Power banks are all the rage these days, but I think I’ve found my favorite. The Dark Energy Reservoir is an 8,000 mAh mobile charger that is very small, but it packs a heck of a lot of juice. Not only is it small, it can also charge two devices simultaneously; you can purchase the Reservoir for $129.
At its core, the Reservoir is an 8,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery … but the devil (or angel, in this case) is in the details. Its main purpose is to be carried around with you in your pocket, backpack, pocketbook, etc., to keep your high-tech devices charged and ready to go. Its major selling point is its size, weighing in at only 5.9 oz, and it is only 5.5 inches x 2.69 inches x .47 inches thick. It’s absolutely one of the smallest 8,000 mAh power banks on the market today. Not only is it small, but you can recharge your phone about 4-6 times before having to recharge the Reservoir, depending on your phone’s battery capacity.
Everything included with the Reservoir: The Reservoir, AC adapter, MicroUSB cable, and carrying pouch.
Dark Energy Reservoir has two USB power output jacks, so you can charge two devices at the same time. The first USB power output jack is meant for smartphones or other small devices and delivers 5-volt power at 1 amp. The second USB power output jack is meant for tablets and pumps out the 5-volt juice at 2.1 amps. The second USB jack can be used to charge smartphones and smaller devices faster than the first USB jack.
The Reservoir has built-in short-circuit protection, over-charge protection, and over-discharge protection so you don’t have to worry about keeping your devices plugged in too long. It’s also rated for 500+ charge cycles, meaning that you can recharge the battery over 500 times without losing too much of the battery’s capacity.
The Reservoir I’m reviewing is a matte black color, but it also comes in white. The plastic exterior is a velvety soft plastic that feels nice in your hand. The front and black have small round indents on a grid pattern that add to the design of the Reservoir. The front of the unit has the Dark Energy logo near the top with three LED indicator lights above it. The indicator lights are used to check how much juice the Reservoir has left. Each LED represents approximately 33% of the battery’s remaining capacity.
The left side of the unit has the Reservoir logo towards the bottom, while the right side has the power button towards the top. Once a device is connected, you press the power button to begin charging. If there is no device connected, you can press the power button to light up the LEDs to check the remaining capacity. The bottom of the unit is blank, while the top of the unit has the three jacks: USB-out 1, USB-out 2, and microUSB input. The microUSB jack is used to charge the battery, which can charge itself fully within 4-6 hours.
The Dark Energy Reservoir comes with the Reservoir itself, a USB to microUSB charging cable, an AC adapter, and a microfiber carrying pouch. Those last two items are really helpful because most power banks do not come with an AC adapter and must be charged via computers or 3rd party AC adapters. Also, the microfiber carrying pouch is super helpful to carry the AC adapter, microUSB cable, along with the Reservoir so that everything is together when you need it.
I absolutely love the Dark Energy Reservoir, period. It’s the perfect size to take with you, wherever you go. Even if you need to stick it in your pocket, a little extra bulge is a small price to pay for keeping your gadgets charged all day. The fact that you can recharge your phone up to 6 times before needing to recharge the Reservoir is a fantastic feature and is one of the main reasons why I believe this external battery can’t be beat.
You can purchase the Dark Energy Reservoir directly from the Dark Energy website.
MSRP: $129.00
What I Like: Great design; Small size; Dual USB-outputs; High Capacity; AC adapter and carrying pouch included.
What Needs Improvement: Nothing that I found.
Source: The Dark Energy Reservoir was a manufacturer supplied review item