Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank review: Recycled and recharged

In Australia, the Belkin Boost power bank starts at $59.95 and comes in two varieties. If you need a more everyday amount of on-the-go portable power, there's the 10,000mAh model. For those who want a little extra, there's a 20,000mAh option. 

In either case, you're not paying as little as you might with the likes of Kmart's Anko range, but that doesn't mean you can't save if you know where to look. Check out the pricing table below for a round up of deals on the Belkin BoostCharge power bank in Australia.

Belkin's latest BoostCharge power banks aren't exactly a radical reinvention of the concept. As far as portable chargers go, they hew closely to the tried-and-true template of what's been done before. The form-factor here is slightly smaller than your average smartphone, minus the screen. There's a single power button the top right corner and a trio of ports on one end.

To Belkin's credit, the Belkin BoostCharge power bank come across as more expensive than bargain basement but not quite premium in terms of feel factor. The reason why? Belkin has opted to rely on as much as 72% recycled plastic. Add to that a matte finish, rounded corners and a total of nine colors to choose from and you've got a recipe for a likable riff on a familiar formula.

Smartly, Belkin hasn't tried to unnecessarily or over-complicate things too much. The BoostCharge Power Bank looks like a power bank and it works exactly how you'd expect. On the business-end of the portable charger, you've got three ports to work with. Two of these are traditional USB-A ports and one is USB-C. The former cap out at 12W while the latter goes all the way up to 15W. However, if you're looking to charge multiple devices at once you're capped out at a total output of 15W. That's not necessarily a deal-breaker but it is worth keeping in mind.

Belkin powerbanks aren't exactly known for delivering big surprises and the latest incarnation of the BoostCharge performs accordingly. Plug your smartphone or headphones in and you'll get power out in short order.

In addition to the portable charger itself, the new power bank comes bundled with a USB-A to USB-C cable designed to get the best charging speeds out of the hardware. It's also comes charged out of the box, which is becoming increasingly common but remains great to have in a pinch.

Last but not least,  it comes with Belkin's usual Connected Equipment Warranty. That's something you won't find in the bulk the competition. All the same, the BoostCharge portable charging experience sometimes feels a little too familiar for its own good. It is possible to play things a little too safe and in a world where the competition is offering faster speeds and more USB-C ports, what's here sometimes comes across a little too conservative.

Still, as far as the fundamentals are concerned, the BoostCharge power bank leaves little room for interpretation. It's a basic portable charger that's built better more-so than it is a truly brilliant one.