Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Bank Review

Anker is the leading brand in power banks, and they’re known for making external batteries of the highest quality and durability. We’re about to find out if everything we’ve heard about Anker is as true as they say it is. Let’s take a look at the Anker PowerCore 10,000 in this review.

Design and portability

The Anker Powercore 10000 is nicely designed and is available in either full black or white. Both of these versions have blue battery indicators that go very well together with the overall glossy casing. Anker is also clearly doing something right in the construction department. It has a quality build and feels and looks very durable. According to Anker, it has a rugged double layer shell and is tested for impacts. Which means the Anker Powercore 10000 should hold up well when dropped. I won’t be testing it out, but the device definitely feels robust enough to survive a few drops.

What’s noticeable about the Anker Powercore 10000 is how exceptionally small it is for a power bank of its calibre. It’s similar in size to a deck of cards and measures at 3.62 x 2.36 inches and is 0.8 inches thick. It’s also pretty light at 180 grams.

The device fits in your pocket easily and has a nice sturdy grip thanks to its thickness. If you’re looking for a power bank with a great power to portability ratio, the Anker powercore should definitely be taken into consideration. For comparison, the EasyAcc 6400 is of similar size but actually a bit thicker, and also has 4000mAh less power capacity. How Anker managed to fit such a big battery capacity in a device as compact as this is mind boggling. It’s really one of the smallest power banks we’ve reviewed but is way above average in terms of power.

Features

The Anker Powercore 10000 has one charging port that is suited for basically all micro-USB devices. The four LED battery indicators are on the side and show how much charge is left. It would’ve been better if they were on top so you could see them when it’s in your pocket, like the Aukey 10400 Quick Charge has. But this is just a minor issue.

Two exclusive features to Anker power banks are the PowerIQ and VoltageBoost functions. These two features combined are similar to Ravpower’s iSmart technology, and automatically detect the device you’re charging and adjust the maximum output accordingly. This makes sure your device gets charged at optimal speed, without shortening the lifespan of your battery. It’s a great feature that gives the Anker Powercore 10000 an edge over other power banks in its price category. It’s also equipped with safety features to protect from things like overcharge and short circuiting.

Power

For the size of it, the Anker Powercore 10000 has very impressive power. It boasts a battery capacity of 10,000mAh that gives you about two to three average smartphone charges, depending on the size of your phone. It charges an iPhone X about three times, or a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus twice, and does it pretty fast too thanks to the VoltageBoost function. It also seems to charge more efficiently than other 10,000mAh power banks. Most power banks lose a lot of energy during the charging process and are only capable of using about 80 percent of their given power capacity. The Anker Powercore however uses almost its full capacity, and keeps charge whereas others would lose charge over time. This is most likely thanks to the incredibly efficient PowerIQ function.

The charge output has a maximum of 2.4A, which means it’s also capable of charging bigger devices like tablets. Usually not more than once though and most bigger tablets like the iPad Pro not even once. If you’re looking for a power bank to charge your tablet, the Anker Powercore 20100 is better suited for the job.

The Anker Powercore 10000 does not support pass through charging. Meaning it can’t charge your device while the power bank itself is being charged. However, the Anker Powercore 10000 is fully charged in 6 hours, so it’s not that big of a problem. If you really want pass-through charging you should consider one of Jackery’s power banks like the Jackery Giant+ Premium 12000mAh.

Conclusion

Anker has really impressed me with this remarkably compact power bank. The Anker Powercore 10000 is not only one of the smallest power banks I’ve ever seen, but it’s also one of the most efficient chargers thanks to its quality VoltageBoost and PowerIQ functions. It has a true power capacity of 10,000mAh and uses it all, unlike some power banks that only use up 80 percent of their rated power. The Anker Powercore 10000 has basically everything you need in a simple, yet capable power bank. It fits in your pocket easily, has enough capacity to give your smartphone up to three full charges, it’s reliable, and – also important – is very affordable too.

Technical Specifications