INTRODUCTION

   Whether you like travelling a lot (sometimes even far from civilization) or if you're just on all the time every day carrying a good portable battery with you could prove invaluable. Not all portable batteries however are created equal and since most of us happen to have at least two smartphones and a tablet which we carry around with us (myself included) and use on a daily basis having enough battery juice to keep all of them up and running requires a high capacity model. On top of that add the fact that there are many people out there who place durability only second to battery capacity and the amount of available models gets reduced even further. Sandberg is among a small group of companies which still tend to the needs of such consumers and today we'll be testing their latest Survivor Powerbank 20100 model.

   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.

   As clearly revealed by its name the Survivor Powerbank 20100 model is based on a 20100mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (according to Sandberg they've only used high-quality cells by LG) which is placed inside a IP67 certified rugged enclosure (protection against dust, shock and the effects of immersion in water to depth between 15 cm and 1 meter). Now these may be the two primary features of the Survivor Powerbank 20100 model but it actually has a few more including a very convenient LED torch (effective up to 30 meters), two 5v USB outputs (1.4A/2.4A) and a 4 LED battery charge indicator. So could this be the powerbank adventurers and people on the go have been waiting for?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Survivor Powerbank 20100 arrived inside a green and black box (camo) that has a product picture at the front right over its features.

At the rear of box Sandberg has placed the bundle contents, product specifications and a few words about it in 24 different languages.

You can take a look at the product by opening the front of the box as seen above.

Along with the Survivor Powerbank 20100 you will also receive a USB to micro USB charging cable and the quick start guide.

THE SURVIVOR POWERBANK 20100

The 700g heavy Survivor Powerbank 20100 is certainly not among the smallest powerbanks in the market since it measures 23cm in length, 15cm in width and 10cm in thickness.

Once again to showcase the size of the powerbank in our hands we placed it right to the AL420 9.000mAh model by Xtorm, the Ultra Compact Powerbank 10.000mAh by CHJGD and the PL2 6.000mAh and PL3 10.400mAh models by Luxa2.

At the top of the powerbank we find the battery charge LEDs and the LED torch on/off button (also initiates charging of any devices connected to the USB outputs).

The electrical specifications of the unit along with its country of manufacture and waterproof rating are printed at the rear of the enclosure.

Moving at the front of the powerbank we find the LED torch and a protected compartment (to open it just squeeze the two plastic pieces inwards).

In the compartment we find the two 5V 1.4/2.4A USB outputs and the 5V micro USB charging port.

CONCLUSION

   If you've been following our reviews it's no secret really that through the years we've favored most rugged products to find their way to our lab solely because of their increased durability (always compared to their regular counterparts). Granted in many occasions rugged products may not be the best in terms of performance and/or features but thanks to their increased durability they are almost certain to last longer and thus represent a better investment (especially for people who are not in the position to swap such devices regularly). The same of course applies for the Survivor Powerbank 20100 so although it doesn't come packed with features like Qualcomm's Quick charge its high battery capacity and rugged enclosure more than make up for that. Of course after using it for almost 21 days continuously with several smartphones tablets, portable speakers and wireless earbuds we couldn't come anywhere close to the advertised capacity of 20100mAh (according to our tests you can expect anything between 13500-14500mah delivered to your devices) but again if you've been following our reviews you'd know that's not something new and happens with all powerbanks (in different degrees of course).

   As with every other product by Sandberg the Survivor Powerbank 20100 may not be available in the USA but you can still find it inside the EU for a price of 83Euros (Amazon.co.uk). Of course we'd all like to see the addition of Qualcomm’s Quick charge technology in upcoming models (although it's still not supported by not all smartphones and tablets) but even without it getting your hands on a dustproof and waterproof powerbank with a battery capacity of roughly 20000mAh and a LED torch for that amount of money shows just how fast things have progressed in the last 2-3 years. In conclusion the Survivor Powerbank 20100 by Sandberg may not be the perfect portable battery in the market today but thanks to its rugged enclosure, very high battery capacity and LED torch it’s well worth of our Golden Award.

PROS

- IP67 Rugged Housing (Dustproof/Waterproof)
- Quality (LG Cells)
- High Capacity (20100mAh)
- 2 Output Ports (1.4A/2.4A)
- Built In LED Torch
- Battery Charge Indicators

CONS

- Overall Size (For Some)
- Design (For Some)