Nitecore’s new ultralight power bank trims grams for backpackers

Nitecore now labels the NB10000 Gen 3 “Discontinued” on its U.S. site, even as the company continues selling a Gen 4 version it calls an “Ultra Lightweight Competition-Grade Power Bank.” The change shows how far the market has moved toward stripped-down travel tech, where backpackers and trail runners keep rewarding the lightest gear that still reliably charges a phone or headlamp.

The NB10000 line has been built around that idea from the start. Nitecore’s original NB10000 was described as an “Ultra Lightweight Carbon Fiber Energy Brick,” and a 2020 company video said it weighed 150 grams and was about 50% smaller than conventional 10,000mAh power banks. By September 3, 2022, Backpacking Light was already reviewing the pack as an ultralight portable battery charger, signaling that the category had moved beyond novelty and into a standard piece of backcountry kit.

Later versions kept the same formula with small refinements rather than flashy new features. Pack Hacker’s two-week-use review of the NB10000 Gen 3, published Oct. 2, 2024, described better ports, faster charging and softer corners than the previous generation. A July 2024 r/Ultralight post said the Gen 3 was about 10% heavier than the NB10000 but kept the familiar shape and rubber corners, while another discussion in 2025 called Nitecore the smallest-volume and lightest power bank line, pointing to a 6,000mAh model that weighs 78 grams.

That reaction matters because it captures what buyers in this corner of the market are pushing back against. They do not want larger batteries packed with extras if those extras add bulk. They want a familiar brick that disappears into a hip belt pocket or food bag, a useful indicator, and enough capacity to keep devices alive. In a May 8, 2025 review of the Nitecore 10000 Gen 3 and NB Air, Hugh Owen said he carries a lot of electronic gear on backpacking trips and values charging options in the backcountry when a phone battery or flashlight is close to dying.

Nitecore has extended the same logic across a wider lineup that now includes the NB Plus, NB Air and NB20000 Gen3. The company’s newest versions suggest the demand is not for more features, but for fewer grams.