Review: AmazonBasics 16,100mAh Portable Power Bank

AmazonBasics 16,100mAh Portable Power Bank

7.7

Power

7.0/10

Design

8.5/10

Build

7.5/10

Pros

  • High Capacity
  • Fast 5V/2.4A Charging Through A Single Port
  • Portable Enough

Cons

  • Does not Charge at 5V/2.4A Through Each Port
  • Lower Capacity Than Stated but not so much
  • Heats up
(Last Updated On: September 6, 2020)

Notice:

As far as we know, this specific AmazonBasics Power Bank is now out of stock. Please take a look at the alternatives that we have linked to below.

If you’ve read our review on another Amazon Basics product such as the Amazon Basics 2-Port Car charger, then you know that it was a pretty big disappointment because it failed to meet modern standards and safety conditions.

We’re here to review the Amazon Basics 16,100mAh power bank. Amazon Basic products are supposed to deliver the basics, and since power banks are such a popular piece of charging electronic equipment, Amazon must get its portable charger correct in nearly all facets.

Let’s find out just how this Amazon power bank meets the basics and if it possibly goes beyond.

Alternative Power Banks:

Read Review for Anker PowerCore 20100 Portable Charger

Power

Power Capacity:

This Amazon Basics power bank has a capacity of 16,100mAh and even with its energy loss during charging it holds up surprisingly well.

The charging capacity of this power bank is surprisingly good with a great conversion rate and as a result, it only loses about 1,500mAh, and since there are two charging ports we can assume that the other charging port will have the same energy loss during charging.

Overall, you’re going to lose approximately 1,500mAh if you’re only using the power bank to charge a single device.

However, if you’re using two of the charging ports then the charger’s capacity will be cut down by 3,000mAh.

Even so, it’s better than most high capacity power banks, and with the remaining output power capacity (The capacity that you use) of 14,600mAh or 13,100mAh; this portable charger is highly capable of charging smartphones and tablets a few times.

For smartphones, you can expect 4 charges and perhaps even more. Tablets can take 2.5 charges.

AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank - 16,100mAh (Real Capacity 14,600mAh)Phone CapacityAmazonBasics Portable Power Bank Left Over Power Capacity after One Charge

# of Full Charges for the Device
iPhone SE14,600mAh1,624mAh12,976mAh

8.9 Full Charges
iPhone 614,600mAh1,810mAh12,790mAh

8 Full Charges
iPhone 6 Plus14,600mAh2,915mAh11,685mAh

5 Full Charges
iPhone 6s14,600mAh1,715mAh12,885mAh

8.5 Full Charges
iPhone 6s Plus14,600mAh2,750mAh11,850mAh

5.3 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S614,600mAh2,550mAh12,050mAh

5.7 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge14,600mAh2,600mAh12,000mAh

5.6 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S714,600mAh3,000mAh11,600mAh

4.8 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge14,600mAh3,600mAh11,000mAh

4 Full Charges

Output Charging:

Moving onto the charging speed of the Amazon Basics power bank; This portable charger does alright.

Yeah, that’s all we can say about it. The power bank has two charging outputs and both of them are capable of charging at 5V/2.4A.

This sounds great, right?

Well, it’s not as good as you’d think because only one charging port can charge at 5V/2.4A charging speed at any one time, while the other charging port is only capable of charging at 5V/1.0 charging speed.

Therefore the maximum output of this power bank is only 3.4 Amps only. We thought this power bank would be able to impress us with its speed but unfortunately, we were wrong. It’s great that either port can offer 2.4 Amps but there will always be a port that is meant to charge slowly.

So you’re going to play favorites on which device you want to charge fast and which to charge slower.

Many smartphones out today are capable of charging over 1 Amp speeds and by putting a tablet on the 2.4 Amp port, you’re limiting the smartphone to only 1 Amp speed.

We’d like to think that Amazon knew what they were doing while making this power bank, however, they didn’t know that both of the charging output ports are supposed to provide max charging speed to provide the best charging experience.

Input Charging:

The power bank uses a Micro-USB Input and can recharge at 5V/2.0A charging speed.  We recommend using a USB wall charger that has an output speed of 5V/2.0A or higher.

This way, the power bank will charge at the 2 Amp charging speed and it’ll take about 7-8 hours to a full recharge it.

If you were to use a wall charger with an output of 5V/1.0A, then it’ll take an entire day to recharge. Overall, the recharge rate of this power bank is more up to you, than the actual charger. Take a look at Anker’s PowerPort 2 wall charger to recharge this power bank at its max speed.

Design

Size and Weight:

For the capacity and what it has to offer, the Amazon Basics power bank does a good job with its size and overall dimensions.

A length of 5.9 inches, a width of 3.2 inches, and a thickness of 0.8 inches; the charger does a good job of being as compact as possible.

Although we haven’t started comparing products quite yet at Charger Harbor, we should disclose that there are equally as large capacity power banks that offer faster charge but are smaller than this power bank. Take for this example this Aukey 16,000mAh power bank.

The Amazon Basics power bank has a rectangular shape, with smooth corners and a weight of 12.2 ounces.

The weight and size combined can already make you wonder what situation this power bank would best be used in and we know.

This portable charger is indeed portable but it’s not for your hand portable. Instead, it’s best to take this power bank to a location and use it there because you’ll still be free from the limits of a wall charger, as you charge your device close to you.

Aukey 16,000mAh Power Bank with Quick Charge

Functional Components:

The functional portions of the charger are in the same general location.

The two charging outputs are on the side strip of the power bank and above them are two lightning symbols to indicate that they’re both able to charge at 2.4A, but alas only one of this is capable of charging at 2.4 Amps.

Then there’s the Micro-USB cable between the two charging outputs.

At the top of the power bank is where you’ll find the power button and LED power capacity indicators. There’s 4 LED light to show the capacity of the power bank in increments of 25%; Once the power bank is at 10% the last light begins flashing to let you know that all the power is nearly depleted.

The power button can be used to turn on the power and to check the capacity of the power bank.

We were a little disappointed that the Amazon Basics portable charger didn’t begin to charge automatically when a device was plugged in. After all, it’s beginning to become a standard feature with many power banks.

Build

Structure and Material:

The casing of the power Amazon Basics power bank is made of plastic and two pieces of the power bank hold it together.

Structurally the power bank holds strong and there aren’t pieces that will come loose.

The power button is simply a beveled piece of the power bank and so the power button is the case. So it’s quite difficult to damage the power button.

Tech:

With that said, Amazon has only mentioned one feature concerning safety tech charging and that’s the power bank’s ability to have Overload protection.

This means that the power bank will not charge a smartphone beyond its Amp current. This kind of feature is good to have but Amazon really shouldn’t have to mention it, because smartphones, tablets, and any device that requires recharging is already built-in with a protocol and knows how much Amp Current to accept.

Speaking of heat, the power bank itself does heat up and it can become so overheated that the outer plastic on the power bank begins to peel off.

Although many power banks are known to heat up, and the peeling outer layer of the plastic casing is more on the design aspect of the power bank.

If there wasn’t a thin outer layer then there’d be nothing for the heat to peel off. Even so, it’s quite unnecessary and Amazon should consider removing the thin layer or fix the heat issue with the power bank.

Since heat can damage batteries, they should consider fixing the heat problem.

Read Review for iXCC 20,000mAh Power Bank Charger

Reliability

Amazon Basic products are meant to be reliable and that’s what you’re able to get at the bottom line with this power bank. However, we said that you’re able to get this power bank at the bottom line.

There’s so much potential that power banks can deliver and this power bank is not capable of delivering all those capabilities that a power bank should.

Both of the ports should be able to deliver max charging, and capacities shouldn’t fall so low from their original capacity.

With all that said, the Amazon Basics power bank is still able to deliver in most areas by providing a power bank charging experience that can charge a device at a fast speed and a not so fast speed. Along with a capacity that can potentially last for days.

This power bank can be ideal for long road trips. It’s not meant for hand-holding purposes and many power banks within its class are meant to be held in the hand.

Instead, this power bank is most reliable when you use it at a location; You’re still free from a wall charger and have your devices close to you while they’re charging and highly accessible.

Summary

Power:

The power capacity does fall short and loses its potential of charging smartphones and tablets, even more, times;

Even so, the power bank still holds the ability to charge smartphones a lot of time and tablets a few times as well.

The output charging speed is a disappointment with only a single port being able to charge 5V/2.4A charging speed at any one time, while the other does 5V/1.0A.

The recharge rate is good at 5V/2.0A but you should use a wall charger with a 5V/2.0A charging output for its ports or higher to make sure the power bank recharges as fast as possible.

Design:

The design of the wall charger is quite good but it’s important to know that there are higher-capacity power banks that are a similar size or smaller. The power bank does well with its size and shape; The functional aspects are generally in one area for easy access. Due to its size and weight, this power bank is best used when in a single location.

Build:

The build of this power bank is structurally sound even by being plastic.

However, the heat that’s generated by the power bank peels off the outer plastic layer casing on the power bank, not only that; the heat will also significantly damage the power bank’s battery in the long-run.

The only safety tech feature with this power bank is that it makes sure to not spend too much Amp current to the device that it’s charging.

Reliability:

This is a highly ordinary power bank to rely on. It does nothing special and maybe that’s what you could use it for. It has an “Okay” all around this going on and is prepared for most charging situations.

13,000mAh – 20,000mAh Power Bank Reviews

21,000mAh – 30,000mAh Power Bank Reviews

Specs of the AmazonBasics 16,100mAh Portable Power Bank:

  • Capacity: 16,100mAh
  • Output:

Output 1- 5V/2.4A

Output 2- 5V/1.0A

Max Output: 3.4A

  • Input: 2.0A via Micro USB Input
  • LED Power Indicators: Four-LED status system
  • Size: 5.9 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches
  • Weight: 12.2 Ounces
  • Comes with a Micro-USB Cable

Conclusions:

Amazon Basics has somewhat delivered this time around.

The power bank does well with its power capacity, but not so much with the charging speed by only giving a single charging port the ability to charge at 2.4 Amps.

Its got all the right dimensions, size, and weight but it can do better; That’s the tone of this power bank, though. It can “Do Better”.

It doesn’t have to lose so much power, it doesn’t have to heat up so much, it doesn’t have to just have a single port doing 2.4A charging speed. However, this Amazon Basics power bank does do one thing…”It Does”.

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