Every year new smartphones and tablets are released with bigger and better displays, improved cameras, and faster processing, but one complaint remains – poor battery life. Manufacturers work hard to make their devices as efficient as possible, but there is always a compromise to be made on size and weight vs battery capacity, and with today’s svelte smartphones it is battery life that is too often sacrificed.
It is no surprise then that many of us turn to portable power banks to make sure we are not left with a smartphone that runs out of juice just as you were about to pay for your train ticket home with Google Pay, or a laptop that suddenly cuts out seconds before you submit that final expense report form the coffee shop you’ve been working at all day.
Today, we’re taking a look at a beast of the portable battery world – the huge 20,000mAh capacity power bank from Poweradd, that boasts three ports to charge your devices, including two USB-A and one USB-C port that offers 18W PD fast charging.
Look & feel
The Poweradd 20,000 is certainly portable, but it is not trying to fit into your pocket like some of the smallest power banks on the market today that will give your phone one charge. No, this is a different beast that will charge all of your devices, even your Chromebook, multiple times, and as such is a more substantial device.
The power bank measures 162 x 63 x 24mm and weighs 363g, which makes it about the same size and weight as two modern smartphones stuck together. You won’t be squeezing this into your jeans pockets, but it will slips into a handbag or laptop and you won;t notice the extra weight. It is made of a durable-feeling textured black plastic with curved edges, and a circular four-point LED display that shows you how full the battery is – 25%/50%/75%/100%. The power bank is minimal in design, and so whilst it is somewhat large it would not look out of place on an office desk.
In use
The main selling point of the Poweradd 20,000 is the PD fast charging in both directions, which is not something offered by many batteries and means that the battery is rapid charging when plugged into a wall socket as well as being able to charge smartphones and tablets quickly itself. And don’t underestimate how useful this quick charging is with a battery this size – it is a huge battery and waiting for it to charge with traditional slow charging would take a significant number of hours, but here it charges quickly and your phone could be charged to 50% within minutes.
After a couple of weeks testing out this power bank I have found myself keeping it consistently in my work rucksack, so I know I’ve always got something ready to charge my devices if the time comes. It quickly charges up my Pixel 3XL smartphone and my Android tablet, and will even (slowly) charge up my HP 13 G1 Chromebook in a pinch. I have smaller batteries I will pop in my pocket if I’m going out without a bag and know I’ll need to keep my phone charged, but when I take a bag this is now my go-to option.
Specifications
- Battery Type: Li-polymer battery
- Capacity: 20000mAh/74Wh
- USB Output 1: 5V/3A,9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
- USB Output 2: 5V/3A,9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
- Type-C Output: 5V/3A,9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
- Type-C Input: 5V/3A,9V/2A
- Dimension：166 x 63 x 24 mm
- Weight: 364g
Conclusion
The huge capacity and PD fast charging make the Poweradd 20,000 a great piece of kit for anyone who uses multiple digital devices and needs to make sure they don;t run out of juice after a long day – and if you are reading this blog, then that probably means you.
Buy
Price at time of review: £25.99 (at Amazon UK)
