I was provided this power bank for review with the understanding that I will not be reviewing the jump start feature. Taking the battery out of my car or waiting for it to die was impractical, but there were so many other features to test.I have never owned a power bank with so many functions. It's a power bank for laptops and small devices, a jump starter, and a flashlight all stored neatly in a lovely zippered case with a hand strap. I was impressed with the presentation.
JUMP STARTER
The power bank comes with two jumper cables. The wires are small in diameter compared to any jumper cables I've ever owned, but I'll keep this in my car in case I ever need it.
FLASHLIGHT
Other power banks have one little LED bulb they call a flashlight. This power bank has a real flashlight. It's bright, with multiple modes: always on, strobe, or flashing. Pay attention to the flashing. It doesn't just flash, it flashes SOS.
CHARGING A LAPTOP
This is the only power bank of 12000 mAh or smaller I've ever owned that not only charges small devices like cell phones and tablets, but also laptops.
It comes with eight laptop connectors. We have to just test them out to see which ones fit. I asked for a list from the manufacturer for the compatibilities and was given the following:
1) 4.8*1.7mm Asus/HP/NEC/Delta/Compaq
2) 5.0*3.0mm (with 1.0mm pin) Samsung
3) 5.5*1.7mm Asus
4) 5.5*2.1mm IBM/HP/NEC/Toshiba
5) 5.5*2.5mm Asus/HP/NEC/Delta/Compaq/IBM/Dell/Toshiba
6) 6.0*4.4*1.4mm Fujitsu/Sony/Samsung
7) 7.4*5.0*0.6mm HP/Dell
8) 7.9*5.5*0.9mm IBM/Lenovo
The connectors are labeled with letters in my kit, not numbers. The one labeled "C" fits my husband's Toshiba Satellite. None of them fit my Asus Eee PC.
I was impressed. It charged my husband's power hungry 17 inch laptop from dead to 60%. I didn't expect a full charge from a 12000 mAh power bank. I was happy it could do as much as it did.
CHARGING SMALL DEVICES
The power bank comes with seven connectors for small devices. I was emailed a couple of lists to identify the connectors. Both were different and neither of them appeared to match what I have. Here's the best I could come up with after some internet searching of connector photos and comparison with connectors from my other power banks:
* micro USB
* mini USB
* Nokia DC 2.0
* PSP
* LG
* Sony Ericsson
* Samsung G600
I am very sure of the micro USB and mini USB connectors, but beyond that is just my research and I could be wrong, as I don't own the other devices to test them out on.
I was able to charge my Kindle Fire HD 8.9" tablets from dead to 83%. I'm a little disapointed with that. My other 12000 mAh power bank could give my Fire HD tablet a full charge with juice left over.
Of course, this power bank can also charge my iPhone 4S, though the connector for that is not supplied.
PROS:
+ multi-function: jump starter, power bank, flashlight
+ charges laptops
+ flashlight has multiple modes including SOS
+ comes with a case
+ comes with 8 laptop connectors and 7 small device connectors, neatly organized
CONS:
charges with AC adapter instead of a USB cord
larger than other 12000 mAh power banks
charging cable fits both input and output ports (easy to make an error)
does not fully charge a Kindle Fire HD 8.9" tablet
small diameter for jumper cables
OVERALL IMPRESSION
My very first reaction when I opened the box was wow. This is a very good multi-function device. I've never had a power bank that could do so much. It's good to have in the car or on a camping trip or for emergencies.
If all you need just a power bank for charging cell phones on the go, I would go with something smaller, more portable. For a device that does everything, this is a great choice.
This product was provided for review by LuguLake Direct.
One of the interesting things we accidentally discovered was a safety feature that would be perfect if you are on the road. You hold down the switch for three seconds to turn on the LED light, which is reasonably bright. If you lightly tap it again, you receive a strobe. Another light tap and you get the standard SOS signal. This was instantly recognized by another family member. If you never have to use this battery pack to jump start a car, it's worth carrying with you just in case of emergency. Everything comes in a nice faux leather case that closes with a dual nylon zipper system.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
~ Battery pack, 12000 mAh
~ Micro USB
~ Mini USB
~ Sony Ericsson K750
~ USB cable
~ Samsung D800 adapter
~ PSP adapter
~ CA-100 adapter
~ Battery charger cables
~ Laptop switch cable
~ 8-piece laptop connector set
~ Mobile phone switch cable
~ 8-piece mobile phone connector set
~ Car adaptor
~ Home adapter
Input: 100 240V AC 50/60Hz
Output: 12V DC 1000mA
If you look at the interface you'll see from left to right a 19V 3.5 output port for a laptop, the battery indicator (five blue LED lights), a power switch, a 5V 2A output port for Smartphones, tablets, Kindle Fire, etc. a 12 V 5A output port for batteries, and a 12V 1A input port for self-charging. On the left-hand face there is the bright LED light/emergency signal and the port for the charging cables. The labeling has been silk-screened on and because it's silver, there isn't much contrast. I had to turn it back and forth to be able to read it, otherwise it blends in. My cables had a short in them so I was unable to try them with a car. This would be perfect to keep on hand for small engine batteries and general use. I really like this battery pack, especially because with all the added adapters, it's very useful even if you don't have to charge a car.
Sample provided by the distributor.By par, this is the biggest battery power pack that I have. It also has the most attachments and accessories being a multi-function charger and car jump starter. It came with a zippered black leatherette case that otganizes everything with straps for each kind of attachments.
It came with 3 LEDs lit (out of 5 for full charge) so I plugged it to the wall with the AC adapter. The AC adapter is multivolt, it works 100V to 240V and 50 Hz to 60Hz, making it compatible with a lot of countries. It can also charge using the included cigarette lighter plug. Besides the 5V, 2Amp USB output that is normally used for tablets and phones, and the jump starter, it also provide a 19V, 3.5Amp output for notebooks and 12V, 2A output for a variety of car accessories.
For smaller charging jobs, it work excellent for my iPads, smartphones and mini speakers. With all the accessories included, what notably missing are the 30-pin Apple connector and the Lightning cable.
To jump start a car battery, it is important to make sure the power pack has enough juice. It should not have less than 3 LEDs in capacity which represents 60% of total full charge. Also you have to disconnect the charger within 30 seconds after starting your car. I have yet to test the full feature of the jump starter though. My battery on the Accord is three years old but not comletely gave up the ghost; so having this in my glove compartment will hopefully prove to be useful in times of emergency.
I have several power packs with LED flashlights, this has the brightest lamp I have seen so far. You turn it on by pressing the power button for two seconds. It will cycle from steady light and two modes of emergency flashing lights fast and slow.
The user manual is short but has done well explaining how to use the charger/jumper. Don't lose it or make a digital copy for future.
I was provided a sample of this product, so I could use it and write my unbiased review.(#1 REVIEWER)This power pack combines many charging capabilities: mobile devices, laptops, and a car. This unit performed exceptionally well with my mobile devices (details below), jumper cables measured with a volt meter showed 12.24v which is sufficient to start a car, however it did not perform well recharging my laptop as I will detail below.
GENERAL
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This power pack is fairly small in size. The power pack itself is 3"x6"x1". It comes with a 7"x10"x1.5" faux leather case, which holds the unit and various cables and connectors that come in the package.
In addition to charging functions, the power pack has a led light. The light is very powerful and bright. It also has several modes: in addition to the steady light, it has a fast blink, and a slow blink. I plan to keep this charger in the car, and the blinking function could be quite useful in emergency situation.
I am attaching a photo collage that I will be referencing in this review, the photos can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo. Photo #1 is a photo of the leather case with all the items included in this package. The package include 7 connectors for mobile devices, 8 adapters for laptop power port, and also includes a wall outlet adaptor, 12V car charger, and jumper cables with battery clamps.
MOBILE DEVICES
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The package contains 7 connectors for mobile devices, including mini USB and USB. The other connectors are not labelled and not explicitly listed in the documentation. I have tested this unit with four of our mobile devices (Nexus 7 Tab, Galaxy Nexus Phone, Galaxy 7.7 Tab, and iPad Mini). Mini USB fit my Nexus devices, but none of the included plugs fit iPad Mini or Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7.
I always use the same test to measure the performance of various power banks so I can compare the relative performance of each unit. I charge various mobile devices for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charge in that 10 minute period.
Here are the results of my tests with LuguLake 12000:
✔ Nexus 7 Tab:_____________________3%___ AC source
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone:______8%___ AC source
✔ iPad Mini:______________________ 4%___ AC source
✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tab:_________ 4%___ AC source (with charging cable, discharging with a data cable)
I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.
Photos #4,5,6 show the various devices as I was running the tests.
Prior to this battery pack the best test results I got was from Yubi Power YP840A 8400mAh (Nexus 7 was 7%(port1) and 4%(port2), Nexus phone was 7%(port1) and 8%(port2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 3%(port1) and 0%(port2). As you see this one is on par or better with the best I have tested.
JUMPER CABLES
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To test the jumper cables, I attached the volt meter to battery clamps. As you can see in photo #2, the reading is 12.24v which is sufficient to jump the car. I now keep this case in my car and will update this review when I will have a chance to use it to restart a dead battery.
To jump the car the power back should be more than half full of charge. There are 5 lights that indicate the charging state of the pack and it should at least 3 light out of 5 on with a steady blue light. The manual recommends recharging the power every three months when it is not in use.
LAPTOP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The package contains 8 adapters for laptop power plug, and one of them fit my IBM laptop.
✔ Laptop:_______charged from 20% to 35% in 30 minutes (external battery pack went from 100% full to empty)
By comparison, Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC26000 power pack, charge the same laptop from 5% to 69% in 1 hour (external battery pack went from 100% full to empty).
When LuguLake 12000 was done charging my laptop, I touched it to unplug from my laptop and had to drop it back on the table. It was extremely hot. If you use the power pack to charge your laptop please be careful how you handle immediately after it finished charging. The unit cooled off in about 10 minutes.
OTHER NOTES
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1. The labels for outlets on the unit are written in faint grey font, they are hard to see on white background. Input and output ports look very similar, and the labels are very important.
2. The package itself and the manual are aimed at a Chinese market. Some of the writing in the box does not have English translations. The manual has one side in Chinese and the back in English. All but one page of the manual appear to have the same content, but Chinese language has one page that was not translated.
I received this unit for evaluation and testing from manufacture. Based on the tests it performed very well with my the mobile devices, but did not do well with the laptop. I also like the leather case that keeps everything neatly together.
Ali Julia reviewI was a bit skeptical (to say the least) when I was contacted by LuguLake to test and review this battery charger. I've charged my iPad and cell phone many times using batteries like this, but jump starting a car? Running my computer? After several e-mails concerning what it did (and how it did it), I agreed to accept a complimentary sample to consider for a review.
I don't think there is anything else out on the market today that does all of the things that this little battery (about the half size of a paperback book) does. Here are some of the features that really impressed me:
1) The sheer variety of the tips. You can charge anything, from cell phones to computers just attach one of the tips and hook it up. This will likely be the most used function from my perspective, it states it will run a computer up to 3 hours. Since computers vary in power consumption, I would carry it as a back up, but would test it before I considered how long it would charge my personal computer.
2) It has ALMOST every type of tip to charge mobile phones and devices. Well, except for the iPhone and iPad. If you are planning to use it to charge one of those, you will need to keep this specific cord in this kit.
3) It has connectors to jump start your car. You connect the red clamp to the positive and the black clamp to the negative (I know this is standard, but I wish they had put a small mark on the clamp, I have added a label in case I can't read the instructions if I ever need to use it). Then you plug it into the battery and turn it on, you can then start your car. Once it is started you simply remove the cables.
Will it work? That was the topic of several e-mails back and forth with LuguLake. They actually recommended that I disconnect my battery and use this to start the car to confirm it. In fact, they were very confident that it would work that way, since reviewers in other countries have done the test to prove it works. They actually ASKED me to try it so that I could confirm that it would work. They were confident enough of their product, that it impressed me. However, testing it this way was a bit out of my area of expertise, and I chose not to do so.
Along this same line, you might wonder about the batteries that use the power plug in your car as an alternative. These are actually small trickle chargers that take about 20 minutes to charge your battery enough for it to start on its own. LuguLake has decided to make theirs in a way that will actually jump start the car, so you can get on your way immediately. It is supposed to support three jump starts on your car, but hopefully you will need only one.
4) You can charge the battery either using the included charger for the car OR using your home power. Mine arrived fully charged. You need to "top it off" about once a month to make sure you have power when you need it, or make sure it is charged anytime you have used it. The car charger makes this easy if you are keeping it in your car.
5) It has an emergency light, with two kinds of flashers. In order to turn it on, you hold the power button down for approximately 5 seconds. You can then cycle through the different modes.
6) All of this comes in a nice black case about the size of a large hardcover book.
I have been able to test all of the features except for the jump start feature and actually hope I never need to test it under live conditions, and am happy to be able to recommend it to you based upon my experiences.
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