This week on the podcast, I talk about a battery I picked up from RAVPower. It's a 20,000 mah battery pack which isn't unique. But it's capable of 80 Watts of output through an AC Power outlet. You can charge your laptop, your camera, your switch, or basically anything else off of this battery pack which is just awesome. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.
Right off the bat, this battery pack is not svelte. It's somewhere between the size of a can of soda and a Gatorade bottle. It's about 6 inches tall and a 3 inch rounded square. There's a fan at the bottom of the device to cool the device. On all sides is a soft-touch black material which feels really nice to hold. The battery pack is built like a brick; it could probably handle some punishment. On top, there's a USB Type-A, USB Type-C, and AC outlet, the latter of which has a rubber flap to help keep liquids out. A button turns the charger on, indicated by 5 blue LEDs on the side of the device which show you the amount of charge left in the tank.
Overall, this is a big boy - probably bigger than other 20,000 mah batteries, but the AC outlet makes it worth the trouble. That AC outlet is capable of 80W of output, while the other USB Type-C and USB Type-A ports can output at 30W PD and 18W respectively. I've used the battery for charging up the Lenovo Duet Tablet while working on it. I've even used to AC outlet to charge up my Macbook. You can use all three charging ports at the same time but they're all a little cramped. Depending on the plug you're using, you might block the other ports, so that's a downside.
The chunkiness is another downside. I'd really like something I can slip into a pocket or in my backpack; this pack does not fit the bill. But those other battery packs usually don't have AC outlets, which makes this pretty great. Also, the price tag is quite high for a 20,000 mah battery, north of $80 at time of publication. But at the end of the day, will this be worth it to you? I think so. The versatility is what really sells this device - you can plug anything into it.
If you pick one up, as an Amazon associate, I may get a little cut, so you'll be helping out the show, and you'll have my thanks.
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