A Perfect Road Trip Companion.

70mai’s Hiker 400 power station makes traveling safer and more convenient thanks to a reliable battery, a powerful AC inverter, and a backup flashlight. To complete this great product, an always-on Bluetooth interface brings the station front panel to the user’s fingertips through a snappy mobile app.

Pros

• +Bluetooth low-energy
• +Quiet
• +Small and lightweight

Cons

• -External power adapter
• -NCM based battery

The 70mai Hiker 400 is what everybody wants in a portable power station. It is tiny, lightweight, and can easily fit in a backpack. The plastic case is tough and integrates a small handle. A single fan provides the necessary airflow for the unit, producing barely any noise during regular operation. The NCM battery is not the best available in terms of lifetime, but with a capacity of 378Wh, it has enough energy to charge a laptop over five times.

The technology behind the 400W inverter yields an efficiency of 74% and limits the amount of energy wasted as heat. A built-in Bluetooth low-energy interface controls the unit over a short distance, allowing turning on the built-in flashlight remotely, among other things. The device features four USB ports, but only one is Type-C. Two AC sockets complete the output section.

The 70mai Hiker 400 is available directly from the 70mai online store for $399, or $1.05 per Wh, a high number for an NMC-type power storage solution. It comes with a limited two-year warranty.

Testing the unit consisted of an initial discharge cycle followed by a complete charge. Input power over time when charging was recorded. The unit was again discharged using an AC load at full inverter capacity. The energy provided, in Wh, when compared to the initial charge, gives an idea of the overall efficiency of the power station.

70MAI HIKER 400: DESIGN

The unit ships with a 90W power adapter, a car charger, and a user manual. A curved handle at the top makes carrying the Hiker 400 around easy but renders storing the unit more cumbersome.

HIKER 400: SPECIFICATIONS

• Battery Chemistry: Lithium NCM
• Battery capacity: 378Wh
• Number of charge cycles: Over 1000
• AC output power: 400W, Surge to 800W
• DC output power: 254W
• Number of AC outlets: 2
• Number of DC outlets: 5
• AC inverter efficiency: 74%
• Number of power inputs: 3
• Fastest charge time: 4 hours
• Additional features: Bluetooth LE, Flashlight, ECO mode
• Weight: 3.9kg
• Volume: 7.7L
• Price: $399

A curved top also means losing the ability to place items like smartphones on a flat surface. The unit is well constructed with quality material. Four rubber pads on the bottom prevent the station from moving when cables are connected. The unit measures 22cm x 17.7cm x 19.7cm for a weight of 3.9kg.

The front panel holds the user interface. A high-contrast segmented LCD shows easy-to-understand information while reducing power consumption. The power gauge is displayed centrally. Input and output power and other measurements have a reasonable one-second refresh rate. Icons for Bluetooth, Eco-mode, and timer indicate what features are enabled.

Five push buttons control the unit. The Power and Function buttons are dual-purpose. A long press on Power will turn the unit on or off, while a short press on Function enables the Eco-mode. A long press on Function places the unit in Bluetooth pairing. The remaining three buttons activate electrical sockets or the flashlight. All push buttons light up when active.

The Hiker 400 supports three charging modes totaling 120W of input power. The most convenient charging method remains through the USB Type-C socket, but it takes four hours to complete. The Anderson and 5525 DC inputs both support 12V or 24V, which makes it easy to use a 100W solar panel. The supplied 19V 90W power adapter will take the longest time to charge.

The station provides four USB sockets. A single Type-C socket supports the power distribution mode of up to 100W. In addition, three USB-A sockets offer 5V for a maximum power of 18W. The other DC outputs are a 5521 and a carport, supplying the same regulated 13.6V supply at 10A. Two 120V AC outputs supply 400W under regular operation and can boost to 800W for short durations.

70MAI HIKER 400: IN USE

The 70mai mobile app, available for Android and Apple phones, enables the station’s remote control but requires registration. Installation of the Hiker 400 is easy thanks to clear on-screen instructions. Two icons representing the Bluetooth and smartphone modes appear on the LCD, indicating that the app is connected to the station. Turning off the station does not disconnect the Bluetooth.

With features such as an Economic mode and a power passthrough, the Hiker 400 makes the most out of its small footprint. In the Economic mode or Eco, the station turns off unused outputs after a predefined time. The power passthrough uses the DC input to power devices connected to the station, bypassing the Lithium battery and reducing its wear.

The power station was tested using programmable AC and DC loads to get its overall efficiency. Ideally, this should be 100%, but due to the heating of internal parts and using an active cooler, this number oscillates around 80%. The Hiker 400 earns a respectable 85% when using the DC output, which decreases to 75% in AC mode. The difference is explained by having the fan operating when using the AC inverter. The noise level of the fan at one meter is around 45 dB.

70MAI HIKER 400: THE COMPETITION

Portable power stations capable of less than 1000W used to be rare, their primary purpose being as an emergency power source on the road or at home. The Hiker 400 is ideal for this situation with its small volume and lightweight. The battery chemistry works down to -10 degrees Celsius, making it hard to use on cold winter days.

The Bluetti EB3A is the power station to beat with a price similar to the Hiker 400. Equipped with Bluetooth, it lacks an Anderson input, which limits the type of solar panel it can work with, and more importantly, the battery is limited to 268Wh.

70MAI HIKER 400: FINAL VERDICT

The Hiker 400 provides good battery capacity and inverter power in a small volume. The unit’s versatility is on full display thanks to the Bluetooth low-energy connection. It is an excellent feature since the device rarely loses connection with a paired smartphone. The well-designed mobile app also stands out with no bugged functionality. At 75% in AC mode, the system’s overall efficiency is what one can expect at this price point.

The battery chemistry could be better, but an NMC type still provides at least two years of full capacity, even with daily charge and discharge cycles. Although we liked the passthrough feature, it could have been better as the power is limited to 120W. Having an external power adapter is also something competition tries to avoid as it means an extra item to carry around.

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Feel limited by your laptop’s screen size? The Portable Monitor Flex 14 in offers a quick and easy way to expand your desktop real estate.

The Portable Monitor Flex 14in stands out with a premium build and versatile triple-monitor setup, accommodating 11″ to 18″ laptops. Quick to install and compatible with various systems, it offers solid 1080p performance, good colour rendition, and excellent image quality.

Pros

• +Simple to use
• +Solid build and high-quality materials

Cons

1. -Limited to 1080p resolution
2. -sRGB Colour space
3. -Heavy

THE PORTABLE MONITOR FLEX 14IN: ONE-MINUTE REVIEW

One of the biggest issues with working on a laptop is the relatively small screen size. Even with a larger 16″ screen, the actual real estate quickly disappears as soon as you open more than one window or app. The solution is The Portable Monitor Flex 14in, which is quite unlike any other compact portable monitor.

Firstly, the build quality is designed to partly match the space grey and metal casing of the best MacBook Pro laptops, a design also reflected in many PC laptops. However, while it tries to blend in colour and material with Apple’s design ethos, it doesn’t quite match the quality of Apple’s product design. That’s not to say it’s not well-made; it’s just not as refined as you’d expect from an Apple product

However, it is ingenious. It has dual monitors that fold out on either side of your MacBook 14in or any other laptop, as long as the laptop has a USB Type-C port to connect the display. The power and monitor cable are combined, and if you need extra power, a second USB Type-C port on the monitor allows you to connect it directly to a portable power source or a wall socket.

On the first run with the monitor, a few drivers are needed to ensure the smooth operation of the monitors. Thankfully, The Portable Monitor includes a USB key with all the drivers needed for Mac, PC, and Android, as well as cables.

Once installed, you can connect the monitor and run both monitors from that single cable. This setup does increase the drain on your battery, but you can plug in an external power source if needed.

The OSD menu offers many adjustments over brightness, contrast, sharpness, and other settings. You can also adjust directly through your normal computer settings.

We’ve tested plenty of the best monitors for MacBook Pro, and we can say the quality of the display is excellent in use. On the other hand, this needs to be considered a secondary and tertiary display, especially for MacBooks with their P3 color space and high resolutions. However, the display quality is great and ideal for positioning palettes, browsers, Word documents, and music players that usually get hidden away.

The other major benefit is the articulation of the screens, allowing you to position them in a triangle, so if you’re in a meeting, you can flip the screens around so that people on your left and right can see what you’re discussing.

Overall, it’s a great product, not quite as refined in design as some of the best portable monitors we’ve tried, and the displays should be seen as secondary if you work in the creative sector due to the 1080p resolution and maximum sRGB colour space. However, when it comes to functionality, especially for expanding your workspace and whenever you need to show what you’re doing to others, the flexibility in the positioning of the monitors and the increased workspace is a huge benefit.

THE PORTABLE MONITOR FLEX 14IN: PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

How much does it cost?

$599 / £476

When is it available?

Now

Where can you get it?

It is available for sale in the US, UK and Australia

The Portable Monitor Flex 14in is widely available and can be brought directly from the official website.

Designed as a fold-out monitor system to complement your laptop, the Portable Monitor Flex 14in consists of three sections that fold out, with two monitors attached to a central stand.

The whole unit is made from decent-quality metal that reflects that of the Space Grey MacBook Pros. The build is solid enough, with thick hinges on the monitors that enable the screens to adapt to laptops from 13″ to 16″ without issue, even though the monitor is designed for 14″ screened laptops.

While the overall build is good, there’s a lack of precision, and the finesse of good product design seems to be missing. The component parts are all there, and it does work well, but when folded, there’s space and flex between each of the folded sections where you really feel it should all lay flat. Likewise, the metal stand that folds out is good and solid, but again, there’s some flex when it’s packed away rather than sitting flush in its recess.

In use, the stand folds out, and then the two monitors fold out so that a laptop can be slipped in between the two monitors. The large hinges can then be adjusted to accommodate the size of the monitor that your laptop has. Once all is in position, the USB cable can be attached directly to power and connect the laptop to the monitor.

While these days we’re used to plug and play, it should be noted that before this monitor system can be used, you’ll need to install the drivers. Thankfully, these come in the box with the monitor and take only a few moments to install. Once in place, you can then plug in the monitor and start to configure the screens as needed. On a Mac, this involves delving into the screen options and arranging the monitors so that one sits on the left and the other on the right of the laptop screen, all nice and easy.

Using the Portable Monitor Flex as a triple monitor system is just one use for this device. An equally useful use is in meetings where others need to view your screen. Rather than crowding around, you can fold the Portable Monitor Flex 14in into a triangle of monitors behind your laptop screen, meaning that if you and your colleagues are sitting around a table, you can all view what’s going on. Effectively, then, it’s one of the best monitors for a dual set-up (or even a triple set-up).

Finally, if you just need one monitor rather than two, a quick tap of the mode button allows you to switch one of the screens off or position it in portrait orientation, which can be useful for reviewing documents and content online.

THE PORTABLE MONITOR FLEX 14IN: PERFORMANCE

The initial setup is quite straightforward, with the dual monitor folding out and supported by the stand at the back. The design allows for several usage configurations: as an extension of your laptop’s screen with one on either side, as a triangle of screens behind your laptop screen for others to view your work, or as a single vertical or horizontal screen.

Each configuration can be quickly switched between, with the metal build and large solid hinges providing plenty of flexibility for easy adjustment and positioning. Before you plug in for the first time, the monitor’s software driver needs to be installed. This one-time procedure takes just a couple of minutes and is extremely straightforward, although it is unusual in today’s plug-and-play environment.

As you switch between the different configurations, the screen modes can be selected using the on-screen displays, with = and + symbols on each monitor, allowing you to adjust and change the settings as needed. Likewise, all the usual options and settings are available through the laptop’s OS. By default, the monitors are set to a low resolution, so increasing this to the maximum 1080p is one of the first adjustments that should be made.

Once set up, the screens perform well with a clear, crisp image and plenty of adjustment over the colour and tone. Although the monitor can only display sRGB, it can be adjusted to match well with the MacBook Pro’s monitor. However, the quality of the output means they are great for office documents, browsing the internet, and displaying palettes. Still, they should be avoided for tasks requiring precise colour or tone adjustments.

Overall, the monitors are easy to use, and the additional workspace is definitely a huge advantage. However, if you’re considering this as a screen extension for use on a train, the size—both packed away and when folded out and in use—is a bit obstructive. This solution is more suited for hot desking, moving between offices, or having meetings where flexibility is needed. They’re a great idea and work well in the right environments. The screen quality is good but should not be seen as on par with a P3 high-resolution MacBook screen. These are fine for document review and screen expansion but not for tasks that require absolute colour accuracy.

SHOULD I BUY THE THE PORTABLE MONITOR FLEX 14IN?

The initial idea of this dual-screen system, which sandwiches your laptop screen between two 14″ monitors, sounds and looks great, and in practice, it does work well. However, while the quality of the materials and manufacturing is good, the precision of the product design is somewhat lacking, and this is something that carries through in its use.

Unlike many devices that are simply plug and play, this monitor requires drivers to be installed for use, an unusual step in today’s world. However, once the drivers are installed, everything else is straightforward with an easy setup and connection.

In use, these monitors really come into their own, and through the test, I’ve used them to display emails, music, palettes, and 3D slicer applications, while I’ve used the main laptop screen for tasks that require color accuracy and higher resolutions.

The fact that these have a color space of sRGB and a maximum resolution of 1080p isn’t an issue in practice, and the extra screen space they provide is a huge benefit for all sorts of situations. However, the size and design of the Flex 14″ portable monitor mean that these are not something I would use on a day-to-day basis if I was traveling around or to be used on a train or similar. However, if I was going to a meeting where I knew others would need to see the screen or was hot-desking, then these would be a huge benefit. Overall, it’s a great product, with the feeling that a little more finesse in the product design would elevate this to an absolute essential for many.

Buy it if…

You’re a frequent traveller and multitasker – If you often work remotely and juggle multiple applications, the Portable Monitor Flex 14″ enhances productivity by expanding your digital workspace with its dual-screen setup.

You’re a meeting maestro – Perfect for professionals who present or collaborate in meetings. The monitor’s ability to configure into a triangle view makes sharing your screen with colleagues seamless and effective.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re an aesthetics aficionado – If design precision and a high-end look are paramount to you, the Flex 14’s lack of design refinement compared to premium products like Apple’s may be disappointing.

You’re a resolution and color critic – If your work requires ultra-high resolution and precise colour accuracy, the 1080p sRGB screen of the Flex 14″ may not meet your professional standards.

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