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Power
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Portability
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Features
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Value
Summary
With a gigantic battery capacity, three charge ports for simultaneous charging and a durable built, the RAVPower 26800mAh Portable Charger is simply one of the best power banks you can get if you're looking for a high speed battery that provides you with more than a week's worth of charges.
- Huge battery capacity provides you with six or more smartphone charges
- Triple output to charge three devices at once
- Sturdy built and scratch resistant shell
- Incredible value
- Weighs about a pound
- Just four battery indicators, a few more would’ve been ideal
RAVPower always manages to score highly in our power bank reviews due to their amazing value. Not long ago we reviewed a large capacity powerbank of RAVPower’s ACE series in the RAVPower 22000 Power Bank, which became our top pick for charging tablets. This time we’ll be checking out a power bank from RAVPower’s Xtreme series, namely the RAVPower 26800 Portable Charger. Let’s take a look at how it holds up in this review.
Design and Portability
The RAVpower Xtreme 26800’s design resembles both the RAVPower ACE 22000 and the RAVPower Deluxe 16750. It has the same sleek glossy shell as the Deluxe 16750, but is shaped similar to the RAVPower ACE 22000. It’s slightly longer and wider than the ACE 22000 and measures at 6.81 inches in length and 3.19 inches wide. However, it’s slightly thinner at 0.87 inches. Which makes it somewhat easier to carry in your pocket. Obviously, at this size and weight it’s not the most comfortable thing to carry in your pocket as it weighs around a pound, but at least it’s an option when your bag is too full. Also, if we compare it to other power banks of similar battery capacity like the Zendure A8, the RAVPower is much slimmer and easier to carry around.
With power banks of this size there’s always the question whether you’re allowed to take it with you through airport security. Most airports enforce a carry limit for devices above 100Wh. The RAVPower 26800 however holds just 81.4Wh power, and thus is perfectly okay to take with you on an airplane in a domestic flight. Airports outside of the US may have different wattage limits, so make sure to research the restrictions of the airport you’re flying to.
The casing of the power bank is strong and sturdy, and even though it’s made of plastic, it feels high quality made unlike some power banks we’ve reviewed. The shell can definitely weather through some rough collisions inside your backpack and wear and tear during long travels. Also, with a scratch resistant layer, you won’t have to worry about keys or other objects in your bag that could scratch the device.
This may sound obvious to most, but one thing you should definitely not do is drop it too often. As the power bank weighs about a pound, dropping it on a hard surface is a certain way of killing the battery. I’ll be the first one to admit I dropped this thing at least once, and even though I was lucky it survived, a few more drops will probably not be good for its lifespan. On a positive note, it was a great (accidental) test for the scratch resistant shell, after dropping it there was no visible damage on the case whatsoever.
Features
The RAVPower 26800 Portable Charger is fitted with a whopping three output ports so you can charge three devices at once. All of these ports are smart charging ports fitted with RAVPower’s iSmart technology. What this means is that your device will seek the optimal charging rate for the device you’re charging, giving you the most efficient charge possible. Aside from getting the best charging rate, this also makes sure your device’s battery won’t damage over the long run.
The three charge ports can output a maximum of 5.5A, meaning very quick charging rates even when charging three devices at once. 5.5A is really impressive and from the power banks we’ve reviewed, the RAVPower 26800 is beaten only by the RAVPower ACE 22000’s output of 5.8A and the Anker PowerCore Elite 20000 with 6A.
In the upper corner of the device we find a power button to activate charging, and to see how much battery is left in the power bank. This is indicated by four blue LED lights. It’s a convenient way to see how many charges you have left for your device. However, it would be nice if there were a few more than just four indicators, since the 25% increments of 26800mAh are simply too big. For example, if the indicator shows three blue lights—which means a range of 50% to 75%, the remaining battery could be anywhere from 13,400mAh to 20,100mAh. Six or seven battery indicators would’ve been great, or even better: an LED display with battery percentage.
Power
The RAVPower Xtreme possesses a gigantic battery capacity of 26,800mAh, which makes this monster one of the largest batteries we’ve reviewed—capacity wise. RAVPower claims the power bank to provide you with nine days of usage. It’s a bold claim, but in our previous experiences with RAVPower their products always seem to back up their claims.
The RAVPower 26800 Portable Charger is good for six to ten charges for your smartphone, depending on the size of your smartphone’s battery. It will charge a OnePlus 2 roughly six times, a Samsung Galaxy S6 seven times, and an iPhone 6S can be charged somewhat around ten times. That is an amazing feat, and it seems to have slightly better efficiency than the Zendure A8 26800 Power Bank, which can charge an iPhone 6S just about nine times.
Since the battery is so powerful, it’s also perfect to charge tablets with. It will charge a large tablet like an iPad Air about twice, and an iPad Pro approximately one and a half times.
Courtesy of RAVPower’s iSmart technology, the power bank manages to produce very impressive charging speeds. It’s not on the same level as Qualcomm Quick Charge speeds, but manages to charge an iPhone 6S fully in just over an hour, and a Samsung Galaxy 7 in just over one hour and thirty minutes. Very impressive to say the least. Moreover, you can take advantage of the triple charging ports by charging three devices simultanously, saving even more time.
The input port of the RAVPower Xtreme 26800 Portable Charger is equipped with 2.4A. Meaning the device itself is charged in roughly 15 hours when using a 2.4A wall adapter. Using a 1A wall adapter however, will take the power bank about twice as long to charge. So make sure you’re equipped with a good 2.4A wall charger as it is not included with the power bank.
Conclusion
The RAVPower 26800mAh is simply a top notch power bank with a colossal battery capacity. The device can surely save you out multiple times if you’re away from an outlet and on the road, as it’ll give your average smartphone more than six charges, your tablet twice, and thanks to its triple charge ports fitted with iSmart technology, does it safely, quickly and saves you massive amounts of time.
Check prices on AmazonTechnical Specifications
Measurements: | 6.5 x 2.76 x 0.94 inches |
Weight: | 453g (1 lbs) |
Charging ports: | 3 (2.4A max per port) |
Safety features: | Overcharge protection, short-circuit protection and more |
Compatible with: | iPhone, Android, tablet, digital cameras etc. (most micro-USB devices) |
Pass-through charging: | Yes |
Smartports: | Yes |
Qualcomm Quick Charge: | No |
Battery indication: | 4 LED lights |
Flashlight: | No |
Battery capacity: | 26800 mAh |
Total max output: | 5.5A |
Total max input: | 2.4A |
Time to charge itself: | 15 – 30 hours (depending on wall charger used) |