REVIEW – Portable charging devices can come in a lot of sizes and prices. They are incredibly useful in providing that extra bit of charge for power-hungry smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Since charging is based on devices being used and how often they need to be charged, how do you choose what best fits your needs? Usually, it’s buying the biggest charger you can with the budget you have. Sometimes, however, you may require a small(ish) charger that’s powerful enough to charge a smartphone or tablet many times over, but small enough to carry to the couch or dining table for impromptu charging. Scosche has a new charger that fits this requirement: the Scosche PowerUp 32K portable power station. It’s right-sized, light, and useful as heck.
What is it?
The Scosche PowerUp 32K portable power station is a 32,000 mAh lithium-ion battery for charging many devices. It’s lightweight, and has a digital display, handle, and carrying case. It also comes with a built-in LED flashlight. It features a 100-watt inverter with an internal fan. The power station has four ports: A single 110V AC grounded outlet, two USB-C, and one USB A ports. Accessories include a 20-watt adapter, 2 ft. USB-C cable.
Specs
- USB-C: 30W
- USB-C: 20W
- USB-A: 12W
- LED flashlight
- Digital display
- Rubberized coating
- 20W plug,
- USB-C charging cable
- Carrying case.
Design and features
For years, the small recharger I used around the house was the MaxOak power bank. It was the perfect size to carry—if a bit slippery from having no handle and an all-metal exterior. Whenever I needed to quickly power my iPhone while watching TV, I’d just grab it and connect.
Then it died.
For months, I’ve done without a small power bank—until the Scosche PowerUp 32K showed up. It’s now become my new charger buddy.
The Scosche PowerUp 32K Portable Power Hub has—as the name implies—a 32,000 mAh battery. How powerful is 32K? Before needing to be recharged, the PowerUp 32K will charge a typical smartphone 9 times; an iPad 5 times, a laptop 1.5 times, and a typical drone 20 times. These are estimates and can change depending on battery/device size and other factors. But you get the idea.
At first glance, it’s similar in size to the MaxOak with a bit more available power, but the PowerUp comes with a handle—and has a much brighter built-in LED light. Its shell is coated in a rubberized non-slip coating giving it drop protection and making it easier to grab, even with sweaty hands.
There are four ports on the front of the PowerUp 32K: 20W USB-C, 30W USB-C, 5W USB A, and a 110V three-prong outlet that I could easily live without in favor of a couple more USB ports. The USB-C ports will charge an iPhone or iPad really fast—much faster than my USB wall outlets. One of the USB-C ports doubles as an input port. This means that this port is the one used to re-charge the PowerUp hub.
There are two yellow On/off buttons—one for powering the USB-C output and the USB A ports and one for powering the electrical outlet. These must be turned on to activate the corresponding ports.
The LED light has an easy-to-reach On/off button under the handle. Pressing and holding the button powers the LED in its brightest mode. There are 3 brightness levels. Pressing the button cycles through the levels. The brightest level can light up a small work area. It can come in handy when working in tight, dark spaces.
The side of the Scosche PowerUp 32K Portable Power Hub sports a simple LED display that only shows the remaining battery life which is enough information on a charger this size. For me, that’s all I need to see at a quick glance. However, the display is only upright if the hub sits on its end—which is technically sideways. It would be easier if the display was readable while the PowerUp sits on its base with the handle at the top. It’s a weird design decision.
The weight of the Scosche PowerUp 32K Portable Power Hub is light enough to carry wherever you want and it’s tough enough to withstand drops. It’s an all-around, capable charging station—one that you can just use and not think too much about.
What I like
- Sized perfectly for carrying around
- Nice protective case
- Non-grip rubberized coating
- LED light
- LED display
What I’d change
- The LED display is sideways when the hub sits on its base
- Expensive
Final Thoughts
Despite a couple of quirks, the Scosche PowerUp 32K portable power hub has quickly become my go-to charging device. Its portability, power, and fast charging capacity have made it an indispensable item in our home.
Price: $249.99 US
Where to buy: Scosche and Crutchfield
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Scosche.
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For me the AC inverter makes this an answer tfor my need to power two music busking devices that *can* run on multiple AAs (a small amp = 6 AAS, a keyboard = 4 AAs) but doing that uses a lot of batteries. I just had to dispose of a lead-acid Celestron Powerbank I used to use with an inverter that got too old. Yeah, the price makes me wince, but I’ve spent much more on instrument accessories 😉