With a range of products which include world travel adapters with and without USB charging capabilities, USB chargers and batteries, as well as practical charge and sync cables for today’s modern traveler, SKROSS is looking to be the global market leader for high-quality travel adapters. Our SKROSS review takes a look at the Reload 5 battery pack and the BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector cable to see how they stack up.
Specifications
The SKROSS Reload 5 battery pack has the following features and specifications:
- Output (USB): 5 V / 1000 mAh max.
- Input (Micro USB): 5 V / 1000 mAh max.
- Capacity: 5000 mAh / 3.7 V
- 3.7 V Lithium Battery, class A
- Charging time: approx. 4 h
- Ingress Protection Class: IP 20
- Power status: LED
- Charge’n Sync Micro USB Cable included
The SKROSS BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector cable has the following features and specifications:
- Input voltage: 5 V
- Output voltage: 5 V
- Output current: max. 2.1 A (Micro USB)
- Output current: max. 2.4 A (Lightning connector)
- Cable length: 1 m
- Apple certified
Design
The SKROSS Reload 5 has a very slim design, making it easy to slip into a pocket, backpack, or purse. Rectangular in shape with curved edges, the Reload 5 is encased in metal for a solid feel, with plastic end caps. The bottom end is where you’ll find your micro USB input for recharging the battery pack, the USB output for charging your devices, and a power button. When pressed, the power button lights up with a blue LED and up to 4 dots will appear showing your remaining charge. It’s a simple design, but it works and has a decent build quality. With its 5000 mAh capacity, this should charge most smartphones twice on a single charge. My only complaint about it is that the USB out is only 1 amp out, so you’re not going to get a fast recharge out of this.
The SKROSS BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector (that’s a mouthful!) has a few additions to your standard microUSB or Lightning charging cable. First, this cable can be used by devices that use a microUSB connection, as well as Apple devices that use the Lightning connection for charging. This is achieved by including a microUSB to Lightning adapter which is attached to the cable and slips over the microUSB connection to convert it into a Lightning connector. In addition, the 2in1 Charge’n Sync cable has a built in alarm that sounds when the device you are charging is removed. The alarm is silenced by pushing a button on the alarm box on the cable itself, or by unplugging it from the wall or battery pack. This is a nice additional feature for travelers, as the alarm will sound if someone tries to remove the phone from the cable while you’re charging it in an airport, at a cafe, or some other busy place. The cable ends are encased in a hard plastic and feel sturdy, but the alarm box — while still constructed of hard plastic — doesn’t feel as strong and feels like it may crack easily if enough pressure is placed on it, so if you do pick one of these up you just might want to be mindful of what pouch or pocket you store it in.
Ease of Use
Both the SKROSS Reload 5 and BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector cable are easy to use. Simply plug the USB end of the 2in1 (or other USB to microUSB or Lightning) cable into the Reload 5, connect the microUSB or Lightning Connector to the device you wish to charge, and then press the power button on the Reload 5 to begin charging. As previously mentioned, turning off the alarm is as simple as pressing the button on the cable or unplugging the cable from the battery pack or wall outlet.
Performance
As far as performance goes, as mentioned above it’d be nice if the Reload 5 had a higher output for charging. Aside from that, both the battery pack and cable worked as one would expect.
Battery Life
A 5,000 mAh battery pack is a decent enough size to charge most phones twice on a single charge — which should be ample time for you to find a spot to recharge the Reload 5 back to capacity. Depending on what other devices you’re charging with it, your mileage will vary but it can also be used to charge tablets, Bluetooth earbuds, and anything else that uses a microUSB or Lightning connection.
Price/Value
Unfortunately, the SKROSS Reload 5 is a bit on the pricey side. Considering it’s only a 5,000 mAh power bank and has a maximum charge of 1A, at $49.99USD on Amazon it’s up to five times more expensive than other options that are available. On the SKROSS website, it sells for 39,90 EUR which includes 19% VAT ( 33,53 Net price for Non-EU customers).
The SKROSS BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector cable is almost as pricey, selling for 36,90 EUR (including 19% VAT) on the SKROSS website or 31,01 Net price for Non-EU customers. While currently not available on Amazon, the USD price is $39.90.
While nicely designed, and with a neat feature like the alarm on the cable both of these items probably need to come down in price to be competitive to other products out there.
Wrap-Up
The SKROSS Reload 5 has a nice design, and feels like a solid device with its metal casing. However, its capacity for the price makes it a touch on the expensive side considering what else is out there for battery packs with the same capacity. The SKROSS BUZZ Alarm 2in1 Charge’n Sync Micro USB & Lightning Connector cable on the other hand does have a nifty alarm feature which is perfect for the traveler, but again as with the Reload 5 is a bit on the pricey side if you’re just looking for a combination microUSB/Lighting charging cable.
[rwp-review id=”0″] [button link=”http://amzn.to/1N6LMDL” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://skross-online.com/Skross-Shop-1.302166-Battery-RELOAD-5-.html” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from SKROSS[/button] [rwp-review id=”1″] [button link=”https://skross-online.com/Skross-Shop-2.700212-Battery-BUZZ-2in1-Micro-USB-and-Lightning-Connector-.html” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from SKROSS[/button]
