I received the item around three weeks ago and since then I’ve used it several times a day, both at home and at work and also whilst socialising in order to get the best overall experience.
First up, packaging - Anker never lets the side down here, with its familiar and no nonsense blue and white box containing the charger, a USB C to USB C cable, USB A to Micro USB, a carry pouch with a net like construction, plus the usual happy/not happy card and user guide (which has English translation in addition to what appears to be Chinese??).
I was disappointed there was no compatible wall charger included - at the price I really would have expected this but I managed to find a compatible Microsoft 3 amp charger which could make most of the Power Delivery (PD) fast recharging, to enable the power bank to be refilled once empty. With this out of the way, let’s move on.
I have reviewed the product on its own merit based on what is included in the package – Anker does state there is no charger included and therefore I took this into consideration but it does not affect the overall rating. (Think of it like when you purchase your car – it’s great but they still won’t give you free car mats!)
It should come as no surprise the 20000 PD looks just like any other power bank, there’s not much you can do to alter how they look - but the rounded edges and bomb proof build quality makes up for any lack of finesse as far as looks are concerned.
Up on the top edge is a USB C port and USB A output, both of which use the Power Delivery charging technology to pump out rapid charging to compatible devices. Across the width of the PD are 4 blue LED’s which denote remaining capacity in 25% increments, to the left of this on the side edge is a power on/off button should you wish to pause or resume charging.
The built is tough plastic (which will scratch so be careful how this is stored), but the whole package is very well made and feels solid.
I tested it with a Galaxy S7, Xiaomi Mi A1 and an iPhone X (using the USB C to lightning cable) and it charged all in a little over an hour - very impressive.
Even better, it charged my OnePlus 3T pretty quickly too, even though the phone defaults to 1.5A when not being charged via its proprietary Dash Charger.
I also used it to recharge portable speakers, Vape Sticks (?!), Xiaomi Candela Bluetooth lights, Camera gimbals, controllers and even charged another power bank just for the hell of it!
Recharging the 20000 PD was a chore at first, as it came without a wall charger capable of taking advantage of the PD fast charging (for reference, you will need a charger capable of 3.0 Amp output - I bought a Microsoft Lumia 950 XL one from eBay and this works perfectly).
With a normal wall charger it took almost THREE DAYS to recharge the 20000 PD. Whilst I appreciate this has a very large capacity, you can imagine my surprise and dismay at this!
However, once the 3.0 Amp charger arrived, the PD recharges in around 3 – 4 hours to 100%
In comparison to the older RAV Power portable power bank (which is also 20000 mAh), the obvious advantage is the slimmer form factor and the rapid charging output. Even without rapid charging, the 20000 PD delivers powerful and consistent (this is the important part as there are no fluctuations in the output) charging for anything which accepts Micro USB or USB C. I did try the charger via USB C to USB C using an LG Nexus 5X and the rapid fast charging worked right away.
Who would this benefit?
This would benefit pretty much anyone of any age – it is so useful for a variety of devices and is light enough to be carried in coat pockets (whilst it can go in your jeans/trousers it makes its presence known with its weight!). Its rapid charging is really impressive and is consistently good each and every time – I found it really useful using my smartphone gimbal as it allowed me to continue using it with an extra-long Micro USB cable and putting the PD in my pocket, allowing the gimbal to be powered constantly without the worry of it expelling its battery mid shot.
Yes, it could have more output ports but given how quickly it recharges a compatible device – I think two is just fine. If you need more then there are numerous other power banks more suitable. It is also quite hefty but given its large capacity this is expected.
Whether this is worth the £49.99 asking price is entirely down to you – everyone has differing budgets and therefore it would be unfair of me to assume based on just my opinion.
However, as a reviewer I highly recommend the 20000 PD as it is an excellent product on its own merit. Whilst it doesn’t come with a compatible wall charger, it is very inexpensive to purchase one (at the time of writing mine was £8.99 from eBay) and this allows Anker to keep costs down. I did reach out to them regarding this and they have informed me it is simply a case they do not have any PD Capable chargers for the UK market just yet.
If you’re in the market for a new power bank, this comes highly recommended and would be perfect for anyone looking for fast, reliable charging on the go.
