Introduction

Battery banks are a dime a dozen these days.This is why when a new one hits the market it has to really make a splash, to make any sort of dent in the market.Of course,price will always be a determining feature with this sort of product. With so many available,how else do you decide which one to go for? Well,if you are stuck then here is a quick review of one of the latest offerings to hit the market.The Sandberg PowerBank 6000 is an external high energy power bank for your portable device.In addition to extending the battery life of your smart phone, iPod/MP3 Player or tablet,it will save you forgetting to bring your charging cables or reduce the number of charging cables and chargers when you are on the go.



As its name implies, the rechargeable battery inside the unit is rated at 6,000mAh.That's around double -- or even triple-the capacity of smaller, more pocket-friendly chargers.




Packaging & Contents

The Sandberg PowerBank 6000 is packed inside a small clear plastic box that allows you to take a close look at the unit prior to purchasing it.



At the rear of the box we see a description of the product printed in many languages right above the contents and specifications lists.



The contents of the box includes only a manual and a micro usb cable.




A Closer Look

Well, in terms of size.This is rather similar to what we are seeing as a standard type of size for a battery bank.It fits neatly into your pocket or bag.



This is a power bank that intends to offer a more stylish and modern look.The black accents on the silver version do add an especially pleasing element compared to the plainer and more generic black looking options.



You can charge up to tho devices at once.For instance, I had an iPhone and a Bluetooth speaker hooked up to the battery at the same time.You can also charge an iPad and other tablets.



When you press the button to see how much battery power remains,it'll let you know just how full it is (the four LED lights will also tell you).



The left slot is labeled "2.1A" and it ups the maximum current to 2.1A.And at 2.1A max current,it's more than capable of charging even the biggest phablets and tablets out there.The right slot features a standard mode"1A" at 1A.



At the bottom of the Sandberg PowerBank 6000, a small label gives information on the , such as the the UPC code.




Performance

Design and looks of battery banks are somewhat important but nothing compared to battery life. After all,this is the primary focus and purpose of a battery bank.To test its output,i first fully charge depleted a Google Nexus 5 using the free Battery Tester app available on Google Play.After the Nexus 5 powered itself off,i then plugged it into the Sandberg's Sandberg 2.1A charging port and turned on the phone.In under a minute,i turned the screen to max brightness and fired up the Battery Tester app, enabling all options other than vibration.At this time,the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 was not only powering the Nexus 5 running at full tilt, but it was also charging its battery.I then kept track of how long it took for the PowerBank 6000 to:A)fully charge the Nexus 5 running at full power,and B)for both the Nexus 5 and Moonstone 6000 to run out of juice.I also performed the test on a fully charged Nexus 5 under the same conditions, but without the PowerBank 6000.Finally,I repeated each test two more times and averaged the results.



So how did the PowerBank 6000 fare?Averaged across three runs,the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 was able to power the empty Nexus 5 for 6 hours and 52 minutes while running at full power.And in the process, the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 fully charged the Nexus 5 while running the battery tester app in just 3 hours and 22 minutes.A fully charged Nexus 5 without the Sandberg PowerBank 6000,on the other hand,can last 2 hours and 52 minutes on its stock 2300 mAh battery under the same conditions.So if we are to take the Nexus 5's battery rating at face value,this means that the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 effectively adds 5496 mAh on top of the phone's built-in 2300 mAh.In other words,91.60% of the claimed 6000 mAh actually end up going to your phone.While your first instinct may be to fault the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 because I didn't experience 100% rated capacity or more,one must keep in mind that there are a few steps along the way that eat at efficiency.For starters,the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 first had to not only power the Nexus 5,but also charge its battery.In doing this,charge was going from one battery to the phone and then to another battery-and then back to the phone.Naturally,every transfer wastes energy in the form of heat.So why did I test this way if I knew going in that it would waste energy along the way?Simple.It most accurately represents how the device will be used in real life situations,as well as how much of a power gain a typical user might expect.And all things considered,it's quite impressive that the device achieved over 90% of its rated capacity.Because of this,I have absolutely no reason to doubt that the device's battery back itself is capable of delivering the full 6000 mAh in a more clinical setting.The Sandberg PowerBank 6000 will fully charge the iPhone 5S and many other smartphones three times.And, as I said,you can charge multiple devices at one time, though that will obviously suck the life out of the PowerBank 6000 more quickly.


Conclusion

In all,I really liked the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 and appreciated its versatility.If you are looking for a non-intrusive option which is a bit stylish and gets the job done then this will do.The pack includes the battery bank, micro USB cable and a user manual.



So is the Sandberg PowerBank 6000 worth a place in your pocket or bag?Well,if you constantly find yourself running out of power while out and about,it's hard to find fault with the PowerBank 6000.It's relatively small,so it can easily fit in your pants pocket, yet it packs enough juice to fully charge your phone at least a couple times.And since its max output is 2.1A, you don't have to worry about whether it can deliver enough current to charge your tablet or phone while in use.Then there's the value.The price of the 6000mAh is 51.99 Euro's,not cheap but not very pricey compared to other power banks,and since I knew that Sandberg has long-lasting cell batteries,I knew that it will go a long way.