TSST TB030NA Portable Charger Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. Design4. Testing Methodology and Performance5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

To test the TB030NA's charging performance, we charged two phones and an iPad using the portable charger.

We charged each device using the TB030NA's 1.5A port, as well as a second test using a mains AC adapter to allow a comparison between mains charging and the TB030NA.

For each of the two tests per device, we drained the device in question until the battery was completely flat, and then charged it for 30 minutes.

Using that information, we could then calculate the approximate time for a full charge (to 100%). This is not an exact figure, as charging is not a linear sequence.

However, this methodology does allow a fair comparison between all the devices, as all started with batteries at 0%, and were charged for the same amount of time.

As with our other tests, the first device we used with the charger was the HTC Desire 820 – which has a 2600 mAh capacity.

For a 1.5A charging port, the results were not half bad. The Desire 820 charged in 206 minutes, 58 minutes slower than when using an AC adapter. As portable chargers with lesser capacities tend to charge slower anyway, this is a decent result.

It is just worth remembering that though the charging speed is relatively fast for a smaller charger, the TB030NA can only charge the Desire 820 once due to its limited capacity.

Next, we tested the Sony M2 Aqua with its 2300 mAh capacity.

Again, we were fairly impressed. The Aqua M2 charged in 198 minutes, just over an hour slower than when using mains electricity. It may not sound that good, but from a low-power device such as the TB030NA, this is commendable.

Finally, we charged the Apple iPad Mini 2, which has a battery capacity of 6470 mAh.

Our iPad charged 58 minutes slower than when using an AC adapter – another decent result. Given that the other TSST portable chargers could only post similar or slower speeds, this is particularly impressive.

However, there is an obvious problem with charging a tablet using the TB030NA – most tablets won't get to 50% capacity before the TB030NA runs out of battery. This is the case with the latest iPads and the Nexus 9, for instance.

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