Satechi SX20 Portable Energy Station (20000mAh) Review

Last week, I found myself at the park, it was only 10 in the morning and my cellphone was at 20 percent battery life. I was at a beautiful location with horses, trees, and gorgeous wildlife. So of course I was using my phone to take pictures and performing one of my favorite hobbies, using Periscope.

Once I realized that I still had a long day ahead of me and I had no charger in my backpack nor were there any outlets accessible. It was a huge damper to my day not being able to use my device due to fear that it would die at any moment.

I vowed to myself that I would never again leave the house without some type of charging method. Thankfully, Satechi sent over a Portable Energy station for me to review. Continue reading to see how it performed.

Design

The Satechi SX20 (20,000 mAh) was the first Satechi product that I have ever used and I was immediately impressed. As I opened up the packaging I became giddy, all I saw was shiny aluminum glaring back at me. As I removed the portable energy station from its package I had a brief moment of apprehension. The device looked so premium and the shiny aluminum sure looked slippery. I carefully braced myself and grabbed the device and to my delight the device was not slippery at all. The SX20 is aluminum all over except for on the bottom and top which feels like a white smooth hard plastic.The battery indicator and flashlight power button also have the same white plastic. The SX20 feels great in the hand with the textured aluminum and rounded sides that allow a good firm grip.

The front of the SX20 has an LCD battery indicator that goes to sleep automatically after a few seconds of non-usage.  Next to the LCD indicator is a power button that you can press to turn on and off the LED flashlight.

On the top of the device are 4 USB charging ports, 2 that are 1A, 1 that is 2.1A, and 1 that is 2.4A. There is also there is a charging port for the device and the LED flashlight.

Performance

As a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast at any moment, I can have 3-4 devices on hand that are consuming battery life quickly. I really wanted to put the SX20 to the test to make sure that it wasn’t just another pretty face.

I grabbed my camera bag along with a few items to charge: Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Samsung Galaxy Tab pro 10.1, Pure Gear Selfie stick and hit the road.  I arrived at my photo shoot location and immediately began to take pictures with my Note 4 scouting locations. I launched Spotify on my Galaxy Tab pro, and my selfie stick was in use as my Note 4 steadicam. After about 4 hours of usage, I connected all 3 devices to the SX20. The SX20 immediately dispersed power to all 3 of the devices.

What I really liked about the SX20, is that outside at the location it was hot and humid, and around 98 degrees. Yet, while charging 3 devices simultaneously and in the  hot sun the SX20 didn’t get hot at all.

While on the subject of charging I have to admit Samsung has spoiled me with its fast charging option. The SX20 charged my devices, but I did notice a considerable time distance especially with my Tab Pro 10.1 which packs an 8000mah battery.  My Note 4  when the charge began was at 24% it took about an hour and 55 minutes for it to reach 88 percent charge. My Tab Pro 10.1 was at approximately 35 percent charge and it was on the charger for about 4 hours while I shot and roamed around and when I came back it was at about 74 percent charge.

I liked that when I took the SX20 out on location that it was a head turner. A lot of different people inquired on what it was that was so shiny and cool looking. Also that it was rugged enough for me to toss to the ground near my backpack and was built tough to withstand drops and minor falls without breaking apart are scratching.

The SX20 on my initial field test performed extremely well: it charged 3 different devices and I still had around 40 percent battery life of the SX20 to use.

What We Like

• Premium design and build quality
• Portable and light weight
• Charge 4 different devices at once and has an LED flashlight

What We Didn’t Like

• The height could be reduced, SX20 is about 7 inches tall
• I Liked the concept to use a Digital battery reading but have to admit I did miss being able to have light indicators to inform me quickly how much power was left on the charging station.

Features and Specs

• Aluminum Body
• 2x 1A, 1 2.1A, 1x 2.4A
• 4 USB Charging Ports
• 2 Amp Output
• LED Flashlight
• 20,000mAh battery
• 7.7×3.1x.8 inches
• Automatic sleep after non-usage

Conclusion

Being without a charging option is never a good thing. The SX20 is a beautifully designed charging station that is lightweight, rugged, portable and allows you to have enough power to charge an average cellphone  4-6 times.

The SX20 has an extremely reasonable price point for the power, performance, and premium quality it provides you can purchase the Satechi® SX20 Aluminum Portable Energy Station Extended Battery Charger Pack (20000mAh) from Satechi for only $39.99

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