We test out lots of batteries and power banks here at TechFruit because no matter how advanced our phone get and how much time Apple, Good, Samsung, and everyone else devotes to power efficiency we can reliably know that at the most inopportune moment our smartphone battery will run out. Most portable power banks have focused on size these days, with many manufacturers offering a full charge of your phone in something the size of a couple of packs of gum, but what happens when you need two, three, or four charges? That is where the Crave Plus comes in and they were kind enough to send us one to test out.
Look & feel
The Crave Plus is not the smallest power bank on the market, but it is certainly one of the most premium in terms of both look and feel. Unlike the plastic of its competitors, the Crave Plus is made of aluminium – just like your MacBook – and so feels like quality in your hand both in terms of its reassuring weight and its cold metal touch.
To look at it is almost exactly the same dimensions as my Google Pixel 3XL and so will happily fit in your pocket still, but is a little bigger and heavier than some of the lower capacity alternatives on the market. The majority of the body is in a matte black colour, with just the top and bottom shiny metal. It looks great to be honest, and would not look out of place on your desk next to your MacBook Pro.
In-use
Crave have really thought about how people might want to use this device with the variety of ports on offer. Rather than the standard Micro-USB in and USB-A out, Crave have added a USB-C port into the mix for charging in both directions. So if you are like me and have moved to a USB-C life, then you can charge the power bank via USB-C and then when you need it to charge your phone or tablet you can charge via the same port.
For those using other connectors (like older smartphones or iPhones) you can charge the power bank via the still ubiquitous Micro-USB and plug in to USB-A-to-Lightning or USB-A-to-Micro-USB to charge your device – with QuickCharge 3.0 support for devices that support it. What I’m saying is you won’t need any extra cables to keep the power bank and your device charged. It is a shame that the USB-C port doesn;t support PD charging for quick-charge, but for many devices the QC3 USB-A port will offer the same quick-charge experience.
The only other cut-outs in the aluminium shell is for a subtle four LED display of remaining charge that will light up when you push the slim button that sits next to them. Four LEDs is perfectly sufficient to know whether you have one or more charges left in the battery or you better charge it up.
Specifications
- Capacity: 10,000mAh / 38Wh
- Size: 157mm x 79mm x 10mm
- Weight: 251g
- Ports (input): 1 x USB-C (5V/2.4A) and 1 x Micro-USB (5V/2.4A)
- Ports (output): 1 x USB-C (5V/3.0A) and 1 x USB-A (5V-12V/3.0A) with QuickCharge 3.0
Conclusion
The Crave Plus is one of the best designed power banks on the market and with a 10,000mAh capacity that will give you around three charges of your smartphone in a package the size of a Pixel 3XL there is a lot to love. PD charging would be a good addition in the next version, but with QC3 supported few will notice the quibble.
Buy
Price at the time of review: $34.99 (£32) from Amazon.com or via Crave Direct (worldwide)
