No doubt about it, a portable battery pack for charging electronic devices is handy. If you’re constantly on the go, an external battery pack is a must-have accessory. The big question is, which one? There are hundreds of options, some cheap, some little, some big, some expensive — and everything in between. Here’s what I look for:
- a reputable brand
- a high-quality, reliable battery
- plenty of mAh
- lightweight packability
TYLT’s ENERGI 5K+ Battery Pack, it turns out, is the latest pack to cross my desk, and it delivers on all my key criteria. As for manufacturers, TYLT is a fairly new accessory manufacturer, established in 2011. From what I’ve seen so far, I’ve been impressed by the company’s build quality. The fit and finish of the ENERGI 5K+ Battery Pack is solid but unpretentious. It’s plastic with red, blue, or gray accent options. It feels solid in your hand without feeling heavy.
TYLT says the battery cells have been tested and certified to the following standards: CTIA – IEEE1725, UL 1642, UN 38.3. What does that really mean to regular people? It means that your batteries will likely last longer than cheap knockoffs. In the case TYLT’s ENERGI 5K+, that’s about 500 full charge cycles (a 50% charge is half a charge cycle, by the way, so you can “top off” your battery pack any time without hurting the overall battery lifecycle). I’ve had cheaper battery packs that lasted great for a few months . . . and then completely died on me when I needed them. Never again.
As for mAh, it’s basically an energy unit that describes the amount of energy a battery can store — bigger is more. The TYLT ENERGI 5K+ contains a 5,200 mAh internal battery. Depending on the battery capacity of your gadgets, 5,200 mAh means you can fully charge most smartphones twice before the battery pack runs out. That’s cool. That’s handy. That amount of energy makes keeping track of an external battery pack worthwhile.
For your reference, the iPhone 5s sports a battery rated at about 1560 mAh, the iPhone 5 at 1440 mAh, while the Galaxy S4 has a whopping 2600 mAh battery.
The TYLT ENERGi 5k+ comes in a slim rectangle that’s a little over 1/2-inch wide and is slightly larger than the footprint of an iPhone 5s.
Lightning + Micro-USB
The “+” in the ENERGI 5K+ means you get two built-in charging connectors — one short Lightning cable plus one short micro-USB cables. Newer Apple devices use the Lightning connector while most other smartphones and gadgets use the micro-USB connector. In addition, there is a standard USB port, which you can plug your own charging cable into and charge from.
In fact, the ENERGI 5K+ has a 3-amp circuit that lets it charge three devices simultaneously. Nice.
All-in-all, the TYLT ENERGI 5K+ Battery Pack is a light-but-power-packed extra battery with handy built-in charging cables. Priced at around $89, it seems a bit spendy until you factor in the battery quality, lifespan, capacity, and handy all-purpose charging options. If I’m going to bother with an external battery pack, I want one that’s reliable, versatile, and packs a punch.
The TYLT ENERGI 5K+ has earned a spot in my travel bag.
Get the TYLT ENERGI 5K+ at Amazon:
Double-the-Capacity Mammoth Option:
