Aibocn Power Bank 10000 Review

While the Aibocn Power Bank is far from our favorite portable power bank, it is hard to argue with its rock-bottom retail price. It doesn't have a ton of features and is one of the worst batteries we have seen when it came to our capacity tests, but it will charge most smartphones at least once completely without issue, albeit a bit more slowly than some of the other products. It's not amazing, but it gets the job done at a fraction of the price of some of the other products and overall doesn't disappoint, if you temper your expectations.

Overview:

This portable charger finished pretty much at the back of the group, right behind the Tzumi Endurance AC 12000 and ahead of the RAVPower Deluxe 16750. The Aibocn as the lowest capacity of this trio, but is also the least expensive, costing less than the Tzumi Endurance and much less than the RAVPower Deluxe 16750. It also is the fastest to recharge and the most portable of the group. However, it is less convenient to use than the Tzumi but about the same as the RAVPower Deluxe.

Performance Comparison

To see which portable power packs are really the best out there, we did a wide survey of all the different models and types of products out there and then picked out which showed the most promise, bought them all, and then tested them head-to-head. We graded the Aibocn on its portability, added convenience, capacity, and recharge time, with our testing results described below.

Portability

Accountable for the largest component of the overall score at 40%, our Portability metric carries the most weight for the overall score of each battery. We ranked and judged how easy and comfortable it is to carry each on in a pocket, as well as their overall volume and weight to determine the scores, with the Aibocn earning a 5 out of 10 for its average portability.

The Aibocn is one about in the average when it comes to volume, with its rectangular package that measures 5.4" long, 2.4" wide, and 0.83" in deep.

This portable battery is also about average when it comes to weight, with its 8.54 oz. putting it roughly in the middle of the group.

The Aibocn fits quite well in most pockets, fitting slightly better in front pockets than back pockets when sitting down. It's fine to walk around with in your pocket, though we did find one slight issue. The charging ports are on the side of the power pack, making it difficult to plug a device in and charge it while the Aibocn is in your pocket.

Capacity

Following our previous metric, our set of capacity tests are the next most important overall, comprising 30% of the total score. We based our scores on how much total electrical energy we could extract from the Aibocn and how well it compared to the rest of the batteries in the group or its advertising claims. The Aibocn fell far short compared to the rest of the group, earning a 3 out of 10.

We only were only able to get about 39% of the listed capacity out of this battery when using our dummy load set to pull the rated maximum discharge rate of the Aibocn, 2.1 amps. This battery did a little better with the discharge rate set a bit lower at 1 amps, but still only got about 47% of the listed capacity, or 4704 mAh, before the battery totally died.

This battery didn't have any advertising claims for us to test against, so we used the 2.2 Samsung Galaxy charges claimed by the Anker PowerCore Slim II 10000 — a comparable battery pack. However, the Aibocn fell quite a bit short, only achieving 1.71 charges before dying. Additionally, we also were quite skeptical that is was actually charging at 2.1 amps, as it took about 45 minutes longer to charge the same phone using the Aibocn compared to when we used the Anker PowerCore Slim II 10000.

Added Convenience

For our next round of assessments, which are in charge of 20% of the total score for the Aibocn, we looked at the different features included with each battery pack that make them easier to use and graded their effectiveness. The Aibocn gave us a mediocre showing overall, earning it a 5 out of 10 for its results. We primarily based this score on the ability to charge multiple devices at once, if there are any integrated charging or recharging features, if there is a built-in flashlight, and what sort of warranty is included with each battery pack.

This portable power bank can charge up to two devices simultaneously, though only one of these outputs has an — allegedly — high current discharge rating of 2.1 amps, with the other output port being limited to a 1 amp discharge.

This battery pack also includes a built-in flashlight.

According to the manufacturer, this product includes a 1-year limited warranty and also includes a single micro USB cable. However, this battery pack doesn't have any built-in cables or wall chargers.

Recharge Time

Finally, for our last round of tests and the remaining 10% of the total score, we compared how long it took to recharge each of these battery packs. We used a high-quality USB wall charger brick with the included cable for this test, using the LED indicator lights to decide when the battery was completely topped off. The Aibocn actually did quite well in this assessment, earning a 7 out of 10.

This USB portable battery took about 240 minutes to completely recharge — one of the faster models of the group.

Value

While this portable battery does have some pretty significant drawbacks, it retails at a price that simply can't be beat, easily earning it the Best Buy Award and making our favorite portable charger to recommend if you are shopping on a tight budget.

Conclusion

Overall, the Aibocn is the best battery you can get for the price. Period. It isn't the fastest at charging and we are a little suspect of its claimed capacity and charge rate, it will charge your phone at least once and is inexpensive enough that you can get a few and spread them around, ensuring you won't ever be caught with a dead smartphone battery.