Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station Review

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station
Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station - Take a wall outlet on your travels

Summary

The Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station offers USB-C, Quick Charge, and an 85W AC outlet. In a smaller size (and capacity) than its peers, making it a better option for travel. Even fits in a car’s cup holder.

Overall
4.6
  • Performance
    (4.5)
  • Design
    (4.5)
  • Safety
    (4.5)
  • Recharge Time
    (5)
Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Pros

  • Fast charges iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, LG, and Motorola phones
  • Charges Switch while you play, while docked with AC outlet
  • Charges a 12 to 15-inch laptop with AC outlet
  • Less bulky than many other power stations
  • Supports pass through charging
  • Charge three devices at once
  • Within FAA limits for lithium batteries and flights

Cons

  • Won’t fast charge Google Pixel; but does normal charging
  • Will only recharge using included power adapter
  • Plugging in a wall charger blocks both USB ports
  • Doesn’t included a USB-C cable

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Omars provided the product in this review.

Model: NOESSPW24SJBGUS
Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station specs and intake air ports

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station specs and intake air ports

Tech Specs:
  • Ports: USB-C, USB-A, AC Output, DC Input
  • USB-C Output:
    • 15W USB-C (5V/3A)
  • USB-A Output
    • Quick Charge 3.0
    • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
    • Huawei FCP
    • Apple 2.4A
  • 85W AC Outlet, 110V
  • Input: 30W DC (using included AC/DC adapter)
  • Capacity: 22,500mAh | 81Wh
  • Size: 5.9 x 3.2 x 3.2 inches | 149 x 81 x 81 mm
  • Weight: 26.8 oz | 759 grams

Learn more about Fast Charging.

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station box and contents

Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station box and contents

Included In Box:
  • Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station
  • AC/DC power adapter
  • micro-USB cable, 2 feet
Good For:
  • Portable charging station anywhere
  • iPhone
  • Android
  • Nintendo Switch (handheld, docked with AC)
  • Any laptop up to 85W power
  • Most any other gadget with its own AC power plug

First Impression

The Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station is one of the smaller power stations I’ve seen. Power stations offer an AC outlet, while power banks are USB output only. The AC outlet is like the wall outlets in your home. Though usually with output limits. The USB-C port is nice, but doesn’t support Power Delivery. To get a higher output for your devices you’ll need to use the AC outlet. The smaller, cylindrical design makes this model easier to transport. It can fit in a bag, where others are the size of a small bag. It also falls within FAA limits for lithium batteries on planes. But for all that you only get 81Wh of capacity (22,500mAh in power bank terms). Most other power stations offer 150-400Wh. But again they are several times larger and heavier.

 

Compared With Similar Power Stations

ChargerNovoo 85W AC Portable Power StationAnker PowerHouse 200Jackery PowerBar 20800 ACOmars 26800 Portable Energy Storage Station

Review
PortsUSB-C, USB-A, ACUSB-C, USB-A x2, ACUSB-C, USB-A x2, ACUSB-C, USB-A x2, AC
Output15W USB-C

Quick Charge 3.0

85W AC
30W USB-C

100W AC
15W USB-C

Quick Charge 3.0

85W AC
29W USB-C

Quick Charge 3.0

90W AC
Capacity22,500mAh57,600mAh20,800mAh26,800mAh
FeaturesUSB ports auto shut offUSB-C or solar power input options

Not allowed on flights
Includes 15W USB-C wall charger and cable to rechargeUSB ports auto shut off
CableNo cableNo cableUSB-C to USB-C cableUSB-C to USB-C cable
Dimensions5.9 x 3.2 x 3.2 in
1.7 pounds
7.5 x 5.5 x 4.7 in
6 pounds
6.3 x 2.6 x 2.6 in
1.5 pounds
7.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 in
2.4 pounds
PricePrice not available$259.99Price not availablePrice not available

Prices are from Amazon Product Advertising API, last updated on 2024-03-19.

 

You can see more USB-C power banks here.

Device Testing

Check with your device’s manufacturer to verify which charging standards it supports.

USB Power Delivery & Quick Charge 4+ Phones

  • Apple iPhone 8/X/XR/XS
  • Essential Phone
  • Google Pixel
  • LG ThinQ/V30
  • Razer
  • Samsung Galaxy S8/S9/S10
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 8/9
  • Xiaomi Mi 8/9
  • ZTE Axon Pro 9/10

 

Using an iPhone 8 for testing we get normal charging rates on the USB-C port. As USD PD isn’t supported. Android phones supporting USB PD will see the same, normal charge rate.

For iPhones the USB-A port supports Apple 2.4A. An older, but still functional fast charging standard. Older iPhones (4-7) can fast charge using USB-A. Newer iPhones will charge ~15 minutes faster using USB-C.

Quick Charge 3.0 Phones

  • HTC
  • LG
  • Motorola
  • Nokia
  • Samsung Galaxy
  • Sony
  • Xiaomi Mi 5/6
  • ZTE

 

Using a Moto G6 for testing we see Quick Charge will fast charge over the USB-A port. Any QC supporting Android phone with USB-C can use the included USB-C to USB-A cable.

Nintendo Switch

 

The Nintendo Switch charges at the expected rate with a regular USB-C charger, up to 10W. That is 1-2W more than it uses while playing. So it will charge while you play. But slower than you’ve seen with its own charger.

Learn more about charging the Switch.

You can also use the AC outlet to power the Switch. With that you can charge the Switch up to its max draw rate of 18W, with the right charger. Or even power the Switch while docked.

USB-C Laptops

 

The USB-C port isn’t viable for charging laptops. But with the AC outlet you can plug in your laptop’s regular power adapter. It will charge up to 85W, enough for most models.

AC Output

The AC outlet is the center piece of any power station. It allows a wider range of devices to take advantage of portable battery power. For this review I used the same devices I always use when testing USB-C power sources. But any device you own with its own power adapter and which uses 85W or less of power will work with this power station.

To use the AC outlet you need to press and hold the power button next to it. Otherwise the outlet remains turned off, just plugging in will not turn it on. The USB ports work as soon as they are connected.

Internal Fan

If you use the AC outlet for more than a few minutes an internal fan will switch on. The air intakes are at the bottom of the power station. The side molding lifts the bottom up a few millimeters. Do not stand the power station up on carpet or you could block the intake. The noise level is like a gaming PC’s fans.

The fan does its job well. I measured the external temperature of both the power station and USB-C power adapter.

  • Power station hottest point: 83.2°F (28.4°C)
  • Apple 61W USB-C power adapter hottest point: 93.9°F (34.4°C)
Inateck 60W PD USB-C wall charger plugged into Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station

Inateck 60W PD USB-C wall charger plugged into Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station

USB Ports & AC Outlet

Both USB ports continue to offer power output while using the AC outlet. But to do so you’ll need to plug a cable into the AC outlet, not a power brick. The Apple 61W USB-C power adapter and Inateck 60W PD USB-C wall chargerI used during testing blocked the USB ports. The smaller iPhone 5W USB power adapter did not.

DC Input

The USB-C port on the Novoo power station is output only. Meaning you cannot recharge the power station using USB-C. You must use the included AC/DC power adapter.

The power adapter is a basic wall wart design. The prongs don’t fold and it has a built-in cable. The kind you don’t mind plugged in behind the furniture, but not the best design for travel. It takes away from the travel readiness of the power station itself if you need to take it for repeated use. That said, it isn’t any worse than what other power stations use for their recharge. Also note the barrel end of the power adapter is quite thin. Be careful not to pull it at an angle to keep everything in working order.

The user manual mentions a 30W solar adapter being available, though I couldn’t find it on Amazon. A car charger built for this power station would be a welcome add-on accessory. The power station fits in most car cup holders. Professionals would like to recharge between gigs. It could also keep your larger devices running on long road trips. Recharge the power station while the devices run on their own battery. Then swap back to the power station. You can get a DC/AC adapter for your car. Then use it and the power stations own AC adapter to recharge it. But a single power adapter from Novoo would be nice.

I was able to recharge the power station from 0% to 100% in 5.33 hours. The power adapter offers up to 30W, making it and the recharge time on par with similar capacity power banks. For most use cases you should plan to have the full capacity of the power station once a day. With an overnight recharge required.

Novoo’s Newer vs Older Power Stations

The 85W/22,500mAh Novoo power station I’m reviewing is their newest design. On Amazon they list it as an upgraded version of their older 60W/20,100mAh model. Both models have the same basic design. They are cylindrical and offer the same power ports. USB-C and Quick Charge output are the same. The main differences are battery capacity and AC output. That change addresses customer issues with the older version from larger laptop owners.

The older 60W/20,100mAh has a 60W output limit on the AC outlet. That’s enough for 12-inch and 13-inch USB-C laptops. But larger USB-C laptops could use more, and some won’t charge when not enough power is available. The 60W limit is also problematic for older laptops without USB-C. A power station such as this is their only battery charging solution. But they tend to need more power.

The newer 85W/22,500mAh model increased the AC output to 85W. That’s almost the same as most 15-inch USB-C laptops, which come with 90W wall chargers. A laptop wanting 130W may still not charge well with either Novoo power station. But the new 85W design does work for a larger number of laptops. The extra 12% capacity is nice if charging through the USB ports. But you’ll notice it less charging through the AC outlet. It helps keep the actual capacity the same with an increase in output.

If charging the Switch via USB-C the only difference is 12% more battery life from the newer model. With a Switch dock powered through the AC outlet either model will power TV mode. And again the newer model will run longer.

Pass Through Charging

Pass through charging allows a portable charger to both charge itself and a connected device. The power received from the wall charger splits. Some to the portable charger’s own batteries. And some to the connected device. How it handles the split varies.

And there are more inefficiencies than normal.

This portable charger supports pass through charging under these connections:

  • Input: DC, Output: USB-C
  • Input: DC, Output: USB-A

Both USB-C and USB-A (Quick Charge) output is normal while doing pass through charging. The AC outlet is completely disabled. Pressing the power button does nothing, and no voltage connection is made when plugged in.

Pass through charging is useful when you only have one USB wall charger. But it is not recommended to use this feature on a regular basis. It puts more heat and stress on the portable charger. Which will affect its lifespan. It can also provide an inefficient charge to your device. Again, not great for its own battery’s lifespan.

If you like to have the option when traveling, fine. But don’t set this up next to your bed at home every night.

Summary

The Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station is a smaller (and cheaper) power station. With built-in USB-C and Quick Charge. But compared to its larger peers it offers less output on the AC outlet. And has much less capacity. It can run a docked Nintendo Switch for about 3 hours.

The USB-C port supports regular 15W output. It won’t fast charge any devices. But all model USB-C phones will charge at their normal rate. It is enough to charge the Nintendo Switch while you play in handheld mode. For larger devices you’ll want to use the AC outlet. To save the battery the USB-C port will switch off on its own.

The USB-A port supports 18W Quick Charge 3.0. It provided over 16W to a Moto G6. And would perform the same for Samsung and Quick Charge supporting Android phones. Other small devices connecting to USB-A would see their normal charge rate. Both the USB-C and USB-A ports can be used at the same time. Without any reduction in their outputs.

With the AC outlet any device with a power plug that draws 85W or less can get power. Include small displays or travel sized projectors. Larger laptops with ~90W chargers will also work. They rarely reach their max draw potential. The two USB ports can also output while using the AC outlet. But most power bricks will block the USB ports. And of course the limited capacity will drain faster with three devices connected.

Remember to push and hold the power button when you want to use the AC outlet. It will not turn on automatically like the USB-C and USB-A ports.

The power station falls within the FAA’s limits for flights within the United States. Many other power stations are well over those limits.

About Novoo

Novoo is a subsidiary brand under Omars. They have U.S. based support (web, email) and a 12 month warranty on both Omars and Novoo branded products.

Bottom Line

The Novoo 85W AC Portable Power Station offers good portability among other power stations. At the cost of offering 50% or less capacity. If only charging small devices a power bank will work better, for less. But if you want to power your 15-inch laptop at near full rate, then this power station will outperform any USB-C PD power bank.

Buy if you:
  • Need a portable charger in a remote workspace or the outdoors
  • Want to charge a laptop without USB-C, or one that requires up to 90W
  • Are looking for an emergency power source
Don’t buy if you:
  • Only have smaller devices to charge; a regular power bank is a better value
  • Want to fast charge a newer iPhone or Google Pixel
  • Need enough capacity to last a day or more

Be sure to check the Deals page to see if this or a similar charger is on sale.


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