Disclosure
This product was kindly sent to me by Nitecore in order to review and share my experience and thoughts on using it. The company does not claim to review this article prior to its’ release and everything that follows is a totally honest review. So let’s get into it.
Unboxing & first thoughts
When I received the package, the first thing I noticed, was that its weight was way less than expected for a package of its volume. It contained the NB10000, the product manual and a USB-A to USB-C cable with a brand labeled velcro strap. It is surreal, how small and lightweight the NB10000 is, when you get it out of the box and hold it in your hands. I was expecting something like a modern day smartphone sizewise, but it is smaller in each and every dimension. The carbon fiber shell is impressive to look at and its minimal design, indicates that the unit is all about simplicity and performance, without any fancy and unnecessary features.
Features and specs
The looks of the NB10000, as mentioned above, is something unique, as it is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, which is a material used in aerospace and automotive industry. Thanks to these exotic construction materials the overall weight is kept at 150g, which is about 40% less than most powerbanks competition has to offer and about 50% smaller in volume. It utilizes Li-ion battery cells, and has a capacity of 10.000mAh or 38.5Wh, which makes the NB10000 airline friendly. Its dimensions are 121.9*59*10.6mm, which come in handy for carrying it around on a daily basis. It has a single 18W USB-C input for charging the unit, which doubles as a 20W output also. The other output is a common 18W USB-A. The output voltages provided, thanks to the smart circuits on board, are 5V, 9V and 12V. Its layout is super simple, which I think is great, with a single ON/OFF button and the 4 status indicator LEDs. It can provide PD and QC 3.0 output, but also has a low current mode, that is tailored towards smaller devices, such as headphones, smartwatches, earbuds etc. When you enter the low current mode, one extra white LED light will illuminate. The other 3 blue LED indicators, will be steady lit or blinking, in regards to the battery status of the device. It is suitable for use between -10 to 40 Co and has an IPX5 rating, which is water resistant, sweatproof, rainproof, splashproof but not fully waterproof. A feature that comes in handy and isn’t mentioned is the automatic start feature. That’s the name at least I gave it… What I mean is that the charge of a device will automatically start, when you plug it to the powerbank. The power button though has its use, as it can stop the charge without removing the cable from the device. Lastly it has many integrated protections such as overcurrent, short circuit, overcharge, over discharge, overvoltage and lastly thermal protection. All these ensure the safety of the user, as well as the longevity of the battery.
My background
I have always used powerbanks, by the time they became widely available, in most cases as part of my every day carry kit. Their main purpose has always been to recharge my phone, in case the battery runs low. Although I have used both larger and smaller capacity powerbanks, I have came to conclusion, that the 10.000mAh category is the best solution for EDC. It will provide a full recharge of most modern smartphones and it will be adequate, in case you want some spare power for an extra accessory, or in case you want to kindly provide some of its power to someone elses device. This applies to both urban environment and in the great outdoors of course. In the woods, there have been countless times that I needed to recharge action camera batteries, as I ended up overshooting. Also up until now, I could only recharge such kind of low voltage batteries. Now I can also recharge camera batteries with higher 7,4V voltage, thanks to the 9V and 12V output of the NB10000.
In use
The NB10000 is specially designed by Nitecore as a trail running powerbank, but it is so much more than that. Having an impressive 257mWh/g power to weight ratio, is something that makes it appealing to elite athletes that compete in races. Under those circumstances, being fast and light is crucial, but don’t we all want the same? That is carrying the least weight possible while having enough capacity for our energy needs. And although some might disagree that 10.000mAh is adequate capacity, through the years, I have found that it is, by simply operating in a proactive manner. When I start my day 99,9% of the time, I will have all my essentials fully charged. The same goes in case I am heading outdoors. I won’t go out without all my batteries charged, only to do that in the field and empty my energy reserves right away. So having an attitude like that, goes a long way and doesnt’t cost a penny. Now, the most used case scenarios for my EDC powerbank, is roughly speaking, 95% recharging my own smartphone, 3% recharging someone elses smartphone and 2% recharging an accessory of mine like earbuds. These specific needs won’t occur every single day, but you get the point.
What I mostly enjoyed those days I have been using the NB10000, is the fact that I swapped it with my previous 12.000mAh and actually freed a significant amount of space in the compartment I was storing it. Having less than half its weight and roughly one third of its volume, it really made a difference, as I could now place my smartphone next to it, with the charging cable included. In all cases it charged whatever device needed fast and saved the day. I have to mention though, that all these gadgets are meant to be used to make our lives easier. It not that big of a deal, if your phone battery dies for a couple of hours, it’s just we are so used to have the convenience to communicate any given moment, that we almost feel stranded if we are unable to do so. I would describe the use of such a device, as a luxury which is nice to have, but has many practical applications. That’s my personal opinion at least.
For outdoor use, the NB10000 has the capacity to accompany me on all those day long hikes or even landscape shoots, that don’t include spending the night outdoors. As mentioned above, I could live without having a powerbank, but it is just so nice to have one. Especially one that is so lightweight as the Nitecore NB10000. In most cases I was recharging my action camera batteries, as I don’t bother using my phone when I am outdoors. On my last outing, I even recharged my Hohem iSteady Pro3 action camera gimbal. That was a time, that I deliberately didn’t follow my own preach, and went out without it being fully charged, for the sake of testing out the powerbank. So after using it for timelapses and some lengthy shooting sessions, the battery almost died out. That’s when the NB10000 came to the rescue and during my lunch time, it recharged almost 60% of the gimbals’ battery, allowing me to shoot some more stable and usable footage.
Who is this for
The Nitecore NB10000 is a quality product that will serve you great if have an active lifestyle and want to carry it with you in a daily basis, due to its low weight. It will provide sufficient power for an individual and maybe even more. The main advantage of being so light will benefit you, when you are interested to carry it constantly, in your shoulder bag, jacket pocket etc. This is where it shines. In portability and ease of use. If you are opting for either of these two, or even better, both, just go for it!
Needless to say that Nitecore has already advertised the NB10000 as a trail running powerbank. So if you are a runner, cyclist etc or any other type of athlete and you find yourself in need of power on the go, you obviously can benefit from its unique characteristics. But if we expand the application range of it, a police officer, active duty military personnel, EMT etc can also benefit from it, as there are many cases all the above can utilize extra power for all the gear those professionals use in order to get their job done.
Conclusion
Having a powerbank as an EDC item nowadays is almost a necessity nowadays. Either if you want some extra power for your daily commute, or if you basically work all day with the use of your smartphone, a powerbank will keep you devices running for longer. Combine that with a lightweight, awesome looking, minimal design and a super simple one touch button operation, then you have the Nitecore NB10000. As it performs consistently reliable every single time you use it, there is nothing else to ask for.
This is not the cheapest 10.000mAh powerbank you can get, but it does worth its weight in gold when it comes to usability, so that’s what you pay for. This is also not the huge capacity powerbank you leave charged in a drawer, in order to use it once or twice a year, when there is a power outage. You will get the most out of it, as mentioned earlier, by using it daily and enjoy its convenience of having it with you wherever you might go. That’s why it has become my favorite and I never leave home without it, whether I am heading to the city or in the woods. Give it a try, and it will become yours too.
For purchasing the NB10000 you can do that by using the following link:
https://nitecore.gr/?s=nb10000&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1