I was recently asked if I’d like to review a new XTAR PB2S charger/powerbank, and being that I really like XTAR lights but never had any XTAR chargers before, nor powerbanks, I said “Sure!”. :laughing:
I got it pretty quickly from the XTAR store. It came in a retail package, cardboard box with clear window, plastic tray to hold the goodies, and the goodies nicely packed inside. Also, to get me started, I also received it “preloaded” with XTAR-branded 18650 and 21700, as well as a separate QC3-compatible wall-charger. It was everything needed to get going with it.
PB2S retail box
I don’t know if that would be available as a “kit” of sorts, or if they’d need to be add-ons. Either way, I was all set to get going.
contents: charger/powerbank, USB-C cable, QC3 charger, XTAR-branded 18650 and 21700
At first, the cells were in need of a charge out of the box, so I topped them off by simply plugging the PB2S into a computer USB port. It read out the voltage at the port, and the charging current as well. They topped off in about an hour or so (I was a bit distracted, so didn’t mark the exact time, state-of-charge, etc.).
PB2S charger/powerbank, display off (top) and display on (bottom)
Later, my phone was in serious need of a charge, so what went in, was to come out. I hadn’t heard of the “IPhone problem” before, but did note that when almost fully charged, my phone was already at 99, then bleeped at me and finished charging to 100, so there was no problem here.
Then I recharged the cells via the wall charger. I was surprised input voltage was 9V, then realised QC3 was kicking in, hence the higher voltage and current.
PB2S charger/powerbank, USB-C cable, and QC3 charger, cover on (top) and cover off (bottom)
After that round of typical usage, I moved on to the æsthetics and design, and was pretty impressed! Everything was rubbery soft except for the display portion. Nice and grippy, no fingerprints, great texture, great color… whatever it is. It’s sort of a cross between navy blue and charcoal gray. Whatever it’s called, it’s quite nice.
Contacts on the negative end aren’t the usual sliders found on most chargers, but rather pogo-stick type contacts. Less “sliding” along scratchy rails and more solid contact would seem to make for a more robust connection with less resistance. Travel is limited, so it won’t fit shorter cells like 18350s or even 18500s, but with higher charge/discharge currents, that’s probably a good thing.
An apparent improvement from the PB2 to the PB2S is the addition of the pull-ribbon to help dislodge cells. It certainly makes it easier to just pull on a ribbon vs trying to pry out the cells by the edges. 
Whereas it’s specified to hold 18650s and 21700s, it will fit, as I found out, a 26650 to “emergency charge” it, ie, with the cover off. My Cometa needed a top-off, and rather than grubbling around for a charger that’d fit it, I just popped it into the PB2S and it happily charged it full.
PB2S holding a 26650 cell
Speaking of the cover, like the PB2, it “sticks” on by magnets, making the cover easy to remove but with no seams, hinges, snaps, tabs, notches, etc., to get in the way. Nice!
Per pictures that others posted, the PB2S is a bit larger than the original PB2, but this donk holds 21700s — a pair of them — which the PB2 didn’t. Being that more and more lights are taking 21700s, I’m perfectly okay with the larger size. And capacity is that much more with 21s, vs having to choose between high-capacity/low-drain or high-drain/low-capacity 18s. This way, you get the best of both worlds.
The single multifunction button is almost hidden on the side. During operation, you can toggle between the input/output channel, and status of battery 1 and battery 2. And they’re all independent, so you can slap in a mostly-charged cell, an almost-dead cell, and start charging, and the almost-dead cell will start charging first and exclusively, until it’s at about the same state-of-charge as the mostly-charged cell, and then both will start charging. And similarly on the way down, drawing from the higher-SOC cell, and then only drawing from the lower-SOC cell when they’re about the same.
The single button lets you view the state of each.
Everything seems intuitive, and “smart”. No worrying about matching capacities or anything of the sort. I’ve got plenty of “regular” powerbanks, 1 cell, and usually just “dumb” (red/blue LEDs) or minimal %-charge display. This is quite a step up from those.
This is my first combination charger/powerbank, well, except for a Miller ML-something from way back, and I quite like it. Compact, considering it takes a pair of 21700s, informative, as well as being sleek’n’chic. The soft-touch rubberised case won’t be getting scuffs or scratches if carried in a bag, and it seems to do its job quite well.
Official info from the XTAR store can be found at XTAR PB2S 18650 & 21700 Fast Charger & Power Bank .
Enjoy!
