REVIEW: Anker Astro2 8400mAh Portable Dual-Port External Battery PackPower Bank Backup Charger with Built-In Flashlight

   I have owned a couple backup batteries in the past, but nothing to fancy. Most were just purchased without thought to brand or reviews, and as a result they weren't always the best. I ordered the Anker Astro2 8400mAh battery pack primarily to plug into my new GoPro HERO 3+ and let me take longer time lapses than the built in battery would allow. Because the battery was equipped with USB outputs, I knew that I could also use it to charge virtually any other device.

   When I received the battery, I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. Having never heard of the brand "Anker" before, I was expecting the product to arrive in a plain white or brown box since I thought it was a knockoff of the more popular brands such as Duracell, Energizer, and others. I couldn't have been more wrong though. Not only was the battery packaged nicely, but the the battery even came with a little mesh pouch for your to store your battery, cables, and various adapters they include.

Forgot to take a picture of it, but even though this
is of the Astro 3, the packaging is the same.

As soon as I had the battery out of the box I plugged it in and made sure it was charged up and ready to go. To completely charge the battery expect it to take around 4-5 hours depending on how drained the battery pack is. Once it was charged I threw it in my backpack and began carrying it around to charge up my phone (Samsung Galaxy S3) while on-the-go between classes. This is probably the most common for a backup battery and so I figured it would be a good first test. Having only owned cheapo backup batteries in the past (with mAh of around 1500) I was extremely impressed by how many times I could charge my phone without having to recharge the Anker external battery. I routinely have been able to get through an entire week of use without having to recharge the backup battery once. Granted, I didn't use the Anker to completely recharge my phone's battery (i.e. from 0-100%) but I did use it to give me some extra juice when my phone got down to the 20-30% range.

Charging my phone's battery.

Length & Width visualized in quarters.

While the Anker isn't the smallest backup battery in the world, it is almost the perfect size to carry around in a bag; not too small, not too big. That said it is way to big carry around in your pocket without someone asking you "Hey is that a battery in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?". One of the reasons for the size, besides the high mAh, is the amount of features they pack onto the battery, namely the light and the dual charging ports. The light isn't overly bright and you might never use it, but it will probably come in handy at least once or twice and it's always a good thing to have around. The dual charging ports, on the other hand, is truly an awesome feature. Whether it's charging up two of your devices or helping out a friend in need, the ability to charge two devices at once eliminates any tough decisions about which device is more important to you. I found it especially useful when flying, since outlets are often few and far between in airports (though they are getting better) and planes rarely have them. The ability to charge two devices at once allowed me to help my sister out (who seems to somehow always keep her devices in the 20-40% range) before we boarded a plane without having to forgo charging my device.

Thickness comparison vs. 8 quarters.

The extras: a flashlight and two ports.

Once I finally got the chance to go out and shoot some time lapses with my GoPro I couldn't wait to take advantage of all the extra battery time I would have. I was especially excited to try some sunset and sunrise lapses since these usually span several hours, much longer than the GoPro's 2.5hr  battery life will allow. The Anker performed just as expected; simply plug it in before you start your timelapse and your camera will run off of the backup battery until it dies (note: to access your GoPro inputs while it is mounted on a tripod you will have to purchase either the Skeleton Housing or The Frame). How long till it dies exactly? Well I actually have no idea since the longest time lapse I have done to date spanned 6 hours and when I checked the status of the external battery, 2 out of the 4 lights were still lit. If I had to guess, I'd say you could easily get a 12 time lapse using this external battery. True, you might never need that much time, but it is good to always have a little wiggle room. 

Taking a time lapse of the sunset with my GoPro
plugged into my Anker backup battery.

One small thing that I especially liked for use with the GoPro was the battery's included carrying pouch. I found that you can hang the pouch (with the battery inside of it) on the GoPro's handle screw while recording to get the battery out of the way. This also keeps any strain from being put on the connectors.

Overall, I am very impressed with my purchase of the Anker backup battery. It is fits all of my needs (build quality, performance, and looks) without breaking the bank. Already I am eying the Anker 15,000mAh for some super long time lapses I have planned for over the summer, but that is a couple months down the road. For now, I have all I need in the Anker 8400mAh Dual-Port External Battery; the perfect combination of size, performance, and price for almost anyone out there.

Awesome extended sunset timelapse towards end of video.

Another video I put together with several long time lapses.