For a number of years now, I’ve had a power bank in my backpack to cover those “Uh oh, battery…” moments. But for a little while now, I’ve struggled be particularly interested in them, mainly because they’re so mundane; wired, wireless or both – then there’s the battery capacity and that’s about all there is to discuss. While it’s not one of the more commercial brands like Belkin, Laser’s NRG Vault made me look twice, then immediately reach out for a review unit.
It’s a battery bank, but what’s different?
Just to quickly cover the basics, it is a 20,000mAh battery bank that can deliver up to 18W to your devices. I’ll immediately acknowledge that’s a far cry from the 35W or higher that some devices need for fast charging; but here’s the bit that’s made me sit up and take notice.
This isn’t just an ordinary battery that you need to recharge after each use or two. It’s ruggedised and is IP54 rated with the kicker that there’s a solar panel on the unit to recharge itself while you’re in the great outdoors. I’ve mentioned in posts in the past I’m a volunteer with emergency services, and this — in theory — solved one of my biggest problems with power banks; remembering to recharge the bloody thing!
As a further bonus to the feature set, there are LED light built in that run from the battery. There’s three brightness levels which make it useful for a variety of situations; and extending the battery life if you’re off the grid for a few days or more.
How handy is it to have a self-recharging power bank?
The unit immediately made its way into my go bag (stored in my locker at the station, pre-packed with some essentials I may need if we get called to a fire. It took longer than expected given it’s now officially the fire danger season in SA, but the first significant fire of the season brought occasion for the NRGVault to come out and charge some devices.
From a theoretical perspective, it wasn’t a big deal but when you consider that it was banging around in the back of a fire appliance off road, coming out of the ordeal with not a mark on it was a genuinely impressive outcome. Adding to that, with the fact that is was near fully charge meant I didn’t have to remember to put it on charge later makes it a winner for me.
Who should buy one?
While there is something of a target market, it’s not a niche target. Anyone who spends time on the go, significant time outside — for recreational pursuits, leisure or even business — and strikes occasional issues with battery will benefit from a power bank.
The NRGVault has a number of advantages for anyone that spends time either off-grid, or in a more harsh setting. Features like the IP rating, LED lighting and solar charging convenience make the $59.99 price a worthwhile investment.
