Hey gang, Valkor here. And we’re back with another visit from the folks at Kensington; last round Alacran got to take on the 5200 Portable Battery Pack and he was not pleased with the end results – namely, it would be better to get the much larger battery, though it cost a little more. Well Kensington has sent over the 10,400 USB Mobile Charger and Valkor answers the question: is bigger, better?
The 10,400 Mobile Charger is very similar to the 5200 but in a larger casing; on one end you have your everything – Power button, indicator lights, which represent how much of a charge the unit has left, MicroUSB port for charging the unit and a USB port so you can charge your device. The entire unit is encased in an aluminum housing emblazoned with the “Kensington” name on top. Included with the pack is a microUSB cable (adapter not included) and once it’s out of the box, you plug it into a laptop or if you have an adapter, a wall socket and charge her up, which takes about 2 – 3 hours to fill it up. And after that, then it’s ready to go.
I tested the unit on a near fully drained Nexus 6 as well as my Nexus 7 tablet. It took approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes to bring it up to full and nearly three hours for the tablet. And even after fully charging both devices, there was still more than enough juice left over that I didn’t need to recharge the 10,400 right away.
I was gonna compare the Kensington 10,400 to the Xtorm, but they have different functionalities; the Xtorm is best used stationary, given its wireless capabilities; while the Kensington is more for on the go. Both offer up the same battery capacity, but the Xtorm allows you to charge multiple devices at once. So it’s all about how you’ll use each one. But let’s see how the 10,400 Kensington fairs in the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
For what it’s worth, the Kensington 10,400 scores a big win with me. As a portable battery pack, it does have some weight to it, but it’s slim and small enough that it easily fits in my messenger, making it perfect for on the go. It stores up enough juice that I can charge my devices multiple times, throughout the day if needed and if I’m just chilling at home or in a hotel room, then rest assured after a few hours, I’m raring to go. I will agree with Alacran on one point: it’s better to shell out the extra cash for the much larger 10,400 as opposed to the 5200 because you’re getting more power to work with without having to stop for a recharge. I don’t see how it’s slower to recharge my devices than most other portable packs and believe me I’ve tested/used quite a few. In the end, I was pleased with the Kensington Mobile Charger – it has great storage and capable of keeping my devices full throughout the day.
The Slack:
The size is small it is a little heavy. And with that added aliminum housing? Don’t drop this unit near bare feet. Ouch!
Sure there are many portable chargers out on the market; but if you come across Kensington’s 10,400 Mobile Charger, then definitely invest in it. It travels well, offers up a larger capacity than most chargers and will easily fill up multiple devices through two or more charging sessions. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give the Kensington 10,400 a 4.5. And it’s been Valkor tested, TOV Approved.
