I am a bit of a size snob when it comes to portable batteries; if there is an option to get it, I want the largest mAh available. Nothing gives me more comfort when I’ve got a 20-hour international journey than knowing I have enough battery power to keep all of my portable devices charged during the trip.
That’s why the RAVPower 21,100mAh external battery appealed to me, but there is more to it than just a large capacity.
Included in the box are the portable battery, warranty information, two microUSB cables, and a travel bag.
RAVPower touts this battery as being the first with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. They say that you can charge the RAVPower up to 80% for QC 2.0/3.0 compatible devices when charging for approximately 35 minutes. “QC 3.0 is compatible with USB, QC 2.0, & 1.0; and can deliver twice the charging speed of QC 1.0”
Why would you want Quick Charge 3.0? RAVPower says that “compared to QC 2.0, QC 3.0 has 15% greater charging efficiency, charges up to 27% faster, and reduces power consumption by up to 45%”
The RAVPower has enough power to charge an iPhone 6S (1715mAh) almost 8 times, an iPhone 6S Plus (2750mAh) almost 7 times, a Galaxy S6 (2,550mAh) almost 5 times, and an iPad Air (8820mAh) or iPad Pro (10307mAh) a bit more than once. In other words, if you have a phone and tablet that you need to charge in tandem, it is large enough to easily handle it.
The RAVPower measures about 6.7″ long by 3.1″ wide by 0.7″ thick, and it weighs 13.2 ounces. The exterior is covered with a matte black metal casing that looks and feels classic, nice to the touch. There are four LED charging indicator lights next to the button on the lower left that signify charge remaining in quarters; when the battery is plugged in for charging, the lights will glow solid as their quadrant is filled with the charging quadrant/s flashing blue until all four ultimately glow solid blue.
I like that you do not have to push the button to start charging; it’s there for checking the remaining power balance, but pressing it isn’t necessary to start. This is handy when you have the pack buried in your backpack with a cable hanging out for charging on the go.
Full charging of an empty battery takes approximately 4.5 hours with a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 USB Charger; “an input of 5V/2A means that it still charges faster than normal USB chargers even without Qualcomm compatibility.”
The RAVPower has a USB Type-C Input and Output, and RAVPower says that this is (or was) the first external battery charger to have it. Why would that be a good thing? Because USB Type-C can be used to quickly recharge the 20,100mah battery itself, but even better it means that this charger can be used to “power the latest computers and smart devices with USB-C/Type-C ports.”
On the business end of the charger, there is a microUSB power in for charging, the Type-C USB charging port, a USB 3.0/2.0 quick charge port, and a 2.4 amp iSmart USB port. In other words, this battery puts out more amps than the older style battery packs that include the slower 1.5 (traditional phone charging vs 2.4 for tablets) that many include.
The RAVPower is also “fully guarded against short circuit and power overload when charging or discharging”; it will “automatically shut down protecting your devices and the charger from unnecessary damage.”
While no battery pack has yet blown me away with its speed when charging devices, the RAVPower is not too shabby. It took my iPhone 6S Plus from 60% to 100% in 1 hour 9 minutes using the iSmart charging port and a regular JustMobile 2-in1 charging cable; it charged my Huawei Mate 8 (4,000mAh) from 0% (oops, I try not to ever let that happen, but I was traveling and evidently left my phone on too long) to 100% in 2 hours 48 minutes using one of the included microUSB cables and the Quick charge 3.0 port. All this without getting warm to the touch; not bad!
Specifications:
- Input (Micro): 5V-12V 2A Max (QC) / 5V/2A (Non-QC)
- Input (Type-C): 5V/3A Max USB Output: 5V/ 2.4A Max
- Type-C Output: 5V/3A Max
- QC 3.0 Output: 5V/2.4A, 6.5V~9V/1.5A, 9V~12V/1.2A Max
The RAVPower isn’t the biggest external battery pack available, but it has more features and more possibilities for use than any of the others I’ve reviewed. Type-C is the way everything is going, and I love the idea that this pack can top off a Type-C computer like the MacBook without having to plug into a wall.
If you want an inexpensive high-capacity battery pack with speedy device charging and the flexibility to recharge all of your mobile electronics, the RAVPower is your battery pack!
The RAVPower 20,100mAh External Battery sells for $59.99, and it is available directly from the manufacturer.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Options for charging that include Type-C, USB 3.0 QuickCharge, and iSmart 2.4amp; 20,100mAh high-capacity can handle multiple devices more than once; compact, portable size; Included travel pouch that will be handy for holding the battery or other small things you want to keep protected; It is not necessary to press the button on the pack to commence charging; Great for travel
What Needs Improvement: Nothing
