Surface Pro 3 External Battery - Options And Accessories, Extend Your Surface Pro 3 Battery Life

Surface Pro 3 charger and portable charging options

If you own one, despite Surface Pro 3 battery life rated at 7-9 hours, eventually you will run out of power. If that ever happened to you, you are probably painfully aware that your portable charging options are limited, while other tablet users can enjoy their "tether-free" roaming, thanks to a boom in a portable charger market. With a release of the Surface Pro 3, its power connection got upgraded but the design team once more chose a proprietary solution instead of the USB standard for a power source. This design choice leaves users with only two charging options: a wall power outlet for a standard charger or a car 12V socket for "Vehicle Charger". After creating our Portable Charger Guide we received a lot of feedback from frustrated Microsoft Surface users looking for a solution that would let them extend Surface Pro 3 battery life without a need for a traditional power outlet. We could not ignore the challenge and went to look for some Surface portable charging options. The good news is that we found a few possible solutions, the bad news is that they are not as plentiful as USB charging options, and some of the simplest solutions are relatively expensive. In addition, even though we were concentrating on a solution for Surface Pro 3 external battery on the go, all our options are suitable for all Microsoft Surface models and for some laptops. So let us list some of the options and you can decide if any of the listed external batteries can work for you to extend your Surface Pro 3 battery life.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 portable charger - The simplest solution

In case of a portable charger for any device the simplest solution can be defined as: "Plug it in and you are done". For most smartphones and tablets this could be easily achieved with almost any USB power source. For Surface devices the situation is not so simple but not completely impossible. What we had to look for is a portable charger that features an AC outlet that would enable a standard Surface Pro 3 charger to use it as a power source. Unfortunately, currently there are limited choices on the market that could work as Surface Pro 3 external battery. Our number one choice is ChargeTech - 18000mAh Portable AC Power Outlet (Also available in 12000mAh capacity). This particular portable charger is relatively compact, measuring 7.25 inch x 5.25 inch x 1 inch, with 18000mAh capacity. Since the full specifications of the Surface Pro 3 battery capacity had not been revealed, we can only estimate the battery capacity and an educated guess would put the number somewhere between 6000mAh and 9000mAh. Therefore the ChargeTech portable charger should provide about two full charges or 10 to 16 extra hours for the Surface Pro 3. What makes this particular portable charger so uniquely qualified as a Surface Pro 3 external battery is the AC outlet, build into the device. With the AC outlet we can connect our standard Surface Pro 3 charger and use the ChargeTech as a portable wall outlet. While at the current price of $199.95 this solution might be relatively expensive, for somebody that often depends on having the Surface charged and ready at all times this might be an attractive solution that can provide a combined, nearly 24h of battery life for their Surface Pro 3.

Next up we have a very similar Surface Pro 3 portable charger solution from Rosewill. Their portable chargers are less expensive with similar parameters, the only reason that they are listed as a second choice is the fact that we could not collect enough customer's feedback and the warranty information was missing from their website (Update 3/12/2015 - From Rosewill support email response: "PB-P1-18000-BK is covered by a 1-year limited warranty") , therefore we could not fully support their products. Among Rosewill offerings we identified two portable chargers that qualify as Surface Pro 3 portable charger, they are: Rosewill Plasma Black 18000mAh Universal AC Outlet Portable Power Bank and its slightly smaller sibling Rosewill Plasma-Mini 12000mAh Universal AC Outlet Portable Power Bank. While the charging parameters are very similar to the ones of ChargeTech - Portable AC Power Outlet they are significantly cheaper at $132.99 for the 18000mAh model and $104.99 for the 12000mAh version. The significant price difference between the Rosewill top charger and ChargeTech model makes Rosewill Plasma Black 18000mAh Universal AC Outlet Portable Power Bank a very attractive alternative and we will be watching for customers' feedback and reviews, if you have a first hand experience please share it with us in our comment section.

Our choice number three is LB1 High Performance New PB160 Solar Generator Power Pack 160Wh (5/20/15 Status - CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE - no availability date). It features 15600mAh that could provide enough power for about two full charges for Surface Pro 3 and with a 160Wh this charger can provide power for all kinds of devices not only mobile electronics but also some common tools and small appliances. It also offers a unique feature of recharging its internal batteries with a solar panel (sold separately) that can be connected to the unit if a power outlet or 12V car socket are not available. Other feature worth mentioning is a build in universal international AC socket that might come in handy for international travelers. In the package you will also find a wall AC to DC adapter for power bank charging and a DC adapter for automotive accessories to be powered from your portable charger. The biggest drawback of this portable charger however is its size and weight at 6 inch x 8.5 inch x 2 inch and 3.5 pounds this is one of the bulkiest and heaviest portable chargers that we have ever tested. Its current price of $249.95 makes it a relatively expensive and with limited number of customer reviews we could not recommend it higher than a third choice. LB1 High Performance New PB160 is covered by a 30-day money back guarantee and a 12-month manufacturer warranty.

Other Microsoft Surface Pro 3 charger solutions

The remaining options for Surface Pro 3 portable charging are a little less straight forward and require a few more components for a complete portable charging system. The upside, however, is the fact that this opens more possibilities and provides more portable charger choices. Our second solution is based on the fact that Microsoft Surface tablets, including the Surface Pro 3, can accept a standard 12V DC current as a power source. This enables two possible configurations for a portable charging system. In both cases the base is a portable charger that features a 12V DC output port (12V or Multi-Voltage power bank). The 12V DC output port can be matched with either a 12V DC to a Surface Pro 3 power plug adapter or a 12V DC to a car socket. Car socket can be used then to connect a standard Surface Pro 3 car charger. Either of those two configurations will also work for other Surface models as long as you have the right DC to Surface or car socket to Surface adapter. Please use the list below to select components that will work for your particular model.

Surface Pro 3 external battery / Surface Pro 3 portable charger - featuring 12V DC output port

NOTE: Lizone® Extra Pro - Requires additional adapter due to its proprietary DC output port.

Qi-Infinity™ Powerplant 52,800mAh External Battery Pack

52,800mAh - DC output for Laptop/Surface Pro 3 and 2 USB ports for 5V USB-charged devices. Advanced Lithium Polymer super cells.

BiXPower 153 Wh (42500mAh) Super High Capacity 12V & 19V External Rechargeable Battery Pack - BiXPower BP160

Made with high quality Panasonic Li-ion battery cells. Compact size can easily fit into a laptop/notebook carry bag

Energizer XP18000AB Universal Power Adapter with External Battery for Tablets/Laptops/Netbooks/Smartphones

The ultra powerful X18000AB Power Bank charges laptops/notebooks. Use it to charge three devices at the same time

ECEEN® 16000mAh Surface Pro 3 External Battery Pack/High Capacity Power Bank

Monster capacity of 16000mAh. Provides 1 DC output for Laptop and 1 USB port for 5V USB-charged devices.

RAVPower Portable Power Bank Pack External Battery Charger 15000mAh

For iPads, Samsung Tablets, iPhones, Android Smart Phones Galaxy S4, S3, (Dual USB Output: 5V, 2A; DC Output: 9V / 12V, 2A)

Poweradd™ Pilot Pro Monster Capacity Multi-Voltage Portable Charger - 32000mAh

Multi-Voltage 5V 9V 12V 16V 19V 20V for Tablet PC, Netbooks, Notebooks, Laptops, Smart Phones

Anker® 2nd Gen Astro Pro2 4-Port Aluminum Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank - 20000mAh

9V/12V Multi-Voltage Port and PowerIQ™ Technology

Anker® Astro Pro2 Multi-Voltage Portable Charger - 20000mAh

Multi-Voltage 5V 12V 16V 19V for iPad Air, Mini, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Note, HP, Dell, Acer, Asus, Toshiba Netbooks

RAVPower® Xtreme 3-Port Portable External Battery Charger with Multi-Voltage 23000mAh

Multi-Voltage 9V/12V/16V/19V/20V - for Apple Macbook, UltraBook, Digital Cameras, Surface Tablets,Asus Tablets and more

XTPower External Battery Pack Dual USB Output 5V plus DC Output 9V / 12V 2A - 10000mAh

For Tablets, Netbook, Digital Cameras, DV Recorders, PSP, NDS, NDSL, GoPro, Tablets, Laptops, Android Phones, iPhones

Lizone® Extra Pro Super Capacity Portable External Battery Charger 40000mAh

For Apple Books, HP, IBM Lenovo, Tablets, Smartphones and more

Qi-Infinity™ Powergrid External Battery Pack/High Capacity Power Bank charger - 34200mAh

For Laptops, Notebooks, Netbooks, Tablets and Smart Phones

Intocircuit® Power Castle PC26000 External Battery Pack/High Capacity Power Bank charger - 26000mAh

12 Connectors for Laptops, 10 Connectors for Phones and Tablets, AC Adapter Included

Microsoft Surface DC charging cables, car power socket adapters

Qi-Infinity™ 12v 2.5a DC Connector Portable Charging Cable for Microsoft Surface Pro3 12 Inch Tablet PC

Surface Pro 3 DC charging

Black DC 12V Power Charging Charger Cable for MicroSoft Surface Pro 3

Surface Pro 3 DC charging

Yakamoz DC12V External Power Bank Charger Charging Cable Adapter for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with Free Lovely Anti Dust Plug

Surface Pro 3 DC charging

Nuosi Deng Portable Car Charger Power Adapter with USB Port for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 12 Inch Tablet

Surface Pro 3 Car Adapter

EZMAX® Car Charger Power Adapter for Microsoft Windows Surface Pro 3 Tablet DC Output 12V 2.85A + EZMAX NFC Tags Keychain

Surface Pro 3 Car Adapter

UpBright® NEW Car DC Adapter For Microsoft 1625 Surface Pro 3, 304047100, 304047200, 304047300

Surface Pro 3 Car Adapter

BiXPower Car Cigarette Lighter Female Socket to 5.5 x 2.5mm & 5.5 x 2.1mm Female Barrel Connector Adapter

DC to Car Socket Converter

Super Power Supply® Car Cigarette Lighter Female Socket to 5.5mm x 2.1mm 5.5x2.1 Barrel Connector Plug Adapter

DC to Car Socket Converter

Car Female Cigarette Lighter Socket to DC 5.5x2.1mm Female Connector

DC to Car Socket Converter

GooDGo(TM) Premium New Power Charger Adapter Cable fit for Microsoft Surface RT Surface Pro

Pre Pro 3 - DC to Surface Charge Port

EZMAX Mobile Power Charging Cable For Microsoft Surface RT Pro Pro 2 Window 8 10.6 inch Tabet

Pre Pro 3 - DC to Surface Charge Port

Yakamoz DC12V External Power Bank Charger Charging Cable Adapter for Microsoft Surface RT Surface Pro/ Pro 2 with Free Lovely Anti Dust Plug

Pre Pro 3 - DC to Surface Charge Port

E-best® 12v 3.6a Car Charge Adapter for Microsoft Surface Pro/ RT; Microsoft Surface 10 RT Pro, Pro 2; Pro 8 RT Tablet PC

Pre Pro 3 - Car Socket to Surface Charge Port

Super Power Supply® DC Car Adapter Charger with USB Port for Microsoft Surface MS Tablet PC Windows 8 RT 10.6 Cigarette Lighter 12V 2A 4A Plug

Pre Pro 3 - Car Socket to Surface Charge Port

VicTsing Car Charger Cigarette Lighter Adapter for Microsoft Surface Tablet PC Windows RT

Pre Pro 3 - Car Socket to Surface Charge Port