Verdict
It ’s stocky and smell built to take a few knocks , but the WAI PPS-400 has a limited image of port wine , mug up into two small instrument panel . Despite a surprisingly high battery electrical capacity and practiced discharge efficiency , it ’s rather slow to charge and is n’t peculiarly authority - inspiring to use . Overall , this is a punk room to buy a briny world power bank with a decent content , but I ’d rather spend a little more on something that feels more dependable .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
WAI is well known for its range of car accessories , but its PPS-400 is an all - function portable force depository financial institution .
It ’s compact and light compare to the competition , yet it packs in a 426Wh battery , ease up it a bit more oomph than you might await for its size .
The interface survival includes two USB - A and two AC sockets , with the latter capable of provide 400W between them – that ’s a excision above entrance - level gimmick , have this a compelling ability bank for the money . However , I base it to be unreliable at higher loads , so it may well be worth drop a small act more elsewhere .
Design and features
While many portable power supplies take care more like a stereoscopic picture than a battery , the WAI PPS-400 looks like something a automobile mechanic might employ to start your car . Indeed , it ’s part of the companionship ’s new EV ambit , which also include a selection of EV charge cables . I ’m not alone clear how it fit in – it ’s far short of the power you ’d postulate to top up an electric vehicle ’s battery .
The PPS-400 may look drear , but it ’s imposingly compact . It ’s slightly minute than a loaf of bread of bread , and weighs only 3.7 kilo – the same as Anker ’s PowerHouse 521 , which has only just over half as much battery capacity . On top there ’s a retractable handle , but the four long sides are otherwise featureless aluminum – all the significant scrap are crammed into the two pocket-size , straight ends .
That ’s not great . The business ending combine AC and solar inputs , a lamp , display , two USB - A ports and two 12V DC ports , alongside switch for the lamp , DC and AC port . Add in invigorated tune vents and it ’s a halter space with a fairly arbitrary layout .
The illumination is brilliant and directional , which is corking for finding your way , but less so for read in a collapsible shelter at dark . The switches operate with a pleasant click , and the plastics seem strong .
At the back end are two AC ports , plus fans for active cooling system .
Here , the small venire poses another trouble : the larboard are arrange horizontally and orientated 180 degree from each other . Some top - weighty power adaptors wo n’t jibe without blocking the 2nd port , while regular power plugs are close to the edge of the equipment .
This means cables task from the side , with little power to bend if they ’re knocked . In compounding with the on the loose - meet multi - region sockets , it ’s too easy to knock a plug loose .
The WAI PPS-400 has a very basic exhibit , point only the battery direction percentage . It ’s off unless you turn on the DC or AC electrical circuit , and does n’t provide any meter reading of incoming or outgoing power , or how long the battery will take to file or drain .
It ’s a ignominy WAI has n’t recover room for any USB - C port wine , or a motorcar outturn . The USB ports can provide 15W each , while the DC outputs are good for a combined 120W maximum .
Charging
This is n’t the quickest charging index bank , but it is fairly flexible . colligate to a mains input it ’ll charge at about 55 watts , meaning it should ask around eight hours to reach full direction . Alternatively , you may use the append cable to bill from a car tycoon supply at a maximal 70W , mean you could be fully recharged after around six hours of driving . A final choice lets you connect up to 70W of solar power , but this is limited to a maximum 18V stimulant . The PPS-400 does n’t come with panels and I did n’t have suitable single , so I could n’t try out this role .
WAI ’s manual says that this ability bank ’s charge light turns from red to green when it ’s to the full charged . It also says that the display will show 100 % charge when the battery get hold of 90 % . In practice it was n’t percipient when it was fully charged – the accusation light never sprain green , and even after more than 12 hours the PPS-400 was still consume around 6W with all its circuits off .
After fully depleting it again , I watched the figures more closely . The display report 44 % charge after my meter reported it had draw only 87Wh – about a fifth part of the battery capability . When the display first reached 100 % , my meter report only 275Wh ( 65 % ) consumed , and that the top executive bank was still drawing 60W. After around 13 hour it had consumed 507Wh , but still did n’t quite seem full .
This vague and seemingly inaccurate capacity reporting seems a bit strange by today ’s standard . I could n’t be certain that the battery was full charged but , even assuming it was , my measure suggest a boot efficiency of 84 % , which is a little lowly . I should also mention that the cool down fans trim in and out during charging , and while they ’re not loud , their small diameter have in mind they ’re a bit harsh .
The WAI PPS-400 is equipped with a electrical shunt circuit , entail that when it ’s connect to the briny it can supply mains power without first having to convert it to direct current and back . This let it power mains devices without slack down charging . Its AC comment is order at three amp , mean that in possibility it could provide around 650W to stop up in devices while charging the battery . I tested it with my microwave on its depleted power background , which demands between 60 - 650W , and it coped finely .
The bypass circle mean the PPS-400 needs to flip-flop over to shelling power if there ’s a blackout . WAI says it can do this in less than 10 milliseconds , and it was certainly fast enough to switch without stimulate my office equipment any problems . At an indicated 20 % the display starts flashing to monish you that the battery is pay off down in the mouth , and at 0 % it commence a very loud intermittent bleep . While that ’s good if you want meter to shut down your gimmick , this phase endure for 35 minutes in my low - load trial , and there ’s no push button to silence it .
Performance
In possibility , this power provision ’s restrained capacity makes it a secure choice for wakeful backup duty in the home . For example , it could potentially power my net router and meshwork storage ( NAS ) push for about seven or eight hour – ideal for devolve on out a significant blackout . I tested it by connecting up an melody purifier , drawing around 32W. It endure for eight hours , supply a sum of 240Wh according to my index meter .
put on the battery began with a full charge , that ’s a low firing efficiency of 56 % . That ’s not unusual for light - load examination , however , where consumption by the power bank ’s own AC inverter has quite an impact over several hours .
I tested the PPS-400 with a more demanding setup drawing around 220W , which is well within the range of its stated 400W AC outturn . It started off quite comfortably , with the fans occasionally kicking in , before it cut out after about ten minutes . It readjust mechanically and continued for a couple of minutes before the fan cut in again , and about 10 minute later it readjust . I find out it repeat this cycle a few times , keeping a close eye on the maximum great power demand as reported by my tycoon meter – it did n’t exceed 220W.
I reconfigured the test to cut down the requirement to 190W , which proved stable . If I tried increase it back to 220W the PPS-400 would fall over within just a couple of minute .
Tested from full to empty with a 190W load , the WAI PPS-400 lasted about an minute and three after part , render a sum of 328Wh . That match to a much more impressive emission efficiency of 77 % . Unfortunately , even using this the best round - trip efficiency ( electric charge and emission ) worked out at 65 % – meaning about a third of the electricity used to charge up it was lost .
I reiterate my low - power microwave test with the PPS-400 operating on barrage fire power . It coped for a few seconds , but the moment the power need spike towards the 650W maximum it shut down . This is secure and quite reasonable , bearing in mind I was examine it well beyond its tell 400W output power .
While more expensive power supplies use LFP batteries of the character receive in electric cars , the WAI PPS-400 use standard lithium - ion ( Li - ion ) cells , which have a unretentive working life of around 800 cycles , compared to typically 3,000 for LFP . Calculated based on an 80 % charge , this top executive bank might store about 273kWh over its life . That gives an overall price per kW hour of £ 1.10 , around three times what you might expect from more indestructible cellular phone .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
This provides a secure assault and battery electrical capacity for the money
This battery place was n’t fully reliable in my tests
Final Thoughts
On newspaper this ought to be a decent index bank building , but in psychometric test the WAI PPS-400 was disappointing . It was sluggish and relatively inefficient to charge , and its basic exhibit seemed rough . More importantly , it was n’t stable when ply well within its rate world power , which did n’t fill me with confidence about its timber .
base on my experience , it might not test reliable in site when it should be . It might be good time value for use with humbled wads , but I ’d be inclined to give more for something more robust , such as the Bluetti AC60 or , if you need a lot more power , theDabbsson DBS2300 .
Trusted Score
How we test
We essay every battery post we review thoroughly over an extended geological period of meter . We employ standard tests to equate features in good order . We ’ll always tell you what we retrieve . We never , ever , consent money to review a product .
observe out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
On newspaper publisher , the WAI PPS-400 should be suitable , but my experience with it reset means I ca n’t recommend it for critical medical applications .
It ’s passing portable . It ’s lightweight given its shelling capacity , and compact enough to sneak into a full railroad car boot .
