Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall charger 25W + 5K power bank + travel adapters (off-grid energy review)

06/02/2024
By Ray Shaw
In Reviews

Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger has an integrated 25W charger and a PD 3.0/PPS 5000mAh power bank with four power plug adapters suitable for most worldwide use.

It is a great idea – the charger suits most modern smartphones, the power bank has enough capacity to recharge them (typically 3.7V/5A/18.5Wh less any efficiency factors), and you can use it around the globe (US/EU/UK/AU).

Plug it into a wall socket (yes, you can leave it plugged in), and it charges the power bank using a meagre average 7W from empty. When the battery is full, it reverts to an on-demand wall charger.

Australian Review: Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall charger 25W + 5K power bank + travel adapters SKU: BPZ003bt1MBK-B6

Website	Product page FAQ
Price	$119.95
From	Belkin online, Harvey Norman, Domaye, JB Hi-Fi, Myer, Officeworks
Made in	China
Warranty	2-year ACL repair or replace plus $2500 connected equipment warranty
	Belkin started in the early 1980s in California, USA and was a pioneer in producing high-quality, US-made cables and accessories. In 2018, Taiwan-based mega-electronics maker Foxconn purchased the company. Its Brands include Belkin, WeMo, Linksys and Phyn. It is famous for its US$25000 connected equipment warranty if a connection to its devices causes failure (electrical derangement).
More	CyberShack Belkin news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First Impression – Pass+

It is Belkin Black, 77.2 x 45.7 x 31.1mm x 185g, which includes the AU adapter and excludes the 1m USB-C-USB-C 3W cable.

It is not an original idea – there have been integrated chargers and power banks, even some with solar panels. Still, I suspect it is the first to get an R-NZ C-tick certification for Australia.

Technically

The battery has two outlets for charger mode, which can output a maximum of 25W (compared to power bank mode, which can output a maximum of 20W).

USB-A can support up to 5V/2.4A/12W and is suitable for older micro-USB phones, earbuds, watches, etc.
USB-C is PD 3.0 or PPS (programmable power supply) compatible, meaning 5V/3A/15W, 9V/2.77/20W or 11V/1.66A/20W – or PPS from 5-11V at up to 2.25A (wall charger mode). In power bank mode, the USB-C PPS reduces to 5-11V at up to 1.8A.
If you use both outlets, it has 15W total to share.
You can also charge the power bank separately using USB-C at up to 5V/3A/15W (an aeroplane USB or a 12V car utility socket USB-C adapter).

There is no App, and the battery capacity is via four 25% LEDs.

Tests – Power Bank

USB-C port alone can deliver up to 20W, but many devices don’t seem to PPS sync at 11/1.66A/20W. Most sync at 12W (tested on Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro). Pass
USB-A can deliver 12W (test confirms) to the right device, but it usually delivers 10W. Pass
Both ports share 15W with USB-C at up to 10W and USB-A at up to 5W. Pass
We charged a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5000mAh battery (screen off). PPD power was initially approx. 9V/2A/18W but dropped over time. It took 51 minutes to get to 60% (3000mAh usable capacity) before exhausting the 5000mAh battery. That is within expectations once you take battery efficiency into account and every power bank maker advertises the 3.7V mAh capacity.
Charge time: TBA

CyberShack’s view – Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall charger 25W + 5K power bank + travel adapters is about portability

5000mAh (18.5Wh) or abouit 3000mAh usable for smartphine recharges is not a large power bank – it is all about having enough reserve to get you out of a spot, and it does that very well. It is also about portability, and it is small and light enough at 185g to put in a carry bag or backpack.

As a PD 3.0/PPS 25W (maximum 20W output) wall charger, it will charge almost any USB-C phone at whatever speed it negotiates. For most, that means a full charge in around 1-2 hours.

Importantly, this is Belkin. That means quality, reliability and now ecologically responsible products with a 2-year warranty and a $2500 connected equipment warranty.

Rating

It is hard to rate it as we don’t have benchmarks for integrated chargers and power banks. Let’s say that it performs as expected in both areas.

Features: 25W charger, 5K power bank, USB-A and USB-C
Value: A Belkin 5000mAh power bank costs under $40, but these are 12W only. Given that it has PD 3.0, PPS, and a 25W charger, it seems well-priced.
Performance: it meets or exceeds performance for a PD 3.0 or PPS power bank and charger.
Ease of Use: Four power adapters for almost the whole world. 2-year warranty and $2500 CEC guarantee.
Design: Belkin Black. It is well-made and uses 72% recycled plastics.

Pro