Sanho’s HyperJuice 1.5 ($170-$550) is an external battery pack for your Mac, ranging in capacities from 60Wh (16,000mAh) to 222Wh (61,000mAh). As you might guess, the large batteries allow you to juice up your favorite Mac on the go, and run for up to an extra 53 hours, depending on the machine and capacity you’re using. Each also has twin 12W USB outputs that are capable of recharging even the power-hungriest iPads at full speeds. The hitch: MacBooks use the proprietary MagSafe standard to draw power. As a result, there’s some work to be done before HyperJuice can make an electronic connection for charging. Update: We’ve received HyperJuice 1.5 to check out; click through for our thoughts!
Each HyperJuice 1.5 battery can be purchased in one of three packages. There’s the battery itself, with the Magic Box DIY kit and a car charger, or a fully modded setup, which also includes an 85W MagSafe Power Adapter and MagSafe to MagSafe 2 Adapter. The Magic Box walks you through what Sanho claims is a five-minute process of modifying an existing charger to connect to HyperJuice, requiring some light electrical work.
We received a fully modded 100Wh (27,000mAh) kit for review purposes, which retails for $350. Of course, since it came already set up, we didn’t have to go through the process, so we can’t speak to how easy or tough it may be; everything works how it should though. The 1.7 pound battery successfully kept us juiced up on a MacBook Air during the day, and the modified 85W charger has a secondary output, allowing you to fill up the battery and your computer at the same time. It’s also nice to be able to use the USB ports simultaneously. If there’s any real downside, it’s the physical size and the weight, but there’s nothing else that we can think of that provides the kind of backup power Sanho’s batteries do. If you find yourself traveling frequently, and without access to power, it’s worth considering, although newer, more battery efficient Macs may eliminate some of the need.
