XTAR PB2S Upgraded Version Type-C Dual-Role Fast Charger,Portable LCD Universal 18650 Battery Charger for 3.7V/3.6V Li-ion Rechargeable Battery 18650 18700 20700 21700 Black (No Battery)

I've got a serious addiction...I keep taking power tool batteries out of the electronics recycling and salvaging the 18650 cells from them. I don't know how to stop. I'm well past 100 cells now, and still have crates full of battery packs I haven't even cracked open. I don't know what's wrong with me -- I can't deny the siren call of those multi-colored cells. There's no joy like liberating a couple nice cells, dropping them on the tester, and seeing they've still got a few thousand milliamp hours in them. It's like turning trash into treasure.Of course, the collecting 18560 cells isn't the real problem. Figuring out what to do with the things is where it gets tricky.Sure I loaded up on some flashlights, but that only goes so far. Then I found this product from XTAR. On the surface it's a decent 2-cell USB-C charger, but the real trick is that if you slap some charged cells in there, you've got a battery bank to power your USB gadgets using either the classic A or newer C standard.For me, this has been a huge game changer. Whereas your standard USB battery bank needs to be recharged before you can use it again, this unit lets you just swap out the cells and keep rolling. I call this a "tactical reload" and it brings me almost as much joy as finding the cells in the first place. Bring along a few sets of charged cells, and you'll always have power available.I now have bought several of these units. I keep each one with two cells installed, and at least four additional cells in a plastic holder. One of them is at work, another is in the bag with all the kid's electronics, and I've got another in my car (be careful with storing lithium cells in hot cars).In terms of functionality, I really like that the display shows the voltage and current of the device being charged. This lets you see when something has kicked into a faster charging mode, or if its just puttering along at the normal USB charge rate. On some devices, such as my Pixel phone, you can actually see it step through several charging rates until it finally negotiates on the highest one.I usually put the cells in my larger home charger when I need to fill them back up, but the times I've used the integrated charger has worked fine. Seemed to be pretty quick when connected to a standard USB-C laptop charger. One nice feature is the ability to hit the button on the side and cycle through both batteries, so you can see if they are charging up at the same rate (particularly useful when dealing with salvaged cells).The only other thing I wanted to bring up about this product is the fact that it makes a noticeable whining noise when discharging under a heavy load. It doesn't particularly bother me, but it was unexpected the first time it happened.

This is my third XTAR-PB series charger/power bank. I threw away the first one because it only had USB micro and A connectors. On the second one the USB C port was for input only. As a power bank it would shut off when trying to power low current devices. The PBS2 dropped the USB micro port, added power bank functionality to the USB C port, added low current mode and upgraded the display. I don't use 21700 cells, but they added support for those as well. Spring loaded plungers for the negative contacts seems like a great idea (hope they last?)On the unit I received, activating low current mode is accomplished by double pressing the on/off button. The display does not slowly flash when in low current mode. Instead, the letters LC are displayed.

I have a collection of 21700 batteries that I use in various, home made, power sources. I enjoy the PB2S because of the voltage and current readouts and because it is a fast charger that also recharges fast. I also like that it is fast and easy to remove and replace the batteries, if you want to. I prefer to keep a some pre-charged 21700s on hand for emergencies. This device is perfect for me. Note that the 'upgraded' version comes with a better mechanical adapter for the 18650 batteries. I don't use those so I cannot comment on the adapter.A side note: I first bought a PB2S several years ago and it is still working well. My granddaughter liked it so much that I gave it to her and purchased the new model for my use. I trust the operational quality of this model.

I have been trying to create an on the go power kit that provides lots of flexibility for running/charging my electronics. This and many new power banks support USB-C PD3.0 and QC3.0 up to 12v which is good for fast charging, but I really appreciate it when using things like my USB-C soldering iron. What makes this device so unique is that it also allow the user to swap out the internal batteries. So I can use this as a normal power bank, or I can charge up a pair of 18650 batteries and then drop them into my flashlight, radio, etc... Giving me some flexibility that other power banks just don't provide. 18650 batteries are found in lots of consumer electronics. (cordless drills, laptops, hover boards, power banks, etc...) So if you have any broken laying around, you probably have some of these batteries just waiting to be used. This is a great battery type to use as the core of all devices you purchase.Pros:• USB-C PD Input up to 12v 18W• USB-C PD Output up to 12v 18W• Ability to use my own Li-ion batteries• Evenly charges/discharges batteries• Shows all important stats Volts, Amps, Battery PercentSo why only 4 stars? I prefer the form factor of the cheaper model, which is designed specifically for the 18650 battery. The PB2S has been upsized to also accommodate batteries up to 21700 size. This isn't bad, but the smaller batteries are not held securely in the charging bays. I had to 3D print my own battery sleeves to account for this. It would have been nice if sleeves were included as 18650 batteries are more commonly used. Additionally, they tried to give this model a premium feel by applying a soft rubber coating to the exterior. This coating has a tendency to turn sticky over time, and also it makes the removable door a little too tight. Again, the cheaper model doesn't have this issue.Cons:• Requires battery sleeves to properly fit 18650 batteries• Soft rubber coating makes the door too tight• Soft rubber coating usually degrades over time and becomes sticky (My device has not done this yet, just from past experience with other devices)• I prefer the smaller form factor of the cheaper device (my preference)With my 3D printed sleeves, I really like this model, given the upgraded input/output options. I wish there was a model in the middle though that contains the upgraded electronics, but kept the smaller 18650 form factor.I hope this was helpful!