A power bank to go with your Gopcore essentials. The Elecom Nestout is our coolest gadget of 2025

By Low Teck Mee

This is my gadget of the year, the Elecom Nestout power bank. To be certain, SOTD and I do not have the habit of singling out anything to describe as product of the year. As a gadget lover, I love whatever I have bought in this past 12 months, from the Sharp Aquos R9 Pro phone (yes, I am not an Apple, Samsung, or Huawei fan) to Fitbit Charge 6 (I’m into my second. No smart ring for me) or the Casio CRW-001 ring-watch. But this year, I thought I’d spotlight the power bank, which is one of the most indispensable items in our bag, but we rarely put much thought into it. These days, we do not only need a power bank to juice up our phones, but whatever we carry with us that needs power, including portable fans.

To be sure, the Elecom power bank from its Nestout Outdoor Battery Series is not new. It was launched in Japan in 2021 and was officially available overseas in 2023. It did gain international attention a year earlier when it won the German iF Design Gold Award, one of the most prestigious and oldest design competitions in the world, often dubbed the “Oscars of Design”. However, since my first real encounter with it was in May this year, it is my gadget of 2025. As with all good designs, the Elecom Nestout power bank’s aesthetics and nifty shape has an unmistakable outdoor bent that has stood the test of time. Lists I have seen so far have sought more popular categories such as smartphones and smart glasses. Enough of those.

Truth be told, it was looks that drew me to it. I was attracted to the Nestout’s water bottle-like shape, and that it’s waterproof to boot. And that it is in khaki (also available in grey and black) added to its visual appeal. The unit feels solid in the hand. As it comes with 10,000mAh capacity, it is rather heavy, certainly in the pocket, but not, fortunately, in a bag. Another plus: it avoids the plastic brick look of standard power banks, fitting perfectly with high-end camping gear that is becoming part of urban life today, and is perfect for the individuals mad about ‘glamping’. Those mindful of details will notice that it mimics vintage fuel bottles or canteens, specifically to symbolise the shift from fossil fuels to clean battery energy for camping and trail adventure.

It comes with a screw cap that is attached to the neck of the battery pack. When unscrewed, it reveals two ports: one USB C and the other USB A. The unit does not come with USB cords, so I pair it with Ikea’s dense-knit Lillhut. Directly opposite the ports, on the underside of the battery pack, is a 1/4-inch tripod mount, allowing it to be used as a base for lights or attached to tripods and gear, or anything from the Nestout plug and play modular ecosystem that includes lights and fans, and even an air pump for inflating sleeping pads. Unfortunately, it does not come with fast charge or wireless charging. But when you are out in the woods and enjoying nature, you may not need anything speedy. It’s also not the smallest power bank you’ll find out there in concrete stores, but it it sure goes neatly into the pockets of White Mountaineering cargo pants or stylishly with the Craig Green X Eastpack knapsack and the Casio Protrek PRJ-B001B solar watch. See you later.

Elecom Nestout power bank, SGD79.90, is available at Challenger stores. Photos: Jim Sim