First, the results of my charging experiment using only the RAVPower 6700 mAh charger 3 days in a row to charge my iPhone 6.
Day 1 Charging Results
- 60 minutes = 20% to 82%
- 75 minutes = 92%
- 90 minutes = 97%
- 95 minutes = 99%
- 98 minutes = 100%
Day 2 Charging Results (almost identical)
- 60 minutes = 20% to 82%
- 75 minutes = 92%
- 90 minutes = 98%
- 95 minutes = 99%
- 100 minutes = 100%
Day 3 Charging Results
- 60 minutes = 20% to 82%
- 75 minutes = 92% (charger fully discharged)
WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS - It weighs slightly more than an iPhone 6 (4.8 oz vs 4.55 oz). Also, if you click on any color except the black one, you’ll see incorrect dimensions of 5.2 x 3.2 x 1.5 inches. That’s the size of the shipping box, not the charger which is 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.9 inches.
LED CHARGING INDICATOR LIGHTS - I had 3 LEDs left after the first charge, but only 1 LED after the second charge despite having what turned out to be about 31% of charging power left, so the lights may not be precise in telling you what you have left.
INDICATION THAT THE BATTERY PACK IS ALMOST DEPLETED - Somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes before the battery reached full discharge of the last 2% or so, one blinking LED light came on by itself and stayed blinking until the charger died. So if you see that blinking light go on by itself and stay on, it’s your warning that you are almost at full discharge and it’s probably a good idea to unplug then, as I don’t believe it’s good for the charger to be fully discharged too much.
CHARGING TIME FOR THE RAVPower 6700 mAH - It took just under 4 hours to recharge this battery pack from a full discharge to 100% using the provided USB cable and a RAV wall charger I also purchased. Not sure if this is good or not, but perfectly acceptable to me.
BACKGROUND (more technical - feel free to skip if not of interest).
After a friend gave me a 2200 mAh capacity charger he had laying around, I didn’t initially understand enough about these to know why it would only give my iPhone 6 with an 1810 mAh capacity a partial charge of 60% or so. So I started researching for one that (a) had a small form factor I could fit in my pocket, and (b) enough juice to actually charge my battery twice if needed while traveling without having to look for an outlet.
Once I started researching, I learned that what you can actually get out of ALL brands of these type lithium batteries is always significantly lower than the listed raw power. So what should we expect? Finding this explanation from a RAV employee responding reviews helped.
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"The voltage of the battery cells is 3.7V, however, the output voltage of the power bank is 5V. You must allow wastage when the voltage increases. And in the market, the average efficient of the power bank is about 75%.
So the actual capacity of the power bank should be:
Labeled capacity *3.7V /5V * Efficient = 6700*3.7/5*75% =3718mAh”
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If I understand this correctly, with a charger with 3.7V output with 5V input, you should subtract about 26% (3.7/5 =74%) off the top. In addition, RAV is saying that the industry standard for efficiency of that remaining capacity is 75%, so subtracting another 25% from the remaining power will give you a rough estimate of how much total juice to expect.
So for this 6700 mAh battery, 6700 x 74% - 25% = 3718, which would charge and iPhone 6 with 1810 capacity just over twice. I found other sites that said you should expect to lose 10 to 15%, so RAV’s 25% estimated loss seemed high and I decided to do the charging experiment you see above.
I topped off the charger completely full, then ran my phone battery down to exactly 20% for 3 days in a row using the RAV charger to charge it back up each day. Assuming I’d use approximately 1448 mAh each of the first 2 days to fully charge the phone from 20% to 100% (1810 x 80% = 1448), at the end of 2 days, I should have had another 822 left of the 3718 to take the phone up another 45% from 20% to 65%.
BUT . . . . it was a pleasant surprise that the phone charged all the way up from 20% to 92% on the 3rd day, which equates to about 1303 mAh. That would mean I got about 4200 mAh of “juice” out of the charger over the 3 days, which equates to slightly more than 2.3 full phone charges (1810 x 2.3 = 4163), which is exactly what RAV’s literature states.
As you can see from my charging results above, it took much longer to charge the last 10% or so, but this is expected behavior as your phone gets closer to full charge. I’ve read that chargers deliver the largest output when your phone has no more than a 20% charge and the smallest output after reaching 80%-90% when the charger has to work harder pushing the last percentage in, causing wasted energy, and that you can possibly get more charging juice with less waste if you stop charging the phone between 80% - 90%. If I’d done that, I may have gotten even more than 4200 mAh out of it. There are also other factors that may cause more or less efficiency, such as the length and quality of charging cord, so this is not an exact science and nobody can tell you exactly what YOU will get.
In sum, I’m VERY happy with this charger and look forward to getting some good use out of it on an upcoming trip. I can get almost 3 charges from 20%, it small and light, looks great, and the included pouch holds both the charger and my 3 foot iPhone lightning cable making it easy to slip into my pocket. I don’t think you can do much better for the price.
I gave these as gifts before I bought one for myself and now I wonder if theirs quit working when it was still new too! Very disappointed! Too expensive for this to happen so quickly!
Update: customer service reached out to me and sent me a replacement. I only received it today, so I need a little more time to see if this one holds up, but the customer service was VERY GOOD/KIND and I appreciate that. I will update the stars again after I use it a little bit longer.
I have charged it up several times and it seems to be working very well. Customer service was very very good and I appreciate the replacement! Thank you! 😊
Bought a silver one for my boyfriend and a pink one for me. Holding up great. Does get a little hot when charging, but that's not alarming. Charges up our phones very very quickly. We both have the LG Stylo 3 plus. Can use it AT LEAST twice, sometimes 3 or 4 times before needing to be charged again. Depends on what you're charging and how long you're using it to charge the item. Very convenient. I really like them. No issues with smoking or weird smells.
December 25th, 2018 ***UPDATE***
Over a year later, and they both still work great! Have not had any issues!
This is a nice, compact battery pack that still packs a good amount of backup power. I've used it for extended trips and it hasn't let me down when needed, totally saves me from trying to locate and sit near a wall outlet while my phone charges. I keep it in a backpack, but would not have a problem putting it in a pocket for a while if need be.
I have two RAVPower external battery chargers and both appear to be very well made, better than others that I have used. I would not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family.
5200mAh gives me a little less than two full charges on my Note 5 (which is the reason I bought this due to the lack of removable battery). Although the Note 5 battery is much better than expected, quite good actually, having this as a backup helps greatly. When traveling about in NYC, I usually run down the battery on my phones pretty quick with searches, GPS, emails and pictures, so this will come in handy.
Comes with a nice little carry pouch and USB cable
Some excellent features:
2A Input & 2.4A Output
iSmart Technology
5200mAh
Charge indicator lights
I added a picture of the battery pack next to a Samsung Note 3 for size comparison
Hopefully the unit holds up well over the long haul, we'll see, but so far I love it for the power and size.
This charger gives my phone the fastest charge, faster than my than my wall charger which is supposedly the same speed. I bought this portable charger to play Pokémon go, which drains the battery super quick. So far its been working great. The chord is long enough to keep the charger in my purse and my phone in my hand. Super convenient. The metallic is sleek and modern and the pink color I chose makes it easy to find. If you're a super, power pokemon player and you go out for 3-5 hours at a time you should get a bigger charger. If not, then this charger is perfect. Lightweight, small, fast. It will give you an extra hour or so of pokemon hunting at the least, more if you use the power-saving mode in pokémon go.
Feature Product
- 2X Faster Charger: 2A input can save half of the time to fully charge the 6700mAh portable charger (please use a 2A or higher output charger); 2.4A output makes it charge other devices 2X faster than other chargers. The maximum input and output for the fastest and strongest charging experience.
- Exclusive smart Technology: Charge faster and smarter than others, automatically detects and delivers the optimal charging current for any connected device- ensuring the fastest and most efficient charge.
- Compact Body, Amazing Capacity: Fitting in the palm of your hand, get two full charges for iPhone 6, or more than one charge for large phones like 6 Plus, Note 4, etc.
- Unique Design: Made with an ergonomic design that is carefully matched with a gorgeous metal shell that will transform you into a style icon, while 4 status LEDs keep you informed of remaining capacity.
- Safety Protection: Ultra reliable A+ Lithium-Ion battery with over 500 battery charge cycles; short-circuit and over-current protection. This battery pack will automatic shutdown if a short circuit or overload output occurred while unit is charging.
Description
Stay Stylish, Stay Classy
For those looking to make a fashion statement, the RAVPower New Luster 6700 mAh External Battery Charger comes in 4 bold colors: Gold, Black, Blue and Pink. Whether you are after a classy look or something trendy and fun, the Luster comes in a color for you.
Compact, Convenient Power
With a minimalistic design weighing in at only 7.1 oz and providing up to 2 extra charge for most smartphones, the Luster Battery Pack is essential for keeping your devices powered throughout the day.
Thoughtful Yet Ergonomic Design
Cased in a fresh anodized finish with aluminum alloy from the same manufacturing standard as Apple's products; 4 LED's keep you informed of battery status.
Charge Faster, Charge Smarter
Charge faster and smarter than others, automatically detects and delivers the optimal charging current for any connected device- ensuring the fastest and most efficient charge.
Natural Compatibility
iSmart technology ensure the RAVPower Luster Charger is compatible with most smartphone modes: iPhone, Galaxy, Note, Nexus, Droid, LG, HTC, Lumia, and other devices.
Specification:
Capacity: 6700 mAh
Input: DC 5V / 2A
Output: DC 5V / 2.4A
What's in the Box:
- 1x RAVPower 6700mAh portable charger
- 1 x USB to Micro USB cable
- 1 x User Guide
Great little charger that packs a lot of charge in a small package. 4 small blue LEDs let you know where the unit's charge stands. The LED charge indicator lights also have some nice animations, they just don't turn on/off like most banks. They will blink for charging and discharging and have a slow light up from 1 to 4 when power on and go from 4 to 1 when powering it off. Really nice touch.Well constructed with an aluminum outside with a nice matte black finish. Also comes with a nice draw string pouch to keep the unit looking nice when you toss it in a bag or purse. 2.4 amp out and iSmart charging circuitry give you a fast and safe charge on your device. Definitely worth the purchase price.
Have only had it for a short time but it worked beautifully when I needed a charge for my cell phone. (Galaxy S5). It brought it up from below half to full power quickly and I only went down one light on my RAVPower. I would definitely purchase this again and have already recommended it to a few people.
UPDATE 8.31.2016
I've used it to charge the phones a few times and it is really good BUT now the Rav charger doesn't seem to want to charge fully. I had to read a bunch of reviews to see what the lights mean as the directions do not say. Someone stated that they blink when charging until fully charged then they stay on, after that once it is charged when you press the button then it shows how much of a charge it has. Mine won't show more than one light. I'm now trying a wall outlet to charge it instead of my laptop to see if that will make a difference.
THAT SAID even with just one light lit it still does a great job of charging my phone.
This product is great! Delivered to my door for $14.99. I love a great value - very happy! I've tested it now for several weeks. I have a large screen, battery using Samsung galaxy Note 5. Charger easily charges unit faster than consumption. First test: phone battery at 28% 4:54pm. phone screen kept on, made several calls and texts, and played Pokemon Go. By 6:12pm battetry was at 82%. Fully charged by 6:44pm. Charges even faster without constant use. Unit gets warm, but much cooler than other smaller chargers I have. You can keep it in your pocket while charging. Units fits well in your hand, and pockets. Corners are smooth. Does not feel and look cheaply made. Charging wire fits snugly, and wire is a good length. It came with a nice grey carrying bag, which I did not think was a big deal - but now use and like. Another huge feature I love - the 5 small blue LED charging status lights. I am so tired of all the bright blinking lights and constant on lights on all our appliances and everything! You can charge the unit and keep it by your bed-stand while you sleep. The only feature that I think could be added, would be a rubber cap to fit over the end for added weather proofing when needed on hiking or camping trips. This is not a paid review - I just really like the charger.
Power lasts longer than you'd expect, given the form factor. Got this for my wife and it's a good size for her purse. Big enough to hold a lot of power, but not too big to carry with her.
Charges itself quickly and a good but unobstrusive power meter built in.
Can't recommend this highly enough
Solid, dependable power on the go when you need it.
This charger is light and compact. It's easy to hold; the texture isn't rough, but it isn't slippery either. It comes with a carrying pouch which is just big enough to comfortably fit the charger and its USB cable. The pouch is made of a mesh that will decently hold the charger, but it won't protect the charger from anything other than minor scuffs, so if you are tough on equipment, you might want to invest in a more padded gear carrier.
The front has two ports on it, a full-size USB port for use when charging a device and a micro-USB port for charging the battery. This design should prevent you from using the wrong port when charging either. There are also four LEDs that indicate the remaining charge when a button is pushed. I'm not fond of this design because the light from the LEDs bleeds between the holes which can make it difficult to see where the charge is at, but it's easy enough to glance at to determine if it needs a recharge.
I have two phones I used when testing the battery: an old iPhone 4G and a new iPhone 6plus. I hooked up the 4G from a 1% battery remaining and then allowed it to charge. It took around three hours for it to charge back to 100%.
