The Lowdown
The design of the ELECOM NESTOUT batteries, lights, and solar chargers is original and grabs the attention of everyone that sees them. The products feel solid and substantial. Their seals and connectors feel sturdy and durable and seem to be made to last.
Overall
Pros
- Award-winning design
- Rugged construction
- Easy to use
Cons
- Although not truly comparable, there are cheaper options on the market
ELECOM is a Japanese firm that makes peripherals for computers, including mice, trackballs, webcams, and headsets. They also make gaming-specific mice and keyboards. The ELECOM NESTOUT product line is a step in a different direction, namely outside.
The ELECOM NESTOUT series won the prime gold medal in “iF Design Award 2022” from the German iF International Forum Design; the gold medal is awarded to 73 submitted applications out of 11,000 in all the countries of the world.
From the iF Design website: “The NESTOUT outdoor battery series exemplifies highly coherent design and keen attention to detail. It combines a form reminiscent of traditional camping equipment with the highest levels of functionality, delivering portable lighting, heating and power within a clean-energy cycle. This is pure Gold!”
I have to agree. The design of the ELECOM NESTOUT batteries, lights, and solar chargers is original and grabs the attention of everyone that sees them. The products feel solid and substantial. Their seals and connectors feel sturdy and durable and seem to be made to last.
For this test, NESTOUT provided samples of two of their batteries, two of their lights, and the 2-panel solar charger.
ELECOM NESTOUT Outdoor Portable Batteries
The rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in this series are available in various sizes and capacities, from 5000mAh to 15000mAh. The smallest size is tubular, and the larger sizes are reminiscent of canteens. The batteries are available in various colors, including tan, green, pale blue, pale yellow, and black; they are intended to fit in with camping equipment.
All are waterproof and dustproof with a JIS protection rating equivalent to IP67. The rounded design is resistant to external pressure. The silicone cushioning around the lithium-ion battery absorbs vibrations and shocks, protecting it from drops and shocks. It is tested and approved with the US Military Standard MIL-STD-810G Certified Drop Test.
ELECOM NESTOUT 10,000mAh Outdoor Portable Battery
What’s in the Box
- Outdoor Portable Battery 10000mah
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Setup Manual
ELECOM NESTOUT 15,000mAh Outdoor Portable Battery
What’s in the Box
- Outdoor Portable Battery 15000mah
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Setup Manual
From the manufacturer: “High-performance IC within the USB port automatically identifies connected devices and charges them at the optimum output power in the fastest possible time.”
I can attest to this as all devices I plugged in charged quickly and without issue. Regarding charging the battery itself, NESTOUT claims a full charge for the 10,000mAh battery is attained in 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The 150,00mAh battery takes approximately 3 hours and 35 minutes when using an AC charger with USB Power Delivery 18W or higher. Again, that seems correct by my tests. The batteries have a 5-step LED meter and a button that toggles the power and displays charging levels.
The batteries are designed with a safe circuit with six protective functions: over-charge, over-discharge, over-voltage, and over-current protection, as well as short-circuit protection and temperature detection. The 10000mAh capacity battery can charge a smartphone approximately 3.3 times. The math would suggest that the larger battery would charge a smartphone nearly 5 times.
The $59.99 ELECOM NESTOUT 15,000mAh Outdoor Portable Battery measures 3.4″ wide by 1.4″ deep by 5″ high and weighs 12.8 ounces, while the $49.99 10,000mAh Outdoor Portable Battery measures 2.4″ wide by 1.4″ deep by 5″ tall and weighs 8.5 ounces. NESTOUT claims that the batteries can be reused 1000 times.
The tops of the batteries feature a screw-top design featuring O-rings that reveals fast-charging USB-C connectors that support multiple device charging. The bottoms of the batteries have a ¼” standard tripod thread that accepts the system’s 20″ tripod and features a hook allowing it to be hung inverted.
The 150,00mAh battery features two ports at the top. One side has a USB-A port, and the other has both USB-A and USB-C, allowing for the charging of multiple devices or simultaneous charging of the battery and other devices. The lights can be mounted on either side. The 10000mAh battery has just one terminal with a USB-A port.
ELECOM NESTOUT Outdoor Camping LEDs
NESTOUT makes two light fixtures designed to work solely with the batteries in the product line.
The $39.99 Flash-1 is a directional flat panel design, while the $37.99 Lamp-1 is omnidirectional. Besides their shape, the lights are essentially the same and feature USB-A plugs that fit snuggly into the top of the batteries with the included spacer. The base of the lights has a latch that acts as a switch to release the light when you wish to use the battery to charge or power other items.
As with the batteries, the lights are of a rugged design and construction and are water and dust resistant, with an IP44 rating protecting against water splashes and small particles. Both lights are also available in beige and black. Each light comes in the box with the 20″ tripod meant to screw into the base of the batteries in the system and a storage bag.
ELECOM NESTOUT Flash 1 Outdoor Camping LED Panel Flashlight w/ Mini Tripod
What’s in the Box
- Outdoor Gear Flash-1
- Storage Bag
- Mini Tripod with Hook
- Setup Manual
ELECOM NESTOUT Lamp-1 Outdoor Camping LED Flashlight w/ Mini Tripod
What’s in the Box
- Outdoor Gear Lamp-1
- Storage Bag
- Mini Tripod with Hook
- Setup Manual
Do not be fooled by the small size; the Flash-1 casts a powerful directional beam of between 30 to 1000 lumens. This is a good deal of light and, frankly, too much for many uses. The lights are adjustable in both brightness and light color, featuring a stepless dimmer and three color temperatures: “Daylight,” “bulb,” and “white daylight,” ranging between 2800k and 6000k. This level of control makes these lights useful for many different tasks.
The Lamp-1 emits between 10 to 350 lumens of soft diffused light. The color temperature ranges from 2800 to 3200K. The Lamp-1 also features a stepless dimmer and comes with the same tripod that is integral to the system. The bases of both lights also feature an on/off switch.
ELECOM NESTOUT Outdoor Solar Panels
Completing the NESTOUT product line are their solar chargers. 2-panel and 4-panel options are available for $79.99 and $109.99, respectively. Other than the number of panels and power output (14 watts for the 2-panel and 28 watts for the 4-panel), the solar chargers are the same.
What’s in the Box
- Solar Panel with built-in Storage Bag
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Setup Manual
Each charger is made of durable, water-resistant rip-stop nylon and features a built-in pouch for the storage of devices and cables. Both units have external hooks on the far edge of the pouch allowing the panels to be hung from trees, tents, or cables.
The solar cells themselves are SunPower MAXEON cells with a claimed 22% increase in efficiency compared to traditional solar cells. From the Elecom site: “SunPower has been an industry leader in solar panels since 1985 and has been featured in TIME Magazine.”
Inside the zippered pouch is a built-in current checker with two USB-A ports that allow for the simultaneous charging of a wide array of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and accessories such as earbuds. The pouch lid has mesh pockets for storing cables and small devices, and the other side has elastic bands to hold the charging devices in place.
The tested 2-panel charger measures 12.99″ high by 7.72″ wide by 2″ deep when folded and weighs 1.7 pounds.
NESTOUT Outdoor Batteries and Accessories are available directly from the Manufacturer and Amazon
Source: Manufacturer supplied review samples
What I Like: Award-winning design; Rugged construction; Easy to use
What Needs Improvement: Although not truly comparable, there are cheaper options on the market
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