Lepow Moonstone Review
When I was approached by Lepow to write a review of their backup battery products, I have to confess that while I was flattered by the request because, as I was told, my 'reviews' tended to be fair and unbiased, it got me to thinking about how often I've really needed a reserve power source. My lifestyle tends to revolve around either a home office where I have abundant recharging resources, or travelling in my car where I likewise have chargers. Thus, I've never purchased one for myself thinking it was a low-priority item relative to a case or screen protector. Or so I thought.
Then it happened.
I found myself away from home, in the woods using Backcountry Navigator evaluating a 950 acre property without access to AC current for a USB charger and a phone that was gasping for air. There's an old saying popularized in a certain community which contends: "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." Thus I learned the hard way that having a reservoir of available juice to recharge the electronics we rely on so much nowadays is probably a good strategy.
This review will start with the Lepow 'Moonstone' 6000mah unit, but in fairness to other vendors who might wish to have their units evaluated, I will update the thread periodically to reflect my thoughts and viewpoints as they evolve.
First Impressions:
The representative from Lepow made a very clear point about mentioning their packaging, and I have to agree there has been a fair amount of thought they've put into the presentation and construction. I'm told that the carton and other materials are enviro-friendly, even down to what is commonly called Tyvek that wraps the unit. A quick snip releases the band which seems to anticipate a product merchandised on hang pegs at retail. In my case, I received the unit in a cardboard box which is likewise recyclable. If there's anything I really can't stand, it's the sealed heavy plastic blister packs that require a hacksaw to open. I'm getting too old and too cranky to have to fight with the item I just bought, so this was a welcome change.
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Included with the packaging is a very nice heavy felt case with elastic band in which you can slide the unit, the USB cable and even a couple other (flat) things if needed which will keep the Moonstone in good condition as it bounces around along with the other things you have in the console of your car, pocketbook or briefcase.
While the shape is very pleasant from a design standpoint, my intuition and experience tell me that this unit would have greater appeal with women than men. Shapes that mimic the phone (flat and rectangular) will likely have more popularity with the fellas as it would be easier to slip such a thing into a jacket pocket, where the softer rounded shape of the Moonstone with its felt case can reside very comfortably in a handbag, resembling as it does a lady's compact or other cosmetic item that are regularly rattling around in the dark recesses of a pocketbook where wise men fear to tread. I'm told that Lepow has other designs in the works which are not as yet to market, so it would be great to evaluate those also when the time comes, but for now we'll go with what we've got.
The construction quality seems first-rate. It has a nice solid feel, and along with the other quality components, the battery itself is Lithium Polymer which is not only more reliable for longer term storage, but also less hazardous. Overall, it makes a very favorable impression.
For those of you who happen to order from Amazon, the Moonstone ships with some very cute accessories which can be used to enhance its personality included in a heavy vinyl(?) case tucked away underneath the bottom cardboard shelf. While I tend to be more 'down to business' in my needs, I confess some of the dots (especially the skull/crossbones one) had some appeal which seem to go well with the fishbones. And, for the record, I'm still trying to figure out what bullet-proof material that case is made from.
Charging & Performance
One of the hallmarks Lepow claims for their product is the ability to know what the charge state is by pressing the button which activates a series of four LEDs corresponding to the reservoir state, and not overpowering the target device. Lepow's unit has three ports, one micro USB for charging the unit itself, two regular USB ports corresponding to 'fast charge' a second 'slow charge'. The company claims that their 'intelligent' electronics will adapt to the phone and deliver only as much current as the unit can handle, a reassuring feature when working with equipment of unknown capabilities.
The unit I received seemed to be fully charged (as you can see in the video below) so I proceeded with this test below:
HTC One
Drained to 10% charge level
Phone left on/running during charge
Moonstone 'fast charge' port selected
In this first test, the phone took some five hours to charge which isn't exactly surprising given the phone is consuming power as it's being charged. I was connected to my home WiFi router and I even had a couple calls come in so I guess the amount of time to charge is to be expected under these conditions. However the charging stopped at 94% which was somewhat surprising. Out of fairness, perhaps using an external power source for charging a phone while its in use causes the unit to turn off, fearing it's delivering too much juice for the target device, which if correct, is comforting and unexpected proof that the company's claim for 'intelligent' charging that won't overpower the device has been confirmed.
The second test was more accurate conducted as it was under more controlled conditions.
Recharge Moonstone:
5 hours from 1 blinking light to 4 LEDs
4th light didn't stop blinking until the next morning, so it's hard to say how long to a full charge just at the moment.
Let unit sit for about 20 minutes
Charge of HTC One: 2 Hours with the phone powered off using fast charge, 100% level on phone achieved. Four lights still remaining on Moonstone to indicate charge status of 100% until the unit powered down and I reconfirmed the charge state which revealed only 1 LED.
On the whole, the Lepow Moonstone is both easy and fun to use, attractive, and certainly an option worth considering for any of you who are thinking about a backup power supply... and also for those of you who like me - aren't.
Any price on this? This is something my girlfriend wants!!
The last time I checked, they had a fire sale for $20 on Amazon.
By a number of reviews that showed up on XDA, I do see Lepow guys doing a good marketing work Though originally I did turn down the review, I think this is a good external battery and a value for $20. One thing I'm surprised, unless I missed it, nobody really tested to calculate the actual capacity of this battery. Due to efficiency loss (through 5V usb port while the internal battery is at 3.7V), you typically loose about 25-30%, so the actual capacity will be somewhere between 4000-4500 mAh. Would be cool for testers to determine it, using your phone/tablet battery capacity as a reference.
Related
This is a review of Wristband External battery from dx.com. http://dx.com/p/1500mah-silicone-wr...r-w-adapters-for-cell-phone-more-black-122654
I have done my fair share of battery reviews in this forum (just check my signature link), and made a decision that I'm not doing any low capacity ext battery reviews unless it's something very unique and cheap. This wristband external battery definitely qualifies as both! It's funny how every time I read about smartwatches and their poor battery life, this battery always pops into my head as something they can use as a wristband to clip their watch to lol!!! You never know, when you are away on a trip or outdoors maybe someone decides to use it, although it obviously will be a challenge with all these smartwatches that use a proprietary charging connector. But one thing this wrist band can be used for sure - when you are watching movies or recording videos or playing video games. It will come handy in any situation where you want to give your smartphone extra juice while using/holding your phone with your original case on (no need to hold separately an external battery or to get special battery case).
Advertised as 1500 mAh capacity, I wasn't quite sure how comfortable it will fit on my wrist (I do have a small wrist) and how heavy it's going to feel. To my pleasant surprise I found this wristband battery to be very light at only 85 grams and with its soft silicone mold it was very comfortable to wear. Silicone material completely wraps and seals around it so there is no worries especially when you are outdoors. The battery cells stored in 6 rectangular sections, and there is a separate section in the middle with a sealed power button and 4-led indicator. Such design makes it very flexible to wrap around your wrist. It locks with a snap button and you get two position for a smaller and a bigger wrist. The middle power section has mini-usb connector which is used to charge the wristband battery and also to charge other devices connected to it. For that occasion included in the package is a total of 13 different tips. I'm pretty sure I have seen some for Nokia phones from 6 years ago lol!!! The most important, you get your micro-usb adapter and that's all that you will probably need.
From a spec perspective, this battery doesn't have the fastest input or output charging speed and neither does it has a super high capacity. Charging speed of the battery is not a big deal since the capacity is not that high anyway. Charging speed of the device is probably close to advertised 750 mA, where using my Galaxy Charging current app it showed 600 mA and I know that app is not accurate. When I was timing charging my phone, the charging speed was more in line with 750 mA. And speaking of charging, based on the % of my battery charged in the phone, it translated into the actually capacity of closer to 1650 mAh, which is higher then labeled 1500 mAh. That was the biggest surprise considering the actual capacity is typically 30% lower then labeled. For a phone like my Note 2 with 3100 mAh battery this will obviously not charge the full battery and will not do it at max 2A charge speed, but it will definitely help if you are watching a movie or playing a video game from draining your battery. The most important point of it - the convenience of being able to wear it on your wrist while holding the phone.
Overall, I'm not saying this is a must have accessory for everybody, and for emergency back up charging of your phone you would probably want to look into 10k-15k mAh capacity batteries. BUT, for the purpose of convenience this wristband battery was designed for - it does an Excellent job, feels very comfortable, provides actually a nice chunk of battery boost, and cost about $20 plus change. And the reason I like to deal with dx.com for such gadget purchases because I prefer their customer service, selection, and them always take care of you if something doesn't work. Buying from ebay is like playing russian roulette.
Here are the pictures.
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With this review, I decided to include a bonus mini-review of another cool "toy" I got from dx.com along with my wristband battery. You guys, and maybe some gals, might appreciate that This is a review of Stainless steel manual-release folding knife with a clip. http://dx.com/p/stainless-steel-manual-release-folding-knife-with-clip-20-0cm-full-length-48331
I review a lot of gadgets and always try to share with you cool stuff I find on internet. As part of my reviews, I receive a lot of boxes in the mail and realized that I usually reach out for scissors in the house to cut/open the box with a pointy tip. So I figured I need to get a cool knife to open all my review boxes. One thing led to another, and I was browsing through dx.com catalog trying to see what they got. A lot of stuff looks cool, and it was hard to choose. Therefore I was relying on a number of positive customer feedback comments, and came across this super cool knife for an unbelievable price of only $7.99.
Now since I received and played with this knife (ok, this is not a toy but a serious tool, so "play" with CAUTION!!!), I thought it was so cool that I wanted to share it in my little review. First off, its all stainless steel. It feels very solid, has a nice balanced grip, and a decent 152 grams of weight. Folded, the knife is about 120mm, with a fully extended size to 200mm. All the pieces are held together with hex screws so you can always tighten it, if needed. It has a metal clip on one side, a well hidden rope cutter at the end-side and a window breaking solid metal point at the end point. This knife opens up with one hand flick and spring loaded assistance, and you can close it with one hand as well by pushing the inner spring leaf out of the way (btw, very impressive safety mechanism). The blade itself has a nice baked in color, while the knife handle has it painted with a shiny coat of finish (that might peel after awhile).
Overall, I thought it was a very well made piece that can find so many uses either to open a mail or for any handy activity around the house or outdoors, or just to keep it in the car since it has a rope cutter and glass breaker (for seatbelt and glass, if God forbid you need to use it). For the price of only $7.99 it was very impressive considering quality of the build and the material.
Here are the pictures.
Hi all,
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on some Poweradd products I've recently got my hands on.
Unboxing
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The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed black box with a few product details on the front and back. On the font it lists
Quick Charge with no memory effect
USB charge
High capacity
easy operation
safety protection system
The last one - safety protection system - is really key for me seeing as im planing on plugging in my £500 smart phone and my tablets and camera into this thing so im putting a lot of trust in it and that makes me feel a bit more at ease!
Not wanting to go on too much about the packing, but it does feel like a really well made packet that the powerbank comes in that really just added to the feel of high quality, it didnt arrive in just a plastic bag with no instructions so i do feel safe trusting my valuables to it!
On the back of the packet it lists a few more details, it uses a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 10,000mAh (37Wh)!. The weight is listed as 8.68 ounces with a +/- 0.35 ounce variance. I was a bit disappointed not to see any promises of how many recharge cycles this thing would last for written onto the box.
Ok so lets open this thing up finally!!
inside the box is just the powerbank, a Microusb lead and a small set of instructions. Little disappointed that there isnt a little pouch or something to keep the thing in as you see with some of the Ravpower powerbanks. Also the Micro USB lead felt excessively long at about 1m I use these things in my pocket to charge my phone in my pocket so the extra cable felt a little excessive but on the plus point it does reach the outlet on the floor so not too worried about that.
The powerbank its self feels quite chunky (1.26 inches thick) but its sturdy. The weight is noticeable and isnt central in the small box, feeling like the majority of the battery is down the bottom end. It fits into your hand quite snugly. The body is made from a thick feeling strong plastic with a a textured body making it easy to hold (although giving my camera a nightmare to foucs on the body! ) I've tried to get my fingers into any gaps in the body to try and pry apart to do a bit more of a teardown and it feels like basically it wont come apart without destroying it so it does feel very well put together.
Moving round the powerbank there are 2 USB outlets on the top and a Micro USB inlet. The 2 USB outlets have 1 dot or 2 indicating the amount of juice they supply from the powerbank and also meaning that you can charge 2 devices at once!
USB1 is rated at 5V, 1A
USB2 is rated at 5V, 2.1A
the 2.1A slightly confused me as most devices are 500mA, 1A or 2A, not sure why the extra 100mA was felt needed and it made me feel a little nervous charging my S4 which is rated 5V, 2A (I wasnt worried it would explode but i just want sure about the long term effect on the battery.)
The input Micro USB is rated at 2A (yay) meaning you can charge this thing up pretty quick as 10,000mAh will take a while to charge on 500mA PC USB.
Moving round to the side there is a single button which can be used to show the amount of power in the device. There are 4 blue LEDs on the front to signify levels of charge. A little disappointed that there is no LED light option as you get on some of the powerbanks which can be handy when fumbling in the dark as I often find myself when camping!
So thats the product!
In summary:
Positive points
+Massive capacity
+2 USB ports with different rating
+can charge 2 devices at once
+2A input so quick charge
+Feels well put together
+uses micro USB (long live the standard cable!)
+LEDs to show battery capacity
Negative points
-feels a little chunky, im ok with the weight given the capacity but the thickness almost excluded is from jeans pocket storage
-no LED torch
-USB lead supplied is a little long
-weight is off center - a minor point really but makes it feel end heavy to hold.
-No supplied storage pouch! Feels like PowerAdd missed a trick with supplying a cheap little bag to make this feel like even more of a premium product.
-The USB cable supplied is charge only so cant be used for data, feels a little mean
Overall im fairly happy with this and it feel rugged enough for my camping trips away or to be slung in a backpack and not worry about it coming apart or breaking.
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good:
Hope everyone found this useful. I'll upload a video review shortly when i get my camera working. Feel free to ask me any questions.
:good: nice and conplete review, pity nobody has taken notice
Sent from my LG-E400 using XDA Free mobile app
Hi all,
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on some Poweradd products I've recently got my hands on. This review is about the Slim 2 powerbank with a 5,000mAh capacity.
Unboxing
The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed black box with a few product details on the front and back. On the font it lists
Quick Charge with no memory effect
USB charge
High capacity
easy operation
safety protection system
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The last one - safety protection system - is really key for me seeing as im planing on plugging in my £500 smart phone and my tablets and camera into this thing so im putting a lot of trust in it and that makes me feel a bit more at ease!
Not wanting to go on too much about the packing, but it does feel like a really well made packet that the powerbank comes in that really just added to the feel of high quality, it didnt arrive in just a plastic bag with no instructions so i do feel safe trusting my valuables to it!
On the back of the packet it lists a few more details, it uses a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 5,000mAh (18.5Wh)!. The weight is listed as 4.41 ounces with a +/- 0.35 ounce variance. I was a bit disappointed not to see any promises of how many recharge cycles this thing would last for written onto the box.
Ok so lets open this thing up finally!!
Inside the box is just the powerbank, a Microusb lead and a small set of instructions. As with the other powerbank (Pilot C), the Micro USB lead felt excessively long at about 1m I use these things in my pocket to charge my phone in my pocket so the extra cable felt a little excessive but on the plus point it does reach the outlet on the floor so not too worried about that.
The powerbank its self feels nice and sturdy and is a nice feel in your hand. It isnt too heavy and has a nice matt plastic finish around the sides and top. The shape is a slight hexagon with gentle corners making it easier to hold. The thing felt very well put together, and from the weight it feels like the battery is in the bottom section and the USB circuit is in the top. I kinda have an urge to twist the top off, i've given it a bit of a twist and there is no movement so its pretty well glued in there but I guess this is how it comes apart. Not having a death wish or wanting to be covered in Lithium I didnt try to take this apart...
On the top of the powerbank there is 1 USB outlet and a Micro USB inlet. The USB outlet is rated at 5V, 1A as it the Micro USB input, so if you get one of these do be careful not to plug it into a high amp charger and damage the battery.
As with most powerbanks, there is a single button which can be used to show the amount of power in the device. There are 4 blue LEDs on the top to signify levels of charge. A little disappointed that there is no LED light option as you get on some of the powerbanks which can be handy when fumbling in the dark as I often find myself when camping!
So thats the product!
In summary:
Positive points
+Good capacity at 5,000mAh and fairly good weight
+Feels well put together
+uses micro USB (long live the standard cable!)
+LEDs to show battery capacity
+small enough to slip in a pocket
+matt finish doesnt feel like it will show any scratches
Negative points
-USB lead supplied is a little long
-No supplied storage pouch! Feels like PowerAdd missed a trick with supplying a cheap little bag to make this feel like even more of a premium product.
-The USB cable supplied is charge only so cant be used for data, feels a little mean
Overall im fairly happy with this and it feel rugged enough for my camping trips away or to be slung in a backpack and not worry about it coming apart or breaking.
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good::good:
For the price it feels like a good buy.
Hope everyone found this useful. I'll upload a video review shortly when i get my camera working. Feel free to ask me any questions.
update please
I got one of these 3 months ago and love it, I plan to pick some more up as stocking stuffers,. You have had yours a lot longer than me. Can you give an update to the product ? Still holding charge working well? thanks
Do the last led stop flashing when the powerbank is fully charged?
It's confusing. Mine flashes forever, as long as it's charging.
Another point is that they claim they can charge up a smartphone twice. I charged my HTC M9 and the charge fell from 4 leds to ONE. It's just mine or you guys experience the same thing?
Thanks!
Hi all
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a new Lumsing product ive got my hands on.
Unboxing
The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed in a cardboard box with a little handle and minimal product information on the front of the box.
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On the back there is a good list of features:
Size 4.88 x 2.64 x 0.51 inches
capacity 6000mAh
Weight 6.49oz
Input Mirco USB 5V / 1.5A
Output 5V / AA & USB 5V / 2.1A
Service life 500 charge cycles
compatible with all 5volt input required devices.
Security protection design
protection for overcharge
protection for overvoltage
protection for overcurrent
protection for short-circuit
And one of the other product features I thought important to point out:
Made with grade A cells and premium microchips.
The fact that this device lists 4 different protection methods is really important to me. I know it basically just a battery but its a lithium product which im planning on plugging my expensive devices into and I dont plan on having it explode or overvolt and break my phone or tablet. Having all 4 listed puts my mind at rest somewhat. I also like the fact that they have pointed out that they are using premium productions and a first for any battery pack I’ve reviewed - they call out the service life! Finally a company that will state how long these things should last. 500 cycles feels like a good bit of usage, I dont tend to use these things a lot and seeing as it can recharge my phone 3 to 4 times I could actually get 2000 phone recharges out of it before it starts to give up. I do a fair amount of travelling and I think it will be a number of years before I use up this product service life.
Hands on
Anyway enough about the box and the outer packaging, lets open it up already and take a look inside. I have to say the box felt a little cheap, being printed basically on brown card so I wasnt holding out high hopes when I opened it up for the quality of the product. How wrong I was!! Inside the battery is really well packed in a solid foam insert and in a little bag. Included under the powerbank is a nice little coiled USB lead. Again not something I’ve seen from the other powerbanks I’ve reviewed, this to me, although a simple little thing makes all the difference, seeing the little coiled lead was a moment of “oh thats good” in my head. I tend to use these powerbanks on the go, usually on holiday or when im out and about on a long day out (shopping with the girlfriend!), so i tend to have the powerbank in my pocket and as my phone starts getting lo I just plug it in to my powerbank and have the whole thing charging in my pocket while im walking around. Some of the companies seem to think you need a 2m lead with these things! So this for me is a big plus! It is worth noting that no Apple leads are included but these can be purchased separately.
One thing that did let me down with the lead is that it is charge only, there are no pins for syncing so straight away meaning that if you are traveling you need this lead for the powerbank and another lead for syncing with a PC. Feels a little mean…
Ok continuing to unbox, there is also included a lovely feeling little bag for the powerbank with drawstrings and a Lumsing logo. This also impressed me as I havent had any others which included a bag to keep it in. Also included is a simple instruction manual with how to use the product.
The powerbank itself is covered in brushed aluminum and is pretty solid feeling and it looks lovely (it was a pain to take a picture of because its so shiny!!) On the top there is a USB input port for charging and 2 USB output ports labelled 2.1A and 1A. Having a parent who needs reading glasses for everything a potential improvement would be to colour code the ports to prevent you plugging a 1A device into the 2.1A port by mistake and damaging it.
Also looking at the device from top (or bottom) profile shows an apparent bulge in the middle of the device. Im assuming this is just the battery cells but having had a galaxy S4 with bulging battery problems this made me worry slightly about what was going on under the skin! It charged and discharged fine so I wont dwell on this.
The top, side and bottom are a black plastic with a blue trim. Another nice little touch to add to the premium feel of this product was the fact that all the black plastic parts of the device are covered with that peel-away protection which always feels nice to peel and and makes it feel like they really care that this is in beautiful condition when it reaches you.
On the side is a single bottom (left hand side) along with 4 blue lights each of which indicates 25% of the battery capacity. towards the bottom is a dotted design which looks kinda cool. The right hand side is all aluminum (single sheet used to cover front, back and 1 side.
Overall it charged my Galaxy S4 fine. The 2.1A rating slightly confused me as my phone is 2.0A input and most of my other devices are 1.0A. I plugged it in and nothing blew up so I assume 0.1A isnt anything to worry about.
Positive points
+Really really premium feel
+Felt bag
+Coiled charging cable included (USB)
+Premium aluminum body
+stylish looks
+Premium lithium cells and circuitry used
+Well packaged and protected
+Two different charge outputs
Negative points
-Charge only lead included, so cant be used for phone sync
-Slight bulge in unit, not sure if it was just mine or if this is normal
-The aluminum body seems to scratch fairly easily
-Input for charging is only 1.5A so no fastcharge from 2A phone chargers
Conclusions
Feels like the manufacturer really cares about their product and the end user experience. There were a few very minor annoyances but these are easily overcome with the premium feel to the device. Lumsing is my new top choice for power accessories.
Score
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good::good:
5 out of 5 - really premium quality and premium feel to this device.
Bottom Line
Top quality premium device with almost every detail well thought out.
Links
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KV80WYA
Also available in black and orange
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lumsing-6000mah-Portable-External-Battery/dp/B00KT26W0G
Manufacturer Website
http://www.lumsing.com/product/ultra-slim-lumsing-6000mah-portable-power-bank/
This is a review of Anker Car Jump Start Battery and a Portable Charger. http://www.ianker.com/product/A1501011 , available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T2GT9L4/
After reviewing so many different Anker batteries, I'm more used to writing about their products that can save your phone. Here is the first one for me - a product from Anker that can actually save your car and perhaps turn into a real Life Saver if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere! After so many snow storms, last few months have been rough here on East Coast. As I mentioned in my previous Astro E7 review, I usually prepare for the winter with extra bags of salt, a few canisters of gasoline for our portable generator, and making sure all my external Anker batteries are fully charged! But one thing I didn't account for was my 8 year old original car battery that gave me trouble early one morning when temperature dropped below zero. Thank God it was in our driveway next to my wife's car, so I had access to jump start it, but a thought crossed my mind if I would have been away at work, stuck in the empty parking lot. I ended up replacing my car battery about a month ago, and when found out that Anker is releasing a jump-start battery for the car - I requested a review sample to learn more about this fantastic product. I do have to admit that I didn't get a chance to use this battery to actually jump start the car because you do need a car with a dead battery for that test. But I wanted to review this battery based on what it's capable of. Just think of it as insurance, something you have to invest into once to protect you in the future.
Let me first start with a packaging, something everybody will appreciate since it's a sturdy hard plastic case with a molded handle and two locking latches – a case intended to be stored away in a trunk of your car for emergency use. Even before you open it up, you know right away this is a tool box, not a toy. Once opened, you will see a top cover with a foam lining and a plastic form-fitted tray at the bottom partitioned with sections for the battery, jump start cable, and charging cables. Such partitioning is very important because you don't want anything to rattle or slide inside of the case when you are driving. In addition to the battery itself, you have a variety of cable accessories including 15V/1A wall charger, 15V/0.8A car charger, usb to micro-usb charging cable, jumper cable attachment, and a very comprehensive Manual/Guide.
Unit itself is a 10,000 mAh battery. If you need to quickly charge it up, using slow 5V input charger will not be enough. Utilizing 15V input reassures that your Anker battery will be fully charged and ready in no time! Also while keeping it in the car, the battery will stay "fresh" for about 3 months in standby, but you have to be sure to periodically check and charge it up if necessary. As a matter of fact, convenience of both wall and car chargers will give you a flexibility to be able to charge this battery even when you are driving. Once fully charged, you can always check the capacity by pressing Power button and checking 4-led indicator on the side. Right next to this led indicator you have 2 usb charging ports, rated at 1A and 2.1A, to be used for emergency charging of your smartphone or tablet. Next to that you have 15V/1A input port, and 12V/200A jumper cable port covered by a rubber flap to keep contacts clean and dust-free.
The battery housing is made out of sturdy plastic with rubbery side grips all around it. The size of the housing is not exactly pocket friendly measuring about 7.3" x 3.3" x 1.7" and with a weight of about 385g, but as I mentioned before this battery is intended to be stored inside of the case in your car trunk. It's clear this battery was designed with durability being its higher priority. Another very useful element of the design is a front facing powerful LED light. It gets activated with a long press of a power button to start with a solid light, and switched to slow and fast blinking with a follow up short press of the power button; another long press turns it off. The light is very bright and can come handy in different emergency or even everyday use situations.
Even so this is very capable high capacity rugged battery with a wide angle super bright LED, a real star of this product is Jump Start cable! Operation is VERY simple. First you need to be sure you have at least one solid LED indicating 25% of charge still available. Attach Jumper Cable, easy to do since one of the tips is keyed so connector goes in only one way, connect clamps to the corresponding car battery terminal (also easy since cables are colored red and black), wait for booster cable green light indicator (sensor located in series with a ground cable), and start your engine! Upon start up, battery should be able to provide 200A of the current with an in-rush peak current of up to 400A for a short duration of 3 seconds. Make sure to disconnect jumper cable clamps after about 30seconds of operation so you don't drain the battery. This is a very easy and convenient way to jump-start your car without depending on another car with a jumper cable next to you!
Overall, I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't want to get this jump start battery for every car in your family. It's true that car batteries don't fail as often, but for a piece of mind keeping this battery in your car is priceless! Besides jump starting your car, this is a fully capable 10,000 mAh external battery with dual 2.1A/1A outputs to charge your phone and/or your tablet, and also to provide an emergency light. And if you are or someone next to you in trouble with their car battery, using Anker Car Jump Start battery will be the easiest and the cleanest way to mitigate this problem! This one definitely gets my high recommendation!
Here are the pictures.
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When you tested this was the battery completely drained on the vehicle? I'm impressed with the compact size that it is capable of jumpstarting a vehicle. Nice review