Having an external battery for your mobile devices has become a must-have accessory, and loads of manufacturers now have their own take on it. We’ve reviewed quite a few at Droid Horizon, but apart from testing their general performance there isn’t that much to differentiate between them. Bidul however have added an innovation to their power bank that may be enough to set them apart…
Build Quality & Design
Bidul’s power bank is the common rectangular slab design with one end housing a micro USB input and 2 full-size USB output ports along with 4 blue LEDs that indicate charge level. This design works well because it’s portable and easy to slip into a pocket or bag. However what sets the design apart are the two integrated cables tucked along each side, one USB cable for input and one micro USB cable for output. A power button is also hidden near the base of the micro USB cable.
Available in a choice of capacities and colours, the body is coated in a soft-touch plastic which feels nice to the touch, but can be a little susceptible to fingerprints and scratches. Overall the unit seems to be well made and the cables look robust.
Performance
Both the integrated micro USB cable and one of the USB ports output a full 2.1A charge which will quickly charge most devices. The remaining USB port is 1A, as is the maximum input rate from the cable or micro USB port.
I was able to fully charge the 2600mAh battery of my phone more than 3 times before the 8000mAh li-polymer battery was depleted (Bidul also have a 5000mAh version available) making it a good size if you want something to keep you going all weekend.
If you’re happy to leave this battery charging overnight then the 1A input is quick enough for a full charge by the morning. However there are batteries that accept a 2A charge which would charge up in half the time, so if this is a big deal to you then you may want to look elsewhere.
Features
As mentioned the standout feature of this power bank is the integrated cables. We have reviewed some ultra-portable low capacity batteries with integrated cables that give you a top-up in an emergency, but this is the first time I’ve seen them included in a higher capacity battery.
You may be happy enough to carry a separate cable, but the convenience of having one built in shouldn’t be underestimated. I found it really handy being able to clip out a cable to begin charging whenever I wanted and as they’re fairly short I could even keep charging on the move by keeping both my phone and the power bank together in my pocket. When you’re finished simply push them in along the side and they’re out of the way.
Otherwise this is a pretty standard power bank with no ruggedisation, solar charging or flashlight built in.
In Use
The power bank has 4 bright LEDs which give an indication of the current charge level when it’s button is pressed, and flash during recharge. When first using the battery all 4 seemed to remain lit for ages until I realised that they were so bright that light was bleeding sideways from one LED to the other. Looking through the plastic at the side proved a more reliable way of knowing how many LEDs were actually illuminated (having 1 lit as in the picture looked more like 3 when viewed head-on). This isn’t a big issue once you know about it, but a little reflective material between each LED could have made all the difference here.
Some external batteries constantly make power available meaning they will slowly discharge over time even when they aren’t being used. To prevent this discharge a common feature of a lot of power banks is an automatic shut-off once it detects nothing is drawing power. For instance they will fully charge your phone and then turn off the power to prevent further battery discharge.
Bidul have chosen not to include an automatic shut-off, but instead ask that you hold down it’s button for 3 seconds to turn the unit off manually. For some this may be a negative, but I actually prefer this approach. I’ve found that a lot of batteries with this auto-off feature will fail to detect low-draw devices such as Bluetooth earphones, and shut down when I’m trying to charge them. Likewise, my Moto 360 charges in about an hour after which the battery switches off and then the watch discharges for the rest of the night. Some will prefer not having to worry about switching the power bank off, but for me I appreciate being able to control this myself.
Price
This power bank is currently priced at £22.99 on Amazon UK, which is a little expensive compared to some of the other 8000mAh batteries available. However if you factor in the price of adding a good charging cable then it’s not a bad deal.
Overall
Bidul have created a solid entry in the oversaturated power bank market and while standing out is difficult, the convenience of integrated cables combined with decent capacity really set it apart. I’d say this justifies spending a little extra over some of the alternatives available.
Check out the link below for full details of Bidul’s power banks along with their other range of mobile accessories (use Google Translate if you don’t read French)…
