2023-06-03 22:07:08
Hardly any power bank gets such good ratings as the Shargeek Storm 2. What makes the luxury battery so special?
I’m curious. The black box with the “Shargeek” lettering looks simple, but is heavier than expected. The unboxing is then unspectacular. Remove the cover – and you can see the power bank, a yellow USB cable and a cloth bag.
Now it’s in front of me, the Shargeek Storm 2. Wow, what a design! The power bank is transparent all around. Below I see the eight batteries, above the circuit board with the control and the connections. Even a small screen is installed.
The transparent design is an eye-catcher
Looks really chic, this tech look. The manufacturer has also made an effort with the details: Some components such as the USB controller or the “Energy/Storage Management” are labeled. The Storm 2 can at least visually stand out from most other battery packs.
The eye-catching product design is certainly one reason for the power bank’s success. Hardly any other model with a similar capacity is rated better by our community. Almost 90 percent give 5 out of 5 stars. “Really good performance”, “top power bank”, “very cool part” – that’s what it sounds like in the comments. The most common criticism is the price.
Photo: Manuel Wenk
Top marks, but not perfect
In fact: At over 200 francs at the regular price, the Shargeek Storm 2 is more expensive than many other models. We show the costs per 1000 mAh battery capacity and the transparent power bank is in the top range at CHF 6.37. You can get well-rated batteries for half that amount. After all, thanks to the current campaign, you can grab the Shargeek Storm 2 for CHF 159 and save a little.
A second weakness is revealed in the test: The built-in artificial glass is susceptible to dust, dirt and scratches. If you just carry the Storm in your backpack, you’ll notice that quickly. The cloth bag that comes with it makes perfect sense. It is best to use it whenever the battery is not in use.
I also have to address the weight. My scale shows 599 grams. This is of course primarily due to the eight built-in batteries. Other models with a comparable capacity are even heavier, for example because the housing is made of metal.
No more fear of empty batteries
The main reason why buyers choose such a block is certainly the specs. The capacity is 25,600 milliamp hours (mAh), the power is 94 watt hours (Wh). A benchmark for laypeople like me: Smartphones can be charged five to seven times with it. My MacBook a little more than once. If you want to deal more intensively with the topic of capacity, voltage and energy, you can find them here, for example an instructive article.
Photo: Manuel Wenk
Also important to know: Power banks up to 100 watt hours can be taken on the plane without any problems. With more power, a special permit is often required. Be sure to pack it in your hand luggage! If the power bank is discovered in checked baggage, it will be removed. In Zurich, for example, the battery must then be picked up for a fee – or it will be destroyed.
So the Shargeek has just the right capacity for all-round use. And almost more important: It delivers up to 100 watts. This means that not only smartphones or headphones can be supplied with energy, but also, for example, laptops and other larger devices. And fast loading is still possible.
Incidentally, only the USB-C1 charges with a maximum of 100 watts, with the USB-C2 it is 30 watts, with the USB-A 18 watts and with the DC port a maximum of 75 watts. Up to three devices can be attached at the same time.
The extras make the difference
So, in addition to the USB ports, I also find a DC port. You know it from many small and medium-sized devices that are supplied with direct current. Incidentally, the connection is adjustable – from around 3.5 volts to 25 volts. And I might not only operate devices directly, but also charge the power bank via a DC charger or even a solar panel. Shargeek also offers one.
I myself primarily use USB-C on around a dozen devices in everyday life. That’s why I’m also happy regarding another special feature: The power bank has a small screen. There I find an incredible amount of information, such as how many watts the power bank is currently being charged with. Or how many watts it is currently pumping into the connected smartphone.
Photo: Manuel Wenk
Again, the design is really loving. The graphics are reminiscent of the control consoles from Star Trek – retro-futuristic, so to speak. The menu with six areas can be called up by pressing exactly one button with a short and long press. And yes, at least a second button for operation would have been nice, even if I don’t have to constantly make settings in everyday life.
As already mentioned, I can use the menu to set the DC output so that every device on the cable is charged correctly. Or I can set how long the display stays on. And I can also actively switch off the power bank to keep the power loss low over a longer period of time. In sleep mode, I lost regarding one percent capacity in two days.
The manufacturer also creates transparency. The actual capacities of the four double batteries are listed under “Battery Info”. Instead of the printed 93.5 Wh, I have 87 Wh. A difference of up to 10 percent is quite normal following a few charging cycles, but this is only noticeable to those who measure it.
How good are my USB cables?
What I find even more exciting is the information regarding the output when loading. Because what many people don’t realize is that not all USB-C cables are the same. This not only applies to data transfer, but also to the loading speed. Only high-quality cables achieve 100 or even a maximum of 240 watts.
In the case of smartphones with a quick charge function, there is a further complication that there are different standards, such as VOOC from Oppo, Quick Charge from Qualcomm or USB Power Delivery, which are not always compatible. So the charger or power bank, the cable and the device itself must support the same standard.
The Storm supports USB Power Delivery 3.0 on the two USB-C ports with 30 and 100 watts. Quick Charge 4+ is only offered on the 30 watt USB-C. And the 18-watt USB-A supports Quick Charge 3.0.
Photo: Manuel Wenk
I’ll try some cables from the drawer. I quickly realize that it’s not that easy. For example, when the smartphone is 90 percent charged, it regulates the power consumption itself to protect the battery. When the iPad is almost empty, I see massive differences. The cheap no-name cable only manages 5 watts, the better versions 25 watts.
The MacBook finally separates the wheat from the chaff. Fortunately, quite a few cables can handle 60 watts. Notebooks no longer pull in normal operation. But if you also want to charge the MacBook’s battery under full load, you would be happy with 100 watts. The good news: The yellow cable supplied by Shargeek can really exploit the power bank’s capacity and is a good choice in any case.
An expensive choice – but I get it
If you just want to charge your phone, the Shargeek Storm 2 is too heavy and too expensive a choice. There are also more economical variants as chargers for notebooks. The power bank shows its qualities when it comes to subtleties.
The fact that devices can also be operated via a DC connection is quite unique for normal power banks. I also like the entire charging management including the display as an exciting extra. And yes, I also think the design and the optics are really successful. So I totally understand that the power bank has so many fans and is guaranteed to gain a few more.
Title photo: Manuel Wenk
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