[Device Reviews and Information] Macheill:
Charge two devices at home or on-the-go with the Tattu 2in1 Power Bank AC Wall Charger.

When you combine a love of tech with an on-the-go lifestyle, power management becomes increasingly more complicated. Despite regular upgrades/updates, devices like our iPhones, iPads, Nintendo Switch must be charged frequently. With minimal use you may be able to get a day out of an iPhone, maybe a few days out of an iPad, but only a few hours out of the Nintendo Switch. One thing is certain; whomsoever improves our battery technology will be one of the richest people in the world. For now, we will need to continue to rely on wall chargers and portable batteries. Or, if you desire to space-saving convenience, you can use a hybrid device like that from Tattu.

Whenever I get a new item, I love to examine the box art, instructions, and product specifications. It would be naive to think that the packaging does not matter, but first impressions can make or break the sale. Unfortunately, the Tattu Power Bank/Wall Charger arrived in a rather plain 5 1/4 inches long by 4 inches wide by 1 3/4 inches thick cardboard box. I wanted to peruse the packaging and to learn about the device, but the shell was relatively devoid of information. Along the top left of the cover, you will find the “TATTU” title and along the bottom right an unrecognizable triple ink outline (thin, medium, and bold ink). This same trend was continued on the left/right panels, and the back panel only contained a few product labels and “Made in China.” The top panel was plain brown, except for two white stickers with a UPC sticker/model number and another with more product labels and product specifications. The stickers were the only piece of the packaging that was helpful. The main sticker detailed the AC charger/built-in battery, Model PST-17UPB-2, AC100-240V 50/60 Hz input, DC5V, 1A/2.4A output and a 5200mAh battery. Personally, the company needs to bring their packaging up to the quality of the device.

Inside of the box, you will find an attractive 2 7/8 inches wide by 3 1/4 inches tall by 1 1/8 inches thick glossy black charger, surrounded by white packaging foam. Aside from the hybrid charger and packaging foam, the box was devoid of accessory contents. Luckily, the product specifications were listed on the outer sticker and along the back panel of the charger, relegating the need for an instruction manual. Just above the product specifications, you will find a retractable Type A wall plug. The top of the charger flared out about 1/4 of an inch when compared to the bottom, to accommodate the foldable prongs. I liked the location of the Type A wall prong but felt that the product shape somewhat limited the use of the two USB ports along the top of the charger. When plugged into a lower wall outlet, the 1A output port was harder to access if something was plugged into the upper port on the wall. Since the 2.4A port was located further from the Type A wall plug, it was more easily accessible. I liked that the USB ports were oriented along the long axis of the charger, as this allowed the cords to angle outward. If the USB ports were oriented along the width (rotated 90 degrees) of the charger, they would have been essentially unusable. Perhaps it would have been better to place the USB ports on the face opposite of the Type A wall prong. When using the product with surge protectors or power strips, you may have to play power-cord Tetris if the prongs are oriented in parallel.

Along the front and back of the charger, you will find a silver/bronze raised sticker. I enjoyed the appearance of the sticker coloration upon the shiny black charger. The front listed Tattu along the bottom right and the back sticker listed “2in1 Design, 5200mAh, 3.4 A max for a phone (icon) and tablet (icon) and Fast Charging Detection.” Other than a small spacing typographical error “2in 1”, the well-placed stickers on the front, back and the hidden specifications beneath the charging prongs, greatly enhanced the feel of the product. To add a little artistic flair to the device, Tattu added six obliquely etched lines on the front/back of the charger. Pressing the power button, you can illuminate the small circular LEDs along the upper edge of the cover. There are four LEDs, which represent 25, 50, 75 and 100% available/remaining power.

My family and I like to do a lot of camping, both tent, and motorhome. When packing our to-go backs, weight is a prominent factor. Upon first impression, I thought that the 6.5-ounce hybrid device was rather hefty. However, when I compared the Tattu device to other batteries, I found that the weight was very comparable. For example, a similar 6000mAh battery from M-EDGE weighed in at 6.2 ounces. Interestingly, when I added the 2.2 ounces single USB Apple Wall Brick, the weight disparity became even more pronounced. The battery plus charger weighed more than the combo hybrid device from Tattu, making it even more pocketable. My only complaint about the power bank is that I typically want a battery to be at least 10,000 mAh. Assuming most batteries have an 80% efficiency, we can expect approximately 4160 mAh of useful charging capability. With the iPhone X battery capacity of 2675 mAh, the iPad Air 2 7340 mAh battery capacity, and the 8134 mAh iPad Pro 10.5″ capacity, we can assume roughly 1.5 charges for a phone and about 50% charge on a tablet. I typically like to have a battery that can charge my iPad Pro 10.5″ once.

To test the current, I used a DROK USB C Multimeter. When I plugged my iPad Pro 10.5′ into the 1A USB port (battery power), the device read 5.08V/0.95A. When I plugged it into the other port, the multimeter read 4.92V/2.34A. When I plugged my iPhone X into the charger, the multimeter read 5.01V/0.98A and 5.04V/1.35A respectively. For one of my tests, I plugged my iPhone X into the 2.4A port, pressed the power button and waited. Starting with 77% phone power at 10:17 PM, my phone was at 93% by 10:52, 95% by 11:02 PM and fully charged by 11:15 PM. Plugged into power, my iPhone charged at 5V/2A and generated roughly 1% per minute of power. When plugged into shore power, I was able to use the device as a power brick, charging my iPhone and iPad simultaneously. I was also able to use the 1A output for my Apple Watch charger and the 2.4A output for my iPhone X as well. I have used the device over the past one week as my main charger and appreciate the dual USB output. The weight to power output capabilities of the charger was very favorable and the ability to have a fully charged battery in 1.5 hours was even more exciting. Promising short-circuit protection, over voltage protection, over current protection, overcharge protection, over discharge protection, and pass through charging (charge the battery and your smart device simultaneously). Whether you need to top off your phone or keep it powered over a weekend, the Tattu device has you covered. With the two-in-one design, I will never again look at USB wall chargers the same way.

Pros:

1A and 2.4A charging

Pass Through Charging

AC Wall Charger and Power Bank

Charge two devices at once

Compact Size

Cons:

USB port placement limits use of other wall outlet

5200mAh may not be enough

Bland Packaging