This is a review of the Anker Astro E4 13000mAh portable USB battery charger.
Note: This isn’t a sponsored blog post and I purchased the device. I paid £14.57 GBP in early 2014 for this item, but I think they’ve updated the model since then, so the features and thus the experience of using the new version of Anker Astro E4 could be different as a result. So to be clear, my review is based on the older model!
Introduction
Even when I purchased this battery pack, I don’t think it was the latest Anker model, but this model met my requirements:
- Able to recharge two items at the same time via USB.
- Is recharged without replacing internal batteries.
- Not easily switched on by mistake.
- Holds a decent amount of capacity.
It didn’t take me long to realise this model seemed to fit my needs, but was it in reality? Read further to find out!
Why I needed a portable battery charger.
Occasionally I travel and there are times when I don’t have access to a power socket, but it is an ideal time to charge.
Also I often work outdoors and a lot of my time involves walking. This meant I didn’t want a device that was easy to switch on, but instead would spend time being carried in a backpack.
I have a few Android phones and a couple of Android tablets and wanted a device that would work with them all.
The actual experience of using the battery charger.
I’m going to provide real-world examples of how I’ve used the device when out and about.
I was out walking for hours and was heavily using a mobile phone’s battery (calls, podcasts & social networks), almost sucking it dry through usage. Unfortunately the weather was awful, but I found some suitable cover out of the wind and rain, and proceeded to recharge my battery. I didn’t do a full charge, but having the Anker charge meant I still had a working phone.
Another time I was sitting outside on a warm day at a picnic bench and had a spare thirty minutes, so put my Amazon Fire HDX on charge as I was unsure of my evening plans.
Other times I’ve charged devices indoors whilst travelling, but not when a wall socket was in a suitable place. I will also admit I’ve also charged a phone, when I just didn’t want to move seats to be near the wall socket!
Recently there was a power cut and this device enabled me to recharge my almost battery drained Kindle 3 ereader, mobile phone and a portable radio player, to keep me occupied during the outage.
Anything else I think you should know?
This device is able to recharge two devices at the same time via two USB ports. It also uses led lights to show available power and during its power down process.
Conclusion
I carry this charger around in my backpack and at no time has it turned on accidentally, even when I’ve been walking for hours. It isn’t light and whilst reasonably small, it does take up space. However I feel for my personal needs, the weight and space are justifiable for this high quality and well built battery charger.