Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 Power Bank review

Sun Jul 29, 2018 · 3 min read

I recently upgraded to a higher capacity 10,000mAh portable battery with the Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 Power Bank. Here’s what I thought of it!

I’ve become a real fan of Anker’s products of late. When I recently upgraded my charging supplies to a more streamlined minimal charging kit, I got fully on board and chose Anker for my cables (lifetime warranty!) and power bank.

It was important to me that my power bank be really portable, relatively lightweight for its capacity, and of a similar form factor to the electronics I already have. My previous portable battery was a rounded candy-bar type shape. It was the best option available to me at the time, but I never really understood the choice for the form factor - it just didn’t fit anywhere.

The Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 Power Bank fits everywhere. I especially like that I can hold it with my phone in the same hand without difficulty. It sits side by side with my iPhone in a pocket or in my Helikon-Tex Possum Waist Pack.

• Dimensions: 13.7cm x 6.6cm x 1.6cm
• Weight: 210g

As with most Anker products, it arrived in beautiful bright blue packaging. It gives the impression of being thoughtfully made and well-presented, and feels like a premium product.

Unboxing the Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000

The power bank itself comes with a padded mesh drawstring carrying case, and a 60cm Micro USB cable for charging it.

Front and back sides

The Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 Power Bank is a beautifully designed piece of equipment. The front side features a light-up power level indicator, and the back side has a very touch-friendly soft matte finish. The black-on-black manages to exude subtle elegance, and looks high-quality without being flashy. It’s unlikely to draw unwanted attention sitting on the table while you’re working at the cafe, but you’ll still feel like you got a lot more than you paid for in terms of quality.

The soft-touch back side of the power bank

I tried my darndest to capture the soft-touch material on the back side. It’s perfect for providing just a little extra grip for you to rest your phone against when you’re holding them both in one hand.

The different sides of the power bank

This is a minimalist’s portable battery. The Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 Power Bank has just one Micro USB input port for charging, and one USB A output port capable of 5-6V/3A. This singular focus means it’ll fast charge an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or iPhone X, and Anker says it’ll recharge itself in as little as 4 hours. That’s pretty impressive for 10,000mAh.

It’s honestly a bit difficult not to try and find an excuse to pull out this power bank, even when there are outlets around! I’ll be using it extensively in my travels - and if the reputation of Anker’s products is to be believed, I’ll continue to use it for a long time to come.

Nov 18, 2018 update: Anker recently released the Anker PowerCore Lite 10000mAh, a similarly sized portable battery that’s slightly smaller with an upgraded grip texture. Most importantly, it has the option of a USB-C input (for charging the battery, only). If you already use devices with USB-C, this can further help reduce the need to carry extra cables!