NITECORE NB10000 Gen 3 Ultra-Slim USB-C Power Bank Review

The second iteration of the NITECORE NB10000 was one of the first that we fell in love with from NITECORE, and we’ve reviewed quite a few of their battery banks since. The third generation took a few things we were concerned about on its younger sibling and remedied them, which we were amped to see when we first got it in hand. However, just because they’re different doesn’t mean they’re better. Have the changes made this the ultimate one bag travel battery bank, or are we still looking for our white whale? Let’s dive in.

The Rundown

First things first, this iteration still has two ports. However, we’ve got two USB-C ports now, whereas the second generation still had one that was USB-A. This is a step in the right direction, as the world is headed toward a USB-C-clad future.

The change to USB-C also brings more functionality. The old USB-A model only offered output and maxed out at 18 watts, and the solo USB-C port maxed out at 20 watts. The new one is in/out, so you can charge from either USB-C port, and it maxes out at 22.5 watts, which will charge your devices faster.

If we are honest, having two USB-C ports that are both in/out isn’t a huge deal compared to when it was a USB-A port. Our biggest problem with that was that you couldn’t charge the device and charge with USB-C at the same time. If the device had two USB-C ports, one that was in/out, and one that was just out, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal. Still, two dedicated in/out ports isn’t a bad thing. Plus, pass-through charging works on the new model, so you can pick whichever USB-C port you want (left or right) to charge the battery bank while you charge your phone.

The battery bank has an auto-detect low-power mode, which works well for more sensitive devices, like Bluetooth headphones. This is handy because you don’t have to remember to turn it on; the device handles that.

The new iteration of the NB10000 also comes with an adapter to convert one USB-C port to USB-A. It’s a nice thought; however, there are smaller adapters on the market (this one is almost as long as the battery bank), and if you’re buying a battery bank with two USB-C ports, you likely don’t want a USB-A port anyway. We’ve never run into a commonly used port that isn’t convertible to USB-C—you can even buy USB-C to Micro-USB cables, so a USB-A adapter feels dated. Still, it works well and is durable.

The corners on the first and second iterations of the NB10000 were very pointy. So much so that they could cause discomfort if you had it in your pocket and had something sitting on your lap and it poked into you. NITECORE has remedied this issue by adding “corner cushions” or bumpers to soften the blow. They feel like the silicone feet on the bottom of other devices we’ve tested. This makes the corners much softer; however, we do wonder about the durability of the material long term. So far, so good!

If you aren’t familiar with the NB10000, you might be curious about what made the corners on previous iterations so pointy. The device has a carbon fiber reinforced polymer frame, which is highly durable and lightweight; however, the material can have sharp edges. This battery bank prioritizes form factor, leading to harsh edges extenuated by the carbon fiber exterior. This thing is durable and lightweight, but the edges without plastic are still a little rough on the hand when holding onto it for an extended period. We think it’s a small price to pay for the functionality, though.

The battery bank has an IPX5 rating, so you don’t have to worry about spilling a drink on it or getting caught in the rain. This makes the battery bank a solid shout for outdoor activities and adds peace of mind when you’ve got it sitting on the dinner table and you’re dining with a five-year-old who can’t help but spill their juice at least once a meal.

On the side are four LED lights that indicate how much battery remains. When all four are on, you’ve got 75-100% remaining; with three, 50-75%; with two, with two, 25-50%; and with one, 10-25%. If the last light is flashing, you’ve got less than 10% battery life remaining.

At 10,000 mAh, this battery bank offers most modern phones around three charges; however, it’ll depend on your phone’s capacity. For the size, it performs well.

Packability

This battery bank is smaller than your phone, which means it can fit anywhere that your phone can. However, it’s denser than most phones and other pocketable things, so it may feel different once you put it there. For example, it’ll fit into athletic shorts pockets that your phone might have to squeeze into, but if you start moving quickly, it’ll start bouncing around because of that density. It isn’t heavy, coming in at just over five ounces, but it packs a punch. When stowing it on your person for active activities, keep it somewhere it can’t move too much, like a spandex pocket or a sling tightened to your frame.

Regarding weight, it feels roughly the same mass as a portable hard drive. It’s easy to pack with you no matter where you want to go, whether you’re stowing it inside your sling, tech pouch, pants pocket, travel backpack, daypack, or rolling luggage.

Quick Comparison

We’ve already completed some pretty heavy comparisons to the second-generation NB10000, which’ll likely go out of stock at some point, so we figured we might as well compare this battery bank to something else. Before this review, the NITECORE Carbo 10000 was the highest-ranked battery bank from NITECORE on our site. How does the NB10000 Gen 3 stack up to that?

Well, first things first, they’re basically the same size and weight. In reality, they’re almost the same product. So what gives? Well, the Carbo has rounded edges, making it much more comfortable to stick in tight pants pockets or hang onto for extended periods. Even with the added bumpers, the sharp corners on the NB10000 make it less fun to hang onto. That said, how often are you holding onto a battery bank for a long time? You likely stow it inside a pocket or a bag, so this is a non-issue for many. Plus, the roughest parts, the corners, have been covered with soft plastic, so that issue is gone, too. What else?

Though we wouldn’t be surprised to see an update soon, the Carbo still utilizes a USB-A port and slower charging speeds than the updated NB10000, which gives the latter a considerable leg up. Dual USB-C ports and faster charging are huge for us while traveling because we can leave USB-A cables at home and rely on just USB-C ones, as the charging gods intended.

Plus, at the time of writing, the NB10000 is $25 cheaper than the Carbo, so you don’t have much of a reason to prefer that model so long as you don’t still have mostly USB-A cables or stand holding your power bank for hours at a time. We’re not judging you if you do; however, we simply assume that most of our demographics don’t do either of those things!