Rounded corners are less likely to shatter than sharp edges-- Jackery, Rockpals, and other brands I had used were made of hard plastic shell that may be more prone to cracking and overheating-- Brushless fan on each side for cooling- Inexpensive price point into the GZ 1000Wh family-- Costs the same as Jackery Explorer 1000- 983 Wh battery capacity (31.7 lbs @ 15.3″ x 10.2″ x 9.9″). Same as 1000X-- 22.1 lbs @ 13.1″ x 9.2″ x 11.1″ / Jackery Explorer 1000-- Capacity to power a 30″ LCD monitor and Mini PC for 10-14 hours, a Toshiba 50″ Fire TV for almost 9 hours- Pure-Sine Wave AC Inverter capable of continuous 1,200W power (and 2,400W peak)-- Clean power for sensitive electronics. Less heat- High-quality BMS (Battery Management System) for safety-- Provides built-in overload, overcharge (automatic stop when the device is full), and short-circuit protection- Regulated Output ports- Can power AC and DC (USB/12V Car adapter) at the same time-- Common, supported devices: laptop, tablet, phone, light, fan, CPAP, projector, TV, refrigerator, camera, pressure cooker, miter saw- Multiple charging options with up to 300W-- Can be used while charging--- Although this is supported, doing so could hurt the battery's lifetime-- MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) solar charge controller/regulator--- Smarter, faster/more efficient, and costlier than PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)--- Can parallel-connect multiple solar panels with a combiner cable (not included)-- 12V Car Charger (60W/120W)- APP and 12V cigarette ports can be used to charge other Yeti power stations, but using them with other brands is not supported by the company- Carry handles on each side with a comfortable, non-slip grip-- Top of 1000 Core has a covered storage compartment- Excellent, informative LCD with LED backlight- GZ cables are very well-made with solid connections that help weatherproof and prevent accidental disconnects- Manual: Unusually detailed with some helpful tips- Great technical support- Good customer service, though I was impressed by the sizably positive stories from Jackery's customers- 2 year warrantyCONS- Standalone Battery: Does NOT support Yeti Link module like the 1000X. As such, it acts as a standalone battery like the Jackery Explorer 1000-- Cannot extend capacity with Yeti Tank Expansion Batteries, charge directly from car battery with Yeti Link Vehicle Integration Kit, or power home with a Yeti Home Integration Kit- No Smartphone app-based remote control, power usage monitoring, battery optimization, notifications, and firmware upgrade via WiFi-- Only Yeti 1500x and higher has this function- Battery capacity decreased by 62 Wh over its 1000 Lithium predecessor, but sheds 8.3 lbs in weight- Heavy at 31.7 lbs due to the use of aluminum housing instead of plastic- Battery not replaceable like the older Yeti 1400 Lithium- Anderson Powerpole (APP/High Power Port) input port is vertically arranged when most solar panels from other brands are horizontal-- Requires a GZ cable to work, though I found a great alternative that allows you to re-arrange the connectors' orientation to fit any Anderson connector: iGreely APP Extension CableTIP: It is possible to get multiple companies' products (battery power stations and solar panels) to work with one another once you understand the different connector types, such as Anderson APP, MC4, 8mm, and so on.- No secure way to prevent theft of power station (besides chaining the removable carry handles)- Not waterproof. Keep it away from water splashes, rain, and pool!-- Lithium and fire or water can cause serious damage or injury!- Display, though quite informative, does not show separate power consumption for DC and AC-- LCD is unreadable without LED backlight- No built-in light or LED bar to illuminate your area or blink “S.O.S.”, the international distress signal- No cable accessories or carry bag included besides the 120W wall charger (100-240V, 16V @ 7.5A)- Automatic shutoff when idle is an unusually long 30 hours-- Ensures Yeti does not turn off when a low-powered device (like medical CPAP) is used overnight-- Could unexpectedly drain battery from 100% to 86% with nothing connected (because AC inverter uses 7W on its own)- Multiple fans turn on during high peak and can be too noisy for somePORTSINPUT- (2) 8mm (1 front, 1 storage compartment)-- 14-50V, max 10A. Do NOT use a power source that exceeds the max Voltage or Amperage!-- Max input: 150W--- Included power supply outputs 120W-- Only one of the 8mm ports can receive power--- Having both ports receive different Voltage levels could have one drive power to — and damage — the other-- Can be used for solar charging--- Depending on the solar panel's connector, an 8mm adapter may be needed (ie. 8mm-to-HPP)--- Connect 2+ solar panels in PARALLEL with an 8mm-to-HPP 4x Combiner Cable (max 150W)CAUTION: Do NOT daisy-chain 2+ solar panels in sequence/series as that can output more than 50V combined and damage the power station! Connect them in PARALLEL with a Y-branch or Combiner cable instead! More on that later.- High Power Port (HPP aka Anderson/APP)-- Max input: 300W--- Rapid-charging power supply available: 230W-- Can be used for solar charging--- Connect 2+ solar panels in PARALLEL with a HPP-to-HPP 4x Combiner Cable (max 300W)- USB-C PD 60W – Both for input/output-- Powerful enough to charge a 60W laptop (ie. 13″ MacBook Pro)-- Can charge concurrently with the 8mm port for a total of 210W of input--- Both ports are on a separate charge control circuit. There is no overload risk for using them concurrentlyNOTE: If power is sent to both the 8mm and HPP ports, only the one with the highest input will be used.OUTPUT- (2) AC with 3 prongs – Pure Sine Wave-- Inverter handles a continuous 1,200W, peaking at 2,400W — See USAGE section-- Note: Uses 7W with nothing plugged in- HPP (Anderson/APP) (max 180W) — Yeti 1500x maxes at 30A for 360W- Cigarette socket (max 180W)- (2) 6mm (max 120W)-- Single, compact 12V port to universally charge electronics with different connectors using a variety of adapters-- Allows GZ to create 12V products to use 6mm instead of the bulky cigarette socket- USB-C PD (max 60W) – Both for input/output- (2) USB-A- USB-C – QuickChargeUSAGE- Without anything plugged in, the AC inverter still draws 7W on its own. So, keep AC port off when not in use- Li-ion batteries have 500 charge cycles before capacity drops to about 80% from when they were new-- Product could, in theory, be charged up to 2,000 cycles — about 20-25% of total capacity is lost every 500 cycle- To prolong the battery lifetime while in storage, keep the battery fully charged every 3-6 months-- Or keep it plugged in when not in use and discharge it to 50% every 3-4 months--- You may also charge it to 80% for storage, but be sure to discharge to 20% every 3-4 months-- NOT using the battery for a very long time can actually hurt its lifetime--- There is no “memory effect”---- It is better to NOT let it completely drain before rechargingCAUTION: Lithium-ion batteries do NOT like to remain discharged at 0% for prolonged periods of time. If you let your battery stay at 0% for too long, you may not be able to charge it again without specialized equipment.CONTINUOUS VS PEAK OUTPUTIt is important to understand the difference between Watts and Watt-Hours. How much power is used or produced is measured in Watts, and how much energy a battery can store is calculated in Watt-Hours. See the “Calculations” section below for more details.How much energy a battery can store is measured in Wh (Watt-hours), and how much power is used or produced in W (Watts).- AC Inverter: Converts battery (DC) power into AC-- 1000 Core provides 1,200W continuous output with a 2,400W peak- Peak/Surge (Starting): Nearly every device initially draws extra power to turn on. The highest amount it pulls is the Peak. As long as that number is below 2,400W, it can be STARTED. Examples…-- Turns on OK (PEAK under 2,400W):--- Freezer starts at 400W (peak), runs at 150W once on-- Will NOT turn on (PEAK over 2,400W):--- Home AC starts at 4,000W (peak), runs at 1,000W once onMost devices power on at a higher (Peak) wattage than when they are already on (Continuous). Therefore, if its peak exceeds the power station's max, it may not be able to start- Continuous Output (Running): Once devices are on, as long as they keep drawing less than 1,200W total, they will stay ON until the battery runs out-- CONTINUES running (under 1,200W)--- 100W TV + 60W laptop = 160W-- COULD STOP running (over 1,200W)--- Temporary overdrawing beyond 1,200W for a few seconds is okay. A quality BMS will protectively shut down the battery if the surge does not end after a while. Regularly going over for a prolonged time can ruin the battery in the long run--- 1,000W machine (2,100W peak) + 300W appliance (500W peak) = 1,300W. Probably will stay on for a short period---- Add 1,000W mower (1,400W peak) = 2,300W. Battery will definitely shut downSOLAR PANEL - WARNINGThere are SOME PRECAUTIONS you must take to minimize battery damage and/or injury to life/property:- Never exceed the maximum Voltage (V) or Amperage (A) of the power station's charging port- If you want to use 2+ solar panels to charge faster:-- Do not mix them with different V or A as the output might get reduced (less energy generated)-- Do not daisy-chain them in sequence/series as that can exceed the power station's maximum V or A--- Always connect them in PARALLEL with a Y-branch or Combiner cable- Keep the battery out of direct sunlight while charging. You may have to use an extension cable to keep it in the shadeCALCULATIONSThe below calculations are rough ESTIMATES as conditions, battery quality, and age can vary. [SORRY: I had to shorten my original review by a LOT (including many calculations) so it could fit here on Amazon.]Time to Charge This 983Wh Power Station- Calc: Hours to charge battery = Battery capacity (Wh) / Input Wattage-- As battery approaches 75% full, the input charge will increasingly be slowed down to prevent overcharging- AC Wall: 120W @ 8.2 hrs [983 Wh / 120W]-- GZ high-speed charger: 230W @ 4.3 hrs- GZ 12V Car Charger-- 60W @ 16.4 hrs (5A setting) / 120W @ 8.2 hrs (10A setting, if car supports it)-- Most other manufacturers only charge up to 60W. So, 120W with the GZ is game-changing for me and comes highly recommendedCharge Time with Solar- Calc: Hours to charge battery = Battery capacity (Wh) / (Panel Wattage x [0.5 or 0.75])-- In a perfect lab, solar panels charge at the listed wattage-- Expect to only receive 50-75% on a good, sunny day (ie. 75W – 113W for a 150W panel), depending on panel's age, component quality, and weather- 200W solar panel: as fast as 6.6 hours [983Wh / (200W x 0.75)]- Underproduction: If a panel is not making enough, adding extra ones can generate a higher, combined output- Overproduction: If the panels make more than the maximum the power station charge port can take, only the max will go throughWatts Used/Produced by a Device- Calc: Watts used or produced by device = Voltage x Amperage- Vacuum with 120V @ 9.5A uses 1,140W- Solar panel with 12V @ 10A can produce up to 120WIdeal Battery Power Station Size- Calc: Battery capacity (Wh) = Watts used by device x Hours needed for / 0.85-- 10-15% of power is lost during power conversion- 45W car fridge needed for 8 hours: Minimum 424Wh power station (45W x 8 / 0.85)