This prism-shaped power bank I tested looks odd, but it makes so much sense

I’ve tested and owned many power banks — more than the average user, for sure — and it’s not often that one stands out from the rest. Most are rather boring-looking rectangles, squares, or cylinders made of opaque plastic. While I’m not an advocate for change just for the sake of change, I do appreciate when manufacturers make changes that genuinely benefit the consumer. 

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And that’s exactly what Shargeek has done with its new 170 power bank. This prism-shaped, high-performance power bank is encased in a waterproof housing made of translucent plastic, allowing you to gaze at the wonders inside. 

The Shargeek 170 is a 24,000mAh/84.6Wh power bank that features two 140W Power Delivery 3.1 USB-C ports and a single USB-A port, all located on one end of the prism. It also includes a button that powers the unit on and activates trickle-charge mode with a double tap. Along with Power Delivery 3.1, this power bank supports PD3.0, Apple, QC, FCP, and Huawei SCP protocols, meaning it offers universal fast-charging support.

The power is enough for about five or six recharges of a smartphone, two or three recharges of a tablet, and one recharge of a big laptop like a MacBook Pro. 

Since it’s below the 100Wh capacity mark, you can take this unit onto a commercial airline without any hassle. As for maximum output, you can get a total of 170W when using the USB-C and USB-A ports simultaneously (140W from the USB-C port and 30W from the USB-A port). 

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When both USB-C ports are used, the total output is 165W (100W and 65W), and it maxes out at 148W when all three ports are in use.

The unit also supports pass-through charging, allowing you to charge the power bank via one of the USB-C ports from a mains charger while simultaneously charging two devices from the other two ports.

I tested the inputs and outputs to ensure they aligned with the spec sheet and found no issues. 

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The Shargeek 170’s translucent case adds a cool, “techy” vibe, letting you peek at the components usually hidden inside a power bank. While this design adds a bit of a “wow” factor, I really like that the case is rated IP66 for dust and water resistance. This means the enclosure is dust-tight and can withstand water jets, though it’s not designed for submersion.

But it should be fine if you’re caught in the rain or spill coffee on it.

On the face of the unit is a smart display showing the time until full charge or discharge, power input and output in watts, whether the power bank is in low current mode, battery capacity, and an abnormal temperature alarm. The display is big, bright, and super vibrant and is equally easy to read in bright sunlight or pitch darkness.

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It helps that the power bank’s prism-shaped design angles the display just right when set on a flat surface. That’s compared to a more traditional power bank, which may have a rectangular design. For those cases, you’d have to lean forward to see the charging status.

When you buy the Shargeek 170, you also get a USB-C cable and a cloth bag for traveling. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Shargeek 170 is a great power bank. It’s a great travel power bank for families or when you have a lot of stuff to charge and a great desktop conversation starter. Mine lives on my desk at home, connected to a wall outlet, which means it can charge things on my desk, or it’s ready for when the power goes out, or I need it for travel.

Right now, you can pick up a Shargeek 170 for $130, which is an incredibly competitive price for a power bank of this caliber. Sure, it’s not a power bank that you can slip into a pocket, but this offers a serious amount of backup power for your smartphone, tablet, earbuds, or laptop.

And you won’t have to baby this power bank because it won’t mind if it gets soaked in the rain or a beverage spills on it.