96 PCWorld FEBRUARY 2021REVIEWS
IMAGE: CHARGETECHT
he ChargeTech Portable Power
Outlet AM is a mix between a
portable battery pack, albeit a big
one, and one of the more robust
and capable power stations. It includes
several USB ports and a standard wall outlet
capable of providing up to 100W of power.
It’s more expensive than a typical battery
pack, priced at $199 most of the time, but can
be found on sale for as low as $149. The
“AM” version that I received is sheathed in an
antimicrobial film that ChargeTech says will
prevent viruses and bacteria from growing on
the outside of the pack. (The microbe-friendly
version of the Portable Power Outlet is slightly
cheaper, with a regular price of $159 [go.pcworld.com/r159], but on sale for $139.)
With a total capacity of 96.48Wh, or
27,000mAh, the pack has enough capacity to
charge your phone several times or add a few
hours of extra use to your laptop. There are a
total of four ports on the front of the pack.
From the left, there’s a standard 110V outlet
accompanied by an on/off switch; there’s a
USB-C port that’s used for charging devices
or charging the pack; and there are two 2.4a
USB ports. There’s also a button you can press
to activate four indicator lights that represent
how much charge the pack has.
One minor complaint I have with the
design is that the outlet’s on/off label is
backward. When I move the switch to the left,ChargeTech Portable Power
Outlet AM 27K 4.0: Part battery
pack, part power station
It even sports an antimicrobial film. BY JASON CIPRIANI