Monoprice has long been known for its inexpensive cables and accessories. Now, it’s added battery packs to the lineup with External Battery Pack and Charger, available in 3000mAh ($23) and 5000mAh ($29) capacities. At such a low price, these units aren’t about flash; instead, they’re simple boxes that get the job done. Our testing proved them to be better suited for emergency power ups than full iPad charges.
Both models are exactly the same size—just a bit bigger than an iPhone—differing only in the cell inside and the color of their plastic shells.
They have a soft touch finish and feel surprisingly light and hollow; if the larger battery is heavier, it’s an imperceptible difference. Monoprice located all of the I/O on one of the box’s short edges. There is a Micro-USB input as well one each of full-sized 1A and 2.1A outputs. This allows for rapid charging of all Dock Connector-equipped devices. A status indicator switch on the top of the units looks a lot like Apple’s Home button, and doubles as a way to toggle the battery’s power, while four blue LEDs next to it display the remaining power.
Because they support iPad charging, we tested both battery packs with Apple’s third-generation tablet under our standard conditions. The device was connected to Wi-Fi with the screen off and no media playing. Monoprice’s lower capacity cell delivered a 16% charge in just under an hour, while the larger one charged it 27%. These results strike us as somewhat low, but considering the price it’s hard to be disappointed with them. For an iPhone or an iPod, that’s plenty of juice for full recharge and then some for significantly less than we’ve seen from any other company.
