There are situations where it is necessary to have large requirements for power on the move – and while this may be a rare occasion for many, there are those that need huge power requirements to keep laptops and smart devices charged up to 100%. Anker has developed a huge capacity battery, the PowerCore+ 26800, with a 30W output to ingratiate the devices it is used on. However, can it withstand the testing requirements of modern-day devices? Read on to find out.
Like all of Anker’s products the PowerCore+ 26800 comes very well packaged, immediately giving the impression of a top-quality product. The power bank itself has got a stylish aluminium matte shell which tries its best to be devoid of fingerprints. Flanking this is an accessory kit containing a USB A to USB C, a USB C to USB C, and a nylon mesh drawstring slip case to protect the device from scratches or blemishes while on the move. The device has an LED Power Indicator with 10 lights, each representing 10% of the battery remaining which is a nifty feature for knowing how much juice is left. This has three outputs, two are USB-A outputting 5V / 3A and the other is USB-C, with a whopping 30W output which is suitable for those with MacBooks or Nintendo Switch systems.
Those who own other power banks, or even the wildly popular PowerCore 15600 will immediately notice that 26800 is a beast of a unit, weighing in at close to 600gr, and dimensions of 18 x 8 x 2.4cm. Comparatively, this is over double the weight of a Nintendo Switch unit (minus its Joy cons), twice the depth, and pretty much the same width and height. These two metrics of weight and size make the unit a lot less pocket friendly than other power banks in the Anker range. This is mainly designed to be carried around in a bag, which isn’t so unreasonable, as any device requiring this level of power would almost need its own case either way.
PowerCore+ 26800 comes with Anker’s proprietary technology, Power IQ, which automatically detects the device that is connected to provide it with the correct level of charge. Anker claims that an iPhone 6S can be fully charged up to 10 times with this power bank. For the purposes of this review, three devices were used; an iPhone SE, a Huawei P20 Pro, and a Nintendo Switch.
The iPhone SE got 11 full charges, the Huawei P20 Pro got six full charges and the Nintendo Switch managed around four and a half charges. This displays the sheer colossal capacity that is on offer from Anker – a truly apt travel companion for long-haul journeys. In fact the PowerCore+ 26800 is rated at 96.48Wh, which means it just falls under the maximum limit for allowance on aircrafts, which is 100Wh, however, it is wise to check this with the airline first before flying.
With great power comes great charging times. Charging this can be slightly problematic, as with a huge power source such as this it can take a whole night to fully charge. Thankfully there are faster methods of charging the unit, namely using the USB C – USB C charging cable along with a high-powered mains charger. Those with Apple MacBooks can use their mains adapter, however those without one should invest in a high powered mains output, two recommended products from Anker are a Dual port USB charger, or even the 5 port USB charger, which both offer a 30W USB-C output which can charge this in close to five hours. Both wall chargers are extremely well built products offering not only a high capability charge through the USB-C port, but additional USB-A ports.
The only other downside to the Anker PowerCore+ 26800, other than the size and weight of the unit, is the price. This fantastic piece of technology comes at a steep price retailing for just over £100 on the AnkerDirect Amazon Store – an extremely premium price considering that other similar power banks can be picked up for a fraction of the price. It is an expensive alternative, but one that will help protect the devices that it is being used on, plus Anker gives an 18 month warranty with its products, which is far more than other manufacturers give.
