INTRODUCTION

   Portable batteries (or power banks) may have managed to secure a place amongst the most important mobile gadgets people should with them at all times but leaving out all the available capacities which vary from just 1000-2000mAh and way up to 30-40000mAh (something that leaves plenty of room for many models to exist in the market) how many of you have really seen a powerbank which you can even go as far as to call unique? Sure some offer dual USB outputs, others offer built-in flashlights, solar panels used for recharging and there are some which even allow the end user to choose the preferred output voltage (the really high capacity ones aimed for use with laptops). These are all great but what I’ve always wanted was to use a rugged powerbank much like the rugged USB flash drives and portable drives we see all the time so when Xtorm launched the Xtreme Power Bank AL420 there was no way i could say no to testing it.

   Xtorm is part of the Dutch company A-solar bv and was founded in 2008 with the idea that today more and more mobile devices come to the market, which requires a lot of power. To contribute to the environment we have searched for durable applications to provide a solution to this problem. Meanwhile we are the manufacturer in the field of innovative and practical solar and power solutions for everyday use. We bring a complete range of affordable and user-friendly consumer products on the market that simply charged from solar power and USB. The products with the brand Xtorm have a contemporary character and are of high quality.

   The specifications of the Xtreme Power bank AL420 by Xtorm are nothing we haven't seen in the past (and shared by numerous power banks in the market) since under its enclosure it features a 9000mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack which can be used with mobile devices via a single 5V/2.1A USB port. What makes the Xtreme Power Bank AL420 quite special however is its IP66 certified (water and dust proof) silicone enclosure and a small built-in LED torch/flashlight. Now we have seen built-in LED flashlights in the past from some power banks (there are quite a few in the market with one) but never an IP66 rugged silicone enclosure so let's see just how it looks and feels.