In this ever expanding, energy-hungry world that we live in, the need to have your mobile devices charged up is a problem that many consumers face on a daily basis. Power hungry processors, graphic intense applications, and the sheer fact that we use our devices so much all play a part in the need for more power. Our on-the-go lifestyle certainly doesn’t help matters as we do not always have access to an electrical outlet to sneak a quick charge in. Enter myCharge and their power banks, specifically the AMP 6000XT. This rugged power bank can take on just about anything you throw at it and still charge three of your devices simultaneously providing hours of extra use.
The majority of the case is rubberized with a few small sections of hard molded plastic, which enables it to survive my “bounce tests” and a little bit of splashed water. The unit is by no means water proof, so don’t go submerging the thing, but should you get some water on it, just wipe it off. The rubber edges on the top side fold away to reveal three USB ports to charge your devices. The battery icon button on the front of the unit when pressed will indicate roughly how much charge your power bank has left based on color and if the icon blinks (solid greed/yellow/red or flashing red).
The AMP 6000XT comes pre-charged so that you can use it right out of the box. When you inevitably need to charge it back up again, simply plug it into a wall outlet and in about 4.5 hours it will be fully charged again. The fact that the unit can plug directly into a wall socket without the need of any extra cables or AC adapters is a nice plus.
One thing to keep in mind is that two of the USB ports output 5VDC with 1.0 A, while one of the USB ports outputs 5VDC 2.1A to support charging a tablet. However should you use multiple USB ports at the same time, the maximum output power of the unit will be only 3.1A. Depending on how many items you are trying to charge and what they are, you might not be able to charge them all at the same time. If the current draw is more than the unit can handle, some devices might not charge until others finish charging.
I would highly recommend you consider what devices you plan on charging though and look at the power ratings for them. While the AMP 6000XT suits my needs just fine (can charge up my Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX phone 1.5 times or a first generation iPad once when fully charged), if you are hoping to get a full charge out of a newer iPad though (or any tablet with a larger battery) you are out of luck. The current generations of iPad (version 3 and 4) have a 42.5 Whr battery inside it making you only able to get around a fifty percent charge out of the AMP 6000XT.
The 6000 mAh battery is a step up, but I do wish that the capacity was double that to support charging the current generation of tablets on the market, especially given the physical size of the AMP 6000XT. There are many power banks on the market with similar capacity and the $69.99 price tag isn’t too bad given that it’s a quality product. Add to the fact that you can charge up to three devices, have a slightly ruggedized unit, no extra cables other than the devices you are charging up and you have a power bank that will suit your needs wherever your travels take you.