The Nitecore NB Plus is the thinnest 10,000 mAh power bank I’ve tested — just 11.7 mm thick.
That’s about the same as my iPhone 15 Pro Max including its camera lenses. Despite its slim design, it should still manage at least one full charge for a large phone like this one.
Nitecore also suggests it could charge my GoPro Hero 13 3.4 times and my DJI Neo 2.3 times – I’ll test its capacity claims shortly.
It has a lovely compact design, with smooth rounded edges and an attractive carbon fibre finish.
In the box you also get a good quality Nitecore branded charging cable – although it’s USB-A to USB-C which is unusual for a modern power bank that supports fast charging.
It weighs just 158g – which is impressive for a 10,000mAh power bank. It’s compact too: 122.4mm x 59.6mm x 11.7mm (4.82” x 2.35” x 0.46”).
Its form factor makes it perfect for travel – and it has one killer feature that makes it useful for a lot more which I’ll come back to shortly.
Comparing it to other 10,000mAh power banks I have, it’s far thinner and noticeably lighter.
My current favourite 10,000mAh power bank, the Anker Nano, is twice as thick and weighs 210g.
But it does have an integrated cable and a digital display of remaining output.
The NB Plus has few bells and whistles. Four blue LEDs indicate the state of charge. These remain lit when charging your tech and when charging the power bank. There’s a touch power button to check the state of charge when it’s not in use.
You can’t turn off the LEDs when it’s in use using this power button which would be useful – these LEDs are pretty bright if you’re charging your phone on a bedside table.
The power bank has two ports: a combined USB-C input/output and a USB-A output. The USB-A port will divide opinion — I’d personally prefer a second USB-C port, but USB-A is still handy for charging older tech.
My cycling computer, for example, still uses a USB-A to micro-USB cable, and even some newer USB-C devices won’t charge properly with a USB-C to USB-C cable. The most notable inconvenience is that when you’re charging the power bank itself, the USB-C port is occupied, so you can’t use it at the same time for fast charging your other USB-C devices.
The NB Plus supports fast charging up to 18W via its USB-C port.
In my tests using a fast charger, it took just over 1 hour 50 minutes to reach 80% and almost 3 hours for a full charge.
I measured its temperature during charging using a thermal imaging camera — it peaked at around 44°C near the port, so slightly warm to the touch. Its compact size likely limits how much heat it can dissipate, which probably explains the relatively slow full-charge time.
Both the USB-C and USB-A ports can output up to 22.5W, but that’s at a rather unusual 10V at 2.25A – a proprietary fast charge profile used by Huawei phones. Most devices including my iPhone will fast charge at 18W or 9V, 2A off this charger – which is still more than acceptable. You can see the other charging standards it supports on the screen of my USB tester.
Although these power banks are quoted in mAh, the actual capacity depends on the voltage of the cells. With a nominal voltage of 3.85V according to Nitecore, the actual capacity of the power bank is 38.5Wh.
And the actual measured usable output will depend on the voltage and current you charge your tech at. Nitecore are reassuringly explicit about this and quote the rated energy as just 5600mAh at 5V, 3A which equates to 28Wh (P = IV = 5600mAh x 5V = 28Wh) or an efficiency of 73% (28Wh / 38.5Wh = 73%) which is a little less than I’d like to see, but that’s the price you pay for such a tiny unit.
In my measurements using a load tester, it did do a little better than that at a slightly lower output – I got 32.17Wh at 5V, 2A which is a very respectable 84% efficiency.
However, discharging the power bank at close to its highest output: 9V at 2A or 18W, I got just 26.99Wh or 70% efficiency, but this is close to what Nitecore spec which is at least honest.
In real use it worked just fine, fast charging my iPhone at over 18W.
It also worked well charging my drones and action cameras and it’s perfect for torches and fitness tech.
Which brings me around to its killer feature. This is the first power bank I’ve tested that is waterproof with an IPX7 rating. This means it can withstand immersion in water up to 1 metre deep for up to 30 minutes. This makes it perfect to take on long, often wet outings on the bike to keep phones, GPS head units and lights topped up and Nitecore advertise it for ultra-running – it’s slim enough to fit in a running belt.
Unusually for Dartmoor the weather’s been sunny while testing the power bank, but I squirted some water over it whilst it was charging my phone and all seemed well.
I later fully submerged it in the utility room sink for a fairer test. You really should dry it out thoroughly before using the ports but I gave it a quick wipe and it charged my phone just fine.
This is where it would be great if it had wireless charging like my old Aukey charger which is also pretty slim albeit with a 8000mAh battery.
The “X” in IPX7 means Nitecore didn’t test it for dust protection, so you’ll need to be a little careful with it at the beach, for example.
One final note — there’s no dedicated low-power mode, but it still managed to charge my AirPods Pro without shutting off, despite their very low power draw.
Overall, I’ve been really impressed with the Nitecore NB Plus. It’s well designed, solidly built, and properly waterproof — and even if it’s not the fastest power bank around, it still fast-charges pretty much everything I take with me on the go.
I’d love to see a future version with wireless charging, a digital display, and at least 30W input and output speeds — that would make it close to perfect.
Don’t forget to take a look at my YouTube video at the top of the page, and if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’m releasing videos every week on the latest technology and how to get the most out of it. If you tap the bell icon when you subscribe you’ll get a notification as soon as I release a video, and there’ll be a link to my site here for the written article. YouTube is also the best place to leave a comment. I read all of them and respond to as many as I can!
Affiliate Links & Discount Codes (if available)
Nitecore NB Plus 10000: https://amzn.to/4qxQ5lZ
Anker Nano: https://amzn.to/4nWJsIb
Leave a Reply