3 days ago
11
Nitecore Carbo 10000 Gen 2
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Rugged, reliable, IPX8 rated powerfulness slope built for adventure
- 30W powerfulness output makes it a bully prime for tablets and adjacent smaller laptops
- Beware, lone 1 of the 2 USB-C ports enactment charging.
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If there's a "secret" that powerfulness slope manufacturers don't privation customers to know, it's that astir powerfulness banks are built for a gentle life. When I speech astir durability, respective companies person told maine that powerfulness banks are chiefly utilized astatine successful warm, adust air-conditioned homes and offices, connected sofas and beds and carpeted floors, not successful cold, damp woodlands oregon icy mountains.
Well, I privation powerfulness banks that tin past damp woodlands, icy mountains, and more. Wet and damp and drops are a information of beingness erstwhile outdoors, and the information is that astir user powerfulness banks conscionable aren't built for that benignant of abuse.
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Fortunately determination are companies that volition capable that need. One of those is Nitecore, and erstwhile I hiked portion of the Camino Frances successful bluish Span earlier this month, I took a mates with maine to test. One of those was the Nitecore Carbo 10000 Gen 2, and this happening is built for a hard life.
Like galore different Nitecore powerfulness banks I've tested, this is simply a minimalist high-energy-density powerfulness bank. What I mean by that is that it's a artillery clad successful a minimal ammunition truthful arsenic not to adhd unnecessary value oregon bulk. This means that the ammunition needs to beryllium durable, and arsenic such, Nitecore has turned to smooth, sleek, durable space-age c fibre, creating a minimalist candy bar-shaped powerfulness slope that packs 10,000mAh into arsenic tiny a abstraction arsenic possible.
The portion weighs 6 ounces, measures a compact 4.98 x 1.89 x 0.62 inches, and slips unobtrusively into a pocket.
Well, I said minimalist, but this is much minimalist-ish, arsenic it features immoderate chill hexagon cutouts successful the c fibre, underneath which are shiny blue oregon orange polymer accents, depending connected which 1 you buy. While these whitethorn look purely decorative, they service a applicable intent -- it's a useful mode to separate betwixt 2 units.
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You tin person 1 color, your buddy tin person different (and if they suffer it, they can't secretly instrumentality yours), oregon you tin transportation 2 and cognize which is which - for example, 1 colour arsenic a superior and the different arsenic backup.
The c fibre ammunition features rounded corners, which adds to the spot (more connected that shortly) and prevents the portion from bursting done the cloth of a overgarment pouch oregon backpack.
The Carbo 10000 Gen 2 features 2 USB-C ports (with a combined output of 30W, 15W each erstwhile some are used, and 1 of which supports 30W charging). It besides includes an LED complaint indicator and a fastener to activate trickle charging mode.
This harm looks worse connected camera than it is -- it's a hardly perceptible spot of delamination successful the c fiber.
Given its compact size, this powerfulness slope does get rather lukewarm successful use, but that's mean for these types of units, which request to maximize vigor transportation distant from the artillery and to the shell. It's thing to interest about.
The portion to built to IPX8 standards (it's wholly dustproof and water-resistant to 6 feet) and built to past a 5-foot drop. I've tested a fig of robust powerfulness banks, but astir are clad successful a furniture of armor, adding to the bulk and weight. The Carbo 10000 Gen 2 is thing similar that and is built for those who privation thing tiny and ultralight.
I tested that rather good erstwhile I accidentally fell connected it.
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I had the powerfulness slope successful a mesh pouch connected the enarthrosis strap of my backpack. As it slipped, the powerfulness slope took the brunt of the interaction and suffered a fewer scratches connected 1 corner.
I'm a large guy, and I was wearing a 30-pound pack, truthful it took a just interaction and came disconnected amended than my wrist did (although that was conscionable cosmetic too, and the swelling subsided aft a mates of days).
I came disconnected overmuch worse than the powerfulness bank!
This powerfulness slope withstood immoderate atrocious upwind and rather acold temperatures, and it ne'er seemed to fuss it. This portion is built to withstand immoderate Mother Nature tin propulsion astatine it.
But however does this 1 disagree from the Nitecore NB Plus that I besides took with me? The biggest quality is that this 1 is somewhat larger and heavier, featuring 2 USB-C ports compared to the USB-C/A combo connected the NB Plus. This 1 is besides somewhat bigger, and the 30W output is capable to complaint a tablet, oregon astatine a propulsion a tiny laptop.
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If you're going ace ultralight and person a smartphone and accidental a headlamp you're keeping topped up, the NB Plus is the cleanable choice, but for heavier charging duties, wherever value doesn't substance arsenic much, oregon you similar 2 USB-C ports, this edges into the pb -- but you are paying a premium for this.
When it was wet, it was earnestly wet!
One happening to beryllium alert of is that lone 1 of the USB-C ports volition complaint the unit. Despite knowing this, I inactive messed up 1 evening and near it attempting to complaint from the incorrect port!
ZDNET's buying advice
As with astir ultralight, ruggedized hiking and way gear, the Nitecore Carbo 10000 Gen 2 isn't cheap, coming successful astatine $120 -- that's astir $60 much than the NB Plus. Additionally, you could acquisition six of these Ugreen 10,000mAh units for that price, but you wouldn't expect them to past days of being rain-soaked and maine accidentally falling onto them! Those powerfulness banks are for commuting, portion this Nitecore portion is designed for the trail.
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