JOURNEY FORTIX Power Bank Review

Some of us have been there before, when your phone hits low battery, and your stomach drops.

You’re mid-course, and you’re relying on your device for photos, communication with crew, or navigation backup, and suddenly that little red bar feels like a countdown. That’s where the JOURNEY FORTIX Power Bank earns its place in your kit.

The FORTIX is the first power bank from Melbourne-based JOURNEY to use semi-solid state battery technology. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it swaps out the flammable liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion batteries for a gel-based cell design – a meaningful shift in how the energy inside the deice is stored and managed. It’s worth understanding why that matters.

Conventional lithium-ion batteries have a well-documented vulnerability to heat, impact, and overcharging, any of which can accelerate a chemical reaction that leads to swelling, leakage, or in worst-case scenarios, thermal runaway – the technical term for what happens when a battery gets dangerously hot. Semi-solid-state technology significantly reduces the risk of all three, because the gel-based electrolyte is inherently more stable than its liquid equivalent. For travellers and trail runners putting their gear through real-world conditions, that stability is worth having.

The result is a power bank that’s less prone to overheating, leakage, and the kind of thermal drama that’s made airlines increasingly twitchy about what goes in your carry-on. In fact, it’s carry-on permitted, for the record, which matters when you’re flying into an event. Worth noting that power banks are not permitted in checked luggage regardless of technology, so carry-on is always the right call.

Two sizes are available – the 5,000mAh for a single full phone charge, and the 10,000mAh if you need more runway. Both support MagSafe-compatible wireless charging and USB-C wired output, which will take a phone from flat to about 50% in roughly 30 minutes. The slim aluminium housing sits flush against the back of your phone, meaning you can use it hands-free while it charges.

I’ve been using both power banks with my Samsung, and it’s been impressive. The magnetic wireless charging works, but I need to have my phone lying flat with the FORTIX resting on top rather than snapping into place the way it does with an iPhone. A small workaround, and honestly not one that bothered me. Fast charge kicked in without fuss, and on a recent trip, I arrived with a full phone and charge to spare.

There are three colours to choose from, so there’s one for each personality – black, silver, and emerald green. It’s slim, it’s light, and after a few weeks of use it’s become one of those things I don’t think about because it just works.

The FORTIX Semi-Solid State Power Bank is a smart, travel-ready bit of kit.

VITALS

RRP FORTIX 10,000mAh $99.95 AUD
RRP FORTIX 5,000mAh $79.95 AUD

journeyofficial.com.au & JB Hi Fi

This review was originally published in Trail Run Magazine #60. If you enjoyed it, subscribe to read every gear review.