SunSaver 10k Solar Power Bank product reviews

Power on the go has never been much of an issue for me until more recently. Having lost my desktop rig to a videocard malfunction and having to run my office off a connected laptop means I no longer have a portable computing device when I am on the road except for a small tablet for taking notes and photos. That means it is quite important for me to have power I can take with me so that I don't miss that important but fleeting moment, and have the ability to jot down notes while still fresh in my head.

Until I got this, I have been using a neat little unit called the GO Puck 5x which used to hold 6600mAH of charge but over the years it has lost capability and now I am lucky if I get a single cellphone recharge (about 2300mAH) out of it before it stops pumping electrons. Now at last I can really get some peace of mind, as this unit not only carries a much larger load - more than quadruple what I can expect from my old unit - but it will give me USB at a full 3 amps so charge times are less than half of what I have become used to. With a USB Type-C output plug as well as the standard one, it also means my smartphone can be charged easily at the same time.

The solar panel built into the unit is handy - during the brighter weather I did notice it wouldn't run out as fast due to it getting trickle-charge any time it wasn't being used, but I wouldn't rely on it being a way to refill the storage with power any time other than the brightest sunny days. It's a small panel, and even the best solar panels these days don't really do the greatest jobs. Still, it definitely is better than nothing when you are out and about - just hang it from your backpack using the included carabiner clip and you'll get a few more ergs than you would if you left it stashed in your bag or pocket. I ran it utterly flat while up at Muriwai and left it on the dashboard for 9 hours in full, bright sunlight. It was showing 1/4 charged by the end of that, which is actually pretty good. Since then, I have run it empty again and sat it in the sun for 48 hours of sunlight - almost 5 days - and it hit full charge. Sure, that's not fast by the standards of today's instant-gratification generation, but it sure beats not having any power at all if you are off camping in the wilderness! NOTE: If you leave it on the dashboard of your car, you'll discover two things - it won't charge as fast due to the polarisation and UV-blocking features of automotive glass, and also when it does hit full power the continued exposure to the heat can cause storage devices like this to malfunction. Don't leave it exposed in your car unattended. When the last "charged" light stops blinking, put it away!

Charging it off the wall works the best, naturally. If you have the cables for it, charge it using the Type-C port for best results as that port is rated at 3 amps, while the Type-A mini USB port can only carry 2 amps - increasing the time to fully charge the storage cells. Either way will take a while - it's a big battery after all - but if you slap it on the day before you need it, it'll be there for you. Even an overnight charge gets you almost all the way.

I liked how it has a built-in light too - that came in very handy while doing some night photography on Muriwai Beach a little while ago and realised I had left my torch back in the car... an exhausting hike up the hill from the beach. It was also very handy when I discovered I had dropped my footwear somewhere on the beach during my explorations while the camera was doing the long-exposure shots. Being such a multifunctional device makes this a hit pick for me!

Overall, it's lightweight but sturdy construction and affordable price makes this a device that will satisfy any number of needs - a great gift for Dad if he's into camping, hunting or fishing. The water-resistant nature of this unit also means that if you get caught in the rain, it won't short out on you due to the rubber plugs securely sealing the USB ports. I wouldn't recommend taking it diving - you'd hardly want to open the covers underwater after all - so it's going to be great for those long hikes that take you through misty valleys or morning dew scenarios. While it's not the cheapest version of this unit out there, buying it from a NZ supplier means you have the peace of mind provided by the consumer laws - so it's certainly worth paying a couple of dollars more and know that if anything does go wrong, you're covered 100%.