Best USB-C battery packs that support Power Delivery
There was many a tear shed for the removal of MagSafe on the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros. For good reason too! It was a great way to protect your Mac. The replacement, USB-C, has its own benefits too though.
The biggest being that it opens up the possibility for any other manufacturer to produce chargers for your MacBook. You can also pick up a battery pack to charge your laptop on the go. For anyone who travels, being able to use a large, hulking battery pack to power up your laptop is huge.
To charge a laptop over USB-C, it needs to support Power Delivery, or PD for short. All of the batteries we’ve included are capable of charging any new Mac over USB-C, with 30W of power. Now that is a far cry from the 87W that the 15? MacBook Pro can consume, but it will lengthen your battery either way, and is plenty for the 13? Pro, or the Retina MacBook.
We’ve gone ahead and put together our usual hands-on video review so you can see the batteries for yourself.
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Mophie powerstation USB-C XXL
The Mophie powerstation is the most expensive battery pack on our list. It has a capacity just below 20,000mAh, which is a pretty respectable capacity.
There are two ports available, a USB-A and USB-C port. You can obviously use the USB-C port to charge up your Mac, but what sets it apart is that you can reverse it to charge your battery from your laptop.
If you plug the battery into your Mac normally, it would just try to charge up your computer. However, if you plug it in, press the button for a moment, it will reverse, and you can power the battery. This is super handy because it lets you use one power cable to charge your laptop and your battery pack. Much more convenient!
The outside is also by far my favorite exterior. It is a soft touch fabric that provides added grip and texture. It goes a long way in making the battery feel more premium.
You can buy it exclusively from Apple for $149.95.
Aukey USB-C Power Bank
Aukey comes in with a price point less than half of the Mophie. It also has a larger capacity of 26,500mAh and support for a full 30W of output. The build quality is for sure less luxurious, but the added capacity and ports make up for it.
Aside from USB-C, there are two USB-A ports, and a Micro-USB input.
The USB-A outputs also support Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 which is beneficial for Android devices that support it. For iOS devices, they are capable of up to 2.4A each.
Last but not least, there is a bonus flashlight built in. It makes it easier to find stuff in your gear bag, without reaching for your phone.
You can find it on Amazon for $71.99.
Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD
Anker is always a favorite, and any roundup of power adapters, cables, or batteries would be remiss if it wasn’t represented.
The PowerCore Speed 20000 has a capacity of 20,100mAh, which appears to be the sweet spot for USB-C batteries.
Anker boasts the speed improvements to this latest battery, both in how it charges other devices, as well as how fast it is capable of recharging. It includes its own 27W wall adapter that is capable of charging this battery in just around 4 hours.
Unfortunately, it is a bit slow on the output. You can charge your Mac with only 22.5W of power instead of the 30W we’ve seen from the others.
The price is a bit higher than Aukey, but since it comes with a power adapter and cable, it is somewhat justified.
You can find the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD, 27W wall adapter, and USB-C cable together for $99 on Amazon.
RAVPower Power Bank PD
The RAVPower battery rounds out our list with a powerful 26,800mAh capacity and support for a full 30W of output.
It has two USB-A ports, Micro-USB input, and a USB-C port, giving you multiple options for input and output.
The rugged exterior is also highly scratch resistant, which makes it easy to throw in your gear bag with or without the included travel bag.
Amazon has it available for $79.99.
The choice is yours
These battery packs are all fantastic. They let you charge significantly faster than a standard battery, even if they are slightly pricier.
After going hands on, I lean towards making Mophie my favorite, even if it isn’t the most powerful. It just feels overall better built, but the higher price and lack of ports makes it a little more difficult for everyone else to choose.
When making your choice, just balance your options against what you are looking for. Would you like an additional wall charger? Check out Anker. The most ports or capacity? RAVPower or Aukey. The best build quality? Mophie.
Let me know down in the comments which is your favorite, or if you have any others that we missed!
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