AdventureUltra is myCharge’s latest new portable battery pack, providing 13400 mAh of power and feature not only the usual two standard USB-A ports, but also adding a USB-C port and a 45W AC power port for connecting a low-power AC device such as a laptop or television. The three USB ports share 3.4 amps of total power. An LCD display on the top of the pack displays remaining battery capacity and the status of the USB and AC ports, which can be toggled on or off using the buttons to each side of the display. All of the ports are covered with rubber caps to prevent water or dirt from getting into them, although AdventureUltra is not IP-rated in any way.
AdventureUltra also packs in a power adapter, which connects using a standard DC barrel connector rather than a micro USB connection like many other battery packs. Although myCharge boasts that AdventureUltra recharges up to 50 percent faster than competitors’ battery packs, realistically you should still expect a full recharge to take overnight. Pass-through charging over USB is also supported to charge the power bank and any connected devices simultaneously — the included power adapter puts out 36 watts (7.2 amps at five volts), so AdventureUltra should charge at about half the normal speed if you’re simultaneously drawing full power from the USB ports. Pass-through charging through the AC port is not supported, but doesn’t make much sense when you think about it, and shouldn’t be necessary in most cases. MyCharge also promises that AdventureUltra can maintain a full battery charge for up to one year.
As expected from the specs, AdventureUltra charged a single iPhone 8 Plus at the same speed as a 2.4 amp charger, although adding an iPad to the mix reduced the charging speed for both devices, since only 3.4 amps of total power is shared across the USB ports. It’s also worth noting that although the USB-C port supports a maximum output current of 3.0 amps, USB power delivery (USB-PD) is not supported, which means you won’t get any faster charging by using a USB-C to Lightning cable with AdventureUltra. In terms of capacity, AdventureUltra has enough juice to recharge an iPhone 8 Plus about four and a half times over, and fully recharge a 10.5” iPad Pro once with a little bit left over.
The AC port on the right side can provide up to 45 watts of power, which myCharge claims should be enough to run a 42-inch LCD TV for about three hours, or recharge or even power a MacBook or other laptop, depending on which model you have — in some cases you may only be able to charge a laptop when in standby mode as opposed to powering it during normal use. It’s worth mentioning, however, that AdventureUltra had no problem maintaining a full charge on our 2013 Retina MacBook Pro via Apple’s 60W adapter, although doing so also drained the power pack’s battery in under an hour. The DC-to-AC inverter in AdventureUltra also uses a modified sine wave rather than a pure sine wave, so it won’t be suitable for use with all electronic devices (some digital clocks come to mind), but the maximum 45 watt capacity rules out using many of the higher-power devices like laser printers and coffee makers that would require a pure sine wave anyway.
If you’re looking for something to take with you on outdoor excursions, AdventureUltra is a very good all-in-one power pack that should cover typical recharging needs for a weekend getaway, and its ability to retain battery power for up to a year also makes it a good choice to keep around the house as backup power for your devices. While it’s not the most rugged outdoor battery we’ve seen — iWalk’s 2015 Extreme Spartan is IP66 rated — myCharge’s inclusion of a USB-C and AC power port make AdventureUltra a considerably more versatile solution and help to justify the price premium.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: myCharge
Model: AdventureUltra
Price: $129
