Power Practical has multipurpose in mind with Lithium 4400 Power Bank

I am always a fan of portable power packs and the many shapes and sizes they come in, whether big, small, multiport, solar powered, or multipurpose, it is interesting to see what companies think of when providing power on the go. This next power pack comes to us from Power Practical and the company name hit the nail on the head, but the product at hand's moniker is a lot more bland, the Lithium 4400 Power Bank. This is a unique little charger as it also includes a four LED lantern and the charge capacity of this battery pack is 4400 mAh, so it can charge a phone three times before being recharged and fully charges most phones in around an hour, so let's see how it compares.

Since their inception, external battery packs can now be found in just about any size or capacity, so being a one trick pony won't get you very far. Power Practical took this into account by way of including a four LED lantern and a teardrop shape to make it easy to hold. The size is nice and compact to fit in a pocket and not take up valuable space. The lantern works really well at lighting up a tent, dark hallway, or outdoors but unfortunately it would have been a lot more convenient if a clip for hanging or to attach to clothing was included. Aside from the power pack/lantern, the package also includes a three in one fast charge cable, but of those three inputs, lightning is not among the trio.

The Lithium 4400 Power Bank is great for any fan of the outdoors, as it is allows you to both charge your phone without running a car to charge and shed a little light when you have to find a bathroom in the middle of the night. Be aware as it does have a switch to power off, charge, or turn on the light, so it is easy to forget to power off when done charging. The three in one charging cable would have been nice if it included apple's most recent lightning adapter, not a big deal just remember to bring your own cable. Power Practical's two in one is available now for the price of $59.99.

Power Pack Showdown: Astro3 vs PowerPak+

I like when I get the chance to do tech face offs, regardless to the type of product or game, and this time around I have two different battery packs to keep my mobile devices charged when away from an outlet. The two items at hand are the PowerPak+ from NewTrent and the Astro3 from Anker. Both of these portable power packs come toting some serious power, both well over 10,000mAh of juice and the ability to charge more than one device at a time. Both packs are available now, come sporting similar price tags at the time of this review, and come sporting two very opposite looks. No point in rambling about features, as both of these packs are so similar to each other, so I figure it it time to plug both in and see which handles my beating better.

I will start with NewTrent's PowerPak+ as they have a past with MashButtons and I have had the pleasure of reviewing their previous battery packs, but this is a behemoth packing 13,500mAh. For anyone unfamiliar with how much juice that is, well lets just say that equates to recharging your smart phone of choice roughly 6 times without having to recharge overnight or during a work shift. This much power makes the PowerPak+ a saving grace for any road trip or trade show, particularly because it has the ability to charge both smart phones and tablets, simultaneously. This juice box functions as advertised on paper, but at the end of the day, there was one thing that stood out to me, the case, while it does have a rugged look, in my hands it felt a little cheap.

Next on the chopping block comes from a company in which I am unfamiliar with, Anker, a team of multinational techies and the product they brought to the table is the Astro3. While their power pack does not quite have as much juice holding capabilities as NewTrent's contender coming in at a close second with 12,000mAh. Astro3 may not have the edge on power storage, but stands out in a number of other ways, particularly with build material and number of USB charging ports. The case has a soft rubber coat and hides a light indicator to show status by illuminating when shook. The other great thing about the Astro3 is that it has three USB outputs to charge from so that you can simultaneously charge a car load of devices on a trip. Lastly, since this device has a soft rubber finish, it comes with a carrying case to keep it smudge free.

At the end of the week and being unplugged from all wall chargers, I have come to my verdict and when all is said and done, I preferred my time spent with the Astro3 over the PowerPak+. The reason for this decision is because of the Astro3's sleek look, smaller size, and not two, but three charging outputs that can all be used at the same time. It is not to say that it was a close call, because the PowerPak+ was packing more juice, does not show smudges, and comes at a more affordable retail price. If you are someone that is on the go, use multiple mobile devices, and do not currently have a portable battery pack or if the one you have now simply isn't cutting it, I would definitely recommend either of these packs.