We've had our hands on quite a few power banks, most of them with a typical rectangular design and one or two USB ports on the front. Hell, even some with mini LED flashlights built-in between the ports. Upon getting a closer look at this flashlight power bank from Choetech, it's clear that this accessory is built tough and ideal for emergency situations.
Out of the box, the 6.3-inch Choetech flashlight comes pre-assembled with a lanyard attached to the rear. The entire flashlight is made of a solid plastic that's painted black with side grips that help keep it in your hand. There's a rubber power button on top next to the head of the flashlight, which can be unscrewed to access the power bank's USB output and microUSB input.
At the opposite end is a triangular stainless steel window breaker that comes with a rubber cap to keep it from inflicting damage to yourself, your tech, or others. There's also a sharp seat belt cutter that's covered by plastic and can only be used by sliding the sliceable object in between. Choetech has done well to keep this particular feature completely safe from cutting one's hand while in use.
A big part of its rugged design is its IPX6 waterproof rating, making it safe for rainy days. It also packs a shockproof exterior that can withstand serious impacts if it hits the concrete or any other rock-solid surface. So whether you're bringing it along for a weekend camping trip or offshore excursion, you'll never need to baby this thing.
The 3W LED bulb is advertised to push a total of 250 lumens, which may not be 100% accurate, but from my experience using it at night, it's most definitely bright enough to light up anything at distance of over 300 feet — impressive for this little light. If you really need anything more powerful, then you probably should be looking into a MAGLITE or something similar. That said, I have yet to use a power bank that rocks a light as bright as this one.
There are 3 different light modes to toggle by the rubber power button on top. Press and hold for a few seconds and you'll get a steady (low) beam, one more press gets it a little brighter, and a final push will kick it on its brightest setting. By double tapping the button puts it into SOS mode — a constant on/off pattern.
If one of your gadgets needs a boost in juice, simply unscrew the top of the light to access the charging ports. You can charge up the power bank using the included short microUSB cable, sans charging block. The power bank charges up at a rather slow 1A, while the USB output pushes power to your thirsty devices at an acceptable 2.1A (max).
This product has a total of 5,200mAh to share between the flashlight and power bank, which may not seem like much, but actually provides most smartphones a full charge or two while being able to light the way for an extended period of time before cutting out. It's also CE, FCC, and ROHS certified, packing a smart chip inside that makes it a safe against overheating or overcharging your connected devices.
Although I haven't had the opportunity to smash any windows with my new flashlight power bank, I'm certain that the solid stainless steel pointed tip would do the trick when needed. This accessory is just cool in general, and is a permanent addition to my vehicle for future situations that tend to go south. For an affordable $29.99 it's not a bad buy and includes a 12-month warranty from Choetech.
