A USB powerbank helps keep your smartphone and
electronic devices charged, and also is a source of backup power in emergencies.
Fast charging is also important - as modern smartphones will never charge in a timely fashion without it.
The NB10000 10000mAh USB-C powerbank weighs only 150g which is around 40% lighter compared to similar capacity, fast charging powerbanks.
It uses a slimline "pouch" battery (instead of
cylindrical cells), and a casing made of lightweight carbon fiber.
e.g.:
and also supports 2-way 18W fast charging.
It has 2 USB ports (USB-C and USB-A) which both support 18W fast charging when used as outputs, and support 18W fast charging the powerbank on the USB-C input (using a 18W USB-C AC adapter).
(e.g. in a coffee shop, airport,
etc).
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| NB10000 "pouch" battery |
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| 18650 cylindrical battery (requires ~4.5 for 10000mAh) |
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Specifications
- Lithium-Ion Polymer (LiPo) 10000mAh 3.85V battery
- Power Capacity: 38.5Wh
- Rated energy: 6400mAh (5V @ 1A)
- Output efficiency (@5V) = (6.4A x 5V) / 38.5Wh = ~83%
- Input: USB-C (5V @ 2.4A, 9V @ 2A)
- Output: USB-C, USB-A
- Separately: 5V @ 2.4A, 9V @ 2A, 12V @ 1.5A
- Combined: 5V⎓3A (MAX)
- Fast charge standard support:
- QC2.0 / QC3.0 Output
- FCP / AFC / SFCP Input & Output
- MTK PE+1.1 & 2.0 Output
- BC1.2, Apple, Samsung Fast Charging
- PD2.0 Input & Output
- PD3.0 Input & Output
- PPS Output
- Mode Button with integrated LEDs (3x blue + 1 white)
- IPX5 water resistant
- -10~40℃ temperature range of use
- Safety protections: overcurrent, short-circuit, overcharge, over-discharge, overvoltage, thermal
- Dimensions: 121.9 x 59 x 10.6mm
- Weight: 150g
Operation:
- Activates when USB the cable is plugged in, or on short press of Mode Button
- While active, blue Mode Button LEDs indicate power:
- 3 LEDs = 100%
- 2 LEDs + 1 LED blinking = between 66.6% and 100%
- 2 LEDs = 66.6%
- 1 LED + 1 LED blinking = between 33.3 and 66.6%
- 1 LED = 33.3%
- 1 LED blinking = lower than 33.3%
<insert picture here>
Other modes:
- Sleep Mode: after 30s when current draw drops below minimum
- Pass-through charging: the powerbank charges
while also passing through to another USB device (although doesn't fast charge in this mode)
- Output to 2 USB devices simultaneously: @ 5V, 3A max combined
- Low current mode: long press the Mode Button to enable low current mode on the USB-A output (white LED on the Mode Button indicates this)
- Charge low current devices that don't ordinarily draw enough current to activate the powerbank (e.g.
wireless headphones, smartwatches, headtorches, etc )
- Long press Mode Button again to exit (white LED turns off)
<picture of low current mode LED>
Pros
- Best-in-class weight (150g) and volume (121.9 x 59 x 10.6mm)
- 18W fast charging on input and output
- Carbon fiber casing lightweight, yet durable and impact resistant
- Adequate capacity for a 3 day trip when using efficient devices (e.g. smartphone + inReach mini + Nitecore NU25 headlamp)
- Better energy density than 18650 batteries
- UN38.3 airline approved (less than 100Wh)
- IPX5 water resistant (protects against torrential rain)
Cons
- Much more expensive than peers (which average ~$30 USD + shipping)
- 50g not a big weight saving overall
- 10000mAh becomes 6400mAh after boosting voltage from 3.85V to 5v for USB output - all powerbanks do this
- 83% output efficiency is on the lower side - but reviews indicate output efficiency more like 92% - at least initially anyway
- 4x LED power indicators would be better than 3x
- "Pouch" LiPo battery not as rugged as cylindrical cells (e.g. not as well protected from piercing)
- Fit and finish issues due to the carbon
fiber material
- Cuts may be slightly rough and need finishing with sandpaper or superglue
- Corners are relatively sharp
- IPX5 water resistance comes from the shell being sealed with glue - the application quality can vary
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| Possible minor imperfections |
- The Mode Button LEDs blur together
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| LED indicators blur together somewhat |
- Needs an 18W+ AC adapter to fast charge the powerbank
- Such as the 18W+ USB-C AC adapter included with the Apple
iPhone Pro, iPad or Macbook
- or a 3rd party solution like the Anker Powerport nano
- Lightning to USB-C PD cable required for lightning port Apple devices supporting fast charge (cheap on ebay)
- Included cable USB-A to USB-C, not USB-C to USB-C
- "optimized charging" on Apple devices will increase charging times in the last 20% of charging
- No indication what speed charging is activated
- Perhaps better to use 2x mini 18W AC adapters rather than using passthrough charging
- Input / output is limited to 18W (rather than 40W+)
- Not adequate for USB-C charging laptops
- ~4 hours to charge the powerbank from 0-100% with an 18W charger is still not extremely fast
- 18W fast charging unavailable when both USB outputs are used. Output is limited to 5V @ 3A combined
- LiPo general drawbacks
- 0-50% time is quick, 50-100% slower
- Very low, high or humid conditions are not ideal for the battery
- Don't leave fully discharged for a long time (e.g. 3 months+)
Package contents:
- Nitecore NB10000 Powerbank
- USB Cable (USB-A to USB-C) with velcro strap
- Paper manual and other papers
- Box
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| Ports and button |
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| Frame |
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| Battery / Board |
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| LED indicator on button |
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| Low current mode LED indicator on button |
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