Steph Wetherell awarded the Nitecore NPB1 power bank her Best in Test after taking it out in the hills. Find out why.

The Nitecore NPB1 is a lightweight and portable power bank, its shape and size making it small enough to carry in a coat or rucksack pocket for easy access. It is also waterproof (to an impressive 30 minutes of up to 2m submersion), meaning you don’t have to worry about having it out in the rain or keeping it in a dry bag.

Steph Wetherell’s Best in Test

This is small and light enough to not notice the extra weight, but make sure you carry the right cables.
Pros
  • waterproof
  • small
  • light
Cons
  • no USB-C port
Quick specs
Price: £39.95
Weight: 110g
Dimensions: 26.9 x 102.4mm
Features: Output: 1 x USB-A, Input: Micro-USB
Sizes: 5,000mAh (20,000mAh option also available)
www.nitecore.co.uk

I appreciated that I could leave it in my rucksack between walks and then head out again without worrying about the weather conditions.

The 5,000mAh capacity was enough to fully charge my phone once, and it has a simple 3 light charge indicator that turns on when you touch the icon to help you know how much charge remains (3 lights = 100%, 2 lights = 70% and 1 light = 30%). I found this easy to use and fairly accurate, although it often comes on without meaning to, but I doubt it affects the capacity much.

It is also rated down to -10C so is a good option for winter, and I didn’t find any change in performance in colder temperatures.

The main downside is that it doesn’t have a USB-C port (only a USB-A and microUSB) and the maximum output power is 18W. This means it wasn’t particularly quick to charge my phone and feels like it might suffer with cable compatibility issues in the long term as there is a growing shift to USB-C cables.

It can also only charge one item at a time, but given the small capacity of the power bank, that is to be expected. There is a larger 20,000mAh option available that has multiple ports include a USB-C.

This is a power bank that is perfect to carry on day or overnight walks as it’s small and light enough to not notice the extra weight, but make sure you carry the right cables.

Testing conditions

Steph tested these power banks were tested out and about on the hills and mountains in the Brecon Beacons and the Peak District. Steph used them with her iPhone 14 Pro, which is a few years old, and a USB-C cable where possible.

This comparative review on the best power banks was first published in the April 2024 issue of The Great Outdoors.