Unibank Power Bank

As I type I am currently experiencing a power cut, thanks storm Eunice, how am I meant to successfully procrastinate with 3% battery life on my phone and the kettle out of action, on the plus side this seems a highly appropriate time to check out the Unibank power bank.

This portable power bank arrived with a wide range of accessories to play with, some slightly more niche than others, lets start with a look at the main unit. The Unibank is rather chunky at 18.2cm x 8.4cm x 4.5cm and weighs 370g however this is more than just a battery pack, built into one end is the pull cord which allows you to turn elbow grease into charging power. The built-in 5000mAH battery has a DC 5V 2A input and output, pulling the cord for just 90 seconds can give you 25 minutes talk time on a typical smartphone with the option of charging it via USB as well. The pull cord is a bit fiddly to remove from the main unit, but you then just need to draw the cord out to its full length and let it retract back in to start charging, its not that difficult to do but does require a degree of strength, think of it as a free mini workout.

One thing that’s worth mentioning is it is fairly noisy, if you are charging it up whilst camping, you may get a few questioning looks from your neighbours when you come out of your tent. As well as a charging bank the Unibank also has a built in LED flash light and LED power indicator display, the end of the unit detaches and can be replaced with one of the many attachments. This includes the ambient light which can be connected to the Unibank app, you can change the colour and brightness settings, particularly useful in a black out, the Bluetooth speaker has a rather impressive sound for its little size and a bass boost can be activated on the app.

The panic button attachment is a 120 decibel alarm that can be paired with your smartphone to discretely send emergency texts to your contacts along with your GPS coordinates, there is also an optional subscription service that can be used to connect you to a state of the art Alarm Receiving Centre for emergency responses bypassing 999 call centres. The Laser Measure attachment is a little more specialist, it can be used for single distance, continual measurements, volume and area, it can be used with the supplied bracket to fine-tune the laser’s angle. The bracket attaches to Unibank via its standard tripod thread. The settings can also be adjusted in the app and allows you to store and categorise measurements and send them via email.

We also received the silicone jacket, body clip, arm strap and protective carry case that can house up to two additional attachments that all make transporting the Unibank easier. The Unibank is a bit of a mixed bag, having to choose between the panic button and the light isn’t ideal, I wish the panic button was integrated into the main unit ensuring its ready to go even if you haven’t planned to use it. If the app wasn’t necessary for some of the functions this would appeal to those looking to step away from their phones, but this will limit the Panic Button’s full potential. The best thing is that you have rechargeable power whilst away from any mains connections, this could be a useful tool for those who work in construction, a handy set up to keep in the camper van and for festival goers. RRP £89.95

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