I’ve used and tested many external batteries, and Power Bank PCastle 26000 is by far the largest one I’ve ever come across – more than twice the size of the previous record holding 12,000 mAh batteries I’ve tested. As you would expect from such a device, it can hold a LOT of juice. I’ve tested it with several small and medium electronic devices, which I had previously completely depleted. I was able to fully charge first generation iPad, iPhone 4S and iPad Mini – all from a single charged PCastle and with plenty of leftover charge. I have not tested it with the latest generation iPad, but my guess would be that PCastel would be able to fully charge it once or twice.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to use this power bank to charge a laptop, which is one of the main purposes that such a capacious external battery would be good for. I only have Mac laptops, and this battery doesn’t come with the chords and connectors that will enable it to connect to a Mac. This is not just the problem with this battery – Apple is notorious for being very proprietary with their accessory connections, and I don’t think there is an independent battery manufacturer out there with a product that will work with Macs. There are some hacks that will allow you to get around this restriction (you can buy an Apple power cord or appropriate one form your old charger), but all such tricks require certain level of familiarity with electronics and willingness to improvise.

If you have any “regular” PC laptop, chances are that this battery pack will work with it. The battery supports several different voltage outputs (12V, 16V, and 19V) and comes with a gazillion adapters that can fit pretty much any laptop power input that I’ve come across.

This is a beautifully made external battery. Its metal casing is stylish, elegant and very sturdy. It is, as you would expect it, fairly large and heavy. It weighs 662 grams or almost a pound and a half. This may not be an ideal emergency battery that you carry with you everywhere in your messenger bag, but it is a great backup resource to have if you find yourself on a long business trip or vacation. In many respects this is a standout product that is in a class of its own.