Otterbox 20,000 mAh Fast Charge Power Bank

A good battery pack is essential these days. Everything from phones to gps to headlamps to cameras and radios are now recharged by USB.

Otterbox have been in the phone accessory game a long time make some of the toughest cases on the planet. If you need a supertough, waterproof case for your phone, you get an Otterbox case.

In 2017 they used their plastic expertise to make some of the nicest backpack and hard-sided coolers you can buy. The hard coolers rival Yeti with their ice-keeping and production quality.

They’ve expanded their product line again to electric phone accessories with cords and battery packs. They now have 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 mAh battery banks. The Fast Charge Qi Wireless Power Bank comes in 10k and 15k mAh sizes with a Qi wireless charging pad on top.

This review is about the 20,000 mAh Fast Charge Power Bank without the Qi charging pad.

The Fast Charge Power Bank has three different sizes: 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 mAh. The iPhone 12 has a 3,687 mAh battery in it so you’ll get more than 5 charges with 20k mAh.

It’s not just for phones though, it can be used to charge anything that can be charged by 18W USB. It won’t charge MacBook Pro computers but it works well for anything smaller like tablets, phones, cameras and drones. With new drones like the DJI Mavic Mini 2 coming with USB charging built in or portable charging stations, it’s easy to charge on the move.

It takes about 4 hours to fully charge. Some chargers are faster than others. Directly connected to the wall with a fast charger will charge the fastest. Just plugged into a computer will take longer.

The 4 LED lights indicate how charged it is. One click and it shows you the lights and the current charge level.

It has 2 ports, 1 USB-C and 1 USB-A port. Both can charge at 18 watts output.

Spec List

• 1 USB-C port, 1 USB-A port
• 18W fast charge on both ports
• Power Delivery on both ports?
• 20,000mAh (5k, 10k and 15k available as well)
• 15.9cm x 7.83 cm x 2.34 cm
• 435 grams (.96 pounds)
• $59.95 CAD for the 20,000 mAh model ($54.95 USD)

What I like

Feels and looks good

The power bank is the best looking power bank I’ve seen. Most are simple plastic or are made with slippery materials with no attention to the details. The faux-leather material on the Otterbox feels amazing and is easier to hang on to, and won’t slide around much on a dash.

Sturdy

Most power banks are fragile electrics. One drop and it’s toast. Otterbox builds their products tough. I’ve already dropped a few times accidentally and it looks brand new and works great. This makes it a bit heavier than other power banks but it will likely last longer being chunked in a backpack.

18 watts with Power Delivery output

Most small chargers only do 5 to 10 watts which doesn’t charge bigger devices like some cameras and tablets. 18 watts does a good job with all the smaller devices until you get to the larger laptops.

What I don’t like

Only 18W output

18W charging can power plenty of smaller devices but it’s not not quite enough for bigger laptops. I tested the Otterbox a 15′ Macbook Pro and while it did help power the laptop, it wasn’t gaining any ground. It might be able to increase the battery while asleep but in use it just slowed the decrease.

Can’t fast charge with both ports

The fast charge only works with one thing plugged in. It would be nice to see both ports fast charge. 1 is still great though but you just have to be aware that it won’t fast charge 2 phones at the same time.

Who is this good for?

Folks on the go a lot who need a bigger power bank. If you are constantly using a small laptop, tablet or camera and running out of juice, this is a great power bank to get. The 18W charge keeps up with tablets and bigger cameras that demand more power.

Being on the larger and heavier side, you probably won’t take it ultralight backpacking but with everything USB powered these days, the 10k version is smaller and lighter and could easily fit into your backpack to help charge your headlamp, GPS, and phone on the trail.