Limefuel L60X and L156X USB External Battery Pack Review

Almost everyone carries at least one mobile device these days. But not all devices offer the battery life we need to stay connected throughout the day. An external battery is the most obvious solution, but the market is so saturated with these gadgets that it's hard to find the right one for your carry. For all the on-the-go work I need to do to keep this site running, I eventually settled on Limefuel products. I’ve purchased two of their chargers last year, but Limefuel generously sent over an updated version of the mid-size L156X Pro I was using before to consider here. In this review, I’ll touch upon both, but I’ll focus mainly on the smaller, more EDC-able L60X model.

The Specs

• Capacity: 6000 mAh for L60X / 15600 mAh for L156X Pro

• Input/Output: 5V 1.8A for L60X / 5V 2.4A for L156X Pro

• Size: 3.6” x 1.7” x 0.9” for L60X / 4.8" x 3.1" x 0.9" for L156X Pro

• Weight: 4.6 oz for L60X / 12.8 oz for L156X Pro

• Built-in LED battery level indicator

• Emergency LED flashlight

• 2-in-1 USB to Micro USB / Apple Lightning Cable

Design, Fit & Finish

Limefuel’s “Blast” line takes a middle ground between the ultra compact lipstick-style chargers and the sleek, familiar rectangular power banks. The oval shape affords fantastic ergonomics in hand — the rounded edges curve and fit to your grip, while the flat sides lay securely on your palm or on a table (something you can’t do with the lipstick chargers).

And it’s not just the shape that produces these awesome ergos — the entire body is covered in this finessed rubberized grip. It makes edges comfortably smooth, prevents slippage, and just looks cool (if you can tolerate occasional smudges).

There’s a button flush on the side of the body that activates the battery indicator lights with a single press. It's positioned perfectly for right-handers, but lefties can very comfortably access the button using their index finger. Press again to turn on a dinky 5mm LED flashlight. It’s not the greatest, but I appreciate that it’s there just in case. 

On the top face of the charger are In and Out ports on either side of the LED. You charge the pack itself via micro USB using the In port, while the Out port handles on-the-go (or pass-through) charging of whichever device is low on juice. The larger, L156X model has four output ports so you can charge all your tech essentials at once, or make some new friends with dying phones.

Limefuel conveniently includes a 2-in-1 cable that’s useful for charging devices and the battery itself. However, it’s not MFi certified by Apple, so it isn’t ideal for data transfer. But from an EDC standpoint, it does so many things right. It’s a ribbon cable, so it’s hard to tangle in your bag or pocket (it has never knotted on me). An adjustable loop that’s attached to the cable makes it easy to bundle up. Its USB terminal does away with extraneous connector bulk, and the other end cleverly fits a micro USB and a Lightning without having to detach anything from the cable. Even if you already have a favorite charging cable, it’s hard to beat the included one for an on-the-go solution.

Operation and Performance

The Blast chargers perform as you’d expect from a high-quality consumer external battery pack. Respectable speeds of 1.8A and 2.4A in their larger capacity chargers are fast enough to get you out of the red in a reasonable time. 6000 mAh in the L60X allows for almost three full charges on an iPhone 6, which seems even more impressive considering just how compact the power bank is.

I’ve also never experienced the frustration of hooking my phone up to the pack and not having it start charging right away. Plugging in any device, micro USB or Lightning, would charge without a hitch. I know that sounds like it should be an obvious, requisite functionality of a charger, but with so many cheap cables and batteries flooding the market, it’s not as common as you’d expect.

With that said, there isn’t much left to say about how it charges other than it actually does it, at a good pace, many times over.

Carry Options

As much as I appreciate the rounded rectangle form factor for strictly in-hand comfort, the L60X doesn’t feel quite right in the pocket. This is where the thin, card-shaped chargers have an advantage. I preferred keeping my L60X in my jacket pocket, or in my back jeans pocket when standing. However, when it comes to bag carry, I found the oval form factor does it better than the thin, wide rectangular shape. It actually fits well in MOLLE-type webbing that you’d find in tactical packs or pocket organizers. If you really need something in your front pocket at all times, you’ll likely have to sacrifice a ton of capacity to get something more your size.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Light and compact for EDC and comfortable ergonomics

• Handy, sensible features like battery indicator, backup light and pass-through charging

• Included cable designed with EDC in mind

• L156X: Four, fast ports and huge capacity for its size

Cons:

• Awkward to pocket carry

• Plastic micro USB to Lightning converter piece can snap (not break) off easily

• L156X: Very dense and heavy feeling unless in a backpack or similar large bag.

Conclusion

At only $30, it was an easy purchase for me to make. It works reliably, manages to cram plenty of capacity and thoughtful, functional features into a compact, appealing form factor with fantastic ergos. Better yet, the all-in-one solution of a cable it comes with adds even more value. While I personally prefer the rubberized black L60X for its all-around size, grip, and capacity, you can’t go wrong with their other, larger models if you need more juice or ports.

BUY ($30)