I am constantly on the lookout for the holy grail of portable batteries.  I want a small device that will provide ~1-1.5x charges for my iPhone 13 Pro Max and a single charge for my Apple Watch gen six plus AirPods Pro Case (in a pinch). 

When traveling for Cub Scout events, hiking/camping, or when camping with my family, I often rely on a single or perhaps two batteries for a weekend, and anywhere from two to three batteries for a week.  If there is power available to recharge, I may only use a single battery. If no power is available, I often utilize a travel solar array that fits on the outside of my backpack. Of course, when toting the tech along, one must consider the battery weight to the total ~20% body weight gear recommendation.  

The Kick Power Quick Charge Certified Dual Port 4000mAh battery arrived in a 2 3/4 inches wide by 6 inches tall by 1 3/16 inches thick hanging style package.  Following the Kick Power design theme, the cover provided a white segment along the top right, a black element along the bottom left, and splashes of color. 

The lime green accents were used for the KICK POWER name and border segments on the cover.  I liked the obliquely angled image of the battery on the surface, the white font on the black background, and the flow of the colors onto the side and top panels.  The right side panel provided the Kick Power name and web address upon the white and black backgrounds, respectively.  

The black-colored left side panel provided a sizeable clear window with an attractive neon green border.  The easy-view window extended to the back panel and added a 1 3/16 inches wide by 3/4 inches tall cutout to allow the user to “Feel Me.”  The textured, black battery, with vibrant white KICK POWER name, was easily viewed through the plastic window.

The white-colored rear panel, plus the internal metallic mirror-like background, enhanced the presentation and served as a perfect background for the black battery and the neon accents.  Below the window, you will find a light grey product specification segment bordered by the same neon green accent as above. The element detailed the 4000mAh battery capacity (14.5Wh), 5V/2.0A IQ output x 2, micro input 5V-2A).  Lastly, you will find contact information, product manufacturing labels, and an SKU barcode. 

I cut the tape along the top panel and slid the dual-chamber clear plastic tray out from within the packaging.  The top chamber contained the 3.1 ounces, 2 1/2 inches wide by 3 1/2 inches tall by 1/2 inches thick battery, while the lower chamber provided a petite 8 15/16 inches long USB-A to USB-micro cable. 

The top/bottom surfaces of the battery had an excellent textured feel, while the side/top/front panels were smooth and shiny.  The left side panel had a small oval, slightly-raised power button.  The front panel provided two USB-A output ports with a centrally positioned micro-USB input port.  You will find two small cutouts placed along the right front corner, designed to accommodate a string loop.

Unfortunately, the cutouts were provided, but no wrist lanyard, carabiner, or other methods for hanging were provided.  I liked that they included the feature but felt disappointed as if something was missing.

When I pressed the side power button, the front bank of four LED lights illuminated.  I plugged a Klein Tools ET920 multimeter into the right USB-A port and then a USB-A to Lightning cable into my wife’s iPhone 12 Pro.  After about ten seconds of waiting, I realized nothing had happened.  I pressed the side button to activate the battery, and the multimeter/phone activated. 

The multimeter displayed 4.92V/0.78A, while the lighting icon appeared on my phone.  Starting at 10:12 am at 71% power, the iPhone 12 Pro increased to 84% by 10:43, 92% by 11 am, 95% by 11:11 am, 98% by 11:29 am, and 100% by 11:42 am. Once the phone was fully charged, the battery LED showed 3 lights remaining. 

I then plugged the lightning cable into my iPhone 13 Pro Max. The multimeter displayed 4.92V/0.87A.  Starting at 11:42 am at 83% power, my iPhone 13 Pro Max increased to 88% by 12:15, 90% by 12:24, 96% by 12:57, and 100% by 1:15. I plugged the setup into my AirPods Pro Case with a single light remaining.  The multimeter displayed 4.97V/0.32A.  I could charge the AirPods from about 75% to full power in about an hour.  

Assuming the 2815mAh battery size of the iPhone 12 Pro, 4352 mAh battery size of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the 398 mAh AirPods Pro case, the battery provided ~816 mAh + ~740 mAh, + ~100mAh= ~1656 mAh.  If I rounded to 2000mAh, the battery seemed to have roughly 50% efficiency, which appeared to be under the ~80% that I have found with most batteries. 

I fully depleted the battery and then used the included USB-A to micro cable to charge the battery.  The multimeter displayed 4.99V/1.82A.  Starting at 5:45 PM, all four LEDs were full by 10:40 PM.  The battery thus took ~1/5 of a day to charge and provided less than a full charge to my iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

I wanted to love this battery and truly hate to leave negative reviews.  However, despite the attractive color, the appealing palm-sized design, and the dual outputs, the battery did not live up to my expectations/needs.  Most modern devices use either USB-C or Lightning charging.  I suspect over the next few years, all devices will move to USB-C, especially as the European Union is attempting to eliminate E-waste.

The dual USB-A output combined with USB-micro input, and the far-too-short USB-micro cable technology are likely a bit outdated.  Now that we are using QC technology, USB-C PD, etc., the battery simply does not live up to modern tech needs.  There are still devices that utilize micro-USB, and I still carry a few USB-A to Micro cables in my tech travel bag.  However, I do not see the need for a battery for yesterday’s tech.  

In a pinch, the battery will provide an emergency power supply to your phone.  However, the newest phones ship with USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cables.  This means that you will need to either buy a USB-A to USB-C cable/adapter or USB-A to Lightning Cable or use an old cable lying around. 

The output was below optimal, the battery size was below optimal, and the efficiency appeared to be below optimal.  I typically rely on 10,000 mAh batteries as the best mAh to weight ratio.  There are many options available today that provide more opportunities for similar cost. 

For example, the Momax  Q. Power touch offered wireless charging, a 10,000 mAh battery, measured 0.6 inches thick at 8.1 ounces weight, USB-A output, lightning input, and USB-C output/input for $34.99. The extra ~$15 over the Kick Power battery significantly boosted overall use/need for only a marginal increase in weight.  

Learn more about the Kick Power 4000mAh Battery.
Follow Kick Power on Facebook.

As my kids have grown into Cub Scouting and the BSA, we have experienced more campouts, day trips, and overnighters. Additionally, I have found myself assuming leadership roles within the groups. Adults will often bring tech devices such as smartphones, watches, and earbuds, while the scouts are typically encouraged to leave their devices home.

Unfortunately, many pack devices without the means to keep them powered. I thus started carrying a few 10,000 mAh batteries for emergency phone-only power. After a recent campout, the MOMAX Q. Power Touch battery may be the perfect iPhone companion.

The Momax Q.Power Touch 10,000 mAh battery arrived in an attractive 4 1/2 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches tall by 1 1/4 inches thick hanging style package. The cover panel provided a lifelike image of the blue MOMAX battery, and useful icons/information about the battery:  1. One Cable Recharge (Ligtning To UBC-C/USB-A). 2. Woven Touch 3. USB-C PD 3.0 In/out. 4. 10W Fast Wireless Charging. 5. Qualcomm QC 3.0. 6. 10,000 mAh rating. 7.

Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod logo.  I loved the metallic silver product name accent along the top left, the light blue company name and 10W Logo, and the placement of the image/logos. The side panels provided similar information to the cover relaying the product size, color, product name, and company name. The rear panel proved to be a bit too busy for my liking but provided a great deal of information about the product.

The image at the top of the panel depicted the ability to charge an iPhone, Nintendo Switch and AirPods Pro Case. Beneath the image, you will find a multilingual description of the image. Beneath the section, you will find a blue product specification segment: 5W/7.5W/10W wirelessss charging, 10,000 mAh 37Wh capacity, 140x70x19mm size, USB-C x1, lightning x1 input, output wireless/USB-C, USB-1. Lastly, the panel provided a 12 month product warranty, product manufacturing labels and an SKSU barcode.  

I opened the front flap and was pleased to find a detailed instruction panel to the left and a blue panel with a clear window. The inner flap showed the ability to charge the device via lightning cable, which was a convenient battery input method. Additionally, the panel detailed the USB-A QC 3.0 and the 4x faster speed than a standard 5W charger. The USB-A output port supported QC3.0 and Apple 2.4A fast charging without interference from the USB-C ports.

The 20W USB-C in/out port promised PD3.0 delivery to allow tablet charging and faster smartphone charging.   The 10W wireless charger should provide up to 10W for Android devices and up to 7.5W for Apple devices, and a low charge mode for AirPods Pro and fitness trackers. Lastly, the 3 7/16 inches wide by 5 3/16 inches tall window provided a direct view of the battery. I appreciate this form of product display over imagery, as it allows the consumer to better enjoy the device. The outer panels paired nicely with the inner flap and clear window to provide a thorough understanding of the device.

I slid the clear plastic inner tray out from the primary packaging and removed the internal contents. The 8.1 ounces, 2 3/4 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches tall by 5/8 inches thick blue-colored battery was removed from the larger panel, and the small white accessory box was removed from the lower panel.

You will find a white 8 1/8 inches long USB-A to USB-C cable, safety information pamphlet, product advertisement packet, and the instruction manual within the accessory box. I plugged the battery into a 20W USB-C charging block and used a USB-C to USB-C cable to charge the battery for the first time. On subsequent charges, I found it convenient to charge via USB-C input or lightning input.  

The battery has a bank of four LEDs along the right-side panel. While charging, the lights will flash to show the current charging level. The main 4 LED each represented 25% power, and the battery was fully charged when the last LED illuminated without flashing. According to the instruction manual, the battery should accommodate USB-C (5V/3A, 9v/2.22A) or Lightning 5V/2.4A inputs. The battery can output 4.5V/5A, 5V/4.5A, 9V/2A, or 12V/1.5A via USB-A.

Via USB-C, the battery can output 5v/3A, 9v/2.22A, or 12V/1.5A. Lastly, the battery can output up to 5V/1A or 9V/1A (10W max) output wirelessly. The input/output ports were all located along the front face of the battery and were arranged in the following manner: USB-A, USB-C, lightning. 

I wanted to use this battery to keep my smartphone, smartwatch, and earbuds charged over a weekend campout. I made sure the battery was charged (3 hours) and plugged a USB-A multimeter into the USB-A port. I then plugged a USB-A to Lightning Cable between the battery and my smartphone. The multimeter displayed 5.10V/2.25A. Starting at 15% power at 4:20 PM, my phone increased to 17% by 4:22 PM, and then to 20% by 4:25.

I removed the multimeter, replaced a USB-C multimeter, and then used a USB-C to Lightning cable to charge my iPhone 13 Pro Max. The multimeter displayed 9.10V/2.11A while my phone displayed 15% power at 4:25 PM. By 4:25, my phone showed 18% power; by 4:58 PM, it was at 48% charge, 57% by 5 PM, 71% by 5:12 PM, 81% by 5:22 PM, 90% by 5:45 PM, and charged fully by 6:05 PM. After charging my smartphone’s 4352 mAh battery, the side LED showed 2 lights remained. With most batteries having an efficiency of ~80%, it was reasonable to find ~50% remaining power after a charge of my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

I double pressed the small power button on the left side of the battery and noticed that the LEDs flashed sequentially to denote the low charging mode. I placed my wireless AirPods Pro case atop the surface and fully charged the 519 mAh charging case over about an hour. I noted that I still had two LED worth of battery left and I plugged a Pitaka USB-C Watch Charger into the USB-C port and fully charged my 303.8mAh Apple Watch Series 6 battery over about 90 minutes. In total, I was able to charge all three devices from near-complete depletion to full charge and still had a single LED worth of power to charge my watch again wirelessly.  

The wireless charging rate was nowhere near as efficient as the wired charging, but this was not a negative for the device. Instead, it is a limitation of the technology. Wireless charging allowed my smartphone to increase by approximately 1% every two and a half to three minutes versus around a percent per minute via USB-C to lightning.

I loved the braided surface of the battery, the layout of the LED, the power button placement, and the white font atop the dark blue background. The ability to output USB-A/USB-C and input via USB-C/Lightning meant that I only needed a USB-C to Lightning cable and USB-Charging block to keep my phone and battery fully charged. This added convenience to my need to reduce the number and type of packed cables.

The 10,000 mAh battery provided the perfect opportunity to keep my iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro charged up for a weekend of enjoyment. Before fully depleting the battery, I was able to charge my iPhone 13 Pro Max from 20% to full, my Apple Watch Series 6 from empty to full, and my AirPods Pro case from empty to full with battery to spare. I found I was able to get another full charge on my Apple Watch, and did not require any additional charges of the AirPods Pro Case. Additionally, I was able to trickle charge my phone wirelessly to add a few additional percentage points of power.  

Overall, I was pleased with the battery’s weight-to-power ratio and the ability to use a single cable to charge the phone/battery. You could pack the battery and a USB-A to Lightning cable or a USB-C to lightning cable and charge the battery or phone with the same cable. The added convenience of not bringing and keeping up with another cable did not go unnoticed. Additionally, I appreciated the ability to charge my earbuds while also charging my iPhone wirelessly. If needed, you can use the same USB-A to Lightning cable to charge the earbuds as well. The battery capacity, charging features/options, and output were top-notch. The instruction manual could have used a bit more fine-tuning but did not detract from the merits of this battery.   

If you are looking for a battery for a weekend holiday, this may be just the device that you need. 

Learn more about the MOMAX 
Follow MOMAX on Facebook and Twitter.

One snap to charge your iPhone series 12 or 13 with MagSafe

In my opinion, you can never have enough portable charging options. I love that MagSafe charging is now available for iPhones (series 12 and higher) because it makes accurate charging easier. Since I’ve been using a MagSafe charger with my iPhone 12 Pro I’ve not had any ‘miss’ charges as I do with my standard wireless charging pad. There is nothing more frustrating than waking up in the morning thinking your phone should be charged only to find that it has less battery than when you put it on the charger. MagSafe chargers make sure that little mistake doesn’t happen. One such charger is the MagGo 622 Magnetic Battery by Anker. 

DETAILS

The Anker 622 Magnetic Battery MagSafe (MagGo) is a 5000mAh foldable magnetic battery that also features USB-C for charging connected devices or recharging itself. It’s specifically designed for the iPhone 12/13 series phones and is available in five different colors (Dolomite White, Interstellar Gray, Buds Green, Misty Blue, Lilac Purple). The battery has a built-in foldable kickstand that can prop the phone into a vertical or horizontal viewing angle.

The magnet is strong and is designed to ensure perfect alignment with your phone’s charging area so that you receive an efficient charge. The battery is slim and compact – only 0.5 inches thick – so that you can continue using the phone while it’s connected. The battery utilizes Anker’s Mini Cell technology to reduce the size of the battery without compromising power and charging efficiency. The battery retails for around $60. 

USER EXPERIENCE

The battery comes in a plain, Anker-branded box. The front of the box is white with some blue accents including the Anker logo and the back has the model information on it. Because of the retailer, the battery came from, it has a large barcode sticker placed on top of the standard label on the back of the box. So, it’s impossible for me to read the rest of the label, but I can see that the model number is A1611.

When you pull the battery out of the box, you will find it in a place tray that also houses the user manual and USB-C charging cable. The USB-C cable is short and very durable. I’ve always liked the cables that come standard with Anker products and never had any issues with them working properly. The user manual is multilingual and it depicts how to charge your device wirelessly while recharging the battery simultaneously as well as how to charge a phone or earbuds using a charging cable and recharging the portable charger alone. 

The battery pack itself is very compact. It’s about half the size of my iPhone 12 Pro, but it does have a little bit of weight to it. One of the features I really love about this battery is its fold-out, magnetic kickstand. It’s a very unique design feature and it’s actually very helpful. It gives you the option to be able to have a charging stand without having it be a permanent fixture on your desk.

When I first saw the foldable flap, I wasn’t 100% sure how it was going to work until I saw a little groove on the back of the battery. Anker made it very easy to place the kickstand by including that little notch. Once you get the top part of the kickstand in that notch, the rest of the flap falls into place easily. The stand is sturdy, but when the phone is connected to the battery, the entire assembly can become top-heavy and get knocked over quite easily. 

Out of the box, the battery did have a charge. There are five LED indicator lights on the bottom that show the different levels of charge on the battery. When I pressed the power button to see what kind of battery level it had, two of the lights lit up indicating that it have a 50% charge. The fifth LED is the light that shows that the phone is actually charging.  

As a test, I connected my phone wirelessly to the MagGo battery and let it charge for 40 minutes. Every ten minutes, I did a status check on it to check the progress of the charge and noted the progress of the phone’s charging. After the 40 minutes had elapsed, I calculated the total percentage gained and divided that by the total number of minutes the phone was charging to get the charging rate. In this case, the overall charging rate was 0.575% per minute.

This isn’t a bad charging rate for a wireless charge. I do notice that after the 40 minutes were over, the battery was quite warm to the touch, but it cooled off quickly. I also noticed that the initial charging rate (the first ten minutes) was faster than the overall charging rate (0.8% per minute vs. 0.575% per minute). Since the battery did not reach 80% (that’s typically when trickle charging starts happening), I don’t really know a reason for the slow down, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me. 

CONCLUSION

The Anker 622 Magnetic Battery is a gem of a portable charger. It’s convenient, powerful, and an efficient charger. I also really like the look of it and the fact that it comes in different color variations. It’s a creative charger for an on-the-go personality. 

For more information, visit anker.com,  Facebook, and Twitter.

I have had a love-hate relationship with batteries since my original Nintendo Gameboy, Walkman, and Diskman devoured many AA batteries. Looking back, I do not know why I did not simply invest in Duracell or Energize directly. As more devices moved to rechargeable onboard batteries, my need for AA/AAA batteries has decreased. However, I still utilize more AA/AAA batteries than I would like. I know I cannot be the only one who needs to charge their iPhone daily. Through daily phone calls, internet searches, game/movie/music/audible use, constantly searching for WiFi, checking emails, using GPS/Nav, etc., my phone hovers around 20% remaining power at the end of the day. While home, I place the phone onto a wireless charger or plug a USB-C to Lightning cable into the Lightning port. However, when on the go, I have learned to rely upon portable batteries. No matter if I am touring the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Imaging USA in Nashville, TN, or camping with my pack of Cub Scouts, I look to 10,000mAh-20,000mAh options to keep me connected.

Unboxing:

The Odec 20,000 mAh USB-C Power Bank arrived in a tan 6 9/16 inches long by 3 7/8 wide by 1 3/8 inches thick cardboard box.  The main panel showed the Odec name along the top left, with a quaint little lightning bolt within the “O.”  Beneath the name, you will find the battery capacity and an obliquely angled ink-outline of the 20K mAh battery.  I visualized the circular power button, the four LED indicators, dual USB-A ports, and centralized USB-C ports within the image.  Both sides displayed the same “GO GREEN WITH ODEC” logo, while the front and back panels were left unadorned.  The bottom panel provided the OD-85 Model along the top right, product manufacturing labels along the bottom right, and the company web and physical address along the bottom left.  

To access the Odec battery, I removed the thin outer plastic layer, lifted the front flap, the inner flap, and then removed the contents.  Within the box, you will find a 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 3/8 inches tall 24-Month Product warranty card, a 3 3/4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall User manual, a 48-inches long USB-C to USB-C cable, and the 5 5/8 inches long by 2 3/4 inches wide by 1inches thick battery.  Before excitedly jumping into the testing phase, I decided to peruse the English section of the multi-lingual instruction manual (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian).  The six-page English section was well translated, well thought out, and quite straightforward.  The first page of the manual provided the package contents; the second page provided a labeled diagram of the 14.5-ounce battery. The third page provided a useful list of the product specifications (Model OD85, PD 3.0/QC 3.0, 20,000 mAh/74Wh LiPo, USB-C input/output AC 5V/2.6A 9V/2A 12V/1.5A, USB-A 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A, Max 18W output, 142 x 68 x 28 mm, 5.6” x 2.7” x 1.1”, weight 410g/14.5oz).  The instruction manual’s fourth page provided a few short paragraphs detailing power delivery (PD)/Quick Charge (QC 3.0). The fifth panel detailed the steps to charge the power bank and your device.  Lastly, the sixth page reviewed the product care and listed warranty/customer support information. The manual could have used a little more detail about the device’s tech-specs (charging time, efficiency, etc.). 

I grabbed my PA-Y19 Aukey 27W USB-C Minima wall charger and plugged the included USB-C to USB-C cable between the wall charger and the battery.  Located along the battery side, adjacent to the 3/16 inches diameter power button, you will find a bank of four LED power indicator lights.  I was pleased to find that the battery charged to full in only a few hours.  Once the three solid white lights and the last solid green light were illuminated, I removed the battery from charge.  I plugged a Klein Tools Multimeter into the USB-C output port and a USB-C to Lightning cable into my iPhone 12 Pro Max.  Starting around 10% at 11:38 PM, the multimeter displayed 9.13V/2.14-2.18A.  My iPhone 12 Pro Max increased to 14% by 11:41 PM, to 20% by 11:44 PM, 27% by 11:48,  32% by 11:51.   35% by 1153.   43% by 11:58.  50% by 12:02. 55% by 12:05, 66% by 12:12, and then 80% by 12:29.  My phone then informed me that it had “OPTIMIZED BATTERY CHARGING” and that the charging was scheduled to finish at 5:30 am.  True to the notification, I set the alarm for 5:30 am, and my phone read 100% power.  Interestingly, the charging rate dropped from 9.13V/2.14A to 9.13V/0.2A and continued through the remainder of the early hours. 

Once my 3687mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max battery was fully charged, I pressed the power button on the battery and found two white LEDs and one green LED were illuminated.  I plugged the included USB-C to USB-C cable between the multimeter and my iPad Pro 11,” and the device screen read 9.14V/2.07A.  Starting from a fully powered down state at 6:44 am, my iPad was at 43% by 7:37, 87% by 8:37, and 100% by 9:26.  After charging the 7812 mAh battery of the iPad Pro 11” and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the battery was 25%.  I found that I could charge my AirPods Pro (519 mAh) fully before the last light was extinguished.  This equated to 12018 mAh and roughly a 60% efficiency.  I repeated the test with just my iPhone, using the top off my phone over the last five days.  I still had roughly 50% of the battery left after that test.  When fully depleted, the battery charged in about 3.5 hours via USB-C input (Aukey 27W USB-C).  For my penultimate test, I plugged the KLEIN multimeter USB-A prong into the USB-A port and then a USB-A to lighting cable into my iPhone 12 Pro Max.  The multimeter read 5.08V/2A. Lastly, I plugged a Drok USB-A multimeter into the USB-A port and the Klein Multimeter into the USB-C port. I charged my iPad Pro via the USB-C and my iPhone via the USB-A. The USB-A multimeter read 4.70V/1.32A, while the USB-C multimeter read 4.65V/1.98A.

I was pleased with the overall design, shape, mAh rating, and weight of the battery. When it comes to portability, I need a battery to weigh less than 16-ounces and provide at least 15,000 mAh of power. The battery bank from Odec sacrificed mAh for PD and QC 3.0. Although the device did not get too hot to handle, there was a noticeable increase in heat at the USB end. I loved that the device started charging instantly, and I was pleased that they did not add a wireless charging gimmick to this design. The hard plastic was quite durable and likely would survive a drop or two. I wish they would have included a carry bag/case or provided port covers/plugs for portability. Perhaps the features will be included in version 2.0 of the odek 20K mAh bank. The shape is perfect to fit into a pocket or a backpack. However, without a case or means to clip this to a bag, it must be carried or stored.

I do not feel that the PD/QC 3.0 trade-off was a negative feature. For a camping trip, I would prefer to have more total mAh than quicker charging. However, while touring CES, I found my phone drained by video/voice recording and a constant search for a signal. In that instance, I would have preferred a quicker charge in lieu of more power. With the ability to charge a phone up to five times or my phone/iPad/AirPods Pro once, look to the Odec bank as a perfect companion to a weekend away.

Pros:
* Power Delivery USB-C 18W output (total)
* QC 3.0 up to 18W output (total)
* Included 42″ long USB-C to USB-C
* Good Weight to mAh ratio
* Shape/Design/Quality build.
* Texture surface increases grip.

Cons:
* No waterproof port covers
* No carry bag/case
* Output is not powerful enough for MacBook Pro/Laptop charging
* No Wall charger

Learn More about the Odec 20,000mAh Power Bank
Follow Odec on Facebook and Twitter.

Power through the darkness with a PackLite Titan!

If COVID-19 was not enough, many Texas and the Mid-West people have had to deal with power outages due to inclement weather. Outside of camping trips with the Cub Scouts and spelunking trips to Carlsbad Caverns and Mammoth Cave, I have never truly needed extra lights. Those events taught me to pack extra lights and extra batteries and make sure that my family was reasonably prepared for an emergency. Without a home phone, my iPhone became my only source of communication. As I cut the cord to cable, my iPhone became my source of news/entertainment. With a built-in flashlight, the iPhone served as a backup light. With weather alerts/warnings, my iPhone became my weather alert radio. Unfortunately, without an active power grid/source of power, the trusted tool cannot perform its duties. Luckily, LuminAID, a Shark Tank success story, thought through this dilemma. Their PackLite Titan 2-in-1 can harness the sun’s power to illuminate the darkness while keeping your tech on-line.

Unboxing:

The Luminaid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Phone Charger arrived in a colorful 8 1/4 inches wide by 9 1/4 inches tall plastic ziplock-style bag. The red-colored top section contrasted nicely with the semi-translucent lower section of the bag and white-colored font. The luminAID “Makers of Brilliant Things” title/logo was clearly visible along the top left, while the “As Seen on Shark Tank” logo was displayed along the top right. Just beneath the company name, I found information about the red/white light, the product name, a description for the 2-in-1 phone charger and portable lantern, information about the ability to power via solar and USB energy, and that the device could serve as a phone charger. I was impressed that they were able to share so much information without making the experience too busy. Along the right edge of the cover panel, you will find a colorful picture of the illuminated lantern and the compressed mode. Additionally, the panel listed that the Titan PackLite could output up to 300 Lumens of light and was IP67 Waterproof. My favorite aspect of the cover was the lower product window because of the ability to directly visualize the lantern. This marketing technique provides a more accurate representation of the device and enhances the overall packaging experience.

Turning the packaging over, the company name was again displayed along the top left. Along the top right, luminAID provided a warning that windows blocked solar charging and that you should charge the product outdoors. Beneath this section, the company provided eight labeled-icons (bilingual): 1. 300 Lumens. 2. recharges in 16-20 hours of direct sunlight. 3. Recharge via Micro-USB in 2-4 hours. 4. 100-hour max runtime per charge on the low setting. 5. Charges phones and devices 4000 mAh battery. 6. 2-years of storage life. 7. Brightness settings. 8. 300 sq foot lighting area. Beneath the red section, the company provided a large icon-heavy display toward the left and two photograph-quality images along the right. The top image showed a tent/camper actively using the light. The bottom picture showed the co-founders “seeking to make safe light” to provide power for everyone worldwide. The row of icons along the top provided information about the tech devices that could be charged with the PackLite Titan: Smartphone, Tablet, Camera, Headlamp. The six icons along the bottom provided additional information about the product: 1. No Batteries Needed. 2. Made from Sustainable Materials. 3. Tested for Extreme Conditions. 4. Perfect for Reading. 5. Powerful Impact. 6. Adjustable Strap. Lastly, along the rear panel’s bottom, you will find a product SKU barcode and warnings about the product.

Device:

The 12.06-ounce luminAID Titan measured 5 3/4 inches wide by 5 13/16 inches tall by approximately 1-inch thick in the compressed state.  The top panel was broken into an outer white ring and an inner 4 1/16 inches wide by 4 inches tall solar panel.  Starting along the top left, you will find a 1/2 inches diameter red power button with a neon-yellow border and a 3/4 inches wide by 5/16 inches tall pill-shaped, red/white color-changing button with a neon-yellow border. Along the top right, you will find a 3/8-inch diameter battery-indicator-button with a surrounding neon-yellow border. I loved the use of the yellow on red color scheme.  The vibrant colors, similar to those used for emergency/high-visibility cues, provided an attractive visual contrast against the white background.  Adjacent to the battery-indicator-button, you will find a bank of 4 LEDs which detailed the remaining battery level: 25, 50, 75, 100%.  Along the bottom right corner, you will find the luminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Phone Charger name.  Along the top left of the panel, you will find a 1 3/4 inches tall by 3/4 inches wide plastic water-resistant cap.  Beneath the cap, you will find a USB-A output port and a micro-USB input port.  It is important to note that the IP67 water-resistant status can only be achieved with the port in the closed position.  

Located along either side of the cover panel, you will find two neon orange carry straps.  In the compressed state, the straps can loop around to the bottom of the inflatable light.  Each end of the 1 inches wide orange strap had a section of hook and loop Velcro material. To inflate the light, separate the Velcro straps, loop the straps to the top and then reattach the Velcro to make the carry handle.  Open the 1-inch diameter air plug and blow into the opening while opening up the accordion-esque design.  If you do not wish to use this technique, you can grip the device and twist it to open/inflate the lantern. When fully inflated, the light measured 5 3/4 inches tall. To test the light’s functions, I plugged the 40-inches long red USB-A to USB-micro cable into a standard wall cube and the micro-USB port on the light.  The instruction manual noted that the Turbo mode (one press) could output 300 lumens for up to 5 hours, the High Mode (two presses) could output 150 lumens for up 8-10 hours, and in Medium Mode (three presses), 75 lumens for 14-16 hours.  I was most excited about the Low Mode (four presses) because the packaging and instruction manual promised “100-hour max” on the low setting.  The last SOS Mode (five presses) will blink at 15 lumens and will work for more than 100 hours.  After 2 hours, I took the light off of charge, I pressed the power button four times until the light was in low mode, and then I waited.  I started Sunday 2/14/21 at 5 pm and found the device unchanged by Thursday, 2/18/21, at 10 pm. The device extinguished sometime between 11 pm and 12 am.  When I pressed the power button again, the light entered into the Turbo mode and provided another 2-5 minutes of light.  When I left it in low mode, I was able to get maybe another 10 minutes of light.  However, the test provided diminishing levels of light after that point. 

Once the battery was depleted, I took it outside, placed it in a shade-free region, and allowed it to charge from dawn to dark.  To optimize the sun’s contact with the solar panels, I made sure that the handles were not blocking the solar array, and made sure no other shade sources would interfere with the light.  Instead of placing the device flat on a surface, I angled the face toward the south and attempted to tilt the panel to 30-40 degrees.  Since my home is located at 37 degrees latitude, this should have provided the most ideal conditions for light contact with the array (cedgreentech.com). We have had quite a bit of snow, ice, and cold over the past week and the snowpack provided a great way to angle the charger.  If you did not have access to snow, you could use twigs/sticks or other items to build up the back end of the sensor.  After an entire day of charging, the power indicator showed two green LED, which represented approximately 50% power or ~2000mAh.  Assuming 80% efficiency, I could use ~1600mAh of power for my iPhone 12 Pro Max (3678 mAh) or recharge my Olight Perun Mini (550mAh).  Using a Klein Tools Multimeter and a USB-Lightning cable, I found the Titan was able to output at 4.85-5.02V/1.79-2A.  At this rate, my iPhone 12 Pro Max charged at about 2% every 3 minutes, which was not bad.  Even though portable battery packs would be a better, more specialized choice, this kit will provide ~70-80% charge on even the largest phone.

In an emergency, light, and power become a highly coveted commodity.  In a pinch, I have used outdoor solar lights to provide indoor light, but I cannot charge other devices in that manner (without modification).  The PackLite Titan expands on this concept and provides so much more than just a simple light/battery:  1. With the port closed, the PackLite Titan is IP67 waterproof. 2. Enjoy a convenient carry handle. 3. The light floats thanks to the air chamber. 4. You can compress the light for portability. 5. Red light for improved dark visibility. 6. White light for improved light distance/reading.  6. A fair price/cost.  7. Nature-centric design.  Lastly, the company has taken it upon themselves to help to light the world.  With their Give Light program, people can sponsor lights for others in need (Disaster Relief, Refugee Relief, or Allocate as Needed).  Not only do they care about the environment, they care about the people who call it home.  

After testing this device, I could not find a feature that I did not like.  The output levels were well designed, the buttons had a nice click-feel, the waterproof port plug was easy to install/remove, and the weight to power ratio was quite favorable.  If I was going to design a PackLite Titan 2.0, I would suggest two upgrades/enhancements.  First, I would love to see an inclinometer and maybe a compass built into the surface panel.  This would allow you to angle the panel in the most optimal manner.  I do not think that you would need to include degrees of angle.  Instead, I would suggest using green/yellow/red zones. Second, it would be nice if there was a method to attach a power cable to the PackLite.  It is frustrating to search for a power cable or to have a battery source without a proper cable.  Without a method to attach the included cable, you would need to put it into a pocket or into a backpack pocket.  Additionally, it may make sense to move from USB-micro to USB-C as you could decrease the amount of plastic and limit the port to a single input/output.  Of course, any modification leads to increased cost and I am sure that they have considered these features. If you are going on a backpacking/hiking/water-sport/camping outing, or if you are preparing a home/car emergency kit, you need to have a PackLite Titan.  

Learn more about the PackLite Titan
Follow LuminAID on Facebook and Twitter.

A powerful, compact option for portable power. 

In recent years, it’s very rare to catch me without a portable power source in tow. I don’t like to be caught off guard and since I use my mobile devices practically nonstop these days, I want to make sure I can always stay charged up. The problem I end up with is not having a portable battery with a large enough capacity that is also small enough to carry around. AUKEY has the answer for me with their 10000mAh 18W Fast-Charging Power Bank. It’s got a large enough capacity to top off my iPhone and has a powerful enough output to charge my iPad Pro. 

DETAILS

The power bank is one of AUKEY’s smallest and lightest portable chargers available. It’s designed to fit in the palm of your hand while still maintaining all of the features users come to expect from a power bank such as an LED power indicator. The power bank is considered ‘future-proof’ because it utilizes 18W power delivery and quick charge 3.0 ports. It’s optimized with dual USB ports (USB-C Max Output/Input 18W and USB-A Max Output 18W) so that you can charge two devices simultaneously and it also supports pass-through charging. The power bank features intelligent safety protection complete with short circuit protection, over current protection, and NTC temperature detection. These protections ensure that your devices won’t experience excessive current, overheating, or overcharging while you are using this power bank. AUKEY even made sure that this power bank would be travel-friendly and meets the criteria for international flying. 

SPECS

• Model: PB-N83
• Technology: QC 3.0, PD 3.0
• Capacity: 10000mAh/37Wh
• USB-C Input: DC 9V 2A, 5V 3A
• USB-C Output: DC 9V 2A, Max
• USB-A Output: DC 9V 2A Max
• Max Power Output: 18W
• Dimensions: 1.06” x 2.27” x 3.17”
• Weight: 6.14 ounces 

USER EXPERIENCE

The power bank arrived in a simple brown cardboard box. This is indicative of AUKEY products. They don’t have a very aesthetically pleasing product box, but it does feature the product’s name, main details, and model number on the outside of the box. Upon opening the box, you will find the power bank wrapped in plastic. Below the power bank, is a storage compartment that holds the user manual, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and a warranty card. I rather appreciated that AUKEY included this type of charging cable because it means that you can use it for either end of the power bank. When I removed the power bank from the box, I noticed that it only had one bar of power. The manual recommends charging the battery up full before using it for the first time, so I did. It took approximately 2 hours to charge the battery to 100%. 

To test out the power bank I decided to plug my iPad Pro into it. I used the cable provided along with the power bank. When I started the test, the iPad only had 70% power. After 26 minutes, it had gained 5% battery power. This equals a charging rate of approximately 0.19% per minute. Apple products do employ trickle charging after a battery reaches 80% as a method to prolong battery life. This technology slows down the charging rate until the battery reaches 100%. I left the iPad to charge after that first 26-minute period and came back about 90 minutes later and the battery had fully charged. After that charging session, the power bank was drained by 25%. 

CONCLUSION

There are few things better than a compact, high capacity power bank. AUKEY makes some pretty awesome products and I’m very excited to add this little power house to my battery collection. I really haven’t found any problems with the battery and I hope the AUKEY makes more products like this one. 

For more details, visit AUKEY, Facebook, and Twitter.

A few years ago, when I was traveling a lot more, I was always at a loss about what chargers to take with me. Since I had an iPhone, laptop, Apple Watch, and AirPods, I just couldn’t decide what the best option was. For the longest time, I would just take a bunch of cables with me and then plug in and out cables to charge my phone, watch, and whatever else. While this works, it’s not ideal. These days, having a battery with enough oomph to get my devices powered and ready to go is the best option. That’s why I’m glad that I now have the Powerstation All-in-one from Mophie.

DETAILS

The Powerstation All-in-one is a 8,000 mAh wireless portable battery that features a built-in Apple Watch charger. It’s designed to work with the AirPods Pro, AirPods (with wireless charging case), Apple Watch, and iPhone. In addition to the built-in Apple Watch charger, the Powerstation has a wireless charging pad, a USB-A, and a USB-C port included. The battery recharges using the USB-C port. It does come with a short USB-C to USB-A charging cable. Mophie refers to this battery as the “Swiss Army knife of Portable Chargers.” The wireless charger provides up to 5W of power for compatible devices and the USB-C port can deliver up to 18W of power. 

USER EXPERIENCE

As is the case with most Mophie products, the battery comes in a very nice retail package. There is a clear image of the product on the front, which is always reassuring to the buyer because you know what to expect. There are some details called out like the fact that the battery can provide up to 42 additional hours of battery life for connected devices. Inside the box are the battery, a quick start guide, and a USB-C cable for charging. The quick start guide is really just an illustrated walkthrough of how to place your devices so they get a proper charge. 

The battery is close to the same size as a modern smartphone. I laid my iPhone 12 Pro next to it and while the iPhone is a bit wider and shorter, the battery and phone stack nicely together for transport. There is a silicone border around the top edges of the battery. I assume that Mophie product designers placed it there to keep phones from sliding off while charging, but in my opinion, this semi-sticky surface is just a collection plate for dust and lint. I personally like to throw batteries like this into my pocket when I’m on the go. This silicone border gets dirty really quickly. 

As far as performance goes, I thought the Powerstation was adequate. The Apple Watch charger is designed to be used for the watch to lay flat or in nightstand mode. I have the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6 and have a Sports Loop as the band. I tried to place the loop around the body of the battery so that the watch could charge while laying flat. At first, I had an issue with the charger sitting too low to make a connection. After I press the watch body down, the magnetic charger connected quite easily and I didn’t have any lost connections after that. The charger also worked very well in nightstand mode. In addition to charging the watch, I also charged my iPhone 12 Pro using the wireless charging pad. The charging results are in the table below. Strangely enough, both the phone and watch gained the exact same percentage during the time they were charging.

I was very happy with the performance and overall design of the device, but there was one concerning factor that I experienced while using it. When I pressed the power button to either activate the charging capabilities of the device or to check how much power is available (indicated by the 4 LEDs on the side of the battery), I heard a buzzing/humming sound that was audible throughout the entire battery. The sound would go away once it went into standby mode. To me, it sounded like an electrical noise, but I didn’t notice any decrease in performance or problem with heat. 

CONCLUSION

With the exception of the strange noise the battery makes and the silicone border that collects dust, I’ve been very happy with the Powerstation. It’s a great option for travel and I’m looking forward to being able to use it for that purpose. The design of this power bank is something I’ve been looking for for a long time and I think it will be very useful to a lot of people.

For more details, visit Mophie, Facebook, and Twitter.

Portable, Packable, and Practical. Enjoy 60W output from the Crave 20,000 mAh single output USB-C PD and dual USB-A outlet battery.

Nobody can deny that tech has continued to experience an expanded role within our daily lives. As we use tech more frequently, we continue to find ourselves requiring a source of power. If you are at home, you can try to play the power cord Tetris game and find a spot on your wall to charge. If you are in your vehicle, you can enjoy a variety of charging options. But, what about when we are on-the-go? For those cases, portable batteries add a substantial degree of flexibility. After testing dozens of batteries on numerous overnight and weekend campouts, I have found that 10,000-20,000 mAh batteries provide the best power : weight ratio. When hiking or trekking, or when needing to carry weight for any reason, every ounce adds up. For that reason, I try to keep the battery weight under a pound and within the 10,000-20,000 mAh range. As you get bigger/heavier batteries, you may gain added features such as wireless charging or included power cables. Personally, I want the lightest weight with the maximum output capacity possible. The Crave Plus Pro may just be that device you did not know you needed.

The Crave Plus Pro Battery Arrived in a 4 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/8 inches tall by 1 1/2 inches thick retail package. The main focal point of the cover was the 3 3/16 inches wide by 7 inches tall image of the dark grey/black battery upon a pristine white background. The Crave “Plus PRO” logo contrasted equally as much against the battery as the battery against the outer background. Along the bottom of the battery image, you will see QC3.0, QC3.0, and PD IN/OUT, and along the bottom of the panel, you will find a battery icon with a lightning bolt, labeled “External Battery Charger.” Turning to the side panels, you will find the Crave Plus Pro name emblazoned upon the white background. Similarly, the top and bottom panels displayed the same information, a lightning bolt Fast Charge IC icon, and a 20,000mAh battery icon. The rear panel, likely the most useful of them all, provided the product specifications (20,000 maH 76W capacity, 3-4 hours charging time, 14-104 degree F operating temp, Li-Polymer battery type, Type-C input 5V/3A 9V/2A 12V/2A 14.5V/1.5A 20V/1.5A 30W), output information (USB-A 1.2, Fast Charge IC 3.0, 5V-12V/3A Max, Type-C PD 5V-14.5V/3A 20V/2.25A 45W), a labeled diagram of the model CRVPB20P1 Battery, an SKU barcode, the Crave Direct Instagram/email/Facebook addresses, and product manufacturing labels. The oblique image of the battery labeled the dual USB-A QC 3.0 ports, the Type-C IN/OUT, the Power button, and the Power Indicator.

After removing the thin outer plastic wrap, and then the lid, I reviewed the material on the inner surface of the lid. Similar to my recent Crave USB-C to USB-C cable review, the company provided an attractive octagonal array of information (American Owned, Quality, Best Customer Support, Best Value, Environmentally Responsible, Leading Technology, 100% Satisfaction, Warranty). The lower half of the panel displayed a nice paragraph about the company and repeated the crave direct Instagram, website, and Facebook addresses. Within the lower half of the box, you will find the 16.08-ounce Crave battery. I removed the 7 inches tall by 3 1/4 inches wide by 3/4 inches thick battery from the plastic white shell and found a few items hidden beneath the battery. First, within the middle cutout, the company provided a four-panel instruction manual and a small 18-month product registration card. Cut into the lateral borders, you will find grooves containing a 1 1/2 inches long USB-C to USB-A adapter and a 12 inches long USB-C to USB-C black braided cable. Both the adapter and the cable had silver prongs, black bodies, and a silver-font “CRAVE” printed onto the side. To test the strength of the neck segments, I gripped each end of the cable and bent them back and forth fifty times. I repeated the process by bending the cable side to side as well. I felt that the cable length was perfect and I felt that the inclusion of the adapter was quite considerate. However, I would have preferred that the company included a carry bag or some method to attach the needed cables to the battery.

Starting with my iPad Pro 11″ at 41% at 7:41, I plugged my DROK USB-C multimeter into the battery and the Crave 12-inch braided cable between the battery and iPad Pro. The multimeter read 14.1V/1.32-2.55A and by 7:46PM the iPad Pro increased to 45%. Throughout the testing process, the multimeter continued to fluctuate. I added a second DROK USB-A multimeter into the USB-A QC3.0 port and then plugged my iPhone 11 Pro Max into the multimeter. The USB-A multimeter read 4.86V/1.84A while the USB-C multimeter read 14.1V/2.2-2.5A. While my phone increased from 46-48%, my iPad increased to 53%. By 8:01 PM my phone was at 53%, while my iPad was at 60%. I allowed the battery to power both my phone and my iPad and watched a little television and reviewed the instruction manual. The first panel of the instruction manual reproduced the product specifications, provided a box inclusion list, and a list of “what can be charged? (laptops with USB-C port, all mobile phones, tablets, and many miscellaneous devices). While charging the two devices, I watched the side power capacity. According to the manual, while charging three items at once, you can expect 5V output from both USB ports and 45W PD output from the USB-C port. While charging two devices you can expect QC3.0 output from USB-A and 45W from the USB-C port. If you use both USB-A ports, you can have 5V output x2 for a max of 24W. By 8:20 pm my phone was at 65%, while my iPad was at 75%. By 8:32 my phone was at 72% and my iPad was at 84%. By 8:46 my iPad was at 92% and my phone was at 78%. By 9 PM my iPad was at 97% and my iPhone was at 85%. By 9:10 PM my iPad was full and my iPhone was at 90%. By 9:30 both devices were full and the battery had 2 lights remaining.

After filling my iPad and my iPhone once, I plugged the Crave cable into my MacBook Pro 15″ and into the USB-C Multimeter. The multimeter read 19.5V/2.18A, and I was able to gain another 15% power on my MacBook before the battery was emptied. I recharged the battery overnight using the included USB-C and found the device was able to charge my Nintendo Switch. Assuming 80% efficiency, the 16000mAh of power should be able to charge an iPhone 11 Pro Max 3046 mAH battery nearly four times, and the 7812 mAh iPad Pro 11″ battery just over twice. I found that I was able to charge my iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPad Pro 11″, in a similar manner as above, twice. The only negative feature that I could find about the battery was the lack of a carry bag/case to keep the USB-C cable and adapter. The 3.5 hour charging time, the 1-foot cable, the three USB outputs, and the 60W total power output proved to be more than adequate. If you want a battery to keep your smartphone powered for several days to a week, look no further than the Crave Plus Pro. For under $100, the company is providing a great product for the price.

Learn More about the Crave Plus Pro battery.
Follow Crave on Facebook and Twitter.

Enhance your campout or hike with the highly portable PowerCore II from Anker.

My 11-year-old son has progressed through Cub Scouts and is now a Scout within the Scouts BSA. This past weekend, we loaded up our cars and caravanned to Shiloh, TN to tour the Shiloh National Military Park. As a group of 20 strong, we set up camp and enjoyed the camaraderie/camp atmosphere. We got up early on Saturday morning, made breakfast, loaded our hiking backpacks with the essential items, and set off for the starting point at Shaw’s Store. With compass in hand, we started the 40 point monument adventure. As an example, we started at the concrete marker near Shaw’s store. The instructions told us to hike 58 degrees for 1900 feet to a red plaque for the 2nd and 7th Arkansas Infantry in the woods on the west side of Seay Field. Counting steps and navigating via compass, we trekked through the woods, over the open battlefield, and perused the instructional signs. If you are a fan of military sites, of history, or simply like to visit cool places, I would definitely recommend that you take a trip to Shiloh.

Combined with a tent-camping experience, dutch-oven cooking, the educational weekend proved to be a blast. I took several pictures of the hike, of the kids enjoying the historical cannons/museum, and used the compass app on my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Without power at my campsite, I needed a portable option to keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max charged. To cut down on weight, I purchased an amazing lightweight portable charger from Anker. The Anker PowerCore II 10,000mAh battery arrived in a petite 3 15/16 inches square by 1 inches thick box. At first glance, you will notice the blue ANKER title along the top right of the cover panel and the PowerCore II 10000 name along the lower left of the panel. However, upon closer inspection, you will notice a detailed, slightly raised tech-like design hidden against the white backdrop. This added feature extended onto every surface of the packaging and enhanced the overall feel of the box. Both side panels provided the blue Anker name and listed “Charge Fast, Live More” motto, while the top and bottom panels remained unadorned. The back panel had a sticker-seal along the top, which thanked the user for choosing Anker. Additionally, the panel provided two icons (Faster Charging with Industry-Leading Technology, and 20 Million+ Happy Users and Counting) along the top, the PowerCore II 10000 name, the A1230 model number, that the device was an external battery/portable charger, the product manufacturing labels an SKU sticker, and trademarking information. To access the battery, I cut the tape along the top of the panel, lifted the flap, and then slid the inner box out of the outer shell. I loved the white on blue theme and was pleased to find the inner box used the same blue coloring as the “ANKER” name on the outer packaging.

I lifted the lid of the inner box and removed the 2 7/16 inches wide by 3 3/4 inches long by 3/4 inches thick, plastic-wrapped, battery. Within a secondary compartment, I found a 23 1/2 inches long USB-Micro to USB-A cable and a 3 5/8 inches wide by 5 1/4 inches tall black-mesh, drawstring travel pouch. Like the cover paneling, the travel pouch was more than it appeared. The outer fishnet layer was matched with an inner fine mesh layer and provided a rather ingenious protective layer for the battery, both scratch and impact resistant. The bag may have been a little bigger than it needed to be, weighing in at 0.21 ounces. Since every ounce adds up, they could have eliminated nearly 1/2 inch of material from the top and side of the bag. This change would s/till allow the battery to stand upright within the outer shell. As it stands, you could turn the battery sideways and still nearly fit another battery within the bag. I liked that the included bag was big enough to include the charging cable because some companies forget to include that within their designs. Fully packed the 0.21-ounce travel bag (with blue ANKER fabric tag), the 6.80-ounce battery, and the 0.45-ounce charging cable weighed 7.51-ounces.

The front panel of the black ANKER 10000 man battery showcased the matte-black, etched, ANKER name inline with the axis of the battery. On the opposite side of the cover, you will find a 9/16 inches diameter power button. The sides of the battery, like the front and back panels, had a ribbed texture instead of a smooth finish. The grippy texture enhanced the feel within my hands and seemed to reduce the chances of a drop. The bottom panel provided the product manufacturing labels, the product PowerCore II name, the battery size, model number, and specifications: 10050 mAh/3618Wh, PowerIQ 2.0 input 5V/2A 9/2A ~18W, PowerIQ 2.0 Output 5V/3A 9V/2A, 12V/1.5, and the ANKER name. The top panel provided a blue USB-A output port and a blue USB-micro input port. Although the device did not employ USB-C technology, you will be hard-pressed to find a lighter 10,000 mAh battery.

The lightweight device was perfect for its portability and was an ideal candidate for my recent campout due to the palmable/pocketable size. Using a standard Apple USB-A to Lightning cable and a DROK USB-A multimeter, I tested the output of the battery. With the battery fully charged, I plugged the DROK USB-A cable into the sole power-out port on the battery. I plugged a lightning cable into the multimeter and then into my iPhone 11 Pro Max. The 3969 mAh battery charged at approximately 1% per minute, at a rate of 5.02V/2.06A. Assuming 80% efficiency, the 10,000 mAH battery should provide approximately 8000mAh of battery power. The company website promised 3 full charges for an iPhone 8 (1821 mAh), or 2 charges for an iPhone X (2716mAh Battery). Thanks to the 3969 mAh Anker PowerCore II Battery, I was able to charge my iPhone 11 Pro Max twice from about 25% to full power. Compatible with most USB devices, the battery was designed for portability rather than technology superiority. It does not have a USB-C output, it does not support Power Delivery “PD” fast charging for Apple devices, it does not support passthrough charging, nor does it provide full-speed charging for some USB-C devices. However, you can fully charge the battery in about 3 hours and it complies with aviation portable battery requirements, which will allow you to pack the battery into a carry-on bag.

When it comes to portable batteries, bigger is not always better. I have several 20,000 mAh batteries and a 250W Power Station. Unfortunately, with the increased power and increased capabilities, you gain a significant amount of weight. Coupled with the portable bag, the Anker PowerCore II can easily fit into a cargo pocket, into an admit cubby in a backpack or into a shirt pocket. If you want to attach the device to the outer webbing on a backpack, you can purchase a $10 upgraded Hermitshell Hard Travel Case for the Anker PowerCore II battery. Adding 2.68 ounces to the battery/charging cable, the clamshell case/battery weighed a total of 9.8-ounces. If desired, simply clip the included carabiner to a belt loop, to your backpack, or to a a jacket. I liked that the accessory was available, I liked the $10 price point of the case, and I loved that you could decide for yourself if the upgrade was worth the $10. As an overall investment, I feel that $30 was more than reasonable for the 10,000 mAh battery/case. For day hikes and short camping trips, I do not think you will find a better value for weight/cost.

Learn more about the Anker PowerCore II 10000mAh battery.
Follow ANKER on Facebook and Twitter.

High-speed charging in a compact case.

I have a small obsession with power banks. I hate being left with a dead device – especially my phone. I think this feeling goes back to a time when I was stranded on the side of the road with my mom and brother with no way to communicate with my dad. It was the 1990s so cell phones were not a regular occurrence for people to have. We did have an old-fashioned car phone, but it ran off of the car battery and the car was dead. So, at this point in my life, I like to have a backup battery always on hand. I think that’s why I have a collection of them now. The newest addition to that collection is the 10000mAh Power Bank from BC Master. It’s a hard-working, slim battery that’s a good compliment for any mobile phone.

DETAILS

The 10000mAh Power Bank from BC Master is an 18W portable battery with power delivery as a feature. USB Power Delivery has the ability to negotiate power output over a USB Type-C connection to many different types of devices so that they safely receive a charge. The battery has three ports on it – Micro USB (Input), USB-A (Output), and USB-C (Input/Output). The unit is capable of Quick Charge 3.0 if the device can handle it. The battery is designed to be ultra-compact and scratch-resistant so that it can travel anywhere. With a capacity of 10,000mAh, the battery is capable of charging any iPhone 11 model, the iPad Air, or Samsung Galaxy devices. The power bank has built-in safeguards against overcharging, excessive current, and overheating. The package contains the power bank, USB-A to USB-C cable, and a user manual.

USER EXPERIENCE

The power bank ships in a simple brown cardboard box. The front of the box has an outlined illustration of the product along with the brand name (BC Master) and the product name (10000mAh Power Bank with Power Delivery 3.0 and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0). The back of the box has the model number (BCBM-001) stamped on it in the top right-hand corner. Aside from that, there are contact details on the back. These details include a website address, but it doesn’t lead anywhere. The company does, however, have an active Facebook page.

Out of the box, the battery had a 50% charge. I used the opportunity to plug my iPhone 11 Pro into it and charge it up. The battery is just a little bit smaller in size than my iPhone and tucks away nicely behind it while the phone is connected with a short cable. I was very impressed with how quickly the iPhone recharged. When I started charging it the phone was sitting at 78%. After almost 50 minutes, the battery had gained 20% more power. The charging rate ended up being 0.42% battery life per minute. The power bank did not heat up at all and neither did the phone while it was charging.

CONCLUSION

As far as power banks go, this one from BC Master is a really nice option. It’s durable, charges devices quickly, and is easy to carry with you anywhere thanks to its slender figure. The power bank retails for around $25 (at the time of publishing) and is a good value at that price. I would recommend this to others looking for a solid option for chargers.

For more information, visit Facebook.

A worthy option for remote power, but needs updates to product information.

In the world we currently live in, you have to be flexible — adaptable — and you have to be ready to work remotely at a moment’s notice. So, what happens when you have to grab a laptop with only 20% left to work in a remote location? We all know that 20% goes really quickly and then you are left with a brick and no way to continue working. This is what the RAVPower PD Pioneer 20,000mAh 65W 2-Port Power House was designed for. 

DETAILS 

The Power House is a large capacity portable battery that is built specifically to charge laptops. It offers a 2-prong AC outlet with a power supply on/off indicator. This AC outlet is designed for devices that require up to 50W of power. With the 65W Power House you also have the option to charge two devices simultaneously. The charging tower houses a large capacity battery of 20,000mAh, which is enough to charge  an iPhone 11 Pro 6.5 times. The 65W Power House features advanced protection and keeps connected devices from overcharging, short circuiting, and power surges. The USB-C port provides 5V/3A of output power delivery to connected devices. 

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

The Power House comes in a standard RAVPower white and green box. There is no image or illustration of the product on the box, but the name “RAVPower PD Pioneer 20000mAh 65W 2-Port Power House” is printed on the front. The box doesn’t provide a lot of information about the product, but it does include the model number and some contact information for RAVPower. Inside the box, you will find a travel case (semi-hardshell) that contains the Power House, USB-C charging cable, travel pouch, and user manual. 

Usually, this is the point where I leave the unboxing process and move into the testing phase of my reviews. But, with the Power House, I had a few quality control issues that were discovered and because it mainly has to do with how the item was packaged and/or listed on RAVPower’s website, I thought this was the best place to discuss. 

User Manual: As I began writing out the device’s details and features, I was looking at the user manual that was included with the Power House. At one point, I flipped it back to the cover and noticed that the user manual actually belonged to the 80W version of the RAVPower Power House charger. What is particularly deceiving is that both versions of the Power House have the same model number (RP-PB054). 

Lack of DC Charger: As I was reviewing the information on the product page for the 65W Power House I noticed that the information on RAVPower’s website about the 65W Power House indicated that the devices come with a DC charger. “The 19V/1.6A DC input allows for faster recharging than almost any other portable charging device.” It does not. The way you recharge the device is to plug in the USB-C cable into the USB-C port and then plug the other end into a wall charger (not included). 

What’s Included List: The list of items included in the package varies depending on the source. The product page for the 65W Power House does not include any list while the 80W version does. The user manual for both versions of the Power House do list out items, but they are incorrect. The 65W user manual (found online through RAVPower’s website) states that it should come with 2 Micro USB cables and the 80W user manual doesn’t mention the storage case. As it turns out the list from the 80W Power House product page on RAVPower’s website is correct. 

• 1x RAVPower Portable Power House (RP-PB054)
• 1x USB-C to USB-C Cable (60cm/23.6in)
• 1x Carrying Pouch
• 1x Storage Box
• 1x User Guide

Capacity: The box, user manual, and product all indicate that it’s a 20,000 mAh capacity, but the product descriptions on the RAVPower website state it is a 20,100 mAh capacity battery. 

FORM

One of the things I was first struck by was the size of this device. Yes, it is designed to be able to charge laptops, but I still found its case to be extraordinarily large. It measures more than 6 inches high and weighs almost 2 pounds. To me, that’s not the most ‘portable’ battery. Now, I do want to know that the Power House has an internal fan to help keep its heat regulated. The fan kicks on when a device is connected and begins charging. There don’t appear to be any specs about the fan or its operation in the user manual or on the product page. I do like that there are two different LED indicators on this devices — one to indicate the power level (5 blue LEDs on the side of the tower) and one to indicate the AC outlet on/off operation. I like the easy access there is to the ports and outlet and the soft feel of the exterior of the charging tower. 

FUNCTION

When it comes to function of the the Power House, I’ve been pretty impressed. In order to charge a device, you simply plug it into one of the ports (USB-C or USB-A) and the device will automatically start charging. As I noted above, the fan will also kick on inside the case of the Power House. To use the AC outlet, you do have to press/hold the Power button for 3 seconds until the green on/off indicator light comes on. Once you are done charging from that outlet, you simply press/hold the Power button again until the light turns off. 

Charging the Power House was a little bit of a challenge at first because there is no wall adapter included with the unit. According to the 65W manual, a 24V/1A power adapter is required to charge the Power House. The 80W manual states that a 30W PD 3.0 charger is required. I pulled out the RAVPower PD Pioneer 90W 2-Port  USB-C Wall Charger and attempted to charge it directly from a wall outlet. The Power House never got above 40% according to the LED indicators. Even though the 90W wall charger should have provided more than enough power for this task, I pulled out a 65W wall charger with PD and the Power House charged right up. 

When it came to charging devices, I decided to try charging my 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro. This machine requires a 61W power adapter and it was on the compatible list on RAVPower’s website. So, I charged the Power House to 100% and then plugged my laptop in to charge using the USB-C port first. I let it charge for approximately 60 minutes and then calculated the charging rate at 0.52% per minute. I did notice around the 43 minute mark that the power indicator on the Power House dropped to 4 and then 11 minutes later, it dropped to 3, which meant the battery was between 41-60% power level. 

Next, I plugged the laptop into the AC outlet using a wall charger and charged it for approximately 32 minutes. During that time the LED indicator dropped to level 1 meaning there was 20% or less battery life left. The charging rate was much better with the AC outlet at 0.9% per minute. While I was charging the laptop, I was still working on it, but I wasn’t doing anything that was too power-hungry. I was doing moderate tasks like word processing, internet browsing, and listening to music. I also had a USB-C hub plugged in with two dongles attached for my wireless keyboard and mouse. While these things might have affected the charging rate, I don’t think it would have dragged it down too badly. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Despite the quality control issues I found when it came to product details, the Power House is an intriguing charging device. It does what it is designed for — charging laptops – but it does seem a bit large for extensive travel. I do appreciate the built-in fan to help dissipate heat (and it works!), which I’m sure contributes to the size of the device. While I would like to recommend this to people who frequently work remotely, I’m hesitant to do so because of the inaccuracies of the information available on the product. If RAVPower can reevaluate the information provided for the device and ensure that it’s all accurate, then this is a wonderful option for travelers and those who work remotely. 

For more details, visit RAVPower, Facebook, and Twitter.

Amazing design, but inconsistent charging.

Batteries come in all shapes and sizes and I’ve come to truly appreciate the ones that are the most compact. It’s like the old adage, “the best camera is the one you have with you.” Well, I feel the same way about portable chargers and batteries. If you can’t carry it with you easily then what good is it? This is what appealed to me most about the IonGo 5K Duo — it’s compact size. 

DETAILS

The IonGo Duo is a powerful battery that has a capacity of 5,000 mAh. The term ‘duo’ in the name comes from the fact that the battery wields two built-in cables — a Lightning and a USB-C extension. The power bank is covered with vegan leather paired with a magnetic closure. The IonGo Duo is designed to provide approximately 100% more battery life for your iPhone or Android phone, but it can be used to power other items as well. The battery works as a pass-through charger, too. You have the option to charge both the battery and a connected device at the same time with this feature. The IonGo Duo uses the same battery technology that is available in the latest electric vehicles. The cells are optimized for charging, discharging, and low internal resistance. The battery pack is guaranteed to work with your iPhone, iPad, or other devices with a Lightning port thanks to its MFi certification. The USB-C cable supports up to 15W of output power delivery for connected devices.

SPECS

• 5,000 mAh capacity
• Built-in Lightning and USB-C cables
• iOS and Android friendly-battery to charge both devices at the same time
• Pass-through charging tops up your phone and battery at the same time
• Advanced cell technology used in electric vehicles
• Compact and stylish: crafted from soft vegan leather and anodized aluminum
• MFi-certified by Apple
• Weight: 4.16oz
• Dimensions: 3.50″ x 2.01″ x 1.10″
• DC Output – Lightning: 5 V / 2.4 A USB-C: 5 V / 3 A
• DC Input – USB-C: 5 V / 3 A

COMPATIBILITY: Made for iPhone , iPad

iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6

iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad (7th generation), iPad (6th generation), iPad (5th generation)

USER EXPERIENCE

As I mentioned above, the compact nature of the IonGo 5K Duo is what first caught my eye with this battery. It’s a smaller capacity power bank, but with 5,000 mAh, it’s still plenty to keep my iPhone’s battery full. The battery comes in a simple, but an elegantly designed box. It has the Moshi branding included along with images of the product on the front. There are a few details about the product and its functions on the back of the box, but it’s not the full specs. 

When you take the IonGo out of the box, you will also find a quick start guide. Even though the battery is essentially plug-n-play as far as operation goes, I found the QSG pretty handy. For one thing, it describes how to read the LED indicator on the power button. This is actually one thing I would change about the battery. I much prefer being able to see the battery’s charge level by individual LEDs, but Moshi simply added a single LED in the power button that changes colors as the battery level decreases. When I took the battery out of the box, it was green, which means it was between 80-100% full. After I charged my iPhone and iPad for close to an hour, it was showing an orange light, which means it was anywhere between 20-80% full. To me, that’s a pretty big range.

To recharge the battery, you simply plug the USB-C cable into a power adapter or USB-C port on a computer. I do like this functionality as it eliminates a secondary charging cable/port for the power bank. The only thing I don’t like about this is how the cables fold into the IonGo. It’s designed to have the Lightning cable lay on top of the USB-C cable when the cover is closed and wrapped around the battery. To me, I think the USB-C cable should be on top so that when you are done charging, you can just tuck that cable away and close the cover of the battery without having to jockey the cables around. 

So, how well does the IonGo 5K Duo work as a charger? Honestly, the jury is still out on this one. Over the years, I’ve come to respect Moshi’s products and really like the style at which they bring things to market. Unfortunately, I’ve found the IonGo 5K Duo to be an incredibly inefficient charger. The first test I did was to plug in both my iPhone 11 Pro and my iPad Pro (2nd Gen). Both devices are listed as compatible on Moshi’s website. I expected both devices to charge slower than normal, but I wasn’t expecting a 0.17% per minute charge on the iPhone or a 0.26% per minute charge on the iPad. After charging both those items for almost an hour, I unplugged the iPad to see how quickly the iPhone would charge on its own. As it turns out, it was a slower charge. I got a charging rate of 0.13% per minute. I decided to charge the battery overnight so that it was at 100% before trying to charge the iPhone one more time. After a 15-minute testing charge session, the iPhone had gained 0% battery charge from the IonGo 5K. That said, I plugged the battery pack into an older iPad (5th gen) that was dead and it immediately powered on after being connected to it.

I’m still not 100% sure what happened with that iPhone charging session, but a couple days later, after the IonGo Duo had been fully charged, I tried again. After 30 minutes the phone gained 9% battery for a charging rate of 0.3% per minute, which is much closer to what I’ve seen with other portable batteries.

CONCLUSION

As much as I love the design of the IonGo 5K Duo, I have some doubts at how well it charges iPhones. I don’t know if the issues had to deal with this specific unit and how it was working with my particular iPhone or if it’s a product-wide issue. It’s also entirely possible that the issues I had were a fluke. I do love how well it seemed to work with the two different iPads I charged and it’s incredibly convenient because of its size. Given the issues I had with it, I’m not sure I would recommend the IonGo 5K Duo at its current price ($75 at the time of writing this review), but if it were offered at a discount, I think it would be a great option for mobile device users.

For more information, visit moshi.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

One power bank to rule them all.

How many devices do you use throughout the course of a day? Two…three…more? At the end of that day, do you find yourself scrambling to plug your phone and tablet into charging devices? What if you could charge all your devices from one power bank? This is what the Power Bar attempts to do by providing a 3-in-1 multi-device charging dock.

DETAILS

The Power Bar is a USB-C Wireless Power Bank with Apple Watch Charger built-in. There are multiple types of chargers within the Power Bar including a wireless power bank that has two wireless charging spots, an Apple Watch charger, and a USB-C charger. The USB-C power delivery port provides 30W of output power to connected devices. The Power Bar features a total output of 53W. The wireless charging surface compatible with all Qi-enabled devices including Apple AirPods Pro.

SPECS

• Model number: CBWH30A
• Dimensions: 7.30 x 1.02 x 2.67 in
• USB-C output (PD 3.0): 30W Power Delivery
• Wireless output: 2x 7.5W Qi-certified
• Apple Watch output: 5W Apple MFI-certified
• USB-C input : 5V/3A, 9V/3A,12V/2.5A,15V/2A, 20V1.5A (PD30W)
• Total output: 53W
• Battery capacity: 10,000mAh
• Color: white

USER EXPERIENCE

The Power Bar comes in a nice retail package. The front of the box features an image of the power bank along with some major details of the product (i.e. 53W Fast Charge, Certified USB Charger 30W, Made for Apple Watch, etc.). The front flap of the box opens to reveal a clear plastic window that shows off the Power Bar. I always like when packages do this so you can see exactly what you are getting with your purchase. The back of the box includes specifications about the product including battery capacity and different types of charging that’s available with the Power Bar. The box specifically describes using the Power Bar to charge “All Your Apple Devices” including iPhone 8 and newer, AirPods – AirPods Pro, Apple Watch Series 4 and newer, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.

One thing I was really surprised about this product is its capacity. It’s impressive that Eggtronic made it possible for so many different devices to charge off of one power bank, but I really thought the capacity would be larger than 10,000 mAh. My main devices — Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Apple Watch Nike+ Series 4, 2016 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro with TouchBar, and Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (Gen 1) — exceed that capacity with one charge. So, if I were in a situation where all my devices were nearly dead, I wouldn’t be able to charge them all to full capacity. I say this because this type of power bank would typically join me on a weekend trip so that I wouldn’t have to pack multiple chargers for my devices. But, knowing that it’s maximum capacity is smaller than what is needed for my primary devices makes me think twice about depending on it for that purpose.

That said, I did attempt charging three devices — my iPhone 11 Pro, MacBook Pro, and Apple Watch — simultaneously to see how the Power Bar would handle that kind of power distribution. The first thing I did was to charge the Power Bar. Out of the box, it had a minimal charge and I wanted to make sure it was at 100% before I started charging my devices. Once it was, I plugged in my MacBook Pro, placed my iPhone on the wireless charging spot, and set my Apple Watch on the charging puck.

The first thing I want to note concerns the Apple Watch charging puck. The manual states that the puck should lift up. The instructions read: “lift up the push button until the spot rises up and place your Apple Watch on it.” I was unable to lift up the push button as the manual instructed so I just laid my Apple Watch on the puck flat. I would have preferred to be able to place it on an elevated charger, but I was able to charge the watch just fine on the flat puck. After 89 minutes, the PowerBar was able to charge my Apple Watch from 0% to 82%. That’s a charging rate of 0.92% per minute. This is slightly slower than other Apple Watch chargers I’ve tested, but still acceptable in my opinion.

Next, we move over to the iPhone. I placed it on the first of the two wireless charging areas on the Power Bar. The user manual doesn’t indicate the procedure for how to charge wirelessly, but I discovered that you have to tap the power button to activate the wireless charging pads. I had placed my iPhone on the charging area a couple of different ways, but the only way it started charging was to tap the power button. My iPhone finished charging approximately 60 minutes after I connected the iPhone to the wireless charging area. The iPhone had a partial charge to it when I started the charging process. That ended up being a charging rate of 0.17% per minute.

Finally, the MacBook Pro took 87 minutes to fully charge from 71% charge to 100%. I was using the laptop for a period of time while it was charging and that may have effected the charging rate, but I calculated it at 0.82% per minute.

CONCLUSION

While the Power Bar is a decent way to charge multiple devices at one time, it doesn’t seem to be the most efficient option. It does speed up when there are less devices connected to it and it works really well as an emergency charging device, but I wouldn’t use it as a primary charging option.

For more information, visit eggtronic.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

I’ve had different types of power banks for several years now and I’ve found that it’s always best to be prepared when you are on the go. In this day and age when everything is battery operated it’s always a good idea to have a backup ready and waiting to power your devices. Having so many devices that have different power requirements it’s hard to be able to carry just one power bank. AUKEY has launched a new high-capacity power bank that is designed to charge multiple devices at one time — the PB-Y24 65W PD Power Bank. 

DETAILS

The PB-Y24 65W PD Power Bank has a huge capacity of 26,800 mAh. That’s enough power to change an iPhone 11 Pro Max 5 times. As the name would suggest, the power bank provides 65W of power delivery output charging, which is enough to charge 13-inch MacBook Pros or a Google Pixelbook. The power bank has built-in safeguards to protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging. The package contains AUKEY PB-Y24 26700 mAh Universal Power Bank, USB-C to C Cable, User Manual, and 24-month product replacement warranty card. 

SPECS

• Model: PB-Y24
• Technology: USB Power Delivery 3.0; Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
• Capacity: 26,800 mAh 
• Battery Type: Lithium polymer
• Input: 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 3A, 15V 3A, 20V 2.25A
• Output: 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 3A, 15V 3A, 20V 3.25A
• USB-C Output: 5V 3A, 9V 2A, 12V 1.5A
• USB Output: 5V–6V 3A, 6V–9V 2A, 9V–12V 1.5A
• Max Power Output: 65W
• Dimensions: 6.46” x 3.4” x 1.18”
• Weight: 595g

USER EXPERIENCE

The power bank comes in a plain brown cardboard box with an illustration of the product on the cover on the box. There is no other information included on the box other than the contact information for Aukey and the model number of the device. When you open the box you will find the power bank nestled into a travel pouch, warranty card, user manual, and USB-C cable. The power bank comes wrapped in a plastic bag. When you pull the power bank out of its pouch you will find a sticker on the end that reads, “Caution: Only accepts power input via the USB-C In/Out Port.” 

There are 4-LED power indicator lights on the front of the power bank. Out of the box, the power bank had 3 LEDs lit up, which indicates that the battery had 75% of its capacity. The first charging test I ran was to plug the power bank into my laptop. I have a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro. It worked really well and gained approximately 0.4% battery percentage per minute. 

In addition to the MacBook Pro, I also tested the power bank by charging my iPhone 11 Pro. When I started charging it, it had 69% battery. When I charged the phone, I, of course, needed to use the USB-A port. The phone ended up charging at a rate of 0.44% per minute. Both of those charging rates are a little slower than some chargers, but decent for a power bank. 

CONCLUSION

The PB-Y24 65W PD Power Bank is a solid option for keeping multiple devices charged. It doesn’t overheat and it charges devices effectively and efficiently. It is heavy and that’s probably the only thing that I would change about this battery. I love that it has a power indicator and that there are multiple ways to charge devices. This AUKEY Power Bank is a great accessory to carry around. 

For more information, visit aukey.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Sleek, stylish power bank with impressive features.

While recovering from knee surgery, I found myself using my iPhone and iPad much more than usual. Most of the time, I was recuperating from the bed and unfortunately, there isn’t a power outlet close by. Since I was laid up, I turned to Mophie for my mobile charging needs. Because I was trying to keep both my phone and iPad charged, I opted to use the Powerstation Plus XL Wireless so that I could not only charge multiple devices at once, but I could also take advantage of the wireless charging capabilities of my iPhone 11 Pro Max.

DETAILS

The Powerstation Plus XL Wireless is a portable power bank with an integrated, fast-charging Lightning cable, wireless charging pad, and a USB-A port for output charging. The battery has an 8,000 mAh capacity and the integrated cable charges iPhone with up to 18W of power (get up to 50% battery in 30 minutes). The Powerstation XL can provide up to 42 extra hours for the iPhone and up to 7 extra hours for the iPad Pro. The integrated Lightning cable tucks away beneath a magnetic cover when it’s not in use. The power bank features a high-gloss top surface for a sleek, stylish look.

Tech Specs

• Warranty: 2 years
• Weight: 0.5 lb
• Capacity: 8,000 mAh
• Dimensions: 2.83 in x 5.89 in x 0.75 in
• Color Options: black, gray, navy blue, light pink

USER EXPERIENCE

Mophie does a nice job with packaging. There is always a nice image of the product on the front of the box and nice descriptions of the features on the front and sides. One of the reasons I appreciate mophie’s packaging is because it looks nice in a retail setting. While that might seem like an odd comment, I feel that attractive, eye-catching retail packaging is important to the overall experience a customer has with a product. Mophie does this very well.

When you open the package, you will find the power bank and a quick start guide. That’s it. Because Mophie included a built-in cable, they did not include a detached cable as well. With that in mind though, I think the packaging could be sized down a bit since the battery isn’t very large itself. The quick start guide includes safety guidelines in multiple languages and an illustrated instructional walkthrough of how to use the power bank. This is a handy guide to have, but I found it odd that the user manual (available for download on Mophie’s website) only includes safety information — and no additional product information.

Because this battery has the premium feature of an integrated wireless charging pad, I decided to test its charging rate first. I used an iPhone 11 Pro since it had just recently been used to test with a different power bank meaning I could directly compare the results. With the Mophie power bank, I charted the following results for the charging rates.

As far as the wireless charging goes, I thought the charging rate of 0.2% was on the low side. In comparison to the other recent test I did with a wireless charging power bank, the Mophie power bank was about 40% slower than the other brand. That said, I was very encouraged by the Built-in Lightning cable’s charging rate. It was nearly twice as fast as a standard USB-A connected Lightning cable. But, in comparison to the other recent test I did, it was 20% slower than the other brand’s power bank. Needless to say, after testing the charging rate and comparing it to the other power bank, I was a little disappointed at its performance. Where Mophie shines is in the quality department. I feel safer leaving my devices to charge with a Mophie battery where other brands I tend to watch with a close eye.

That said, I think the design of this battery is stunning. I love the classy finish it has and the fact that Mophie included a smooth silicone strip around the wireless charging pad so that phones don’t slip off of it. The glossy finish of the charging pad is a great touch and the magnetic cover for the built-in cable is awesome. I love how the cable tucks away and is hidden by the cover.

CONCLUSION

This Mophie Powerstation really helped me while I’ve been recovering from my surgery. I didn’t have to search for a Lightning cable and I was able to charge my iPhone and iPad off it with no problem. As I mentioned, I think it’s a little slow as far as charging rates go, but it does get the job done. The MSRP is around $100 (at the time of publishing this article), which is pretty high for a battery of this capacity, but given its features and Mophie’s reliability, I think it’s a worthy investment.

For more details, visit MOPHIE, Facebook, and Twitter.

Convenient charging in a compact package.

It’s my opinion that you can’t have too much portable power at your fingertips. I’ve tested dozens of batteries over the years and sometimes certain designs just stick out. When the AUKEY PB-Y32 came across my desk, I took notice of it right away. It has a slim design and includes all the major forms of charging options available — including wireless charging.

DETAILS

The AUKEY PB-Y32 provides up to 18W of power delivery. It will charge Qi-compatible devices and even wireless charging cases for earbuds. The battery has a non-slip surface built-in for ease of use when charging wirelessly. The battery has several safety features including excessive current protection, overheating protection, and overcharging protection. Users have the option of charging two devices at once with an 18W total output. The power bank uses USB Power Delivery, which is a universal multi-voltage charging standard that dynamically negotiates power output over a USB Type-C connection. This type of connection allows an iPhone 11 to charge up to 50% of its battery life in approximately 30 minutes.

SPECS

• Model: PB-Y32
• Technology: Qi, USB Power Delivery 3.0, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
• Capacity: 10000mAh/38.5Wh
• Battery Type: Lithium polymer
• Micro-USB Input: DC 5V/2A, 9V/2A
• USB-Input: Power Delivery 3.0; DC 5V/2A, 9V/2A
• USB-Output: Power Delivery 3.0; DC 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
• USB Output: Quick Charge 3.0; DC 5-6V/3A, 6-9V/2A, 9-12V/1.5A
• Wireless Charging Output: 5W, 7.5W, 10W
• Max Power Output: 18W
• Dimensions: 5.67″ x 2.64″ x 0.67″
• Weight: 227g/8.01oz

USER IMPRESSIONS

AUKEY does a nice job with packaging. It’s nothing flashy, but it gets the job done. Their box is just a brown cardboard package with an outlined illustration of the product on the cover. The name of the product is clearly printed above the image. Inside the box, the user will find the battery (wrapped in plastic), a short USB-C charging cable, a user manual, and a warranty card. The user manual includes instructions in six different languages.

The battery is just about the same size as my iPhone 11 Pro (length-wise) and it has a really nice non-slip surface on the top of it so that when you are charging, you don’t have to worry about the phone slipping off the top of it. I found the wireless charger to be quite convenient. I have a slim case on my phone, but some chargers still can’t charge the phone through it. I’m happy to say that the AUKEY PB-Y32 has been able to charge wirelessly without any problems. After testing, I ended up noting a 0.6% per minute charging rate.

The next test I performed was actually to charge the iPhone using a Lightning cable. I was glad that AUKEY included a USB-C to USB-C cable, but I have to admit that I was surprised that a standard USB-A cable wasn’t included. I didn’t expect a Lightning cable, but I thought there would at least be a Micro USB cable. So, before I started charging my iPhone with a cable connection, I dug out a Lightning cable from my collection and plugged it into the USB-A output port. I ended up receiving a charging rate of  1% per minute.

CONCLUSION

The AUKEY PB-Y32 Wireless Charging Power Bank is a really good option for charging efficiently. It’s a very versatile battery since it provides power using many different methods. The power bank has a sleek design and because it’s the size of a mobile phone, you can carry it anywhere.

For more information, visit aukey.com, Facebook, Twitter.

Fast, portable power designed with Apple devices in mind.

It never hurts to be prepared for extenuating circumstances when you leave the house. For me, that means having an alternative power source for my essential devices (i.e. iPhone, iPad, AirPods, etc.). The problem I often run into is finding a power bank that is powerful enough to charge those devices, but also compact enough to carry around — in my pocket if necessary. For years now, mophie has been my go-to company for portable batteries. So, when I started looking for a powerful portable battery with a small form factor that would work with my Apple devices, mophie was naturally the first place I turned. That’s how I got paired with the Powerstation with PD, a portable battery with USB-C fast charge.

DETAIL & SPECS

The Powerstation with PD is a fast-charging power bank. It’s designed to work with iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone Xs, iPhone XR, iPhone X, USB-C Devices, and USB-A Devices. It’s available in four different colors — black, gray, navy blue, and light pink. The battery has a capacity of 6000 mAh and provides 18W of PD through the USB-C port. The battery recharges using the Apple Lightning Port so that there is no need for a second cable. With the Powerstation you have the option to charge multiple devices using the USB-C and USB-A ports (the Lightning port is for input charging only). Mophie gives the Powerstation a stylish look and feel by covering the power bank with a premium fabric finish. The battery only comes with a quick start guide (a full manual is available for download). There are no cables included in the box with the battery.

Tech Specs

• Warranty: 2-year warranty
• Weight: 0.3350 lb
• Capacity: 6000 mAh
• Dimensions: 2.68 in x 5.12 in x 0.47 in

USER IMPRESSIONS

My first impressions of the battery were very good overall. Mophie always does a nice job with their packaging (lots of good information, clear image of the product on the front of the box, etc.) so I knew exactly what to expect when I opened the box. I was, however, surprised to find that there were no cables included with the batter. Usually, there is at least a charging cable included. I suppose it’s possible that since this power bank charges with Lightning (for consumer convenience) and I’ve never seen a Mophie-branded Lightning cable — that might be the reason why. With that in mind, I would have to say that the box is a little on the large side for just holding the battery and a quick start guide.

As far as how the battery feels — it actually feels like a small smartphone. It’s comfortable to hold in the hands and because it’s actually smaller than my iPhone 11 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro, it’s very easy to carry around. You do have to press/hold the power button for 3 seconds to enable the charging function on the battery, but other than that, there are no other hidden actions that need to be completed to use the battery. The USB-C port can be used for output or input charging.

The Powerstation does have a 4-LED power indicator on the side next to the power button. To view the battery status, simply press the power button once. The LEDs will flash through all four at first and then back down to the current battery level. When I took the battery out of the box, it was only showing 1 LED. The box does not indicate that the battery comes pre-charged, but I’m used to most power banks having at least 50% power out of the box. I plugged the battery in to charge for a while before testing the charging rate. Using a Lightning cable, it took a few hours to charge the battery to 100%.

To test the charging rate, I opted to use an iPhone 11 Pro. The battery capacity of an iPhone 11 Pro is 3,190 mAh. When I began this charging test, the battery of the iPhone was at 67%. First, I plugged the phone in using a Lightning to USB-A cable. I let the phone charge for 10 minutes and then switched to a Lightning to USB-C cable for charging. After 10 minutes of charging that way, I looked at the results. The charging rate for the Lightning to USB-A cable was 0.9% per minute and the charging rate for the Lightning to USB-C cable was 0.7% per minute. I was surprised to find the charging rate was that much slower using the USB-C cable, but it was still a respectable charging rate.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve been a fan of Mophie products for a long time and this powerful little battery is a welcome addition to my growing collection of power stations. I do wish that Mophie had included a cable for charging since the power bank can charge using USB-C or Lightning. At around $60 USD, it’s a good option for a compact, high-capacity battery that can charge multiple devices.

For more information, visit zagg.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Never leave home without it.

Be prepared. It’s the motto of so many different scouting groups and it’s a good lesson for life. Always be prepared. I like to think that I am prepared most of the time — especially when it comes to power. In our daily lives, we have devices that run off of batteries. Those batteries drain. So what happens when you are on your daily commute and your phone dies just before an important conference call? You pull out your portable battery, right? Well, what happens when your phone, Bluetooth headset, laptop, and the car won’t start right before that important meeting? That’s when you need the Powerstation Go from Mophie.

DETAILS & SPECS

The Powerstation Go is a portable power station that can serve as a jump starter for your car, USB charger, wireless charger, and even provide AC power to devices. This portable charging device is designed to provide power to a variety of sources as well as be able to fit in your glove box. In addition to the charging options, the Powerstation Go also has a built-in LED floodlight for emergencies. 

Tech Specs

• Input: DC 14V (0.85A)
• USB-A Output: 5V/2.4A
• AC Output: 116V 65W 60Hz
• Jump Start Output: 12V (400A)
• Wireless Output: 5V/1A
• Warranty: 2-year
• Weight: 1.64 lbs
• Capacity: 44,400 mWh 
• Dimensions: 7.17 in x 3.82 in x 1.65 in
• Colors: black, cobalt blue, gold, rose gold, camouflage, blue/purple

What’s in the Box

• Powerstation
• Carrying pouch
• Jumper cables
• Charging cable (Micro USB)
• Quick start guide

USER EXPERIENCE

There are lots of battery manufacturers out there, but you want to make sure that you find one you can trust. I’ve had excellent experiences with Mophie’s products for years now so it’s my portable power source of choice. The Powerstation Go is a great option to keep in your glovebox. In fact, Mophie designed it to be the correct size to store in a glovebox. I wouldn’t suggest leaving it in the car 100% of the time — especially in extreme hot/cold conditions. Those types of climates can wear down a battery and decrease its effectiveness over time. But, if you are going to be in your car for long periods of time or you are taking a trip, grab the Powerstation Go before you leave the house. 

The basic function of the Powerstation Go is, of course, charging devices. But, the fact that you can charge so much with one battery is the impressive thing. It’s a large capacity (44,400 mWh) battery. So, it can handle the power drain that several devices can cause. Each power output port is controlled by an individual power button that activates or deactivates the port. This is both a positive and a negative in my book. First, I love that each port has its own button because it means you have control over where the power is going. The downside is that if you pick up the battery in a certain way, you could accidentally tap one of those buttons without meaning to. 

Aside from that, I really love the design/operation of this giant battery. When it arrives, it’s in a fairly plain, brown cardboard box. The top of the box has the product name/description included and the main features are printed on the side of the box. When you open the box, the battery is sitting on the top layer. When you remove it, you will see a section of cardboard with the Mophie brandmark cut out of the top. The cables, instructions, and carrying pouch are all stored beneath this cardboard. Mophie also included a thin piece of cardboard with “mophie loves you” printed on it. 

To test out the battery, I did a couple of standard charging tests. I charged an iPhone 11 Pro using the wireless charger; I plugged a laptop into the AC port to see if the computer would be powered by it; I charged a set of AirPods and a 5th Generation iPad via the USB port; and, I tested the jump start feature on our riding lawn mower (both of our cars have new batteries).  The Jump Start worked great with our riding lawnmower. The mower had been sitting in our garage for the winter and we decided to use the Powerstation Go to give it a boost so we could start it before using it this spring. When I first attempted to start the mower, it wouldn’t turn over. So, I hooked up the Powerstation Go and tried again. It started right up.

The iPhone charged easily enough on the wireless charger, but I did run into a little bit of an issue when it came to the charger connecting through a case. I had a fairly standard case on the phone (nothing too thick) and it wouldn’t start charging right away when I placed it on the wireless area. I had to move it around to find ‘just the right spot.’ If I took the phone out of the case though, it worked flawlessly. I also tried charging an iPhone 11 Pro Max with a minimal case on it and it worked. 

When it came to charging the laptop, I plugged in a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro using its original Apple power adapter and charging cable. I immediately heard the familiar charging ‘ding’ when I plugged it into the Powerstation Go. I then checked the System Information on the computer to see how it was being powered. Under the “AC Charger Information” area, the computer indicated that it was connected to an AC charger and receiving 60W of power. But it was not charging the battery. So, it seems as though the AC port may not have enough power to charge a laptop battery, but it does have enough power to keep a laptop running. 

As for the USB charging ports, they seemed to charge the iPad and AirPods efficiently. The iPad charged at a rate of 0.3% per minute and the AirPods averaged a rate of 1.45% per minute. These rates track with other charging devices I’ve used in the past. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Powerstation Go is a charging workhorse that should be available for any type of commuter. I love the idea of this product even being provided for traveling positions (i.e. salespeople, recruiters, etc.) or anyone that spends a lot of time working remotely. While the cost of the device (around $160 at the time of publishing this article) is a little pricey, it’s not outrageous, in my opinion, considering how many features are built into the battery. 

For more details, visit Mophie, Facebook, and Twitter.

Durable, hefty, solar charge capable 15,000 mAh LiPo battery from Renogy.

Over the past five years, my two sons and I have enjoyed several weekend Cub Scouting camping events.  In addition to a tent, sleeping bag, a few days worth of clothing, a flashlight, and a water bottle, my sons bring along their Gadget Gizmos. I typically bring my iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 4 as well.  To keep our devices charged, I have relied upon portable batteries (10,000 mAh).  Unfortunately, there always seems to be someone who forgets to bring along a charger for their phone.  Furthermore, a scout is “..helpful, friendly, courteous, kind…” and I often feel the need to lend my battery to them.  Depending on the activities for the weekend, I may need more charge than a single battery can provide.  Without an available power supply, I turn to solar chargers to add a little more fun to the weekend. 

According to businessinsider.com, the amount of solar energy hitting the Earth each hour is more than enough to power the entire planet for an entire year.  It is estimated that each hour 430 quintillion joules of energy hit the Earth and humanity uses 410 Quintillion Joules per year.  To put this into a more understandable framework, I like to use the zebu.uoregon.edu website.  The sun bathes each square meter with roughly 164 Watts over a 24 hour day, which means the planet receives 84 Terrawatts of power per day.  Since the entire world only uses 12 Terrawatts per day, the sun is a very valuable source of energy.  Interestingly, solarpowerrocks.com showed an image of the United States with a small box filling ~1/8 the size of Utah.  At first it seemed that this was a large section, but the caption noted that the area would be enough to power the entire country for 1 year.  Imagine what we could do with a cheap, clean, inexhaustible energy source!  

The Renogy 15000mAh Power Bank arrived in a 4 3/4 inches wide by 6 11/16 inches long by 7/8 inches thick retail box.  I loved the use of the black background with the contrasting bold white “RENOGY” title across the upper left corner, “POWER BANK” along the bottom right corner, and the subdued grey “15000 mAH” just below the product name.  In addition to the black/white color scheme, I appreciated the splash of bold blue along the bottom rim.  Continuing the black on white theme, the back panel provided the product specifications along the top left: Solar Panel Power 2W, Solar Panel input 5V/400mA, Battery 15,000 mAh Li-Pro, 5V/2A input (micro-USB), output 5V/1A, 5V/2A, 6.3×3.1×0.7inch dimensions, and 0.64lb weight.   You will find a white SKU sticker and several of the typical product manufacturing labels along the bottom right.  The top, front, and side panels were devoid of writing/imagery.  Lifting the front flap, I found a plastic-wrapped 3 1/16 inches wide by 6 5/16 inches tall by 5/8 inches thick battery.  Hidden beneath the internal cardboard, I found a black carabiner with silver clip, a 20 inches long USB-A to USB-micro cable, and a 16-panel multi-lingual instruction manual.  

I removed the battery from the internal translucent plastic and examined the surface.  The front panel had a 2 1/2 inches wide by 5 3/4 inches tall octagonal solar charging array, with a surrounding plastic shell.  The top panel had two USB-A output ports, labeled “Out 1” and “Out 2,” flanking a 5V/2A USB-micro input port.  Just above the 5V/2A input port, you will find a bank of four blue LED, and a small lanyard attachment point (3/4 inches wide by 1/16 inches tall).  The rear surface had a 1 9/16 inches wide by 15/16 inches tall bank of 2 x 3 LED along the top, listed the product specifications along the middle, and provided a 2 5/8 inches long by 3/8 inches wide nylon lanyard along the bottom.  Prior to packing the battery into my backpack, I used the included USB-A to micro-USB cable to fully charge the battery (1.5 hour).  Assuming 80% efficiency, the 15,000 mAh RENOGY battery should charge my iPhone 11 Pro Max 3969 mAh internal battery roughly three times.  You can expect approximately 3.5 charges for the iPhone XS Max (3174 mAh), four charges for the iPhone 11 Pro (3046 mAh), 1.5 charges for the iPad Pro 11” (7812mAh), and 4.5 times for the iPhone XS 2658 mAh.  

To test the output of the battery, I plugged a DROK USB-C LCD Multimeter into the USB-A output port 1 and then plugged an Apple 1M USB-A to lightning cable into my iPhone 11 Pro Max.  I found the multimeter read 4.92V/0.98A.  I moved the multimeter to the USB-A Port 2 and the multimeter read 4.97V/0.98A.  Concerned with the rate of charge, I tried a second DROK USB-A multimeter and found the ports would not output any higher than 5V/1A.  I left my iPhone 11 Pro Max plugged into the 9.45-ounce battery and monitored the levels over time.  Starting at 6:13 am, with 18% power, my phone was at 20% by 6:19 am, 24% by 6:27 am, 38% by 7:05 am, 49% by 7:29 am, 62% by 7:59 am, 78% by 8:37 am, 96% by 9:38 am and was fully charged by 10 am.  I was a little disappointed with the rate of charge, since it is possible to fast charge the iPhone 11 Pro to 50% in 30 minutes, using Apple 18W, 29W, 30W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapters.  After testing the output, the LED battery indicator still had 3 blue LED.  I repeated the test and was able to charge my iPhone an additional 3 times.

I wanted to test the solar charging capabilities of the battery but I was unable to find a method to evaluate the rate of charge.  The four blue LED were not accurate enough for the purpose.  Interestingly, the instruction manual provided a notice: “The Solar Charger is only for emergency use, not a primary charging resource, it is recommended to charge faster by wall charger.”  After testing, I was concerned with the size, the weight, the rate of charge, and with the lack of USB-C input/output.  I wanted to enjoy the full 15,000 mAh but the lack of USB-C was concerning. Furthermore, the lack of dual 5V/2.1A ports was also concerning because that is essentially the current industry standard for USB powered devices. I appreciated the included carabiner, the carry strap, the included LED light, the shape of the battery, and the 15000 mAh battery size.   Additionally, I appreciated that the battery was The 2W solar panel worked best when placed perpendicular to the light source.  If you are going to use this device over time, I would encourage you to charge it up before going out and that if needed, you leave it in the sun as much as possible. 

For a low price of $24.99, this would be a reasonable spare battery to have on hand. Stay tuned for a review of the Renogy 5W and 10W Portable Solar Panel Charger.

Learn More about the Renogy 15000 mAh Solar Battery.
Follow Renogy on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep your devices charged with USB-A, USB-C, or Wireless Power.

As we enter into a new year and recover from another Christmas Holiday shopping season, our children will return to school, and our lives will return to a pre-holiday hustle-bustle.  Always on-the-go, it seems that my wife and I frequently require a portable power source for our iPhones.  Whether we are weekend-camping with the Cub Scouts, taking pictures/video at a school function, or just spending quality time together away from home, we tend to employ portable batteries.  We have utilized and reviewed a variety of devices and look for lightweight batteries with roughly 10,000 mAh of power.  Assuming 80% efficiency, the available 8000 mAh should charge an iPad Pro at least once, or the newer iPhones ~2.5x.  If a battery has less than our 10,000 mAh limit, it needs to have other features to offset the lack of power.  While the AUKEY 8000 mAh battery was on the smaller power side, it surprised me in several ways. 

The AUKEY 8000 mAh Wireless Charging Bank arrived in a 4 1/16 inches tall by 6 13/16 inches wide by 3/4 inches thick tan brown cardboard box.  Similar to my review of the AUKEY PD 18W Car charger, the packaging of the AUKEY portable battery felt a little bland.  The cover listed the “AUKEY” name along the top left, Qualcomm Quick Charge QC 3.0 along the top right, and the “8000 mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank with Power Delivery 2.0 and Quick Charge 3.0 product name just under the title.  The main visual point of the cover was the 3 5/8 inches long by 1 1/4 inches wide ink outline drawing of the 8000 mAh battery.  The top panel provided a short paragraph detailing the QC technology, while the bottom panel was left bare.  Both side panels displayed a recycling logo and “GO GREEN WITH AUKEY,” while the bottom panel listed the PB-Y25 model number, typical manufacturing labels, and the companies email/physical address. I removed the outer plastic, lifted the cardboard lid, and then slid the 6.87-ounce, opaque plastic-wrapped, battery out of the box.

Beneath the internal cardboard layer, AUKEY provided a black 20 1/2 inches long USB-C to USB-C cable, a 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 3/8 inches tall 24-month warranty card (with reverse AUKEY key sticker), and a 3 3/16 inches wide by 4 5/16 inches tall hexalingual instruction manual (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese).  Before using the battery, I plugged the included USB-C cable into the middle port of the battery (USB-C) and then into an AUKEY USB-C wall charger. The second panel of the instruction manual provided a useful table of the product specifications.  The 18W Model PB-Y25, 8000 mAh capacity, 29.6Wh battery accepts DC 5V/2A input via micro USB, as well as DC 5V/2A or 9V/2A via USB-C input.  The manual detailed the 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A USB-C output, and the Adaptive charging DC 5V/2.4A output 1, the DC 5V-6V/3A, 6V-9V/2A, 9V-12V/1.5A QC output 2, and the 5W Wireless output.   The 5 3/4 inches wide by 2 7/8 inches wide by 1/2 inches thick battery ( 147 x 75 x 14mm) had a blue-grey AUKEY stenciled on the front panel, while the product specifications and manufacturers labels were stenciled onto the back.  With the cover facing up, the power button and bank of four LED will be along the top of the panel located toward your left side, a micro-USB input port can be found along the top of the panel toward your right side, and you will find three USB ports along the top.  The port designated USB-1 was the port located closed to the USB-micro port, the port designated USB-2 (QC 3.0 Port) was closer to the left, and the USB-C port was located in the middle.  

After approximately thirty minutes, the four fully-illuminated green LED informed me that the charge was complete.  Weighing in at 198 grams/6.98 ounces, the black AUKEY battery promised 8000 mAh of power via USB-A, USB-C, or Wireless options. To test the output of the battery, I plugged a DROK USB-C Multimeter into each of the ports.  I plugged the USB-A prong of the DROK USB Multimeter into the USB-A Output 1 port (side closest to the Micro USB-input port), and then a USB-A to lightning cable into the multimeter/iPhone 11 Pro Max.  The multimeter read 5.04V/1.75A.  Starting at 37% power at 9:44 am, the phone increased to 40% by 9:49.  Several additional tests showed an increase of roughly 1% power every 2 minutes.  This rate of charge was similar to that found when charging via USB-A Output port 2 (4.80V/1.55A).  Starting with 40% power at 9:50 am, my phone had increased to 43% by 9:55.  As noted above, the 1% power gain every 2 minutes was quite repeatable.  Next, I plugged the USB-C prong of the DROK Multimeter into the USB-C output port and then a USB-C to Lightning cable into my iPhone 11 Pro Max.  The multimeter read 5.02V/2.39A and increased the power from 43% at 9:56 to 57% by 10:06am.  For the last test, I double pressed the power button and placed my iPhone upon the surface of the battery.  I allowed the phone to charge wirelessly from 10:06 through 10:20 and the pattern increased from 57% to 61%.  This method repeatedly charged my phone at roughly 1% every 3 minutes.  I read several of the reviews on Amazon and multiple stated that the wireless charging shut off after about 1-10 minutes. I was pleased to find that this battery did not shut off as others had encountered.

The 8000mAh battery should charge most modern smartphones from 50% to full about three times and should fully charge the 3969 mAh battery of an iPhone 11 Pro Max ~1.5-2 times.  After the above tests were complete, I still had 75% battery power (3 green LED) and I was pleased with the increase in power on my phone from 37% to 70%.  If speed is important to you, I would encourage you to grab a USB-C to Lightning cable to pair with this battery.  If convenience and portability are the most important aspects to you, then simply pack the battery into your bag and rely on wireless charging.  I was quite surprised that there was not an included LED flashlight with this battery, as many similar batteries have that feature.  Additionally, I found the lack of a carry bag/pouch to be disappointing.  I loved the included 20 3/4 inches long USB-C to USB-C cable but the setup did not provide any method to carry cables with the battery.  The charging output for the USB-A and USB-C ports was on par with those promised by the instruction manual and the lightweight 6.91 ounce weight ensured that the AUKEY battery found its way into my carry bag.  

Learn more about the AUKEY 8000 mAh Wireless battery.
Follow AUKEY on Facebook and Twitter.