It’s almost comical how we’ve become so attached to our electronic devices that we start to panic whenever our batteries go red. That’s why there’s a large and thriving market for all kinds of portable battery solutions, ranging from pocket-sized blocks just for your smartphone to hulking boxes for a few night’s stay outdoors. The latter, while portable, aren’t exactly space-efficient, especially when it comes to the horizontal space you need to use them. This concept for a portable power station literally turns the design on its head by letting you use the large battery standing up, except for one or two cases where you’ll need it to lie down anyway.
Designer: Real Design
The design convention for large power stations is horizontal boxes as these are definitely the most space-efficient shapes. You can easily stow them in cabinets, trunks, and other storage solutions while allowing you to pack other objects beside or even on top of them. When in use, however, that horizontal orientation can actually be wasteful, especially if you don’t have much space on the ground or on the table in the first place.
The SJPB-400 Mobile Power Bank is designed with a dual orientation in mind, allowing you to stand it up and put it down on the ground beside your table. You can still have easy access to its most important ports since they’re located not in the “front” of the box but off to one side, which becomes the “top” of the power bank in that position. Other boxy power stations can probably be put up like that as well, but not only are their vents blocked, the ports become harder to use as well.
Admittedly, this flexible design does have its disadvantages, even in the case of the SJPB-400 concept. This mobile power bank has a wireless charger on its longer side, so you can’t use it while it’s standing up and vertical, not unless it uses MagSafe or similar technologies that will keep the phone from falling. Regardless, the lone AC outlet on the opposite side of the USB ports will remain inaccessible, so it’s something the user will have to consider on a case-to-case basis.
One design feature of this concept that goes against its space efficiency is the handles on each side. They do improve the power bank’s portability and ergonomics when carrying it, but it comes at the expense of compactness and simplicity. You won’t be able to put anything on top that doesn’t fit between those handles, so packing will become a puzzle game of trying to fit pieces together.
