OutXE Power Bank – PCPB8000
A portable charger ideal for hiking and outdoor camping. Featuring a good sized 8000mAH battery which will fully charge most Smartphone at least 2 times. The OutXE power bank also has a solar panel and a super efficient camp light made from 32 individual LED’s.
Highlights
- 8000mAh capacity power bank
- 32 LED bright lights (380-lumens)
- 4 light modes including SOS and Strobe
- Highly efficient solar panel (max of 300mA)
- Dual charging with 2.1A outputs
- Carabiner attachment and 18-month warranty
Pros and Cons
Where to Buy?
| Amazon Marketplace | Free delivery | view |
1Intro
I’ve had the OutXE power bank for almost a month now, I’d have normally tested and reviewed it weeks ago. However, I purposely delayed the review for a chance to use it on a hiking trip. I got back yesterday. I’m sleep deprived, my back’s aching and my legs are sore but I’m really excited to tell you guys all about this product!
2Design and Build
The PCPB8000 OutXE power bank comes in a quality retail box along with a carabiner, a USB charging cable, and user guide. The unit is the same shape as a smartphone except for the carabiner attachment. Its housing has well-rounded sides and neatly beveled edges.
Its length and width are practically identical to my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and it’s surprisingly thin too. At only 15mm (just over half an inch) I’m amazed there’s room for 8000mAh of batteries sandwiched between the LED lights and the solar panel.
| 166mm (6.5 Inches) | 74mm (2.9 Inches) | 15mm (0.6 Inches) | 242g |
The micro USB input is found on the right side, the power button’s on the left and there are USB outputs are on the bottom.
Between the ports, there are four blue battery status indicators and a single green LED that lights up whenever the OutXE power bank is drawing a solar charge from the sunlight.
The front face has 32 individual LED lights that measure 15mm square. The rear of the power bank features a solar panel which is set slightly back from the edge of the case. This should prevent it from being scuffed when laid on surfaces.
The overall design and build quality are just about as good as it gets. The only downside for me are the exposed ports. A soft rubber cover would have offered protection from dust and water.
3Features and Specs
Power Bank
The OutXE power bank has a capacity of 8000mAh, this equates to roughly two complete charges of most modern smartphones. It will output up to 2.1A from a single port and has absolutely no problem charging two mobile devices at the same time.
| 5V DC / 2.1A max | 5V DC / 2.1A | 8000mAh | 5 Hours |
Solar Panel
The solar panel has a maximum efficiency rate of 300mA which is impressive for such a small unit. On a bright day with the OutXE power bank clipped to your backpack, you could achieve around 20% of additional charge.
On the second day of my hike, I fully depleted the power bank charging two smartphones. I clipped the OutXE to the tent and let it soak up the last of the sun for a couple of hours. This short charge was enough to provide us with light around the camp that night.
LED Camp Light
In my opinion, the LED light on this unit is the best I’ve ever seen from a compact power bank. I’ve used plenty of portable chargers with built-in LED lights, but never like this one. It’s so damn bright, if you were to look directly at it, you’d be seeing a checkerboard of purple spots in front of your eyes for a long time.
| 384 Lumens | 96 Lumens | up to 50 Hours | SOS and Strobe |
Even on the lower setting, the OutXE provided ample light around camp. I had the unit tucked into a thin white plastic bag to diffuse the light a little and it worked perfectly.
The light is activated by the button on the side of the unit. One press for bright, another drops it to normal and a third activates the strobe.
Unfortunately, you need to pass through modes to turn it off. Ideally, it would’ve been better to long press it off, rather than cycle through the strobe.
4Verdict
It’s fairly rare these days that I get an opportunity to make improvements to my hiking gear, my kit’s pretty dialed in. With dozens of awesome power banks and LED camping lights to choose from, the OutXE power bank certainly had some stiff competition.
I’m happy to say that it’s earned its spot as my new hiking power bank of choice and totally done away with the need for a separate lighting solution for around the camp. I’ve made a weight and space saving without any compromise on my set up. I think the 8000mAh capacity is the sweet spot for a weekend hike, any longer and I’d probably have to take a larger capacity power bank.
Is it the perfect hiking power bank?
Not quite, but it’s damn close. If I had some input on the next model, I’d introduce covers over the ports for an IP-rating. I’d also introduce a memory to the light and a long press to turn it off from its current brightness setting. Finally, I’d introduce Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. That being said, even without those improvements, the OutXE power bank is still an awesome product and at the current price, it’s an absolute bargain.
Where to Buy?
| Amazon Marketplace | Free delivery | view |
Pretty nifty, I’ve been through my share of solar power banks and led lights over the last few years of camping, just have never seen all 3 in one unit, considering giving this one a try. Thank you for a great review Simon!