Cygnett has released plenty of accessories over the years, but most of what we’ve covered from the company has come in the form of protective cases. We’ve yet to see a battery pack from the company before now. ChargeUp Pro Powerbank ($80) is the first, an 11,000mAh pack; a lower capacity 4,400mAh sibling is also available. The plastic body with a soft-touch finish isn’t unusual for a battery pack, and neither are the 1A and 2.1A USB ports. It comes packed with a very short Micro-USB cable, and already has some charge in it out of the box. Notably, the hardware seems to be the same as that of Kanex’s larger GoPower Pack. While there are some differences in the details, they’re similar enough for us to suspect that they’re coming out of the same factory.
5.5” long and 2.5” wide, there’s nothing that really jumps out as special with this battery. It feels well built, and looks nice enough, but there’s no feature that’ll make you stop and say “wow.” The Micro-USB input, power button, and charge indicator lights are located in a line on one of the long edges. On our review unit, the button was partially depressed, making it more difficult to press. Continue to the right, around the corner, and you’ll find the two USB ports stacked one on top of the other, and labeled with their output capacity.
We hooked ChargeUp Pro Powerbank up to a fully depleted iPad Air to test its recharge capabilities. Based on past tests, we expected to see it deliver something in the range of a 90 percent charge. While the 2.1A claims proved to be accurate—it took three hours for the battery to run dry—the result was lower anticipated. Cygnett’s battery was only able to deliver a 74 percent charge, which is significantly lower than the average. It’s not a terrible result for the price, but it’s low in terms of the capacity.
ChargeUp Pro Powerbank isn’t a best-in-class device, but it’s not a bad value. Even though it doesn’t provide as much of a charge as it should based on its mAh rating, $80 for a 74 percent charge is appropriate. The battery earns a general recommendation based on missing expectations. For iPad and iPhone users needing a relatively high capacity battery at a fair price, it works pretty well.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Cygnett
Model: ChargeUp Pro Powerbank
MSRP: $80
Compatibility: All iPads, iPhone, iPods