REVIEW – I think we’ve got at least a dozen random power banks at this point scattered around our house, with quality and usefulness varying wildly between them. Most aren’t capable of charging anything larger than a tablet though, and even the ones that can charge laptops do so very slowly until you get to the car-battery-sized portable power stations we have. The Baseus Blade laptop power bank boasts a high-for-it’s-size power output capability of up to 100 watts over USB-C Power Delivery (PD), meaning it should be able to charge anything from a Macbook Pro to a projector or even gaming handheld console with ease as long as they support USB-C PD.
What is it?
The Baseus Blade laptop power bank is a slim portable power bank for higher wattage devices like laptops. It features four USB outputs, two of them USB-C with PD 3.0 that can pump up to 100 watts (to a single device or split up between two), and two other USB-A ports for other devices like phones. It has a slim profile for travel, and a newer silicon carbon anode battery technology which is just now being adopted by several large auto manufacturers for use in electric vehicles. This new battery technology promises the same power in a smaller package, and judging from the size and weight of this power bank it seems to be living up to the hype.
What’s in the box?
- Baseus Blade laptop power bank
- Cloth carrying case
- Manual
- USB-C to USB-C PD cable
Hardware specs
- Power output: 100 W Power Delivery (PD) max on single USB-C port
- Multi port max power: 100 Watts distributed between two USB-C and two USB-A connections, 30W max per USB-A
- Battery capacity: 20,000 mAh (74 wh)
- Battery chemistry: silicon carbon anode battery technology
- Power input: 60 Watts max, USB-C PD. 1.2 hours to full charge
- Weight: 15.7 oz (445 g)
- Dimensions: 5.27 x 0.77 x 5.27 inches
Design and features
The Baseus Blade laptop power bank has a nice textured black plastic body. Baseus really wants you to know it can support up to 100 watts.
An LCD display up top shows power input/output including estimated time to full/empty based on current usage. This display can be hard to read in bright conditions but in most rooms it was good.
The business end is up top, with four USB outputs, two of them USB-C and two USB-A. The included cable is USB-C to USB-C, so you’ll need to supply your own cables for a second USB-C device and any USB-A. The unit supports up to 100 watts split between ports (or all to a single port).
The side profile of the Blade shows how slim this device is, it can slide right into pretty much any larger pocket in laptop or other travel bags.
The bottom sports four rubberized feet to prevent slipping around when flat on a surface.
The included cloth bag keeps the unit from getting scratched up when travelling, though it left a lot of lint on the device after the first use (see the next picture below).
Performance
I tested the Baseus Blade laptop power bank with 3 different personal and work laptops, as well as my new Rog Ally handheld windows gaming PC (which pulls up to 65 watts maxed out) and various phones and tablets as well. The power bank supplied up to the quoted 100 watts to devices that could use that much. With my Rog Ally PC using 30- 65 watts, I got an additional 2+ hours of gaming time before the power bank was depleted. With an even hungrier laptop running at 100 watts you’ll drain it in ~40 minutes. Baseus claims it will charge a Macbook Pro 14 (year unspecified) from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes, and up to about 78% before the Baseus laptop power bank is drained. Based on my testing I believe them, it was within margin of error on all my napkin math for charge and depletion times based on wattage.
The power bank charges via USB-C Power Delivery (AC adaptor not included – though since you’re probably getting this to charge a laptop, hopefully your laptop has a USB-C PD type charging cable you can use). If not, you can use any other USB-C charger though it will charge at a lower wattage (it can do up to 65 watts on USB-C).
Speaking of wattage, one of my minor complaints is the display only showing Voltage and Amperage (though you can mentally multiply amps times volts to get wattage I’ve been told). The other minor thing that I really wish they’d done differently would be to include a longer charging cable in the box. The included cable is less than 2 feet and requires the power bank to be pretty close to whatever it’s charging which can be awkward if you have a laptop in your lap or something handheld.
What I like
- Slim and light size for a 100W power bank
- Time to full/empty shown on screen while using
- Multiple output ports and high wattage capable
What I’d change
- Longer USB cable
- Wireless charging would be nice for phones
Final thoughts
The Baseus Blade laptop power bank came at the perfect time for me to help with my hours-long Diablo IV sessions on my Rog Ally while curled up into the couch far from a charger. It will also be my go-to power bank for any travel in the future with its handy slim shape and under-TSA-battery-limit capacity.
Price: $84.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Baseus
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I’ve got the same power bank and I love it. I got a slim PD charger and a longer USB-C cable along with a shorter right angle cable.
The battery stays in the pocket of my backpack. The right angle cable connects to my laptop when it’s in the bag and I plug the longer cable into the wall charger when charging or into my phone or laptop to charge while using them. Best setup I’ve ever had.
Good service
Shitty is the word, personally had some experience with the brand over the years.
You should write a review than because I have 3 of these plus their older ones and have had no problems.
Id recommend readers ignore your nonsense.
My unit bricked after the firat time I charged it on receipt. I believe some batches are affected. Here is the verbatim response from their customer care when i wanted a replacement : I’m sorry to say that there is a product batch with the issue you mentioned and we’re still in the process of lining up our inventory at this time.
Therefore, in order to be faster and make the thing right, we would like to offer you a full refund and you can decide for yourself if you want to order a new one again.
Yikes! My unit is still working great, but that’s good to know their response about a batch issue and something for others to watch for
Agreed. I am so tempted to order another unit and hope it is fine. I really love the form factor.