TSST TB030NA Portable Charger Review

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

For what it is, the TSST TB030NA is a capable charger.

The packaging does not give a good first impression, but this does not matter once you take the charger out of the box so can not really count against the TB030NA.

Product design is very efficient – the charger is thin and reasonably short. Given that the included flashlight attachment – a very nifty extra – can also be removed, the TB030NA can actually be made even smaller. This just makes it extra portable, something which can be crucial with lower capacity chargers.

Performance, too, is more than satisfactory. Phones charged about an hour slower than when using an AC adapter – which is good for a 3000 mAh portable charger with only a 1.5A charging port.

However, the obvious trade off for portability is the small capacity incorporated into the TB030NA. Most phones can only be charged to 100% once, while some won't even get that far. More and more phones have capacities bigger than 3000 mAh these days – with the Samsung Note 4 and Sony Xperia Z3 being just two examples.

If you absolutely must have something as portable as possible, the TB030NA is a good charger. You will only get one full charge at best, but the charging speeds are decent.

Our recommendation, though, would be to get the TB100PA. At £15 more it is a bit more expensive, but with over 3 times the capacity of the TB030NA – as well as superior charging speeds – it is definitely worth it. Obviously it is not as portable, but it is by no means chunky – so if you can spare room in a jacket pocket, the TB100PA is the charger to get.

The TB030NA is not currently available in the UK, but it will cost £19.99 and be available from the usual retailers, including Amazon, Dabs, Scan and Ebuyer.

Pros

• Very portable.
• Flashlight attachment.
• Decent charging speeds.

Cons

• Won't fully charge some modern phones
• Packaging is not very classy

KitGuru says: The TB030NA is a good, small charger. It charges reasonably fast – but is not up to the same standard as the TB100PA. If you have the extra room, it seems to be the charger to get.

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