At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
Affordable, high in capacity and able to keep three kids entertained at once, the RavPower Ace 22,000mAh is possibly one of the best family power banks. A great buy if you’re planning a long journey away from mains power.
Best Prices Today: RAVPower Ace 22,000mAh External Battery Pack
These are fast-charging outputs, too – not in Quick Charge 3.0-league, but significantly faster than a conventional phone charger rated at 12W each. That said, the RAVPower has a max total output of only 29W, so cannot maintain the full-speed for each port when all three are in use. It gets around this with iSmart tech, which automatically adjusts current and voltage to minimise charging time and maximise performance. Also see: How to charge your phone’s battery faster
The Micro-USB input is also rated at 12W, and should allow you to refill the RAVPower in 10- to 11 hours. Better still, it supports passthrough charging, which means you can simultaneously refill the power bank and attached devices and use only one mains power outlet to do so. See all power bank reviews
Given that there are three USB outputs, it seems an odd decision for RAVPower to bundle two flat Micro-USB cables – one more than is supplied with most power banks, but one fewer than is required to maximise potential. Still, we expect most families have multiple Micro-USB cables lying around, so sourcing a third shouldn’t prove too difficult. Plus RAVPower supplies a handy mesh carry case to keep it all together, and protect the power bank during your travels. Also see: Best MiFi
Not that it particularly needs protecting. What appears to be standard ABS plastic is actually the same fire-resistant thermoplastic alloy used by car makers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It’s smooth to the touch with rounded-off corners, and the RAVPower feels incredibly tough. It also feels incredibly heavy (406g), so this is one power bank you’ll want to carry in a bag rather than a pocket. Also see : How to improve smartphone battery life
As is the standard with power banks four LEDs are used to show how much power remains in the bank. With each LED representing 5,500mAh pinpointing an exact capacity will be impossible, but it will take you a fair amount of time to run down the battery in any case. With 22,000mAh available you can expect around 15,000mAh of usable power. As RAVPower points out, that will charge an iPhone 6s nine times, or a Galaxy S7 five times.
To view the remaining capacity you simply press the power button on the side, but you do not need to do this to begin charging – pleasingly the RAVPower supports auto-on.
Specs
RAVPower Ace 22,000mAh External Battery Pack: Specs
- 22,000mAh power bank
- 1x 5V/2.4A (12W) Micro-USB input
- 3x 5V/2.4A (12W) USB outputs
- max output 5V/5.8A (29W)
- iSmart technology
- four-LED status system
- auto-on
- passthrough charging
- carry case
- 2x flat Micro-USB cables supplied
- 165x70x24mm
- 406g
- 18-month warranty
Best Prices Today: RAVPower Ace 22,000mAh External Battery Pack
Author: Marie Black, Global Director of Content Operations, Foundry
Marie is Global Director of Content Operations at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for 20 years. These days she is focused on refining editorial processes and workflows, and on our evergreen, transactional and custom content strategy.
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