Any time I know that I’ll be away from an opportunity to charge my phone from a computer, AC, or DC outlet, I carry an extended battery pack with me along with least one charging cable. Lately I’ve been carrying the Moshi IonBank 5K; it has 5000 mAH, a built in Lightning cable and a built in USB charger.
The aluminum casing on the Moshi ionBank 5K nicely matches my MacBooks.
Measuring 4.76″ long x 2.68″ wide x 0.83″ thick, the aluminum cased IonBank 5K weighs 7.1 ounces. It has a 5V output USB port on the same side as the push button battery level indicator, and it uses Dynamic Power Sharing technology (DPS) “for optimized charging efficiency of 15W maximum across 2 outputs”. The second output is, of course, the built-in 5V output Lightning cable, which is revealed when you slide the bottom of the battery.
The Lightning cable is not very long — just 3.5″ or so, but it the perfect length for attaching to your phone so it can charge inside a pocket in your laptop bag or purse; you can also carry both in hand without long loops of cables dangling. The presence of a channel near the base of the Lightning cable means that you can slide the bottom back into place when you are using the it, and the cord won’t get pinched.
The built-in Lightning cable and USB ports are reasons enough to like the IonBank, but the other feature that makes this a winner is the built in self-charging USB cable, which is released when you slide the USB plug out from the side of the battery; there are ridges on the plug to make it easier when doing so.
At 6″ long, the USB charging cable is a bit longer, which should be helpful when plugging the battery pack into a laptop, wall, or car charger.
Even though it’s largely psychological, it’s a bit bothersome to me that the Moshi IonBank 5K is only 5000 mAh, or a bit more than two full iPhone 5S charges. My biggest extended battery pack, the Moka i6, is 20,000 mAh; it is only a little bit larger (5.75? long x 3? wide x 0.9? thick), though it weighs twice as much. I also have an ANKER 6000 mAh battery that is substantially smaller. Of course, neither of those other batteries include integrated cables.
I find it incredibly convenient to have the means to charge my iPhone, iPad, and my external battery pack all built into the same device; carrying the IonBank 5K means two less cables to forget when I am packing, and one convenient package to hand over when I am (inevitably) sharing my charger with someone else who needs a top-off.
Because there is much to be said for convenience and efficiency, it should be easy to guess which battery I keep finding myself packing.
The Moshi IonBank 5K with Lightning Connector is available directly from the manufacturer. There is also a version available with an integrated microUSB cable, so whatever your operating system, there is an IonBank that will work for your mobile device.
MSRP: $89
What I Like: Integrated Lightning cable and USB charging cable; more than two full iPhone 5S charges; 5V USB charger built into the side for sharing top-offs with another device
What Needs Improvement: I do wish that the mAh were higher, but if that means going up a size then it’s not worth it to me
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit