Mobile charging devices: Tested

There’s no getting away from the fact that smartphones and tablets have become a standard accessory to most carper’s gear, and for good reason – they can be a very useful piece of kit while you’re on the bank. Apart from the obvious advantages and safety aspects of simply being able to make a call, you can also keep tabs on live weather updates, take trophy shots and even upload them straight to your favourite social networks. Pretty cool stuff, but this tech comes at a price and that is battery life, or rather the lack of it. So we take a look at keeping your Facebook newsfeed fully charged and help prevent your phone ever missing a Tweet by testing five mobile charging devices.

How we tested

First of all we needed something to charge-up, and so chose the popular and widely used iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, which we ran down to five per cent power. These were charged with one of the charging devices and the process was repeated until the power of that charging device was fully exhausted. To assess the durability and power retention of the chargers we then tested repetitively over the past three-months.

So which one performed the best?

After three-months of charging and recharging, here’s how each of the five devices performed

powermonkey explorer 2

The basics
Designed with a tough aluminium casing, this charger is advertised as being waterproof on the basis of 30 minutes in up to 1m of water and can also be used to power action cameras such as a GoPro. It’s capable of charging almost any 5V device via the 2A USB output socket or adaptor cable.

Ology's comments
The screw cap design used to connect the USB accessory cable and maintain the waterproofness of the charger looks like a pretty cool feature, as is the digital display providing power level indication. It’s not too big, but is quite heavy in the hand, but you can tell this battery is made to take some punishment.

Ology's verdict
Strong, tough and well built, it’s a solid, reliable charger, but it wasn’t the most powerful model on test. It managed two full charges plus a 70% part charge of the iPhone and only 85% part charge on the iPad. Its own recharge time wasn’t amazing either at four and a half hours.

£75.99, amazon.co.uk

TP-Link 10400MAH Power Bank

The basics
Available in white, the TP-LINK Power Bank features four battery status LED’s plus a small torch situated alongside the two 5V USB outputs (2A and 1A) which are fully compatible with all latest USB charging devices. The actual device itself is charged via the micro USB cable which is included.

Ology's comments
Not very carpy in white but a smart looking power pack all the same. The power status indicated by the four green LED’s is a handy feature for providing some idea of the charging level and this is activated via a small on/off switch that also operates the torch facility.

Ology's verdict
The cheapest charger on test, the TP-LINK again packed a punch when it came to charging performance. Notching up four full iPhone charges plus an additional 35% part charge and two and a half charges of the iPad. We also liked the lightweight pocket-size aspect of the device. Thumbs up!

£17.99, amazon.co.uk

Bivvybox

The basics
With a splash, shockproof camo/green housing, this charger will please the carp angler’s eye but without falling short on features. Supplied with a three-pin wall charger, the BivvyBox has dual USB output at a rating of 5V/3.1A as well as 12V cigarette output socket rated at 15amps.

Ology's comments
Compared to the other chargers on test, straightaway you notice the BivvyBox is quite a bit larger and much heavier, but this does lend a feeling that this charger would stand-up well to the rigours of outside use. The 12V socket could be handy for non-USB gadgets like a portable DVD player.

Ology's verdict
Despite the longest charge-up time of 8hr (overnight), the BivvyBox performed really well when it came to charging other devices. It powered the iPhone an impressive six times and three times plus an 80% part charge when tested with the iPad. This performance was also maintained across further, repetitive testing.

£69.99, thebivvybox.co.uk

New Trent Mutec PPD120

The basics
This New Trent power pack boasts dual 2A USB ports with automatic turn off and is advertised as being suitable for charging every type of tablet and smartphone you could possible think of. Amazon also state the PPD120 is 20% lighter than the previous version and comes complete with worldwide adaptor.

Ology's comments
Small, square and ‘pocket-sized’, this charger was super-easy to carry and continue using while walking and being mobile etc., so it’s perfect for keeping your phone close to hand while charging even when walking around the lake and very little room taken within a carryall or rucksack.

Ology's verdict
With a good charge-up time of 2.5hrs, the New Trent also did a good job at replenishing the power of the iPhone with four full charges plus a 60% part charge. The iPad Mini was charged twice with a 50% part charge. Perhaps a little pricey compared to similar chargers.

£35.99, amazon.co.uk

Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 External Battery

The basics
Advertised as Amazon’s number one charging brand, the Astro E5 from Anker features PowerIQ technology to deliver the fastest charge speed possible – up to 3amps. The brand also states it uses premium LG cells for increased power capacity. The unit features dual USB ports, power level indicator and LED flashlight.

Ology's comments
Available in both black and white versions, the Astro E5 was typical of most mobile charging devices with a light feel and pocket-sized dimensions. Charging the battery pack was also straightforward via the supplied micro USB lead. Holding down or double clicking the power meter button turned on the handy flashlight.

Ology's verdict
A really smart piece of kit! Super-powerful managing six full charges and a 30% part charge of the iPhone, as well as almost three full charges of the iPad. Plus, charging the Anker only taking a mere 2hrs. Couple this with the low price available from Amazon and you’re onto a real winner!

£20.99, amazon.co.uk