Not every trip needs a 100 Ah battery bank. Sometimes you just need to keep a cooler cold, a phone charged, and a light on for one good day away from the truck. That's the job the Dometic PLB15 Portable Battery was built for — and right now Dometic has it at $199.99, down from $299.99, while supplies last. Here's what it is, who it's for, and how to get the most out of one.
What the PLB15 Is
The PLB15 is a 15 Ah lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery with a 192 Wh rating at 12 V — about the size of a large water bottle and under four pounds. It's the little sibling to the PLB40 that overlanders and van campers already know, scaled down for day use instead of multi-day trips.
- Capacity: 15 Ah / 192 Wh (LiFePO4)
- Outputs: 12 V DC, USB-C, and USB-A — all usable at the same time
- Charging: USB-C or DC input, from a wall charger, a vehicle 12 V socket, or solar
- Weight and size: 3.86 lb, 8.76 × 3.35 × 3.35 in
- Weather resistance: IP44 with a protective port cover
- Extras: built-in flashlight with a focused beam and an ambient mode, five-LED charge indicator
- Warranty: 3 years
In the box you get the battery, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a 12 V cigarette-socket charging cable. The wall adapter is any USB-C power supply you already own.
How Long Will It Run Things?
Nobody should buy a battery on amp hours alone, so here's the honest math. With 192 Wh on board and normal conversion losses, plan on roughly 150–170 Wh of usable energy per charge.
- Phone: around 8–10 full charges
- Tablet or camera batteries: 4–6 charges
- Laptop (60 Wh): about 2 full charges
- 12 V compressor cooler: this is the big one. A small Dometic CFX that's already cold, in the shade, with the lid kept shut, typically cycles at an average of 1–3 amps. That's somewhere between an afternoon and a full day of runtime. Start it warm in direct sun on a hot day and the compressor runs continuously, and you can burn through the pack in a couple of hours.
The takeaway: the PLB15 is a day extender for a cooler, not a weekend power source. Pre-chill the cooler on shore power or your vehicle, keep it out of the sun, and the PLB15 will carry it through a day at the lake, a tailgate, or a trailhead. If you need to run a cooler for two or three nights unplugged, you want a PLB40 or a proper house battery with solar on top.
Who It's For
We see three people who get real value out of a battery this size:
- The day-tripper. Boat days, beach days, soccer tournaments, job sites. Toss it in the cooler bag and forget about it.
- The RV owner who wants power away from the rig. Your trailer has a battery bank and solar on the roof. The picnic table 100 feet away does not. The PLB15 lets you run a cooler at the site, charge phones in the tent, and light the table without stringing cords from the camper.
- The backup. Keep one charged in the truck or the garage for power outages — it'll keep phones and a small light running for days, and it holds a charge well when stored because it's LiFePO4, not a lead-acid jump pack.
Pairing It With Your Solar Setup
The PLB15's DC input accepts 12 V from a vehicle socket, which is the easiest way to keep it topped off on the road. If your RV or van already has a Go Power! solar system on the roof, you've got a self-sustaining loop: the sun keeps the house batteries full, the house batteries keep the PLB15 full through any 12 V outlet, and the PLB15 goes wherever you do.
Don't have solar on the rig yet? A regulated portable kit like the DuraLite 100W Portable Kit or DuraLite 200W Portable Kit plugs into a solar-ready trailer with no installation and keeps the whole system — house bank and PLB15 included — charged between hookups. Browse the full lineup in our portable solar kits collection.
One note on charging directly from a panel: the PLB15's DC input is rated for 12/24 V, so any panel connected straight to it should be regulated to that range. Check the Dometic operating manual (linked on the product page) for the input specs before you wire up anything custom.
Why the Price Drop?
Dometic is making room in the portable power lineup, and remaining PLB15 inventory has been marked down to $199.99 from $299.99. It's the same unit with the same 3-year warranty, free shipping to the lower 48, and 30-day returns direct from Dometic. Once the current stock is gone, that's it — so if a day-sized battery has been on your list, this is the time.
Get the Dometic PLB15 for $199.99 at Dometic.com →
Quick Answers
Can the PLB15 jump-start a vehicle? No. It's a power bank, not a jump pack. Its 12 V output is for coolers, lights, and small accessories.
Can I run a 120 V appliance from it? Not directly — there's no AC outlet. It's designed for 12 V and USB devices, which is where it's most efficient anyway.
How long does it take to charge? It depends on your source. A USB-C power supply or a vehicle 12 V socket will typically bring it from empty to full in a few hours; the five LEDs on the top show progress.
Can I fly with it? Not in the US. At 192 Wh it's over the 160 Wh ceiling the FAA sets for spare lithium batteries in carry-on, so plan on leaving it home for air travel.
Is this the same as the PLB40? Same family, different job. The PLB40 is 40 Ah / 512 Wh and built for multi-day cooler duty; the PLB15 is 15 Ah / 192 Wh and built to be grabbed with one hand and taken anywhere.