Anker‘s appearance at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show saw the announcement’s of numerous gadgets, including a refresh of the company’s popular PowerHouse lineup of portable batteries which came in the form of the PowerHouse 200. As its name implies, the newly announced device has a capacity of 200wH which is a significant downgrade compared to its 434wH predecessor, though the gadget is also priced accordingly and meant to bring Anker’s portable battery offerings to a wider variety of consumers. The main selling point of the PowerHouse 200 is that it can charge virtually any piece of battery-powered electronics while remaining somewhat portable, though this still isn’t the type of an accessory you’re likely to carry around with you – it weighs nearly seven pounds, or over three kilos.
However, if you often go camping or do any kind of field work that requires you to use a broad range of electronics, the PowerHouse 200 has the potential to make your life a lot easier, being able to power anything from your laptop and smartphone to anything else that you can plug into a power cord that’s in turn connected to Anker’s massive cell. While far from the lightest portable battery out there, the PowerHouse 200 was designed to be as easy to carry as possible despite its weight; it’s equipped with handles and a clean-looking case that feels durable enough to survive everyday wear and tear with little issues. As far as ports are concerned, the PowerHouse has a three-pack of USB ones and even comes with a three-prong 100W AC output plug, in addition to its 60W input/output capabilities, being able to charge literally anything, which is also its main selling point. In practice, this thing will easily keep a microwave and some speakers running all night long, allowing you to focus on experiencing your camping trip instead of worrying about battery management.
The PowerHouse 200 will have a recommended price of $299.99, which is approximately $200 cheaper than the original model and should make the device significantly more accessible, or at least that’s what’s Anker is hoping for. The battery is currently planned for a summer release but no more specific availability details have yet been provided by the consumer electronics manufacturer. Like the majority of Anker’s other products, the PowerHouse 200 should launch on a global level but will first debut in the United States and be sold on Amazon, in addition to being carried by a number of other retailers.
All things considered, the PowerHouse 200 is still a niche offering and isn’t the type of a product that you should buy without having a specific use case in mind for it. Its release also isn’t likely to bring down the price of the 2017 PowerHouse model that still retails for $500 and should continue doing so until Anker puts out something of comparable capabilities and if you think you need more than 200wH of power, the original device is still a better investment. Refer to the gallery below for a closer look at the PowerHouse 200 in all of its glory.
