Stay powered up and prepared for any adventure with the rugged 10,000mAh power bank from NRGVault. Built to withstand the elements, it features a bright torch with SOS function for emergencies, LED indicators for remaining power, and dust cap for the connectors.
We’ve likely all been there… an important call or email that needs to be sent (or in my case a day spent at Pearl Harbour taking photos), only to realise you’re about to run out of battery.
And as time goes on, and our devices get bigger and bigger batteries (that still only seem to last a day of heavy usage) we’re no longer able to rely on small battery packs to solve the issue, and prevent the dreaded “low battery” message. Enter the NRGVault’s rugged 10,000mAh power bank, the latest offering from an Australian company. But, just how good is it, and will it spell the end of battery anxiety?
Unboxing
NRGVault have gone with a nice mix of eye catching and clean for their box design. Blue sides and top branded with a large, crisp NRGVault logo draw the eye, while the front and back contain photos of the product and essential information.
I’ve said in many of my reviews that I like a crisp, clean aesthetic, and NRGVault have certainly done that. An interesting difference from many competitors is that the name and date the product was QC’d is stuck on the back of the box. I’m not saying it’s an advantage over the competition, it’s just something I haven’t noticed before. But it does give a little peace of mind knowing it was checked only a week before it was sent to me.
Inside the box is the Powerbank itself, a USB-C to USB-C cable, carabiner (for the rugged outdoor use this product is intended for) and the user manual, which shouldn’t really be needed as it’s pretty much plug and play (though, I DID still manage a user error mistake – more later).
First Impressions
The power bank is made of heavy-duty materials with blue highlights on the side and top (It does also come with other colours however). It’s clean, functional and simple, and screams ‘rugged’. And this is where it’s first major difference from the competition is apparent… it has a torch. With three levels of brightness, and an automated SOS emergency flash sequence, the NRGVault 10,000mAh powerbank will provide reliable illumination for camping, hiking or emergencies. And the best part is that the torch uses VERY little of the power itself.
The powerbank itself is a size small enough to fit into your pocket, (at 12cm long, 5.5cm wide, and 2.5cm thick) and is smaller than some of the competitors on the market. That said, it does weigh a bit (thanks to both the large battery capacity, and the rugged construction) coming in at 215grams, which, while not backbreaking, is a noticeable heft. Accordingly, you’ll probably want to clip it onto your belt loops or backpack using the carabiner.
On the device itself, there’s a moderately (but well disguised) power button on the side used to both wake the device, and cycle the torch settings, along with four LED indicators to display remaining charge, and a small NRGVault logo the back.
On the top edge is the torch LED, a USB-C port for input and output, and a USB-A port.
Certification
The NRGVault 10,000mAh Outdoor Activity Powerbank is IP64 rated, which means it’s weather resistant. The USB ports on top are covered with a rubber seal when not in use. The only downside is that you have to cover both ports, or neither. This means if you’re charging a device using the USB-C port (for example) the USB-A port will also be uncovered. It’d be nice if these could be uncovered separately.
Charging Tests
The NRGVault 10,000mAh Outdoor Activity Powerbank can provide output power from a single port or both ports simultaneously. The USB-C Input & Output specifications are 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/2.5A, 15V/2A, and 20V/1.5A. The USB-A Output specification is 5V/3A, 9V/2A and 12V/1.5A.
This means that the Outdoor Activity Powerbank DOES support fast charging capability (30W Power Delivery (PD) and Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC) 3.0) allowing you to charge your devices quickly and efficiently. However, this is where I made my mistake (mentioned earlier). I had misplaced the USB-C cable that came with the powerbank, so used a USB-A to C cable I had lying around, and my phone gave an error, with the powerbank taking about 5 hours to charge my phone to 50%.
Realising my mistake (user error) I took the time to locate the USB-C cable that came with the device, and it charged as quickly as the wall charger I use to charge my Samsung S22+. I’m still not quite sure whether it was the USB-A cable that I was using, or the device that was to blame (other than me, of course.)
But because the NRGVault Outdoor Activity Powerbank requires the USB-C port to charge the battery pack, you will not likely be able to gain the full benefit of the powerbank by charging the powerbank while simultaneously charging a device.
That said, because the Outdoor Activity Powerbank supports USB-C Power Delivery, you should be able to charge your MacBook from it.
Charging the Outdoor Activity Powerbank WILL take a while, thanks to the large capacity battery. The exact length of time will depend on the charge level of the powerbank when you start charging it, and the capabilities of the charger being used. In my testing, I found that it took several hours to gain a full charge (from empty), but this wasn’t a problem when I left it charging overnight.
Conclusion
It is no doubt that the NRGVault 10,000mAh Outdoor Activity Powerbank is a powerful accessory that will see you safe in an emergency, even if you have several power hungry devices sitting at 1% charge remaining.
It has a lot of advantages over some of the competition, including a large capacity battery, and a rugged weather-resistant build which gives peace of mind while camping, or conditions where you might accidentally get it wet.
However, it’s not without flaws (some of which are even addressed with NRGVault’s 20,000mAh solar-chargeable offering).
While certainly not deal-breakers, the inability to charge the Powerbank AND my Smartphone at the same time did mean I had to take a second charging cable and wall plug while travelling. However, despite it being a little bit more pricey than some equally sized competitors (though it is available on sale at the time of writing for $49 making it MUCH better value for money), given the rugged and weatherproof build, I would still recommend considering it as your emergency power source – especially if you are outdoors a lot. The NRGVault 10,000mAh Outdoor Activity Powerbank will have you covered, and presents a strong challenge to the competition.
I would like to thank NRGVault for gifting the Outdoor Activity Powerbank. I will certainly be using this on all my upcoming travel. You can get yours at Big W.
