The best portable batteries I’ve used yet
I am somewhat of a battery hoarder. I love portable batteries because they solve a problem and serve a purpose with their function. I started with my obsession when portable power company, Mophie came out with the Juice Pack so many years ago. It was amazing to have a case on your phone that would also recharge it. Portable power has evolved since then, but Mophie is still a forerunner when it comes to creating superior charging products.
For quite some time, I’ve been trying to find the ‘perfect’ battery for my portable power needs. Finding a single battery to cover all my needs can be difficult as I always find myself over-packing – even for the smallest of road trips – and including multiple batteries in my bag. Mophie’s Powerstation Plus XL comes very close to serving all my charging needs while on the go.
DETAILS
The Powerstation Plus XL is a 10,000 mAh portable battery. It has a built-in Lightning cable for charging Apple devices and allows for a 10W USB-A output connection, too. With these two output ports, you have the ability to charge two devices simultaneously. The Powerstation allows for pass-through charging as well. It will prioritize a connected device so that it charges up to full first before the battery receives a charge.
What makes the Powerstation Plus XL really special is that you have two ways to recharge it – with a Lightning cable or with a wireless charger. The power bank has wireless input charging so you can use any Qi-compatible wireless charging pad to recharge it. The battery comes in four different colors – black, heather grey, slate, or deep blue.
SPECS
- Capacity: 10,000 mAh
- Weight: 9.17 oz
- Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, AirPod, and other USB devices
- Dimensions: 3.06 x 5.53 x 0.71 inches
- 2-year warranty
- Included in the Box: Powerstation Plus XL Portable Battery and a Quick Start Guide
USER EXPERIENCE
The Powerstation Plus XL came in a simply branded box from Mophie. An image of the product is printed on the front cover and getting into the box is pretty easy. I didn’t find myself getting frustrated over the packaging at all. The battery itself is pretty self-contained so the only other thing included is a quick start guide.
The Powerstation is a very capable charging device. I used it to charge an iPhone X (2,716 mAh) from 4% up to 100%. The entire charging session took approximately 134 minutes. This gives the Powerstation XL a charging rate of 0.72 mAh per minute. The Powerstation had been at 100% when I started charging the iPhone and after it completed its charging session, there was still 75% left on the power bank.
What makes the Powerstation Plus XL such a winner for me is its portability. The weight, the size, capacity, and the fact that I don’t have to remember to go find a cable to charge it up are all big perks for me. I can come home and just lay it down on a wireless charger to juice this little powerhouse back up. This recharge step is usually an epic fail for me. I will come home with other power banks and just toss them aside without plugging them in. That means, when I want to use them the next time, they aren’t juiced up. The wireless charging capabilities of the Powerstation solve this problem. Being able to rest this on my wireless charging pad anywhere in the house has been the biggest selling point for me. I absolutely love this idea and wish all portable batteries were like this.
CONCLUSION
The Mophie Powerstation Plus XL has been a clear winner for me. It solves a lot of portable power woes that I’ve been fighting since I started carrying power banks around. The only thing I don’t like about this battery is that it won’t charge my laptop. Therefore, on longer trips, I’ll still have to take two batteries with me – the Mophie Powerstation Plus XL and the Mophie Powerstation AC. I can wholeheartedly recommend this power bank to any iOS device user. It’s a definite win.
For more details, visit mophie.
Find mophie on Facebook and Twitter.
