Review: Romoss PHC10 powerbank

Powerbanks are an essential in South Africa because of load shedding. But if you’re always out and about or travel a lot, chances are you want something fast and convenient. This is where the Romoss PHC10 comes in. I’ve long been a fan of the brand, and most of my personal on-the-go purchases are Romoss.

I purchased the Romoss PHC10 about five weeks ago; it was something I was mulling over purchasing until a friend asked for advice ahead of her travels. So I recommended it and ended up biting the bullet and got myself one. The reason I was mulling it was due to my existing Romoss powerbanks serving me well.

I eventually went for the PHC10 because of the one key feature that caught my eye: it has built-in cables.

Before I go further into my review, here’s the specs.

Romoss PHC10 Quick Look

• 10 000mAh capacity (37Wh)
• Max 15W fast charge
• 3 built-in cables: Lightning/Type-C/Micro USB
• Slim design (14.9x7x1.8 cm); 236g
• Two-way fast charge (charge and recharge simultaneously)

Design

The PHC10 is light and slim, which means it can fit into smaller bags. This was a drawcard for me because I carry a tiny bag for airport runs, it can fits in there with a bunch of other items. Its dimensions are 14.9cm by 7cm by 1.8cm, and actual weight is 236g. I’m all about portability so this ticks all the boxes for me.

To the bottom right is the USB-C charging port, and at the back, you can find the three built in cables. They are compatible for an iPhone for Lightning, USB-C for all Androids, and a Micro USB for that random gadget you have. It is also worth noting I purchased it while I was using a 14 Pro, and now that my 15 Pro has USB-C support, it still works for it.

On the bottom left is the charging status and battery level indicator. You can see the lights flash when it charges, and check what level is left. The four lights are for increments of 25% each. It also has a button to check.

Colour options include baby blue, light pink and black.

Day-to-day usage

I’ve gotten into the habit of using powerbanks at home, even when there isn’t load shedding. Purely because we run most of our things off the solar, and recharge them during the day. Most of my powerbanks are fully charged – via the EcoFlow through solar. So being able to carry around a small powerbank with no additional cables has been game-changer.

I’m really into the minimal look by using the built-in cables. It’s refreshing to not have to worry about the carrying a cable around. I usually also carry it when I’m out and about so it’s nice to not have cables sticking out of my pockets in public sometimes.

Its slim design means my phone can sit on top of the powerbank and take up less space. Which I like especially when I’m in the company of others and recharging, it feels like I’m taking up less table space, ha!

Traveling with the PHC10

As mentioned earlier, it fits into my super mini bag and I cannot stress how great this is. I don’t even pack an extra cable anymore. I don’t have to worry about putting a separate cable with a power bank in my bags. If you travel a lot, you can likely identify with wanting to carry the least amount of things on you.

I managed to fit the powerbank, passport, tissues, mirror, lipstick and earphones into it. Without it, I would also have to try squeeze a cable in. I also carried it on my Dolphin Trail hike and the powerbank with its built-in cables fit into my tights pockets. You have to admit, that is rather nifty and convenient.

The Type-C recharging port is also a charging port. And a small charging cable is included. The great thing about the two-way charging is if you’re traveling, you can recharge the powerbank over night, and connect your devices to it so both charge together.

Though I wouldn’t over load it with the maximum four gadgets it can charge while using it during the day. I recommend you just use it for a smartphone because other devices can be charged when you’re back indoors.

Each port has the following speed:

• Micro USB – 10W
• Type-C – 15W
• Lightning – 12W
• Type-C input/output – 15W

Final thoughts

If you are shopping around for a powerbank, I highly recommend the Romoss PHC10. It has many drawcards like lightweight design, built-in cables and two-way charge. It can technically charge four things at once if you really want to. But overall it’s super convenient to not have to carry extra cables.

If you have older Romoss model powerbanks, you may notice that the USB-C to Lightning cables won’t work on it, this powerbank solves that problem as it already has a built-in cable for the new iPhone 15 and previous Lightning models.

The Romoss PHC10 is R388 on Geewiz and on Takealot, it varies by colour – R549 for blue, R585 for pink, and R699 for black.