Hot topics

Waterproof USB external battery pack: 15000 mAh for power all week!

Limefuel Rugged Battery1
© Limefuel

I'll be the first to admit that when I saw the Limefuel Rugged L150XR I was a bit hesitant. I kinda thought my Nexus 5 could slot straight into this bulky brick of a portable battery rather than simply plug into it. But to be fair, the L150XR packs a whopping 15,000 mAh into a IP66 water-resistant, shockproof, super rugged case that you couldn't kill if you ran over it with a truck. And I was about to find out just how amazingly useful it really was.

Limefuel Rugged Battery1
Limefuel's Rugged 15,000 mAh power pack is water-resistant too. / © Limefuel

I had a week long hiking holiday planned in Scotland, so my natural instinct was to pack as light as possible. Adding the hefty bulk (13.2 ounces) of the L150XR to my pack therefore didn't seem like a wise move. But the promise of all that lovely power while I was traipsing through the Western Highlands proved to be too great. And let me tell you, I did not regret it one bit. No matter what you toss in your bag you get used to the weight of it, but almost all of the things that weigh your pack down are nowhere near as useful as the Limefuel L150XR.

Limefuel Rugged Battery2
The Limefuel L150XR has two USB ports and pass-through charging. / © Limefuel

Over the course of a week I topped up not just my Nexus 5 every day, but a friend's iPhone 5s as well. Every day, both devices at once, using the L150XR's dual USB connectors. And the power just kept on flowing. Of course, we weren't running our battery dry every day, in the Highlands we had no need for Wi-Fi and made very few calls, so it was mostly shooting photos and videos, playing music and using the torch at night. But you get the point. Not having to worry about low battery for a week was a blessing I haven't experienced since the heady days of the Nokia 5110.

Limefuel Rugged Battery4
When something is this well built, you don't have to be precious about it either. / © Limefuel

If you only had one phone to charge, this portable battery would see you through a week, no problems. Simply do the math if you don't believe me: my Nexus 5 has a 2,300 mAh battery, that neatly divides into 15,000 mAh six and a half times. Considering I get just over a day's usage out of my Nexus 5 that's a week without needing to look for an outlet. Add IP66 water-resistance and an indestructible build quality to the mix and the Limefuel L150XR just found itself a permanent place in my luggage. Heck, I even used it in the rain to hold down my tent when I was setting up camp in high winds.

Note: despite being promoted as waterproof, the IP66 rating only safeguards the Limefuel Rugged against ''high seas'' - that means some pretty serious splashing, but please don't submerge it if you value your investment.

You can pick up Limefuel's Rugged 15,000 mAh battery pack for 84.99 USD via Limefuel's website or Amazon.

Have you used a portable power pack before? Where do you draw the weight/capacity line?

 The best smartphones under $400

  Editorial tip Price tip 3rd place 4th place 5th place
Product
Image Google Pixel 6a Product Image Apple iPhone SE (2022) Product Image Samsung Galaxy A53 Product Image OnePlus Nord N20 Product Image Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) Product Image
Review
Review: Google Pixel 6a
Review: Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Review: Samsung Galaxy A53
Not yet tested
Not yet tested
Price (MSRP)
  • $449.00
  • $429.00
  • $449.99
  • $299.00
  • $399.00
Offer*
Go to comment (2)
Kris Carlon

Kris Carlon
Senior Editor

Kris is a former AndroidPIT Editor who came to the team via a lengthy period spent traveling and relying on technology to keep him in touch with the outside world. He can usually be found juggling three phones at once and poring over G+ posts, Reddit and RSS feeds.

View all articles
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
2 comments
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing

  • Charlerdfgh 1
    Charlerdfgh Jan 4, 2017 Link to comment

    The article is flawed, 15000mAh batterypack does not translate to 6.5 times charging a 2300mAh battery, there are losses which lowers how many time a phone can be charged.


  • 19
    Moni Mihailov Aug 16, 2014 Link to comment

    Awesome. Exactly what I was looking for :)))