Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank, hands on: A versatile and portable charger for multiple devices
Baseus calls the 100 Blade 100W Power Bank ‘notebook thin’. That depends on your notebook.- at 18mm (0.7in.), it’s thinner than a Surface Book or Surface Laptop Studio, but quite a bit thicker than a MacBook Air or Surface Laptop.
Still, it’s thinner than other battery banks we’ve tested, because the Blade is more like a slab than a brick, making it easier to slide into a bag alongside your laptop but less likely to fit into a pouch or The distinctive textured front is easy to grip but doesn’t stop a phone you perch on top of the Blade from sliding right off.
The 20,000mAh capacity is a little less than the 25,000mAh Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus or 24,000mAh Intelli ScoutPro, but it’s also a little lighter than either: at 490g (1.08lb) in weight, it’s not too heavy to take with you, but you’ll still know you’re carrying it.
What this form factor gives you is a large and legible screen to show the charging details. Having a percentage rather than a ‘guess what the blob means’ set of indicator lights makes it much clearer how much capacity your power bank has left.
When you plug a device in to charge from the Blade, the screen shows you a dynamic view of how that’s going, with the percentage charge left on the power bank, the power draw in volts and amps and how long the power bank will last in hours and minutes. We compared the power draw shown on the display with a USB-C PD cable with a built-in power readout: it’s fairly accurate, but we’d like to see the option to switch to show it in watts rather than the volts and amps (which you multiply together to get the wattage).
The battery life shown can change fairly quickly: if you have a device that does fast charging (and the Blade supports multiple quick-charge standards), it can pull power quickly at a high rate, which can make it look as if the power bank won’t last for very long. But as the battery level in the device you’re charging goes up, the charging rate will slow down, and the power bank gets depleted more slowly. Or if you start streaming internet video or playing a game that pushes the GPU on the device you’re powering, expect the time left to drop far more quickly.
This is most useful when you’re charging something like a laptop that tells you how long it will take to get up to full charge: it’s easier to work out that when a Surface Book 3 tells you it will take 47 minutes to get to full charge that the 38 minutes of charge on the Blade will get you most of the way there than to assume the 68% capacity left on the power bank will be enough.
With four charging ports (two USB-A and two USB-C), it would be useful to see details for everything you plug in. Annoyingly, Baseus doesn’t take advantage of the available space for the screen that the wide and thin form factor offers: the display only uses the central area, which means there’s only room for one set of figures. The much smaller screen on the Chargeasap Flas Pro Plus power bank actually gives you more information, even though the Blade‘s display is much easier to read. It also seems somewhat random which device you’ll get the power output for: usually it switched to the higher-power device we were charging, but not always.
The Blade has the same irritating display quirk as the Scout Pro: when you’re charging it up, the percentage charged figure flashes continuously, which can be rather distracting. usefully, the charge level also flashes when it drops below 10%.
Baseus says the Blade will charge fully in about 90 minutes with a 65W charger (or twice as long with a 30W charger). We found it could be slightly faster than that.
We used the same Apple USB-C power supply to charge the Blade that we’ve used for other power bank reviews. Using the USB-C cable that comes with the power bank (full marks to Baseus for including a cable, since having the wrong kind of USB-C cable makes charging much slower), it charged at a higher rate than many of the power banks we’ve tested.- 60W rather than the 44W that the Chargeasap power bank charged at on the same charger, for example.
Baseus also sent us its 65W charger, which looks very like a traditional laptop charger but has two USB-C and two USB A ports (and two mains sockets so you can use it as a mini-extension strip, although we’ve only seen a US version of this). That also charged the Blade at 60W (peaking at 62.7W), which makes charging the battery fast, reaching 83% charge in an hour. That slows down a little as the battery charges (with the power draw dropping to 50W) and a full charge took about 85 minutes.
Perhaps because of the wider, flatter shape or the grooves cut into the surface, we noticed the power bank didn’t get hot while charging, which many similar devices do. We also like the convenient way that devices start charging as soon as you plug them in to the Blade: you don’t have to tap a power button to start.
How many of your devices you can charge with the Blade obviously depends on how power-hungry they are. In 45 minutes, we were able to take a Surface Duo that was down to 45% battery back up to 88% power, which only took 13% of the Blade’s capacity (although we weren’t using the phone while charging it).
Despite the large 100W engraved on the front of the Blade, we didn’t actually see the promised 100W charging from a single USB-C port.
When we plugged in laptops that are supposed to charge at 100W over USB PD like the Surface Book 3 and Surface Laptop Studio, they actually charged at around 60W (for the Surface Book) and 60-75W (for the Laptop Studio) rather than 100W. The Laptop Studio briefly drew 88W and 92W when charging, but it also cycled down to draw as little as 50W even with its battery only half-charged, before settling at around 60W. Both devices dropped to drawing 48W as they got closer to full charge, but that’s as expected and indicates that the laptop is requesting lower power rather than that the power bank can’t keep up.
It didn’t make a difference whether the laptop we were charging was the only device connected or one of several we were charging: we still saw 60W rather than 100W charging. It’s possible you would see 100W charging with a different laptop, but the Chargeasap power bank we tested did manage to deliver 100W to the Surface Book 3 from a single port. Still, 60W charging is useful: when we plugged in a Surface Book 3 with 45% battery charge, it took 50 minutes and 76% of the Blade’s capacity to take the Surface Book 3 from 45% to 90% charge while we were using the laptop.
Anything you plug into the USB-A ports will get a maximum of 30W each.
Conclusions
The Baseus Blade doesn’t have the largest capacity, it didn’t output the full 100W on any one port in our tests, and while clear, the display only shows details for one device. But if you can put up with the blinking display while it charges, the power bank charges quickly and its thinner form factor may be more convenient to carry while still giving you a decent battery boost.
Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank specifications
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Battery capacity | 20,000mAh |
| Features | digital display |
| Ports | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A |
| Input interface | USB-C |
| Quick charge technology | two-way quick charge |
| Max input | 100W |
| USB-C input | 5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/3A,15V/3A,20V/3.25A 65W |
| USB-C output | 5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/3A,15V/3A,20V/5A 100W |
| USB-A output | 4.5V/5A,5V/4.5A,5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/2.5A 30W |
| Dimensions | 162mm x 143mm x 18mm |
| Weight | 490g (1.08lb) |
| In the box | 100W PD cable, storage bag |
| Price | £64 |
Alternatives to consider
When you’re out and about, the last thing you need is anxiety over whether your devices.- laptops, tablets, smartphones.- will last out the day. Portable power banks are the answer. Here are a couple that will perform well; for more, see ZDNET’s roundup.
Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank, hands on: A versatile and portable charger for multiple devices
Baseus calls the 100 Blade 100W Power Bank ‘notebook thin’. That depends on your notebook.- at 18mm (0.7in.), it’s thinner than a Surface Book or Surface Laptop Studio, but quite a bit thicker than a MacBook Air or Surface Laptop.
Still, it’s thinner than other battery banks we’ve tested, because the Blade is more like a slab than a brick, making it easier to slide into a bag alongside your laptop but less likely to fit into a pouch or The distinctive textured front is easy to grip but doesn’t stop a phone you perch on top of the Blade from sliding right off.
The 20,000mAh capacity is a little less than the 25,000mAh Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus or 24,000mAh Intelli ScoutPro, but it’s also a little lighter than either: at 490g (1.08lb) in weight, it’s not too heavy to take with you, but you’ll still know you’re carrying it.
What this form factor gives you is a large and legible screen to show the charging details. Having a percentage rather than a ‘guess what the blob means’ set of indicator lights makes it much clearer how much capacity your power bank has left.
When you plug a device in to charge from the Blade, the screen shows you a dynamic view of how that’s going, with the percentage charge left on the power bank, the power draw in volts and amps and how long the power bank will last in hours and minutes. We compared the power draw shown on the display with a USB-C PD cable with a built-in power readout: it’s fairly accurate, but we’d like to see the option to switch to show it in watts rather than the volts and amps (which you multiply together to get the wattage).
The battery life shown can change fairly quickly: if you have a device that does fast charging (and the Blade supports multiple quick-charge standards), it can pull power quickly at a high rate, which can make it look as if the power bank won’t last for very long. But as the battery level in the device you’re charging goes up, the charging rate will slow down, and the power bank gets depleted more slowly. Or if you start streaming internet video or playing a game that pushes the GPU on the device you’re powering, expect the time left to drop far more quickly.
With four charging ports (two USB-A and two USB-C), it would be useful to see details for everything you plug in. Annoyingly, Baseus doesn’t take advantage of the available space for the screen that the wide and thin form factor offers: the display only uses the central area, which means there’s only room for one set of figures. The much smaller screen on the Chargeasap Flas Pro Plus power bank actually gives you more information, even though the Blade’s display is much easier to read. It also seems somewhat random which device you’ll get the power output for: usually it switched to the higher-power device we were charging, but not always.
The Blade has the same irritating display quirk as the Scout Pro: when you’re charging it up, the percentage charged figure flashes continuously, which can be rather distracting. usefully, the charge level also flashes when it drops below 10%.
Baseus says the Blade will charge fully in about 90 minutes with a 65W charger (or twice as long with a 30W charger). We found it could be slightly faster than that.
We used the same Apple USB-C power supply to charge the Blade that we’ve used for other power bank reviews. Using the USB-C cable that comes with the power bank (full marks to Baseus for including a cable, since having the wrong kind of USB-C cable makes charging much slower), it charged at a higher rate than many of the power banks we’ve tested.- 60W rather than the 44W that the Chargeasap power bank charged at on the same charger, for example.
Baseus also sent us its 65W charger, which looks very like a traditional laptop charger but has two USB-C and two USB A ports (and two mains sockets so you can use it as a mini-extension strip, although we’ve only seen a US version of this). That also charged the Blade at 60W (peaking at 62.7W), which makes charging the battery fast, reaching 83% charge in an hour. That slows down a little as the battery charges (with the power draw dropping to 50W) and a full charge took about 85 minutes.
Perhaps because of the wider, flatter shape or the grooves cut into the surface, we noticed the power bank didn’t get hot while charging, which many similar devices do. We also like the convenient way that devices start charging as soon as you plug them in to the Blade: you don’t have to tap a power button to start.
How many of your devices you can charge with the Blade obviously depends on how power-hungry they are. In 45 minutes, we were able to take a Surface Duo that was down to 45% battery back up to 88% power, which only took 13% of the Blade‘s capacity (although we weren’t using the phone while charging it).
Despite the large 100W engraved on the front of the Blade, we didn’t actually see the promised 100W charging from a single USB-C port.
When we plugged in laptops that are supposed to charge at 100W over USB PD like the Surface Book 3 and Surface Laptop Studio, they actually charged at around 60W (for the Surface Book) and 60-75W (for the Laptop Studio) rather than 100W. The Laptop Studio briefly drew 88W and 92W when charging, but it also cycled down to draw as little as 50W even with its battery only half-charged, before settling at around 60W. Both devices dropped to drawing 48W as they got closer to full charge, but that’s as expected and indicates that the laptop is requesting lower power rather than that the power bank can’t keep up.
It didn’t make a difference whether the laptop we were charging was the only device connected or one of several we were charging: we still saw 60W rather than 100W charging. It’s possible you would see 100W charging with a different laptop, but the Chargeasap power bank we tested did manage to deliver 100W to the Surface Book 3 from a single port. Still, 60W charging is useful: when we plugged in a Surface Book 3 with 45% battery charge, it took 50 minutes and 76% of the Blade’s capacity to take the Surface Book 3 from 45% to 90% charge while we were using the laptop.
Anything you plug into the USB-A ports will get a maximum of 30W each.
Conclusions
The Baseus Blade doesn’t have the largest capacity, it didn’t output the full 100W on any one port in our tests, and while clear, the display only shows details for one device. But if you can put up with the blinking display while it charges, the power bank charges quickly and its thinner form factor may be more convenient to carry while still giving you a decent battery boost.
Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank specifications
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Battery capacity | 20,000mAh |
| Features | digital display |
| Ports | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A |
| Input interface | USB-C |
| Quick charge technology | two-way quick charge |
| Max input | 100W |
| USB-C input | 5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/3A,15V/3A,20V/3.25A 65W |
| USB-C output | 5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/3A,15V/3A,20V/5A 100W |
| USB-A output | 4.5V/5A,5V/4.5A,5V/3A,9V/3A,12V/2.5A 30W |
| Dimensions | 162mm x 143mm x 18mm |
| Weight | 490g (1.08lb) |
| In the box | 100W PD cable, storage bag |
| Price | £64 |
Alternatives to consider
When you’re out and about, the last thing you need is anxiety over whether your devices.- laptops, tablets, smartphones.- will last out the day. Portable power banks are the answer. Here are a couple that will perform well; for more, see ZDNET’s roundup.
Things to Look Out For When Buying a Laptop Power Bank
Read this if you’re in the market for a laptop power bank.
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Even though laptop battery life increases with every new generation, you would still want a way to charge your laptop on the go when you eventually run out of juice. That’s why laptop power banks are increasingly becoming more popular—it offers you the convenience of charging your device even if you’re away from an outlet.
If you’re in the market for a laptop power bank, you should ensure that you get a good-quality portable charger compatible with your device. But with so many power banks on the market, it is hard to know which one to choose.
To help you out, here are eight things to look out for when shopping for a laptop power bank.
Charging Capacity
A power bank’s charging capacity is measured in milliampere hours (mAh) and is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a laptop power bank.
Laptops have big batteries, so it takes a lot of mAh to charge one fully. Because of this, we recommend going for a power bank with a capacity of at least 20,000mAh. This should be enough to recharge the best laptops you can charge with a power bank at least once.
Charging Output and Input
You want to ensure your power bank has high charging output and input. The higher the output amperage, the faster your laptop will charge. Similarly, the higher the input amperage, the quicker your power bank will recharge.
If you want to transfer energy from your power bank to your laptop, get a device with a high watt-output rating. That way, you can quickly get your computer to full charge and avoid the power bank bulk on your desk.
Brand Name
A laptop power bank from a reputable brand will likely be of better quality and with more features than a power bank from a lesser-known brand.
Once you’ve identified a reputable manufacturer, read customer reviews on particular models. Pay close attention to the review’s Комментарии и мнения владельцев regarding the power bank’s durability and safety certifications. The best power banks will avoid issues like overcharging and overheating.
Number and Type of Ports
Pay attention to the output ports on the power bank. You’ll want to ensure it has the correct ports for charging your devices. USB-C, Micro USB, and Lightning are some of the most common ports on power banks.
Some laptop power banks allow you to charge multiple devices at once, so look for a power bank with several USB ports, including USB-C and USB-A ports.
Many people use power banks with USB-C output to charge their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Also, numerous small devices, including phones, headphones, and wireless mice, support USB-A charging.
Power banks with USB-C ports supporting the Power Delivery (PD) technology have some of the fastest possible charging (output) and recharging (input) speeds.
Pros and Cons of a Portable Laptop Power Bank
Picture this: you’ve prepared the best presentation, perfected your words, and groomed yourself immaculately for an important meeting. You’re ready. But just before presenting, you discover that you forgot to bring your power adapter, and your laptop’s battery life is barely holding on at 10%.
This is why laptop power banks exist. to provide you with the quickest solution for unforeseen situations like this. A laptop power bank is affordable and light, yet capable of outputting sufficient power to recharge your device. This makes it an essential backup item.
However, this does not apply to a CMOS battery. which usually needs to be replaced after a few years. For laptop owners stuck without a nearby power outlet, there are many reasons why you must always have a laptop power bank at hand.
Reasons to have a laptop power bank
There are multiple ways for you to charge your laptop without using a dedicated power adapter. Among them is charging using a laptop power bank instead, which is probably the easiest and simplest method. There are a few different reasons for this; some are:
Emergencies
Life is unpredictable. You can never quite expect what’s to come, and the same applies to your laptop. You might get caught up with too much work to notice that you left your laptop’s adapter at home. Even worse, it might happen while you’re travelling out of town.
In situations like these, you might need to use your laptop for various reasons, including work or other needs. This is where a laptop power bank comes to the rescue. By keeping it handy inside your computer bag, you can easily use it to charge your laptop when you need it most. Just remember to charge it fully beforehand, and you’re all set.
Alternative power source
Sometimes, you might have a problem with faulty wall sockets or even the absence of one entirely. In this scenario, even if you have a laptop adapter, it’s still unusable. That’s why you need to have a power bank while commuting or visiting a new location.
Let’s say you plan a family camping trip. There are many reasons why anyone in the family might need to use their personal computer. Since there will be no power outlet available, you can lend your power bank to charge their laptop instead.
Working on-the-go
Certain jobs, tasks, or meetings require people to be on the move. A journalist is just one example, constantly chasing headlines while meeting many people on a daily basis.
A laptop power bank is crucial for people working in fast-paced environments like this. Being on the lookout for a power outlet after every interview or meeting is tiring, especially when others are doing the same while working away from the office. If you always have a power bank with you, you can work anywhere. even at the park.
Can be used by multiple devices
A power bank for laptops can also be used to charge your mobile devices. All laptop power banks are specifically designed to output higher voltages due to the bigger power consumption required to recharge notebooks. This usually makes the device charge faster, but for this purpose, you should use a premium charging cable.
Normal power banks offer smaller output values, which suit lighter devices like phones or tablets. However, they are insufficient to power a fully-functioning laptop, let alone charge it. This is why you should always have at least one laptop power bank at home, in case you need it.
Pros and cons of a laptop power bank
A laptop power bank seems like the perfect accessory to accompany you wherever you go, but it does come with certain risks and limitations. Let’s run down some of the pros and cons of charging your computer using a laptop power bank:
Advantages
The most obvious benefit of using a laptop power bank is its portability. Common laptop power banks usually aren’t much bigger than smartphones, but more powerful ones are significantly larger and heavier.
That said, laptop power banks are easily kept anywhere, especially inside a computer bag. After buying one, assuming it’s fully charged, you can leave it inside your bag with other accessories before using it when your laptop needs some juice.
Speaking of computer items, you should also consider purchasing an external hard drive to back up your important computer files in case you can’t save them before the laptop battery dies out.
Surprisingly, laptop power banks are not that expensive. Although a laptop power bank is more powerful than a mobile battery charger, many are sold for well below RM200. You might even get one as an optional bundle item during a seasonal sale.
Since a laptop power bank can also power your smartphone and tablet, you’re essentially paying for three different chargers for the price of one. The HP USB-C Notebook Power Bank or HP Spectre USB-C Power Pack are two recommended laptop power banks proven to be extremely reliable and durable.
A laptop power bank can charge your phone and Smart tablet too, which exceeds its role in more ways than one. You don’t need to buy extra power banks for your mobile devices anymore, keeping your luggage light.
If you have a Bluetooth headset. you can also use the laptop’s power bank to charge it up. Some power banks even offer extra features like a flashlight, which is useful in various situations.
Is your notebook running low on power during class? Take out your laptop power station. Watching a movie in bed, but your computer’s dying out? Again, connect it to a power bank, and you’re all good.
These are just a few examples showing how a laptop power bank can be used impromptu whenever you need it. It’s hassle-free and convenient, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing.
Disadvantages
Although laptop power banks have sturdy casings that provide some protection from external scratches and knocks, the electrical components inside are still vulnerable to damage by things like rough vibrations or extreme temperatures.
Just like any other electronic device, a laptop power bank houses internal circuitry that is small and fragile. If a power bank is struck hard enough or falls from certain heights, its internal parts can still be affected, even if the exterior shows minimal harm.
Power banks may also burst or explode when subjected to prolonged exposure to heat. This usually happens when a power bank is left inside the car for too long during a hot day.
Like other personal devices, overcharging can also adversely affect a laptop power bank. After reaching 100% capacity, leaving it to charge for longer can affect its battery life and, in certain cases, damage its circuitry.
Premium brands like Belkin use top-grade materials to limit such risks, although they can never be completely negated. It works the same way when you charge your laptop for too long. harming the computer’s battery health in the long run.
If your laptop power bank seems to store less charge over time, overcharging might be one of its probable causes, forcing you to buy a new one later.
Although laptop power stations share similar features to mobile power banks, certain important specs differ. First, the maximum voltage output of a laptop power bank is higher than a mobile power bank, and this is because your laptop requires even more power to recharge its battery.
Different laptops have different power requirements, too, like the OMEN by HP Gaming Laptop. which needs more than 200W to function properly, let alone charge it. Because each notebook is different, it might be harder for you to find the right laptop power bank for your personal computer.
Nowadays, it’s becoming harder to discern top-quality products from low-grade copies, including laptop power banks. You might be tempted to buy a portable power bank with an attractive casing and neat packaging that promises off-the-shelf specs.
However, knock-off brands usually use cheap materials to cut costs, increasing the risk of the power bank malfunctioning, or harming you. That’s why you should only visit official stores or websites to find a laptop power bank that matches your preferences, is covered by warranty, and is safe to use.
Conclusion
Generally, power banks make our lives a lot easier, regardless if they were made specifically for computers or personal devices. Nevertheless, proper habits and care need to be exercised to minimise the risks of damaging a power bank while maximising its usage.
Sometimes, your laptop might not even function while being powered by a working power bank, indicating other possibilities that require different fixes to turn your computer back on. If you’re always away from the office, maybe it’s time to consider buying a new laptop with longer battery life instead, making you less dependent on alternative power sources while on the move.
For more tech tips, make sure to visit HP Tech Takes for the best advice.
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