NESTOUT Carabiner Battery review – A power bank that likes hanging out

REVIEW – NESTOUT makes some pretty cool products and when a review opportunity opened up on their new Carabiner Battery I was all in having already purchased a couple of items last summer. This little guy ups the gadget factor considerably, and for as device dependent as we all are having an extra 5,000 mAh battery at the ready is a no brainer.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $44.99
Where to buy: NESTOUT

What is it?

The Carabiner Battery from NESTOUT is a 5,000mAh battery designed for outdoor adventures with built-in features like a carabiner, drop protection, phone stand, and a short USB-C charging cable and harness to keep it at hand.

What’s included?

• 5,000mAh Carabiner Battery
• Short USB-C Cable and cable holder

Tech specs

• 5000mAh battery
• IP44 rating against water/dust ingress
• Silicone shock-layer surrounds internal battery
• Carabiner clip for easy attachment
• Fast recharge – 130 minutes with included USB-C to USB-C cable (using a 5V/2.4A charger not included)
• Integrated retractable phone stand
• 4-stage LED battery meter
• 5 safety protection functions including over-charge, over-discharge, over-current, short circuit, and temperature detection
• Travel-ready design
• Dimensions: 3.2 x 1.3 x 4.1″ | 6.4 OZ

Design and features

NESTOUT’s Carabiner Battery definitely has a distinctive look about it and there’s no denying the added function that carabiner brings. It’s available in Beige or Black.

There are actually two separate carabiner sections: the larger main carabiner for hanging the battery wherever you need to and a smaller spring clip below, which is useful for hanging the charging cable or anchoring the battery from a second spot.

The opposite side has a 4 LED battery meter and a multi-function button for checking the battery status (showing half charged in photo).

The bottom is where you’ll find the USB-C port along with a tethered silicone plug to keep dust and water from getting to the port when not in use.

The included USB-C cable is nice and short and comes with a tethered connector-boot which helps to keep water and dust away while allowing the cable to hang from the lower carabiner.

A stealth phone stand is hidden (but labeled) at the top and slides out to prop up your phone while charging, taking photos or mapping where you’re headed next.

Performance

As with any power bank, you’ll want to connect it to a USB-C power source and top off the charge. I mentioned at the beginning that I already own a couple of other NESTOUT products. I picked up their 15,000mAh battery, 4 panel solar charger, and lamp1 products before a trip to Kenya last summer. They worked out perfectly and set the expectations for this battery. See the link to David’s review for some of those other products.

During the review period, I found that a full charge (from empty) ran just over 2 hours from typical ≤ 20w chargers. Charging a phone ran about 90 minutes on a dead iPhone (14Pro/16Pro) and more or less spent the NESTOUT Battery in the process. Both of those timeframes fit within expectations, and if you’re using the battery more periodically you’ll get a few sessions out of it. I’ve already used this more than other batteries I own just because it’s clipped to the outside of my bag, which also reminds me to recharge it where, the MagSafe battery I have inside my backpack, I’ll easily forget to recharge when it’s dead.

The carabiner function is crazy useful, and only slightly awkward due to the way it hangs/swings. I’ve used the lower clip a couple of times to provide a second anchor point. It’s worth noting that the lower clip opens outward unlike a carabiner. Anything clipped in there (like the intended placement of the charging cable) can be pulled free easily, but that also means it’s not a secure place to clip anything as the slightest tug pulls it free.

Pressing the power button will show you the current charge status (0-4 blue LEDs). There does not appear to be any way to long-press the button to start or stop a charge while leaving the cable plugged in. The USB-C silicone port cover is designed to keep water and dust from getting into the port. Thankfully this is tethered because most often I find it dangling having worked itself free. It’s finicky to install, so while it may do it’s job when intact, it’s more likely to hanging out as water and dust get right up in there.

The stealth phone stand is a cool little feature and even with the small STAND graphic and ARROW, might still be missed.

It slides out, providing a hook that will support your phone in landscape or portrait mode. I can definitely see using this with the phone’s flashlight in a pinch.

The Carabiner Battery might not be your best option for air travel however.

My first trip through TSA it got me flagged, mainly just because it looks different, but still showed up as that solid battery mass. I was cleared to travel with it (as should be the case), but got a very clear “I haven’t seen this before” comment which I interpreted as something I’d get regularly. The clearly printed product specifics on the back helped explain to the TSA what this was.

That said, whether clipped to your backpack, your belt loop or any other place that presents a solution, it’s a much more convenient solution than typical battery packs. Even just knowing that you don’t need to save room inside the bag is pretty key.

Final thoughts

Quibbles aside, the Carabiner Battery is a keeper for me. It’s with me when I need it, whether I have a pocket or not. The cable is a nice short length, and I’ve taken to hooking it through the upper carabiner for storage, removing the accidental pull scenario. I would love to see a spring-loaded plug for the USB-C to really make the IP44 ingress rating mean something. Hopefully, the TSA thing was a fluke, and next time, it’ll be business as usual.

What I like about the NESTOUT Carabiner Battery

• Small, lightweight size that won’t get lost because it’s clipped on to your…
• Rugged design that looks cool and gets questions
• Stealth phone stand is a neat add
• Great price

What needs to be improved?

• Tethered silicone port plug is very easily knocked out exposing the USB-C
• Passes TSA guidelines, but likely to be flagged and inspected (happened on my first try)

Price: $44.99
Where to buy: NESTOUT
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by NESTOUT who did not have a final say on the review or preview the review before it was published.

Check out these other reviews!

• NESTOUT Outdoor Gear Review – Nov. 2023 – David Sheneman