What started as a quickly funded Kickstarter project about two years ago has turned into a reality with the release of Gnarbox. When paired with the Gnarbox app, the device functions as a laptop-free solution for backing up, editing and sharing still images and video footage—including RAW still photos and 4K video files.

The Gnarbox features Wi-Fi, several USB ports, and SD and microSD card slots. All of these features are packed into a rough-and-tough enclosure with its own CPU, GPU and RAM. Gnarbox comes with 128GB of flash memory for $299. The iOS and Android apps are free downloads.

Ever since its release, this small company has released multiple updates and has plans for the coming year to further enhance the device. Reviewed here is the latest iOS release (version 1.2.2), which I tested with an iPhone 6s and iOS 10.3.3.

DESIGN

The device is extremely well constructed and is dust, moisture and shockproof, although Gnarbox recommends not dropping it from more than 3 feet off the ground. Measuring 5.3 x 3.4 x 1 inch, the Gnarbox weighs about a pound and is highly portable.

External controls consist of a power button and dual LEDS, which blink in various colors and configurations to indicate the device’s current activity, such as booting up and charging. The power button is slightly indented and a bit difficult to activate and hold down during the time it takes to start up or shut down. The other problem I had was opening the two doors that hide and reveal the various ports—granted, they seem to be well sealed against the elements, but opening them required some effort.

Behind the first door are the SDHC/SDXC and microSDHC/XC card slots. Open the second door to access the USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and the Micro USB 3.0 port. The latter works with the bundled USB 3 Type A to Micro Type B cable for charging. That’s pretty much it—plain and simple. However, this combination allows you to import files directly from the media card slots, as well as USB devices such as card readers and external hard drives (which can also be used for additional storage if 128GB isn’t enough).

THE APP

Installing and setting up the app is pretty simple. It automatically recognizes your image source and then you’re one tap away from indexing your images. It took a frustrating 10 minutes to index 482 RAW and JPEG files (or 13.7GB of data), then another 13 minutes to download them to the Gnarbox’s internal drive. By comparison, transferring those same files to an internal drive on a Mac via a USB 2.0 card reader took less than 8 minutes.

The good news is that you can start editing images right away and quickly save a single image to the Gnarbox or export it to the iPhone’s Camera Roll.

While there are more sophisticated editing apps for stills and video, the Gnarbox app includes all the basics. There are a dozen adjustment options ranging from exposure and contrast to setting white, mid and black points; a slider controls the intensity of the edit. With the latest release, Gnarbox supports 100 percent of the cameras and RAW files as iOS and Android, so it’s a pretty comprehensive list. Editing a RAW file was simple, speedy and non-destructive.

Video editing is fairly simple with the ability to set in and end points, add an audio track and quickly create a reel of your favorite clips. Plus, up to four people can access the images from the Gnarbox simultaneously.

What We Liked

It’s not easy to create a versatile device that can handle numerous file formats and offer a connection selection as expansive as the Gnarbox. That’s one of the product’s strong points, along with being able to view and edit RAW and 4K files on this compact device. Its sturdy, rugged build is perfect for photographers who need to shoot outdoors, as well as those who are on the go, providing them with a storage and backup solution that doesn’t have to be treated with kid gloves. Gnarbox is continuing to work on updates and new features, which is a sign that your investment will pay off. Battery life is relatively long-lasting at an estimated 4 to 6 hours.

What We Didn’t Like

The indexing and transfer processes are slower than we’d like and the Wi-Fi has some connection issues (Gnarbox is working on it, though). The top of the device, which sits above the passive heat sink, can get very hot when it’s importing or exporting images, but it will shut down if it starts overheating. Given that Gnarbox can handle RAW and 4K, 128GB of storage won’t get you very far—whether you’ve booked a couple of weddings over a weekend or are on an adventure without an option to backup your files elsewhere.

The app is designed to work in portrait (vertical) orientation, so you have to scroll left and right to see all your editing options, which makes it less convenient to edit on a smartphone than a tablet.

Bottom Line

As far as we know, there’s no other product on the market that can go head-to-head with Gnarbox’s features and functions. You can pick up a WD Wireless Pro hard drive with storage measured in terabytes with an SD card slot for less (4TB at $220). But that’s an HDD versus the more desirable SSD, and it’s limited in functionality compared to the Gnarbox; you can view files on the WD Wireless Pro, but not RAW files, and you can’t edit them.

Is the Gnarbox ready for pro photographers for whom speed is critical? Maybe not, but the device offers so many options that it’s hard not to consider it as a constant companion when you’re away from your laptop.

Theano Nikitas has been covering photography for more than 20 years. Although she loves digital, she still has a darkroom and a fridge filled with film.

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