Introduction

Do you have an external battery that cannot feed the appetite of your gadgets? Check this out.Power banks have become a must-have item for anyone who uses portable devices, and there are lots of good ones, but what distinguishes this one drom Sandberg is its large storage capabilities and excellent build quality. 18,200 mAh is a lot of power when you consider that the smallest ones start at 3,000. You can recharge up to three devices at the same time. The three 5V charging ports are rated as:1A,1.5A max,and 2.4A max. Smart charging means high efficiency and speed.



Specifications:




Packaging & Contents

The Sandberg PowerBank 18200 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 new Sandberg PowerBank 18200 comes with all essential parts.These include one Micro-Usb cable connector as well as user guide. User guide guides the user on all aspects of using power bank.




A Closer Look

For size, think in terms of a thick, full-length pocket diary or man's wallet.It's not that much bigger than the 13000-15000 mAh battery packs, and they aren't pocket size either.



The size and design of Sandberg PowerBank 18200 allows it to fit easily into the pocket of jeans.Ladies can keep it in their purse if they feel that device will be safer that way.This power bank charger is perfect for taking with you on a long flight or a long road trip.It is also ideal if you plan on going for camping in a hilly area for a couple of days.



The battery itself is covered with grey plastic.No gloss, no fingerprints, which is exactly how I like it.



Eye-catching LCD screen alerts you as to how much capacity you've got left.The indicator is one aspect of the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 external battery which is really fascinating.This feature allows you sufficient time to locate the power source for charging it.The LCD screen displays the remaining capacity on a 0-100% scale when most other packs just use 4 LEDs to represent increments of 25%.



Input charging to the power bank is via a standard micro-USB connector (input charger not supplied - any USB power source can be used, such as phone charger, AC adapter or USB port of PC). Because of its large capacity, best to assume you will need to charge the power bank itself overnight.



The battery of Sandberg has huge capacity for its size. 18200mAh battery capacity of this portable device is truly huge if you compare it with other power banks having the same dimensions and weight. Li-polymer battery type of Sandberg makes the device efficient and user friendly.



There are three output connection points, all USB, allowing up to three devices to be re-charged simultaneously. 'Output 1' has a rated capacity of 1A. Outputs 2 and 3 are rated 1.5A and 2.4A max respectively, allowing devices able to draw higher currents to be recharged safely much faster.All connections feel solid and robust.This is definitely a plus for a power user who may have multiple devices.If you consider some people carry multiple devices (phones, tablets, speakers, even cellular hotspots) the extra port could come in handy.The unit automatically recognises when a device has been connected, and charging commences without the need to press any button. It then automatically switches off when the device has been fully charged.There is a built-in LED flashlight (single LED) which can apparently run for up to 200 hours between charges.



Many security and protection features have been built into the design of Sandberg PowerBank 18200 to make sure that it does not harm the device or itself while charging.It provides protection against over current and overcharging.These two things are the worst that can happen to any device's health.Over charging reduces the battery life to a great extent.It also provides over discharge as well as short circuit protection.Short circuit protection protects the power bank against damage so that you don't have to spend money over and over again.




Performance

I used this to charge phones and tablets, including three Nexus 7s, Asus Memo 10, four Kindle eReaders, Nexus 5, Moto G. At one point I had a the Asus Memo 10, a Nexus 7, and the Nexus 5 all showing 20-30% battery remaining that I then connected to the Sandberg PowerBank 18200. The tablets have internal batteries far larger capacity the most phones so this was quite a load. Initially the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 showed 100%. About 2 hours later, all three devices were 100% charged and the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 showed 72% remaining.



So I charged several more devices (Nexus 5, another Nexus 7, and a couple of Kindles from various levels of discharge. This took the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 readout down to about 50%. After charging everything we own that have microUSB charging ports, it was down to about 15%. And generally, no one would ever actually have this much to charge before getting back to a wall charger.It does take 20 hours to recharge.The power bank remained cool during charging. The display turns itself off after 15 seconds of inactivity. Here is what I found during my tests:

- Output 1 ( Rated 1A ): Was able to handle over the 1A rated capacity.
- Output 2 ( Rated 1.5A ): Was able to handle over the 1.5A rated capacity.
- Output 3 ( Rated 2.4A ): Was able to handle over the 2.4A rated capacity.

Using Output 2 and Output 3, I was able to handle both 2A loads (total of 4A, measure at about 3.8A). I even connected my Moto X on Output 1, and was able to charge it at 0.5A with both 2A loads going - total of 4.5A which isn't bad at all.


Final Thoughts

At $89 (at the time of writing), the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 is a work of art(three USB ports, DC output, and an LCD screen)There's not much more you can ask for. I'd love to see a future model with 30,000+mAh of charge, but 18,200mAh is a nice alternative thanks to weight and size.I would recommend the Sandberg PowerBank 18200 to anyone regularly travelling, working out-of-office or outdoors needing absolute certainty they have the means with them to re-charge their smart phone or iPad. Anyone spending long hours away from power points on leisure pursuits such as fishing, climbing/walking expeditions, camping or sailing may find it an essential bit of kit, both for general use and for inclusion in an emergency 'grab bag'. The flashlight is suddenly then a very useful additional feature.Overall, this is a great power bank and if you are looking for a reliable technology and customer service, this is definitely one to go for! It also comes with standard 5 years warranty!!!



If you need a high capacity battery pack with the ability to handle multiple devices at the same time, or need the ability to keep an eye on the capacity to a greater degree of accuracy then this external battery pack is a great option to consider.