I haven’t seen many power banks designed like this, but you’ll have to be a real outdoors-type to make it worth your while
The RUGD Power Brick is water, dust, and shock proof – but is it overkill for many?
RUGD Power Brick: review
The RUGD Power Brick is a power bank designed for outdoor excursions, thanks to its durable design and useful features. Although its form prioritizes function, it’s not without some interesting and even stylish aspects, and the orange colorway of my test unit certainly made it striking – and hard to lose.
As you would expect, it’s very-well built, too. All panels are solid with virtually no flex to them, while the shock-proof silicone outer rim feels tough.
Despite its ruggedness, though, the RUGD Power Brick is pleasingly small and relatively light, even for one of the best power banks, which makes it ideal for carrying around. It’s just about thin enough to fit in a pocket, although its square shape might make it a little too wide for some.
There’s no interface to speak of, apart from four LED lights to indicate its battery life. It’s a shame, however, that they’re virtually invisible when viewed from an angle, which is inconvenient when you merely want to glance at its status.
However, convenience is restored thanks to some handy features, such as the integrated hook on the outer rim, to which you can attach the included carabiner. There’s also a giant flashlight that takes up the entire back panel, and provides plenty of luminescence.
Activating the flashlight is a little laborious, as it requires holding the button for too long, rather than a simple double-tap. What’s more useful, though, is the ability to make the light even brighter by tapping the power button once on, and make it flash with a further tap for an SOS signal.
The RUGD Power Brick features one USB-A port and one USB-C, both hidden under a flap on the outer rim. This flap can be a little awkward to pull out, but it at least offers sufficient protection for the ports. However, the string that attaches the flap to the body doesn’t feel particularly strong, making me doubt its ability to withstand repeated or more vigorous tugs.
What’s more, there’s only one flap for both ports, leaving one port exposed while using the other, which is something of an oversight given the RUGD Power Brick’s commitment to providing the utmost protection.
Both ports provide 18W of power, although only the USB-C port has input capability for charging the bank itself. Simultaneous charging is also supported. It comes with a charging cable, although I would’ve welcomed a C-to-C connection rather than C-to-A.
The RUGD Power Brick managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a, which has a 4,385mAh battery, from empty to full in just under two hours via the USB-C port. That's not a particularly impressive performance when other banks are capable of charging it in about 90 minutes.
This RUGD Power Brick lost one of the four LED dots in the process, meaning you should get about two or three full charges from it, which aligns with its 10,050mAh capacity. Charging the RUGD Power Brick itself from empty to full took two and a half hours, which is acceptable given that aforementioned capacity.
For those that don’t require an all-proof design, the RUGD Power Brick doesn’t exactly represent good value, considering its lack of ports and middling capacity for the price. But if you’re someone who frequently battles the elements, the RUGD Power Brick should make for a practical and hardy companion for keeping your smaller devices topped up.
RUGD Power Brick review: price & specs
Should I buy the RUGD Power Brick?
Buy it if…
You want something tough
With its IP67 certification, the RUGD Power Brick is water, shock, and dust proof, so it’s ideal for taking on your outdoor adventures.
You want practical features
Along with its toughness, the RUGD Power Brick is also convenient, thanks to its integrated hook, included karabiner, and huge back-panel flashlight.
Don't buy it if…
You have many devices
The RUGD Power Brick only has two ports, so if you want to charge several devices at once, you should look elsewhere.
You need to charge large devices
The 18W output and 10,050mAh capacity are enough for multiple smartphone and tablet charges, but insufficient for laptops and other large devices.
RUGD Power Brick review: Also consider
Iniu B61
If you want a similar output, but don’t need all that ruggedness, then the Iniu B61 is a great alternative. It has a slightly higher output (22.5W) and essentially the same capacity (10,000mAh), but it has two more USB-A ports and is cheaper than the RUGD Power Brick, so represents better value for those who don’t need outdoors-based features. Read our Iniu B61 review.
