Jackery FridgeGuard review finds a slim fridge backup with one big limit
Mashable tested Jackery’s new FridgeGuard, a thin 1,024Wh backup battery built to keep refrigerators powered during outages.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The Jackery FridgeGuard review from Mashable puts a very specific kind of power station in the spotlight: a 1,024Wh backup battery designed to sit on or beside a refrigerator and take over when the grid cuts out.
Mashable reviewer Lauren Allain tested the FridgeGuard and found a device that looks less like the usual chunky power-station brick and more like something meant to live in a kitchen full time. The unit is a slim rectangle, just over 2.5 inches thick, and Jackery includes metal feet for anyone who wants it standing vertically next to the fridge instead.
What is the Jackery FridgeGuard?
The Jackery FridgeGuard is a portable power station aimed at refrigerator backup during outages. According to Jackery, its 1,024Wh battery can keep a standard refrigerator cooling for about 15 hours.
The idea is plug-and-play: place the unit near the refrigerator, connect the FridgeGuard to the wall, then plug the fridge into the FridgeGuard. Jackery says its 10-millisecond uninterrupted power supply switches over within 10 milliseconds when grid power fails.
When electricity returns, the FridgeGuard recharges itself to 100 percent, according to the Mashable test. The Jackery app can show battery level, power input and power output.
Jackery FridgeGuard specs
- Battery capacity: 1,024Wh
- Battery type: LiFePO₄
- Surge rating: 1,600W
- Weight: about 23.2 pounds
- Dimensions: 23.6 inches by 12.8 inches by 2.6 inches
- Ports: one AC outlet
- Expected battery lifespan: 6,000 cycles to more than 70 percent capacity
- Charge temperature: -4 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit
- Discharge temperature: -4 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit
- Expandability: one Jackery FridgeGuard Battery, adding 1,024Wh
Allain also used the FridgeGuard away from the kitchen. In one test, she plugged in a Blueair Blue Signature Air Purifier running on high fan speed. The purifier drew 17W, which Mashable said would give roughly 27 hours of runtime from the Jackery.
The reviewer said the unit was light enough, at a bit over 23 pounds, to lift onto a refrigerator without help. She also reported that it was either silent or produced only a faint fan hum, including during a bedside test at night.
Should you buy the Jackery FridgeGuard?
Mashable’s takeaway was clear: the FridgeGuard makes the most sense if your main outage worry is spoiled food, or if you want backup power for something specific such as an aquarium, CPAP machine, adjustable bed, bed cooling system, WiFi router or home computer.
The catch is the port situation. The FridgeGuard has a single AC outlet, which is fine for one refrigerator but limiting for broader backup use. Mashable noted that buyers who want a camping or job-site power station may be better served by a different model.
Price is another sticking point. The FridgeGuard was listed at $549.99 at Costco in Mashable’s product card, down from $799. Jackery’s full list price was given as $799.
Mashable compared that list price with the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2, which was also listed at $799 and has 1,070Wh of capacity. The Explorer model offers three AC ports, two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and an onboard light, giving it more general-purpose flexibility.
Fridge-focused rivals are arriving too. Mashable said Bluetti and Anker Solix introduced refrigerator-specific models in the same quarter as the FridgeGuard. One example cited was the Anker Solix S2000, which Anker says has 2,010Wh of capacity and can run a standard refrigerator for up to 35 hours, with more AC and USB ports than the Jackery.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.