Head-to-head test
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air vs Jackery Explorer 600 Plus
Jackery costs $40 more for a third less battery — the real trade is inverter headroom and a 5-year warranty against EcoFlow's bigger, cheaper-per-watt-hour tank.
Written by Ian SchneiderUpdated
Solar & Off-Grid Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
EcoFlow
DELTA 3 1000 Air
3,014Power Score · Appliance Class
$309.00 list · direct from EcoFlow
Jackery
Explorer 600 Plus
2,161Power Score · Appliance Class
$429.00 list · direct from Jackery
Spec deltas
The Jackery costs $40 more and holds 328Wh less battery — 632Wh against the DELTA 3 1000 Air's 960Wh, about a third smaller. On raw capacity and price, this looks like an easy call for EcoFlow.
Then the inverter numbers flip it. The Explorer 600 Plus pushes 800W continuous to the 1000 Air's 500W, and its 100W USB-C port charges a modern laptop at full speed where the EcoFlow's 18W port can't. It's also 5.9 pounds lighter, 9dB quieter, and carries a 5-year warranty against 2.
So it's tank against toolkit. The 1000 Air wins on cost per watt-hour and on any job that's really about total energy — it's the only one of the two that finishes a full tailgate afternoon alone. The Jackery wins on everything the spec sheet doesn't total: charging speed, weight, noise, and how long the maker stands behind it.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
At a 670Wh job like a tailgate afternoon, the tank decides it, not the inverter. The Explorer 600 Plus's 800W could push that load easily if it had the watt-hours to spend, but it doesn't — it comes up short on total capacity before its stronger inverter ever gets to matter.
DELTA 3 1000 Air: 960Wh capacity, 500W continuous output, $309Explorer 600 Plus: 632Wh capacity, 800W continuous output, $349Tailgate Party needs 670Wh — the 1000 Air can supply it, the Explorer 600 Plus cannot
Why it mattersIf your limiting factor is a long stretch of moderate draw, the 1000 Air's bigger tank wins even with the weaker inverter. If it's a single higher-draw device between 500W and 800W for a short burst, the Jackery's inverter is what actually gets it running.
The warranty math isn't close — insuring the Jackery costs roughly $70 a year against $155 for the EcoFlow, more than double, because a longer warranty is spread over a similar price. Combined with a USB-C port that actually charges a laptop and an inverter reviewers already trust with fridges and CPAPsB1, the Jackery's $40 premium buys real, usable ground.
DELTA 3 1000 Air USB-C: 18W maximum; Explorer 600 Plus USB-C: 100W maximumDELTA 3 1000 Air warranty: 2 years at $155/year; Explorer 600 Plus warranty: 5 years at $70/yearExplorer 600 Plus's 800W inverter handles small appliances, portable fridges, and CPAP machines with easeB1
Why it mattersBuyers who keep gear for years or plan to charge a laptop daily are paying for protection and convenience that the 1000 Air's bigger battery can't substitute for.
For a CPAP two feet from your head, the extra 9dB is the more decisive fact night to night; a switchover gap this small, 10ms against 20ms, is not something a sleeping person notices. But for a multi-night outage, the 1000 Air's lower usage per night matters more than either.
DELTA 3 1000 Air: 10ms UPS switchover, 39dB noiseExplorer 600 Plus: 20ms UPS switchover, 30dB noiseCPAP Overnight: both units handle it, but the 1000 Air uses 39% of its battery against the Explorer 600 Plus's 60%
Why it mattersChoosing on bedside noise, take the Jackery's 30dB. Choosing on how many nights you can run before recharging, take the 1000 Air's spare capacity.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: The core split: 1000 Air cheaper per kWh, Jackery far cheaper per warranty year.
cost / lifetime kWh
The 1000 Air is the cheaper unit to run: $0.11 per lifetime kilowatt-hour against the Jackery's $0.18, on batteries rated for the same 3,000 cycles. More capacity for less money at the register is a real edge if your loads stay under its 500W ceiling.
The warranty math runs the other way, and not by a little. Jackery's 5-year coverage works out to about $70 a year; EcoFlow's 2-year term works out to roughly $155. The 1000 Air is the better deal on energy delivered; the Jackery is the better deal on years protected.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: Capacity vs inverter tradeoff shows up directly — Jackery physically can't finish the tailgate load.
Four of six scenarios land on neither, and the Jackery is further behind in every one of them — Weekend Camping, the 8-Hour Blackout, Remote Workday, and Van Life Daily all ask for multiples of what either battery holds, but the Explorer 600 Plus's smaller tank puts it noticeably further out of reach each time.
The two scenarios with a real winner both go to the 1000 Air, and Tailgate Party is the sharper of the two: it's not a close call on the inverter, the Explorer 600 Plus simply doesn't hold enough energy to finish a 670Wh afternoon and taps out mid-party. CPAP Overnight both units clear, but the 1000 Air does it with far more capacity left in reserve.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: usbc and warranty land against the 1000 Air; ups is a genuine 1000 Air advantage worth surfacing.
Two flags land against the 1000 Air here: an 18W USB-C port that can't fast-charge a laptop, and a warranty a third as long as the Jackery's. Both are plainly disclosed, not hidden defects, and both are exactly what the Jackery's $40 premium is buying back.
The UPS flag actually favors the 1000 Air, and it's worth saying out loud: a 10ms line-interactive switchover against the Jackery's 20ms standby switchover. Neither gap is something most electronics will notice, but if switchover speed is the deciding factor for you, the cheaper unit is also the faster one here.
Brand Trust
Selected because: Cross-brand pair with a real gap in community size and support reputation.
EcoFlow brings the deeper ecosystem and the bigger community — DELTA Pro, DELTA 3, and RIVER 3 lines plus a ~31K-member subreddit make it easy to find help or a next step up, even though this particular unit is already discontinued.
Jackery brings the wider retail footprint — Costco, Home Depot, Best Buy — which matters more than it sounds for returns and warranty claims, since Jackery's own support process draws more complaints than EcoFlow's. Neither brand's direct support is a reason to buy on its own; the retail channel you buy through matters as much as the logo on the box.
Strengths & trade-offs
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air
Strengths
- +Costs $120 less
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Faster solar charging
Trade-offs
- –No major technical downsides compared to rival.
Jackery Explorer 600 Plus
Strengths
- +Lighter by 5.9 lb
- +Higher AC output
- +Longer warranty
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$120) than the DELTA 3 1000 Air.
Will It Power Your Gear?
Scenario math and per-appliance runtimes, modeled from the spec record.
Scenario verdicts
We ran the math on six real-world scenarios. Here's which unit survives your actual life.
SCN-01 · 2 nights · needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Neither unit
A two-night trip needs about 2.6 times what the 1000 Air holds usable and about 3.9 times the Explorer 600 Plus's. Neither gets close alone, and the Jackery's smaller tank leaves it further behind.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger 15W×6h · LED Lights 40W×8h · Box Fan 75W×14h · CPAP Machine 40W×16h
SCN-02 · 8 hours · needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Neither unit
An eight-hour blackout needs roughly 2 times the 1000 Air's usable capacity and about 3 times the Explorer 600 Plus's. Both stall before morning on one charge, but the Jackery stalls sooner.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Fridge 150W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40W×6h · Phone Charger 15W×3h
SCN-03 · 8 hours · needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
DELTA 3 1000 Air
Both handle a CPAP night without issue — the 1000 Air uses 39% of its battery, the Explorer 600 Plus 60%. Either works; the 1000 Air just finishes with more spare capacity for a second night if the power stays out.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD CPAP Machine 40W×8h
SCN-04 · 8 hours · needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Neither unit
A full off-grid workday needs about 1.1 times the 1000 Air's usable capacity and 1.7 times the Explorer 600 Plus's. Both fall short, but the 1000 Air is close enough that a short top-up gets it there.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Laptop 60W×8h · External Monitor 30W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · Phone Charger 15W×2h
SCN-05 · 4 hours · needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
DELTA 3 1000 Air
This is the clean split of the page. The 1000 Air covers a 670Wh tailgate afternoon using 82% of its battery; the Explorer 600 Plus needs 125% of what it holds and simply runs out first. Capacity, not the inverter, decides this one.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Blender 400W×0.5h · LED TV (55") 80W×4h · Bluetooth Speaker 15W×4h · Phone Charger (×3) 45W×2h
SCN-06 · 24 hours · needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living — the ultimate endurance test
Neither unit
Daily van-life draw needs about 5.7 times what the 1000 Air holds usable and 8.7 times the Explorer 600 Plus's. Neither is close to viable alone — this is a job for a dedicated 2kWh-plus system.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Mini-Fridge 150W×24h · Laptop 60W×4h · Phone Charger 15W×3h · LED Lights 40W×5h · Fan 75W×8h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh × 0.85) ÷ LOAD
None of the six scenarios above exactly yours? Build it. Toggle what you'd plug in; both units are tested against the combined draw.
Essentials
Comfort & Convenience
High-Draw Appliances
Test duration
8h
Continuous draw
205W
Projected runtime
For this load: DELTA 3 1000 Air runs 4h vs 2.6h.
$309 list · direct from EcoFlow
Modeled from the spec record — same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.¹
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0–54.4hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–10.9hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limits¹ Runtime = (capacity × 0.85) ÷ appliance watts. Within each group, all bars share one time scale (the group's longest runtime), so lengths are comparable across appliances; identical runtimes collapse into a single blue/orange bar. Actual runtime varies with battery age, temperature, and simultaneous loads — see methodology.
Conclusion
July 14, 2026
Verdict: the DELTA 3 1000 Air
Take the DELTA 3 1000 Air if total energy is the job. It's cheaper per lifetime kilowatt-hour ($0.11 against $0.18), holds 328Wh more capacity, about 1.5 times the Jackery's, and it's the only one of the two that can finish a 670Wh tailgate load on its own; the Explorer 600 Plus runs out first. The Jackery answers with a much stronger warranty (about $70 a year to insure against $155), a 100W USB-C port against 18W, and 5.9 fewer pounds to carry. If your loads are mostly about total energy over a stretch of hours, take the 1000 Air. If charging a laptop at full speed, portability, or a real warranty matter more than tank size, the extra $40 for the Jackery is well spent.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of July 14, 2026. The links below open EcoFlow's and Jackery's current prices.
$309.00 list · direct from EcoFlow
or check the Explorer 600 Plus price$429.00 list
Written by Ian Schneider, Solar & Off-Grid Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated July 14, 2026
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Full specifications
ᵈ Derived: price ÷ rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons →
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool →How these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it — no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews — see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity × 0.85 inverter efficiency) ÷ device wattage. Solar recharge estimates assume panels deliver 70% of rated output. Cold weather, battery age, and stacked loads reduce real-world results.
Power Score
Computed from 14 published spec dimensions, weighted per use-case bench. Higher is better; a unit must meet a bench's minimum threshold to be rated.
See the full weight table and data sourcing on our methodology page →Class ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews — no buyer opinions feed it. We score every station on size-independent quality (value, output, portability, endurance, ports, warranty, and more), then percentile-rank it against the other units in its capacity class, so a class-leading compact unit and a class-leading whole-home unit can both earn 5★. Here, DELTA 3 1000 Air rates 5.0/5 (99th percentile of 19 Compact-class units), and Explorer 600 Plus rates 4.1/5 (44th percentile of 19 Compact-class units).
How the class ranking is computed →Test Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
18 Watts Against 100
The 1000 Air's USB-C port caps at 18W, enough for a phone but not a modern laptop, which wants 60 to 100W to charge at full speed. The Explorer 600 Plus's 100W port does that off a single cable. If a laptop is part of your daily plug-in list, this line item decides it on its own.
The Cheaper Unit Switches Over Faster
The 1000 Air's 10ms line-interactive switchover beats the Explorer 600 Plus's 20ms standby switchover. It's a small gap in absolute terms, but it's worth noting that the advantage sits with the less expensive unit here, not the pricier one.
Two Years Against Five
The Explorer 600 Plus carries a 5-year warranty; the 1000 Air, 2. Spread over the purchase price, that works out to roughly $70 a year of coverage for the Jackery against $155 for the EcoFlow, more than double, making the Jackery the meaningfully cheaper unit to insure over time.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the DELTA 3 1000 Air.
Check DELTA 3 1000 Air price →or check the Explorer 600 Plus priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy — true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
Cost per delivered kWh
│ warranty ends · Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains — degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The DELTA 3 1000 Air wins on both sticker price and long-term value. At $0.11/kWh over its lifetime, it's meaningfully cheaper to own. Clear value winner.
Delivers each lifetime kWh for $0.12 less — check the DELTA 3 1000 Air price →
Brand trust
EcoFlow
Ecosystem
The largest lineup in the category, DELTA Pro, DELTA 3, and RIVER 3 lines plus solar panels and smart home panels, so there's a clear next step up if you outgrow this one, even though this exact unit won't be it.
Support
US-based phone, email, and chat, but the experience is a coin flip, plenty of hassle-free prepaid-label replacements alongside reports of long waits and refurbished units on new claims. Buying through Costco or Amazon is the safer route.
Community
The biggest community in the space, a ~31K-member subreddit plus active Facebook groups, so troubleshooting help is easy to find.
App experience
Rated 4.6/5 iOS (~8,400 ratings) · 4.2/5 Android (~17,000 ratings)
Unique strength
The fastest-charging technology in the category and the deepest ecosystem to grow into, if not with this specific unit.
Worth knowing
A 2025 recall on an unrelated DELTA model over overheating risk, and a since-paused attempt at app subscription fees, are both worth knowing before buying into the brand.
Jackery
Ecosystem
A dozen-plus Explorer and HomePower models plus the SolarSaga panel line, though the lineup leans more on brand recognition than on deep interoperability between models.
Support
The brand's weak point. Reports describe slow, scripted responses and strict receipt requirements for claims. Buying from Costco or Amazon buys a real return safety net that Jackery's own process doesn't reliably provide.
Community
The smallest of the major brands, roughly 2,000 members on its subreddit, though YouTube coverage is solid on name recognition alone.
App experience
Rated 2.3-3.3/5 iOS and Android — the weakest app experience of the major brands. Multiple confusing apps (Jackery app vs Jackery Home) and mandatory login even offline.
Unique strength
The widest retail footprint of any brand here, Costco, Home Depot, Best Buy, so returns and exchanges go through a familiar store rather than the manufacturer directly.
Worth knowing
The companion app is the weakest in the category on both platforms, and the brand is generally seen as pricier than newer competitors for similar specs.
Analyst note
EcoFlow wins on ecosystem depth and community size; Jackery wins on retail presence and the safety net that comes with buying through a store you already trust. Neither brand's direct support reputation is strong enough to be a reason to pick one on its own — the specs on this page should decide it.
Growth path
DELTA 3 1000 Air
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 960Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 500W of solar. Suitable for a 1-2 panel setup.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Explorer 600 Plus
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 632Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 200W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Limited ports. You'll likely need a power strip or splitter.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output — see methodology
Analyst note
Neither expands, and that's no knock on either — each is a complete unit at a fixed size. Buy the capacity that covers your needs now (the DELTA 3 1000 Air gives you the larger ceiling); you can't add to either later.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air
At 500W continuous, reviewers are consistent that the DELTA 3 1000 Air won't run a space heater or a hair dryer — a light-to-moderate-load box by design, not a general-purpose oneA3. What it was built for is on the record too: a power-protection device that keeps a computer, monitor, and router alive through an outage on a 10ms switchover, all at a light 22 poundsA1A2.
One flag colors the whole picture: EcoFlow has discontinued the 1000 Air, with the standard DELTA 3 named as its successorA4. Coverage here is review-bench testing rather than a deep well of long-term owners, so treat this as a snapshot, not a track record.
“A 960Wh LiFePO4 unit with a 500W inverter (800W X-Boost) weighing only 22 lbs — a focused, minimalist design with fewer ports and features.”
Sources
thesolarlab.com · batteryskills.com · backuppowerhub.com · matanich.com
Jackery Explorer 600 Plus
Owner and reviewer coverage on the Explorer 600 Plus is stronger and more consistent than most units this size. Its 800W inverter is repeatedly credited with handling small appliances, portable fridges, and CPAP machines with easeB1, and owners report fast charging, a capable app, and a compact build that feels durableB2. One owner ran a 4-hour DJ gig, two speakers, a wireless mic, a laptop, and a controller, and still had 65% leftB3.
The LiFePO4 chemistry is rated for 3,000-plus cycles, which reviewers translate to 5 to 10 years of realistic use, and it's among the lighter, more compact units in its class with a foldable handleB4. This is a well-liked unit with few complaints on the record.
“Its 800W pure sine wave inverter can handle small appliances, portable fridges, CPAP machines, and most electronics with ease.”
Sources
bestgeneratorsolar.com · jackery.com · bestbuy.com · homedepot.com · solarwaypoint.com
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- A focused home-office UPS unit — LFP, 10ms UPS, quiet and light — but low 500W output; now discontinued in favor of the DELTA 3. [DELTA 3 1000 Air · 3 entries]
- Strong 800W output for the class, fast charging, a good app, and compact well-made build are the consistent praise. [Explorer 600 Plus · 3 entries]
- A1
“A 960Wh LiFePO4 unit with a 500W inverter (800W X-Boost) weighing only 22 lbs — a focused, minimalist design with fewer ports and features.”
thesolarlab.com / batteryskills.com — DELTA 3 1000 Air review · 2026 · [mixed]
- A2
“Built as a power-protection device with a 10ms UPS switchover to keep a computer, monitor, and router running through outages.”
backuppowerhub.com — DELTA 3 1000 Air review · 2026 · [positive]
- A3
“With only 500W continuous output, it won't run a space heater or hair dryer — it's built for low-to-moderate draw devices.”
backuppowerhub.com / matanich.com — DELTA 3 1000 Air review · 2026 · [mixed]
- A4
“EcoFlow no longer sells the DELTA 3 1000 Air; the closest successor is the standard DELTA 3 (1,024Wh LFP, 1,800W output, ~$549).”
backuppowerhub.com — DELTA 3 line · 2026 · [mixed]
- B1
“Its 800W pure sine wave inverter can handle small appliances, portable fridges, CPAP machines, and most electronics with ease.”
bestgeneratorsolar.com / jackery.com — Explorer 600 Plus buyer's guide · 2026 · [positive]
- B2
“Owners report it charges fast and has a great app; a reliable, convenient camping companion with a compact, lightweight design that feels durable and well-made.”
bestbuy.com / homedepot.com owner reviews — Explorer 600 Plus · 2026 · [positive]
- B3
“One owner ran it for a 4-hour DJ gig with two speakers, a wireless microphone, a laptop, and a controller and ended with 65% charge.”
bestbuy.com owner review — Explorer 600 Plus · 2026 · [positive]
- B4
“LiFePO4 chemistry rated for 3,000+ life cycles, lasting roughly 5-10 years depending on use; among the smaller, lighter units in its class with a foldable handle.”
bestgeneratorsolar.com / solarwaypoint.com — Explorer 600 Plus review · 2026 · [positive]
Research compiled July 14, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the DELTA 3 1000 Air if you…
- →You need the bigger tank for a longer stretch of moderate draw — 960Wh against 632Wh, about 1.5 times the capacity — and your loads stay under 500W continuous.
- →You want the lower cost per lifetime kilowatt-hour: $0.11 against the Jackery's $0.18.
- →You're running a job that's about total energy over hours, like a tailgate afternoon needing 670Wh — the 1000 Air finishes it; the Jackery runs out first.
Buy the Explorer 600 Plus if you…
- →You want a modern laptop to charge at full speed over USB-C — 100W against the 1000 Air's 18W.
- →You're carrying it in and out regularly. 16.1 lbs against 22 lbs is a real difference over a season of trips.
- →You want the longer, cheaper-to-insure warranty, about $70 a year against $155, on a unit reviewers consistently praise for fast charging and durabilityB2.
If neither fits
If your real use is a full weekend of camping, an 8-hour blackout, or a remote workday completely off-grid, both come up well short — the scenario math shows both needing multiples of their usable capacity for those jobs, and the Jackery further behind than the 1000 Air in every one. Look at a 1.5kWh-or-larger station, or plan solar into the trip from the start.
The Bottom Line
This comes down to which shortfall you'd rather have. The DELTA 3 1000 Air is the cheaper-per-kilowatt-hour, bigger-tank choice, 960Wh against 632Wh, and it's the only one of the two that finishes a tailgate-sized load on its own.
The Jackery Explorer 600 Plus trades tank size for everything the spec sheet doesn't total up: a 100W USB-C port, a 5-year warranty, and 5.9 fewer pounds. If total energy is the job, take the 1000 Air. If charging speed, warranty, and portability matter more, the extra $40 for the Jackery is well spent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Is the Jackery Explorer 600 Plus worth $40 more than the EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air?
Only if you value what the extra $40 buys over raw capacity. The Jackery has 328Wh less battery but adds a 100W USB-C port against 18W, a 5-year warranty against 2, and 5.9 fewer pounds to carry. The 1000 Air is cheaper per lifetime kilowatt-hour and is the only one of the two that can finish a tailgate-sized 670Wh load. Buy the Jackery for the warranty and the port; buy the 1000 Air for the tank.
Which one has a faster UPS switchover, for a CPAP or a computer?
The 1000 Air, at 10ms against the Jackery's 20ms — both are fast enough that most sensitive electronics won't notice, but the 1000 Air's is the quicker of the two. Capacity matters more for a full night's use: the 1000 Air uses 39% of its battery on an overnight CPAP against the Jackery's 60%, so it also finishes with more spare capacity.
Can the Jackery Explorer 600 Plus handle a tailgate party?
Not on its own. A 670Wh tailgate load needs 125% of what the Explorer 600 Plus holds usable, so it runs out before the afternoon's done. The DELTA 3 1000 Air, with more total capacity, uses 82% of its battery for the same load and finishes with room to spare.
Which one is cheaper to own long-term?
Split decision. Per lifetime kilowatt-hour, the 1000 Air wins at $0.11 against $0.18. Per year of warranty coverage, the Jackery wins by a wide margin, roughly $70 a year against $155, because its 5-year warranty spreads the cost further. Trust the per-kilowatt-hour number if you're optimizing for energy cost; trust the per-year number if you want the longer safety net.
Does either of these support an expansion battery?
No, both are sealed, closed systems. Neither the DELTA 3 1000 Air nor the Explorer 600 Plus can add capacity later, so whichever you buy, size it for the ceiling of what you'll actually need, not just today's loads.
Where to buy
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 AirPick
$309.00
$309.00 list · direct from EcoFlow
Jackery Explorer 600 Plus
$429.00
$429.00 list · direct from Jackery
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.