Specs
- Battery capacity: 10050 mAh (Rugged) / 27000 mAh (AC Outlet)
- No. of charging ports: 2 (Rugged) / 4 (AC Outlet)
- Max. rated charging current: 2.4A (Rugged) / 3A (AC Outlet)
- Weight: 210g (Rugged) / 848g (AC Outlet)
Packaging
Both the Rugged and the AC Outlet versions of RAVPower’s Xtreme Series of portable powerbanks comes shipped in some very decent packaging. This is a very good thing, as not all powerbanks are created equal, and of course the packaging has no direct effect on the quality of the actual product, but good packaging is the first step in giving at least somewhat of an indication that we’re not dealing with some cheapo products.
What’s in the box?
RAVPower Rugged:
- Carabiner clip + compass
- 2x USB cables
RAVPower AC:
- Storage pouch
- AC wall wart / powerbrick
- 2x USB cables
- AC adapter
Design
Let’s first take a look at the smaller “Rugged” version. As the name suggests, this product is designed to take a beating. One of the main concerns with portable powerbanks, at least for myself, is just how dangerous a high capacity battery can be if handled incorrectly.
No, for the most part, the vast majority of portable powerbanks out there are designed only really to be carried around in something like a backpack or handbag, an environment that’s generally pretty easy-going. But there really aren’t many out there that take your more avid adventurers into account. RAVPower’s Rugged powerbank attempts to cater for this crowd by giving us a relatively compact device which houses a whipping 10050mAh of portable recharging power, all whilst promising to be resistant to not only dust and mild impacts, but also comes with an IP66 waterproof rating. If you’re unfamiliar with how the IP-ratings work, a figure of 66 means that the device has total protection from dust and can withstand 100kPa of pressure at a depth of 3 meters. Basically, it should survive out in the rain, as well as an accidental drop into a shallow pool. But, as with any electronics, I wouldn’t personally push my luck with these things.The soft-touch rubberised finish and the camouflage print certainly does give it quite the rugged look, and the addition of a loop at the top which allows you to attach a carabiner can be pretty useful in outdoorsy kinda situations. Along the bottom edge is a rubber flap which covers all of the input and output ports. Of course, this cover must be fully in place in order for that IP66-rating to be in full effect. We can also see that there’s an LED light which can be turned on by double pressing the power-button. Nifty!
Next up we’ve got the AC Outlet version, which, according to the box is also part of the Xtreme Series, but printed on device it says Powerstation Series. Soooo, a bit of an identity crisis there. Although, this particular device would be perfectly suited under either one of those lineups.
What we get here is a portable powerhouse that packs an incredible 27000mAh worth of juice.
Overall, it’s quite a chunky device, and it has a fair amount of heft to it as well, but this is not really something that was meant to be carried around all day long. Yes, it’s totally portable, but there’s a difference between portable and pocketable. This particular powerbank seems perfectly suited for your travelling business man, or perhaps some National Geographic photographer who might find himself (or herself, #ladysnappers) in some remote shooting scenes where this AC outlet model could easily be used to top up your laptop and various other equipment.
As far as the finish is concerned, we get pretty much an all-black colour scheme and it seems to have the same soft-touch finish as we saw on the rugged model.
The left side houses a Type-C output, along with 2 full-sized USB outputs and the power-button. Behind a rubber flap sits the AC outlet connection which is capable of delivering up to 100W of power.Unfortunately there is no convenient USB input for charging the powerbank, and so on the right-hand side we find a small DC-input which is used to charge it up. This isn’t all that surprising though, as 27000mAh is quite a lot of capacity, and so if you were to charge this over a regular USB connection, you’d need just about 2 million years to fully charge it up. So, if you plan on using this device a couple of times on your trip, then you’d need to take along the charging cable and powerbrick.
Lastly, on the front there are a few LED lights to indicate the estimated charge level remaining.
Using the devices
As is usually the case with powerbanks, using these devices is pretty straight-forward. Plug in whichever USB cable you need to use for whichever device you want to charge up and remember to actually press the powerbutton on the powerbank. There are few things in life get much simpler than this.
To use the AC power feature on the AC Outlet model does require the use of an adapter, at least in my region were the majority of AC power cables use the 3-prong UK plugs.
What’s also great about both of these powerbanks is that you can use multiple output ports simultaneously. This is super convenient to not have to wait for one device to finish before being able to charge another. However, we should keep in mind that this will cut down slightly on the total amount of juice that will be available.
As is the case with any transferral or conversion of any form of energy, it’s never a 100% efficient exchange. What this means in the case of powerbanks is that, the more devices you connect at one time, and the higher the current draw is, the more heat will be produced. That heat, along with other energy conversions, will directly affect how long the powerbank will last you.
So, to simplify things, if you want to get the maximum amount of charge out of these tupes of devices, then only charge a single device at one time, and try to use the port that has the lowest rated current output.
But, having said that, if you need a faster charge time, then the 2.4A port on the Rugged model and the 3A port on the AC Outlet model can charge phones and tablets pretty quickly. No, it’s not going to be quite as fast as QuickCharge technology (as such protocols use 9V or higher, rather than just 5V).
Overall, the Rugged model is rated to charge an iPhone 6s up to 3 times, whereas the AC outlet model can do so up to 11 times.
Considering the compact size of the Rugged model, that’s pretty incredible. Also, the AC Outlet model holds enough juice to fully charge a 12” MackBook more than 3 times.
Value
As we can tell, both of these powerbanks pack in a serious amount of battery capacity given how relatively compact they are, but both are clearly intended for very different users.
For someone who is on-the-go and has no need to charge up large devices like laptops or cameras, then the Rugged model seems like a really great solution. The fact that it’s also built to withstand mild impacts and an accidental splash in the pool just sweetens the deal. Oh, that’s right, I haven’t mentioned the prices yet. The Rugged model is going for a mere $30, whereas the higher capacity and more advanced AC Outlet model is going for around $150 – $200 depending on where you get it.
The Rugged model definitely packs more bang for buck if we consider only the price against the total amount of battery capacity, but the AC Outlet model is definitely more versatile, which still remaining relatively compact for the type of device that it is.
So, if you’re in the market for a new portable powerbank, I’d personally recommend these 2 very highly. They both feel and operate like quality designed and built products, and something which should last you for quite some time to come, and all without breaking the bank.