INTRODUCTION
How many times have you left your home or office just to notice that your smartphone is low on battery? Well i think it has happened pretty much to all of us at least one time and since this can be very annoying especially during the summer it's no surprise that most stores that deal in electronics have placed portable batteries (power banks) in the top 3 gadgets one needs to have when away from home. Just like most electronics however not all portable batteries are the made equal and so prior to making your choice out of a very large number of available models you need to do your research and find out what components each manufacturer uses. LUXA2 may not be the most recognizable name in the industry but they have a good range of quality products including portable batteries like the PL2 6000mAh Leather Power Bank which we have here with us today.
LUXA2- is a Taiwanese based designer and manufacturer of award winning portable accessories. Established in 2009, LUXA2 is committed to creating the best user-experience by consistently designing and innovating each and every product from concept to reality. LUXA2 believes that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; and it is with this belief that our product designs are not only simplistic in nature but also incorporates functionality and premium aesthetic appeal at affordable prices. We promote not just products but total solutions. LUXA2s’ products are sold worldwide in major consumer and electronic retailers and online via www.luxa2.com and www.ttbuy.com.tw. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, the LUXA2 team possesses many talented specialists from all around the globe ranging from: sales mavericks, marketing aficionados, design wizards and R&D demons which are all lead by a top-gun management team. With offices in the USA, China, Australia and Germany, LUXA2’s presence on the global stage is ever-increasing to ultimately bring our mission of creating a simple, unique and luxury lifestyle to customers, and ultimately, a uniquely you.
The very first thing you need to understand about portable rechargeable batteries (power banks) is that just like regular batteries their capacity and endurance through time (life) depends almost entirely on the quality of the cells used. LUXA2 is of course well aware of this and since they focus on quality quite a bit inside the PL2 they've placed two high capacity 3000mAh lithium-polymer rechargeable cells by Samsung. Interior quality however is only part of what makes a good portable battery and so in order to give it a more "elegant" feeling and look LUXA2 has dressed it with good quality PU (Poly) synthetic leather which makes it much easier to blend inside clothes. LUXA2 has equipped the PL2 both with a 2.1A USB charging port and two small LEDs (small but quite powerful so make sure you don't look straight at them) which can be used as a flashlight in cases of an emergency. Time however to take a closer look and see if it's everything we hope it to be.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
Part of the small box in which the PL2 gets shipped is made out of clear plastic so you can see the device prior to purchasing it.
Both the specifications and features of the PL2 are listed at the rear of the box.
Inside the box LUXA2 has placed the PL2 6000mAh leather power bank, carrying pouch, USB to micro-USB cable and a quick start guide.
THE PL2
The 159g heavy PL2 is quite compact and measures just 99mm in length, 47mm in width and 23mm in thickness. The leather used to dress the enclosure is quite thick and seems very durable (although we can't really be certain of that).
LUXA2 has engraved their logo on the lower top end of the device.
Three blue LEDs are used to show the current charge of the cells (battery status).
The start/stop charging button (can also be used to show the current charge of the cells and also to turn on the two LEDs at the front) is placed on the right side of the enclosure.
Information about the unit’s battery cells is engraved on the bottom.
At the front we see the USB charging port, micro-USB charging port (used to charge the cells) and the two bright white LEDs.
CONCLUSION
Just because currently in the market one can find massive portable batteries with capacities well over 20000mAh that doesn't mean that the PL2 with its 6000mAh Samsung cells has something to be jealous off because quite frankly each product has a different target audience. So whereas large portable batteries are ment to be used during long periods of time away from a electrical wall socket (camping anyone?) the PL2 mostly aims at people who may need an emergency recharge of their portable devices while on the road. Overall thanks to both its compact size and the nice PU leather used the PL2 is a very good portable battery although it does have but a single design flaw, the 2.1A (2100mA) USB charging power port. You see for small portable devices like smartphones manufacturers recommend charging via 1.0A/1.2A (1000/1200mA) power adapters and not 2.1A (2100mA) since the latter may reduce the recharge cycles of the rechargeable battery (this applies especially for Lithium Polymer batteries). On the other hand tablets use much higher capacity batteries that require more than just 1.0/1.2A for charging so the "ideal" scenario is for a portable battery to have 1.0/1.2A and a 2.1A USB charging ports. Of course using the PL2 a few times per week shouldn't cause a problem to your smartphone (and you will enjoy faster recharge times) but we did hope that LUXA2 would offer both options. After several tests we concluded that the "real" battery capacity is at around 4200-4500mAh which is not bad at all (advertised capacity and real capacity is never the same) since it almost recharged the Nokia Lumia 930 slightly over 2 times and the Samsung Galaxy S5 almost 2 times.
LUXA2 just released the PL3 Leather Power Bank that features almost twice the battery capacity of the PL2 and as a result the price of the second has dropped quite a bit which means you can currently find it for just USD37.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 38Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). We will also get to check the PL3 model but more battery capacity means a larger size and so we expect to be almost twice as large compared to the PL2. Bottom line if you're out to get a brand new portable battery which will not accompany you for very long periods of time away from electricity then the PL2 could be the ideal companion and that's why it gets our Golden Award.
PROS
- Quality (Samsung Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Cells)
- Design/Appearance (PU Leather)
- Compact Size
- 2.1A USB Charging Port (Faster Recharging)
- Flashlight (2 Bright White LEDs)
- Price (For Some)
CONS
- 2.1A USB Charging Port Only (For Some)