The BRAVEN BRV-BANK is the portable power bank you always wanted (Accessory review)

At CES 2016 this year I had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time with the team from BRAVEN. My impressions from my time with BRAVEN’s representatives completely validated what I see in BRAVEN’s products which is quality, pride, being different, and letting their impressive qualities speak for themselves.

Of all of the battery packs I have, which is too many, my main go to for CES 2016 was the BRAVEN BRV-BANK. Many of the other batteries I have are great, but I trust none more than I trust this portable battery from BRAVEN. It isn’t a new release, but it is a battery that is still sold for its durability, Bluetooth connectivity, and perfect size at 6000mAh.

Design

The BRAVEN BRV-BANK is first and foremost an ultra-rugged battery. It comes with a rubberized body that keeps it protected from dirt, water, and shocks. It comes in two color options Black/Blue and Gray/Red.

To differentiate its battery from the thousands of other portable power banks, BRAVEN built a Bluetooth radio into the BRV-BANK so you can monitor the exact power levels from a free app from BRAVEN in the Google Play Store. The app is compatible with both Android tablets and smartphones and can control the power output from each of the two USB ports, while also allowing for you to control the included USB flashlight. You have the option to put the battery into “SOS mode” to flash the light or into “bear mode” which will trigger an audible alarm. If you lose your battery you can trigger the alarm from the app so you can locate it using sound.

BRAVEN also includes a well thought out micro USB charging cable that is protected by a braided sheath, and even has protective silicon covers for both ends of the cable. The included cable is well engineered and designed to live up to the ruggedness of the battery pack. There is no point in having a rugged battery without a cable to match.

BRAVEN designed and built the BRV-BANK for the active lifestyle. What’s clear is the engineers actually designed it for themselves because I know they are the outdoor types after meeting with them in Las Vegas.

https://youtu.be/7dDn72-ms84

Usage

When I removed the BRV-BANK from its packaging I instantly thought it was designed for the military or survivalists. It’s almost as if the CEO of BRAVEN gave the engineers carte blanche to let loose with the budget, and design the battery of their dreams. Giving engineers open access to the budget isn’t quite the best way to run a company, but give them the freedom to design the ideal product and they will.

The BRV-BANK is more than just a battery to BRAVEN. It’s BRAVEN’s ideals and values all packaged into a product. You can tell they take pride in every single detail, which is an absolute rarity these days since competition in the tech industry is so stiff.

Without a doubt, the BRAVEN BRV-BANK is the best built portable battery I have ever used. It’s not cheap with a retail price of $99, but for the price you get every penny’s worth. There are dozens of batteries you can get elsewhere with more power storage and more than 50% cheaper, but you will not get a better built battery than the BRAVEN BRV-BANK.

It comes with a 6000mAh battery that holds every bit of power that is advertised. While at CES, the BRV-BANK kept me fully charged throughout an entire day of being mobile. I kept my main phone fully charged while powering accessories in my backpack every single day at CES. Of all of the batteries I own, the BRV-BANK is the one I trust most to live up to the life on the go.

And it was great that I could check how much power was remaining using the free app provided by BRAVEN. I could check the exact percentage of power remaining which gave me confidence that I didn’t need to conserve power at any point away from a wall charger. And at night, I even used the USB flashlight a couple of times to help find my way.

While I could have chosen from a wide variety of batteries in my stash, I chose the BRAVEN BRV-BANK to keep me powered during the most important conference of the year.

Summary

The BRAVEN BRV-BANK is the Swiss Army Knife of portable batteries. It comes in a rugged case with features you will not find in any other battery. While it may not be for everyone at $99, you can’t go wrong with BRAVEN. You will get an ultra reliable battery with attention to every single detail – even in the included micro USB cable which is an afterthought to other companies.

I cannot reiterate how much BRAVEN’s commitment to quality shines through its products. They are the top 1% of mobile accessory manufacturers in the world.

6000mAh is more than enough power to get you through a full day of usage on your smartphone, and more than likely, it will get you through two to three full days of usage on your smartphone. You can take it with you on your daily commute, and you can also take it out on your next outdoor adventure. You do not have to worry if the BRV-BANK will ever break down because I can assure you that it will not.

Learn more at BRAVEN.com.