Bestek 5000 mAh 2-port USB charger Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Bestek 5000 mAh 2-port USB charger for a product review. The charger just comes with an instruction manual, but no carrying case or cables which isn't really an issue.

Bestek charger ( middle ) with regular 2 port USB chargers on each side for size comparison

As far as design goes, the wall plug can flip in/out so it is more compact for travel and you don't have to worry about the plug getting bent when it is packed up.  The unit itself is larger than the average 2 port charge, but that is expected since it is also a battery pack.

Two standard USB ports.  The unit has no power button, you shake it to turn it on

If you have the unit plugged into a wall, it is rated to handle a total of 3.4A ( max of 2.4A on a single port ) but based on reading the instructions if you use the full 3.4A the internal battery will not charge.  If you are using the unit as a battery pack (not plugged in) it can handle a max load of 2.1A.

I used my DROK USB testers and adjustable 1A/2A loads to do some tests to see if the product can handle the rated capacity.  Here are the results of my quick tests:

While plugged in:

- I was able to get over 2.4A out of a single port
- I was able to get over 3.4A out of two ports together
- 4A of load seemed to make it reset ( probably triggering the built-in protections )

While unplugged (acting as a battery):

- I was able to get 2A from a single port
- I was able to get 2A across two ports
- Trying to pull 3A across two ports made the unit shutoff

Overall, the unit seemed to handle within (or above) rated specs and would seem to protect itself if the load was too much.

For real world tests, I have been using it both as an A/C adapter and as a battery pack without any problems.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Compact: Although this is larger than the average 2-port USB charger, it is still fairly compact considering it also has a 5000 mAh capacity.  For the traveling power user, being able to carry one devices to support multiple functions is always beneficial.

Ease of Use: Nothing complicated here, you just plug it in and use it.

Capacity: The output of 3.4A as an A/C adapter and 2.4A should be able to handle multiple devices, but of course two power hungry devices may give you some trouble.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a good capacity battery pack that is compact and great for travel, this is a great option to consider.  Basically you are combining a 2 port USB charger and 5000 mAh battery pack into a single unit.  Less things to haul means less clutter and less chance of forgetting an important piece of your setup.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00UVCA5YS