Power banks are a dime a dozen these days. With the number of portable electronic devices we use, they’re almost a must-have depending on where we are. For the most part, they all look similar with a pretty basic and boring design. However, there are a few that that come along with a bit of a unique look.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Our Tegic BLOCK 30 review looks at a 10,000mAh power bank with a sleek exposed circuit board design, aluminum shell, and 30W fast-charging with power delivery. Read on for our full review!
Specifications
The Tegic BLOCK 30 power bank we reviewed has the following features and specifications:
- Perspective Circuit Design (Circuit board is clearly shown under the tempered glass)
- Aluminum Alloy Design (Neat diamond chamfer cut)
- 30W Fast Charging for Input and Output (Support PD, QC to fast charge devices including itself)
- Small Volume (Perfectly fits in your plam of hands)
- ECO Packaging Design (Degradable packaging box)
| Model | BLOCK 30 |
| Cell Type | Lithium Polymer Battery |
| Battery capacity | 10000mAh |
| Protocol | • USB-C Protocol: PD3.0 QC3.0 • USB-A Protocol: QC3.0 FCP SCP AFC |
| Input/output | • USB-C input：5V-3A 9V-3A 12V-2.5A 15V-2A(30W Max) • USB-C output：5V-3A 9V-3A 12V-2.25A 15V-1.8A 20V-1.35A(30W Max) • USB-A output：5V-4.5A 9V-3A 12V-2.5A(18W Max) |
| Dimensions | 136mm x 66mm x16mm |
| Weight | 227g |
What’s in the box
- Tegic BLOCK 30 power bank
- Convertible USB-C to USB-A/USB-C to USB-C cable
- Quick start guide
Design
When the Tegic BLOCK 30 power bank arrived, and I took it out of the shipping box, the first thing I noticed was the paper clamshell packaging it was in. Ivory in colour, a simple black sticker held it shut. At first, I thought it was a bit cheap-looking but then realized that the company is trying to do its part for the environment by using degradable packaging. Opening up the box, I was greeted to the power bank nestled snugly inside — and the sleek look of the power bank actually looked at home in the packaging. That said, the power bank was wrapped in plastic which — given the packaging — wasn’t necessary and kind of offsets the eco-friendly nature of the clamshell.
The BLOCK 30 power bank itself has a bit of weight, expected given its aluminum CNC design. The top and sides of our review sample were a gunmetal grey colour, while the bottom is a soft rubber-like material. The device is just over 2 1/2″ in width, 5 3/8″ in length, and about 5/8″ thick. Aside from the quality looking finish and feel of the power bank, the top portion has a tempered glass window roughly 1″ by 2 1/2″ under which you can see some circuitry. There are also five exposed LED lights, and the words BLOCK 30 are printed in gold on one side. The Tegic logo is printed on the bottom of the top of the power bank as well.
The long edges are pretty bare, except for the words 30W PPS on the right side and 10AH 37WH on the left side. Both of these are printed in silver and sit beneath a small tempered glass cover. The top short edge is where your ports are. On the far left is a button, slightly off-center is the USB-C port (output/input), and on the far right is a USB-A port (output).
Also included is a relatively short USB-C to USB-A cable — roughly 7 1/2″ in length. I didn’t realize it at first, but the USB-A end is actually a cap. When removed (don’t worry about losing it as it remains attached to the main cable), it exposes a USB-C connector. While it could be a tad longer, this single cable lets you charge both USB-C and USB-A devices.
One item that is notably missing from the Tegic BLOCK 30 is a cloth pouch. Even a simple thin pouch would be nice, as I’d worry about the glass window getting damaged and shattering on the inside of your bag, depending on how you transport it. It’s not a huge issue, but you will have to be cognizant of what pocket or pouch you place it in when travelling to avoid any damage to it.
Ease of Use
Like most power banks, the Tegic BLOCK 30 is super simple to use. Plug your device into either the USB-C or USB-A port, and it should start charging. If it doesn’t, you can press the button on the power bank to start the process, but I didn’t have to with anything I tested it on. While charging your device, the LEDs will breathe slowly, and the one on the far left will glow solid red to show charging is in process. The four white LEDs indicate how much charge is left in the memory bank, while a fifth red one (different from the charging indicator LED) glows red when less than 20% charge is left in the power bank.
Performance
While there are 60W chargers out there, the 30W output of the Tegic BLOCK 30 is plenty for most mobile devices. In addition, it supports power delivery so that you can be charging it through the USB-C port and using another device connected to the USB-A port. When tested with a USB-C voltage meter, the power bank put out the expected levels based on the device. Once charging was complete, the power bank didn’t shut off but kept trickle charging the connected device.
Battery Life
The Tegic BLOCK 30 stores up to 10,000mAh of power. Depending on your device, it will vary as to how many charges you can get. During testing, I was able to get between 2 1/2 to 3 full charges depending on the battery capacity of the smartphone or tablet I was charging. When depleted, the power bank took a few hours to recharge, drawing in between 22 and 28W of power during the process.
Price/Value
With an MSRP of US$69, the Tegic BLOCK 30 power bank isn’t the cheapest on the market. However, the pricing is fair given the CNC aluminum design, solid build quality, and expected performance. Not to mention, power banks seem hard to come by if a recent Amazon search is any indication.
Better yet, Tegic has provided us with a discount code good through the end of the month. When purchased from their website, enter Tegic20 when checking out and save 20%, bringing the price down to just over US$55.
Wrap-up
If you’re looking for a power bank and want something a little different that will turn heads without sacrificing performance, you may want to look at the Tegic BLOCK 30.
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