Quick Take Review

These days, it’s rare that we’re not packing some sort of portable electronical device. Pods and Pads, Droids or some other USB chargeable product is typically in our company. And although when close to home, we rarely run out of battery charge, long days and off-the-grid trips require a second source of power. RAVPower provides a range of options for just that purpose including the RAVPower RP-PB09 Element.

The RAVPower RP-PB09 delivers a unique combination of battery power and lighting in a relatively compact little package. It’s essentially a charger, lantern and flashlight all rolled into one. It stands roughly four-inches tall (with the lantern component not extended). Extended, the unit stands just under five-inches in height.

The battery included in the RAVPower RP-PB09 carries 7800 milliamp hour (mAh) capacity. That’s enough, according to the company to burn the lantern for 72 hours straight. On the charging side, we tested it with both Android and Apple devices and found it did an admirable job, better than many other external battery packs we’ve tried. With the included USB to microUSB cable, the RAVPower RP-PB09 was able bring a nearly dead Motorola Droid Razr to better than 50 percent charge is less than an hour. With a USB to Lightning connector (not included), the RAVPower RP-PB09 also charged an iPad with Retina Display without a problem even when using an uncertified cable. Other small portable power solutions just don’t put out sufficient amperage to handle these hungrier devices.

Specs
Capacity: 7800mAh
Output: 5V / 1A + 5V / 2A
Weight: 6.3 oz
Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.3 x 1 in

Lantern light was reasonable using three LEDs, but not overwhelming. It will illuminate a small room or tent but don’t expect more than that.

One note, it looks like RAVPower changed the name of this product multiple times over its lifetime. I’ve seen the product referred to – as we have in this review as the RAVPower RP-PB09 Element. On the company website, it’s also referred to as the RAVPower Duo (RP-PB16) battery. Regardless, it’s the same product and performs well. MSRP of the RAVPower RP-PB09 Element is nearly $90 but you can find it on sale at Amazon for under $30.

Thanks for reading another outdoor gear review from GearGuide. And thanks to RAVPower for providing a sample for this review. BTW, I realize “electronical” is a misspelling. It’s a funny. Or at least it’s meant to be.