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Details
- Price $84.99 at ugreen.com
- Weight 18 oz / 513 g
- Dimensions 6.3" (w) x 3.1" (h) x 1.0" (d) / 160 (w) x 80 (h) x 26 (d) mm
Overview
As a frequent traveler, mobile batteries are my lifeline. A 10,000 mAh battery is my go-to; it gives my iPhone 14 Pro Max about one full charge, so unless I stay overnight somewhere, I won’t run out.
I’ve pulled all-nighters (Thailand is wild) without worrying about juice. I’m very diligent about charging my devices before heading out, so I seldom need large capacities… except when I need to use my laptop.
While I do go into the city to work on my laptop at times, I spend most of my time working at nearby cafes, most often heading to Komeda Coffee, where there are power outlets at each table.
Runner-up cafes are Starbucks and Musashi no Mori Coffee outlets, which only have limited seats with outlets. Since I have a solar panel attached to a giant battery in my car, I often lug it into the cafe if I need it—not the most chill thing to do.
When I saw a way out with a Ugreen 145W battery, I knew it was worth a shot. I’ll be moving into a job that has me in the office soon, so there might be a chance to use the battery since I hate staying at a desk all day.
Style
This isn’t my first product from Ugreen; I have several adapters and cables from them. I appreciate that they are usually cheaper than popular brands like Anker, yet they don’t compromise on style.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that their product design has improved. Their grayscale palette is right up my alley and syncs well with Apple products, even if it doesn’t match the same metal finish.
I can tell that a lot of attention has been paid to the details. The specification text, which is often carelessly stamped on (looking at you, Nitecore), is beautifully laid out on the device.
On the front, you’ll find the brand and model name, while the flip side remains empty. I love how they avoid adding unnecessary prints, which some batteries tend to have.
There are only three ports, which is a USB-A with a USB-C on each side. PD ports are purple on the inside, a standard way to indicate the difference between PD and non-PD ports. Nomad adapters do the same thing, so no surprises here.
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The USB-C port that delivers 140W worth of power is clearly marked with a tab. I have the included cable stuck onto this port most of the time so I don't have to differentiate the right port each time.
It is relatively compact for the capacity it provides. However, compared to the 20,000 mAh version from the Nitecore NB series, it is technically almost 90% larger in volume but doesn't look or feel that much bigger in hand.
There is a simple LCD that displays the power level from 1 to 100 on the side. It turns on when you press the button and stays on as long as you are using it to charge your device.
The power bank comes with a dreary brown pouch which I thought could have been better. It looks rustic and takes away from the sleek visual the main device had.
Tech
The battery charges at 145W fast charging, however, this doesn’t mean that you can charge anything at that speed. In fact, you won’t be able to charge anything at that power.
There are three steps along the way that might limit the speed of charging. First is the device that produces the power, in this case, the Ugreen power bank. While 145W is the advertised output, this is the maximum power if you use multiple ports. Only one of the ports produced power at 140W.
Even with the full 140W being outputted, the next bottleneck is the cable in which the power passes through. The bundles that Ugreen themselves sell come with 100W cables. This means that the maximum power you can charge a device is 100W.
However, the third part is how fast a device can get charged. The input max power for this Ugreen itself is 65W, so even if it received 100W of power, it will only get charged at 65W. The latest Macbook Pro can receive power inputs of 140W, but the devices I am using like the 2019 Intel Macbook Pro (up to 96W) and 2021 iPad Pro (30W) cap the power. Knowing what devices you are planning to charge is important since you could very well get a must cheaper alternative.
I designed a thing.
I found a 100 year old company that would create these heirloom quality canisters for me. They are handmade and will keep your tea leaves, coffee beans or anything that you need dry for years to come.
or read review
The 25,000 mAh power bank, when fully charged, will charge your laptop 1.3x and smaller devices approximately 5.6x. Suffice it to say, it will last you a day or two, even with heavy usage.
Usage
The power bank is extremely straightforward to use. Just plug it into your device and it charges. I didn’t have to press the button. The indicator shows the power remaining and doesn’t turn off.
The only thing that you have to remember is to use the 140W USB-C port where possible. I have my cable stuck into this port by default so I don’t usually have to remember this.
My 2019 Macbook Pro laptop gets charged regardless of the task I do. 140W is more than it supports, so if this won’t keep it fully charged, nothing will.
Although this won’t be my first choice of a night out, I thought the weight and size were manageable to take out in something like my Outlier Nexhigh Carry. It is slightly smaller, but thicker than my iPhone 14 Pro Max, so the size felt familiar.
At first, I thought it would be nice to have a USB-C cable attached as part of the device. However, this affects repairability when the cable doesn’t work but the device still does.
Conclusion
Honestly, I have never thought of bringing out a 25,000 mAh regularly because I didn’t need that much power. I have this in my car getting charged by the solar panel affixed to the roof of my car. That panel charges a large battery, but having the Ugreen Power Bank means I don’t have to lug the huge battery into cafes that don’t have outlets.
Given this use case, the size and weight don’t matter much to me although I wouldn’t hesitate to bring it out if I have to. It looks great, charges fast, packs a lot of power, and is a reasonable size and weight. Absolutely nothing I can complain about.
Additional Images
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Tagged power delivery review tech ugreen