INTRODUCTION

   As most of you know portable batteries (also known as power banks) are not new in the market and as a matter of fact I’ve been testing and using such devices for roughly 5 years now so whenever someone tells me that this is the first time to ever hear about them I’m quite surprised honestly. For example 3 days ago my smartphone was quickly running out of juice while i was drinking a cup of coffee at my favorite place by the beach (WiFi does that) so i decided to get back to my car and bring a portable battery with me to charge it. Well i don't know if it was the design of the portable battery i used or the fact that it was larger than my smartphone (much thicker actually) but people where staring at me for quite a while (even the waitress came over and asked what that was). Now the reason i mentioned the design of this particular portable battery model is because it's a rather unique looking device and more specifically it's the latest Outdoor Powerbank by Sandberg.

   Sandberg stands for quality and user-friendliness. If it is important for you that accessories are high quality and easy to figure out how to use, then choose Sandberg. Our ideology "IT is for everybody" is part of everything we do. Since its inception in 1985, private consumers, institutions and companies have benefited from this simple philosophy. Distributors and dealers appreciate the availability, range, simple procedures and the exceptionally low failure rate. Every year over half a million Sandberg products find their way to users in more than 30 countries. Choosing Sandberg means choosing a safe and conscientious product that meets all applicable regulatory requirements. A product manufactured by subcontractors who are committed to following Sandberg's Code of Conduct to ensure decent working conditions and reduce the environmental impact of the production and waste disposal.

   The Outdoor Powerbank 10400mAh model by Sandberg stands out from the majority of similar products in the market currently because of 3 very simple reasons such as its color combination, enclosure durability and size. You see unlike the vast majority of similar devices in the market Sandberg decided on housing the battery cells inside an rather rugged IP54 certified enclosure which offers very good protection against dust and water (you can't however submerge the device) and also features a small built-in LED flash light. Now i don't really know what type of cells (brand) Sandberg used in this particular model but with a total capacity of 10400mAh it should be able to recharge most smartphones up to 5-6 times and most tablets at least once. So it’s time for us to take a closer look.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again Sandberg has used the same package which allows the consumer to take a look at the product from the front prior to purchasing it.

A product description is at the rear of the box in 10 different languages and right above the package contents and specifications table.

The box contains the Outdoor Power Bank, user guide and a USB to microUSB cable.

THE OUTDOOR POWERBANK 10400MAH

The IP54 certified enclosure of the Outdoor Powerbank 10400mAh is primarily made out of hard plastic and rubber (jungle camo parts) and measures 123mm in length, 76mm in width and 25.3mm in height while it weighs 275g.

Recently with us we had the P1-PRO Outdoor Power Bank by LUXA2 so naturally we compared the size of both models.

The Outdoor Powerbank has a round on/off button at the top (has a green LED beneath it) along with 4 blue LEDs used to indicate the current battery capacity (25% increments).

As you can see at the front there are two 5V USB ports (1A/2.1A) and the LED flashlight (the rubber protects them from dust and spilled water).

At the bottom we find the IP54 certification and the electrical specifications of the unit.

CONCLUSION

   We had the opportunity to test the Outdoor Powerbank 10400mAh by Sandberg for a total of 2 months during which we used it with 5 smartphones and 2 tablets and even took it with us on a quick trip at the mountain. Now as i already mentioned i don't know what type of cells Sandberg used but they are not bad at all since after 2 months of testing we concluded that these cells can deliver anything from 7100mAh and up to 7300mAh a number which is not bad at all if you take into consideration that every portable battery out there delivers at least 20% less compared to its rated capacity. As for the IP54 certified enclosure it can indeed withstand splashed water and dust but as mentioned many times already you can't submerge it or throw buckets of water on it. The LED flashlight is nice touch although to be honest with all of you I’m looking forward for when a manufacturer will take this feature seriously since i have never seen a portable battery with a really powerful LED. Sure it may be a secondary feature and even the lowest output LED could come in handy but i just would like something better that's all especially since it's not really hard to accomplish.

   From past reviews we know that Sandberg products are not available inside the USA so the Outdoor Powerbank 10400mAh model is only available inside the EU for 38Euros (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which is quite tempting especially for people who are not willing to climb any higher for such a device. Battery capacity is good, the IP54 certified rugged enclosure is certainly not something we see often with such devices, dual USB charging ports for smartphones and tablets may not be something new but it's always good to have them and the LED flashlight although not very powerful can indeed come in handy so because of all these the Outdoor Powerbank 10400mAh by Sandberg gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Design
- Build Quality (IP54 Certified Enclosure)
- 10400mAh Capacity
- 5V1A & 5V2.1A USB Ports
- LED Flashlight
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Color Combination (For Some)