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.