Tag: bank

Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank is loaded with great features, including two USB-C ports, 12,000 mAh of capacity, a max of 65W output and a built-in status display.

But what sets it part from the pack is its design. It’s slim enough to go easily into bags designed for MacBook and iPad. And it’s relatively lightweight, too.

I tested the Baseus Blade 2 with my gear. Here’s how well the accessory lived up to its promise.

March 25 only: Baseus is offering $30 off the regular cost. But the deal ends TODAY.

Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank review

Whenever I travel or just work remotely, I bring an external battery for my laptop. Whether I’m working or watching video, I don’t want to take even a chance of running out of juice. And I’ve learned through painful experience I can’t depend on finding a power socket when I need one.

I wish I didn’t have to because these power banks were always so bulky. I put my iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard Case in a small messenger bag, and adding an external battery with enough juice to make a real difference feels like adding a brick.

But that’s not what the Baseus Blade 2 feels like. Rather than the usual blocky shape, it’s wide and thin — like a notebook.

But there’s room for not just the necessities like two USB-C ports, but a useful and cool status display screen.

Thinner is better in a portable power bank

If it isn’t obvious already, the reason I love Baseus’ newest power bank is its 6.4-inch by 5.2-inch by 0.4-inch design. For comparison, my previous favorite is almost three times that thick.

To be clear, Blade 2 doesn’t actually take up less room than other high-capacity power banks. But its slim shape makes it fit better in bags designed to hold notebooks.

Also, the weight comes in at 0.75 pounds. That’s not feather light, but it’s low enough that I don’t really feel it in my gear bag.

Just the right ports

We are finally, finally putting the USB-A port behind us. You’ll find on one edge of Blade 2 a pair of USB-C ports, just the number you need to charge up your MacBook and iPhone at the same time.

And that seems to be Baseus’ plan because one of these ports can deliver 40W while the second tops out at 25 W. Or the accessory can deliver up to 65W to one device if only its first USB-C port is used.

Either port can be used to recharge the power bank itself at up to 60W. Some rival external batteries support charging through only one of their USB-C ports.

And a status screen, too

Something else that helps Baseus Blade 2 stand out from the pack is a small screen that displays exactly how much of a charge remains and how much power is flowing to each device. It’s a premium feature, and one I very much appreciate. I like to be sure my gear is really getting charged, and how quickly.

Beyond that, the notebook power bank makes predictions about how soon it will run out of power, or how long it will take to recharge. My testing shows these are somewhat accurate, but can’t take into account the fact that the batteries in Apple devices take in less power as they approach 100%.

Activate the screen with a button on one edge of the accessory.

Good performance from the laptop power bank

Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank holds 12,000mAh. To be fair, many other premium external batteries hold 20,000mAh or more, which helps make this one thinner.

But it nevertheless holds enough power to be quite useful. Battery sizes vary between Apple devices, of course, but I tested it with my usual computers.

Blade 2 raised the battery level in my iPad Pro by 85%, almost doubling the useful time. The tablet was charging at approximately 35W, the most it can take.

As for my iPhone 15 Plus, Baseus’ power bank was able to raise the battery level 150% over successive charging cycles. That’s enough for a whole weekend of use.

I actually got the opportunity to use the charging accessory on an overnight trip. When I woke up the second day, the iPad battery was at a little under 50% while the iPhone battery was about two-thirds empty. I plugged them into Baseus’ product and 45 minutes later they both had roughly 90% charges while the Blade 2 had given all the power it could. That’s a nice result for an accessory this portable.

When I got home, recharging it took roughly an hour using my best wall charger, which was sending over 50W.

Baseus promises that the battery is good for 20,000 recharging cycles.

Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin 65W Laptop Power Bank final thoughts

This product should be a wake-up call to makers of other laptop power banks: thin is in. A slender accessory fits in the cases we use for our notebook computers far better than a blocky one does.

Baseus went for 12,000mAh, which is of mid-range size. But there’s still enough to add hours of use to a MacBook. Or days of use to an iPhone. And dual USB-C ports are just right.

The price is decent for a premium power bank from a reputable company.

★★★★★

I really couldn’t find any negatives in the product, and I always look for downsides.

Pricing

Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin 65W Laptop Power Bank goes for $99. But today only, March 25, get $30 off by using code 30OFFBLADE from either:

Buy it from: Baseus or Amazon

If you prefer a laptop power bank with many of the same premium features but much more storage capacity, I recommend the HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack. It’s not as thin but holds a whopping 27,000mAh. My review gives the details.

Baseus provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.