It’s stressful to be out and about and then suddenly realize that your smartphone’s battery is about to die. You can keep that from happening with one of the latest Aukey power banks. Each of these delivers up to 18W of power with PD 3.0 output (USB Type-C) and Quick Charge 3.0 output (USB Type-A), and they’ll work with all of your portable gear.
Aukey Basix Pro Series USB Type-C 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh Wireless Chargers with Built-In Stands
Available in either 10,000mAh or 20,000mAh, the Aukey Basix Pro Series USB Type-C Wireless Chargers with built-In stands offer three ways to charge your electronic devices; they have a built-in 10W wireless charging pad as well as up to 18W delivery with their USB Type-C PD 3.0 and A USB Type-A QC 3.0 output ports.
Both have an integrated kickstand on their back with an integrated smartphone cradle for wireless charging on their front; each comes with a short USB Type-A to USB Type-C charging cable. Pressing the power button will activate wireless charging on both of these power banks at 5W, 7.5W, and 10W wireless output levels, depending on your device’s wireless charging capabilities.
The power banks will automatically exit wireless charging mode after a short period of time if no Qi device is detected. While both power banks support wireless and wired charging at the same time, something to keep in mind is that if you are using the Type-A or Type-C charging ports when you start using the wireless charger, the output on the wired chargers will drop down to 5V until you are done wirelessly charging at which point the wired charging ports will resume fast charging.
All of these Aukey battery packs mentioned in this review have Intelligent Safety Protection, which includes Short Circuit Protection, Overcurrent Protection, and NTC Temperature Detection to protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging.
The Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank measures 6.1″ long by 3″ wide by 0.6″ thick, and it weighs 8.2 ounces. The power bank’s body is composed of matte black plastic with rounded edges and a thin band of glossy black plastic trim running along the top of the device.
A slightly raised silicone circle in the middle surrounding a lightning bolt shows where the Qi-enabled device should be placed for wireless charging. The included cable can be used to charge a device or charge the power bank itself; remember to use an 18W or higher wall plug for the fastest power bank recharge. Power does pass through so that you can charge the battery pack and another device simultaneously.
Built into the front of the battery pack is a flip-up cradle that snaps back into place when not in use.
There are no buttons on the bottom edge of the battery pack.
On the right side in landscape orientation, there are USB Type-A (power out only) and Type-C ports (power in and out); there is also a row of 5 LEDs. The oblong LED on the left will glow orange when the power button is pressed and wireless charging is activated; it will stop glowing, and the wireless charging feature will be stopped if no device is placed on it within 30 seconds.
The four round LEDs will glow white, showing you how much power is left in increments of 25%.
The power button is located on the upper right side of the battery pack if you are using it in landscape orientation or on the bottom right side if you are using it in portrait orientation.
On the back, there is an integrated kickstand that snaps securely into the body of the battery pack when not in use; you’ll know the kickstand is properly extended when you hear a click as the open stand locks into place.
With the kickstand open and the cradle down, the battery pack makes an excellent landscape-oriented stand for your mobile phone.
There is a soft pad covering the cradle’s open portion to grip your smartphone when it is in place.
While the Aukey Basix Pro Series USB Type-C 10,000mAh Wireless Chargers with Built-In Stand is a bit larger than the Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank I’ll be discussing shortly; it is a great choice for someone who prefers wireless charging and would like a stand for their phone while that’s happening.
The addition of the PD and QC ports makes it handy for handling multiple devices at once. With 10,000mAh, you can fully charge an iPhone 11 Pro 2.6 times, an iPad Air (2019) 0.9 times, or a Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 1.8 times.
The Aukey 20,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank measures 6.2″ long by 3″ wide by 0.8″ thick, and it weighs 12.4 ounces. It is nearly identical to the 10,000mAh version when looking at it front-on, but it is slightly larger and heavier. This power bank’s body is also composed of matte black plastic with rounded edges and a thin band of glossy black plastic trim running along the top of the device.
Once again, there is a slightly raised silicone circle in the middle surrounding a lightning bolt showing where the Qi-enabled device should be placed for wireless charging. The included cable can be used to charge a device or charge the power bank itself; remember to use an 18W or higher wall plug for the fastest power bank recharge. Power does pass through so that you can charge the battery pack and another device simultaneously.
There is also a flip-up cradle that snaps back into place when not in use built into the front of this power pack.
On the right side in landscape orientation, there are USB Type-A (power out only) and Type-C ports (power in and out); there is also an oblong LED that will glow orange when the power button is pressed and wireless charging is activated; it will stop glowing, and the wireless charging feature will be stopped if no device is placed on it within 15 seconds.
Finally, there is an LCD that will display the remaining battery percentage without any guesswork.
The power button is located on the upper right side of the battery pack if you are using it in landscape orientation or on the bottom right side if you are using it in portrait orientation.
There are no buttons on the bottom edge of the battery pack.
And there are no buttons on the left side of the battery pack.
Once again, the back has an integrated kickstand that snaps securely into the battery pack body when not in use; you’ll know the kickstand is properly extended when you hear a click as the open stand locks into place.
With the kickstand open and the cradle down, the battery pack makes an excellent landscape-oriented stand for your mobile phone.
There is a soft pad covering the cradle’s open portion to grip your smartphone when it is in place.
This battery pack might seem a bit heavy for everyday carry, but it would be the perfect travel companion. This is easily one of the smallest 20,000mAh battery packs I own, and it’s even lighter than the 10,000mAh battery pack with integrated cables that I carry every day.
Using non-integrated cables isn’t a big deal for me, and I love having this much power in such a compact size. 20,000mAh is enough to charge an iPhone 11 six times, an iPhone XS five times, a Samsung Galaxy S10 almost 5 full times, an iPhone 11 more than 4 times, and an iPad mini 5 over 2.5 times.
The Aukey Basix Pro Series USB Type-C 10,000mAh Wireless Charger with Built-In Stand sells for $39.99; it is available here. The Aukey Basix Pro Series USB Type-C 20,000mAh Wireless Charger with Built-In Stand sells for $59.99; it is available here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Slim power banks with integrated cradle and kickstand for use as a stand while wirelessly charging; Relatively inexpensive; Built-in LCD battery percentage display on the 20,000mAh version is handy; 18W fast charging through the PD and QC ports: Up to 10W wireless charging; A short Type-A to Type-C charging cable is included; It is not necessary to press the power button to begin charging through the USB ports; When you press the power button, wireless charging is activated, but if no Qi-enabled device is placed on the wireless charger, wireless charging will turn off in either 15 or 30 seconds (depending upon the battery pack restoring fast charging to the USB ports; Built-in Intelligent Safety Protection which includes Short Circuit Protection, Overcurrent Protection, and NTC Temperature Detection to protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging
What Needs Improvement: Be aware that if you are using the Type-C or Type-A charging port for wired charging and you decide to also wirelessly charge a second or third device, the output from the wired ports will drop to 5V until you stop using the wireless charger
Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank
Easily one of the smallest 10,000mAh battery packs I’ve tested, the palm-sized Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank proves that good things come in small packages. Composed of matte black plastic with rounded edges and a thin band of glossy black plastic trim running along the top edge, the battery pack measures 3.2″ long by 2.3″ wide by 1.1″ thick, and it weighs 6.3 ounces.
Perfect for bringing along everywhere in your pocket or bag, this little wonder has a button on its front that will display the remaining battery life in 25% increments on four LEDs when pressed.
There is an 18W USB Type-C PD in and out port on the right side.
On the left side, there is an 18W USB Type-A QC port.
The remaining long sides are plain.
The Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank comes with a short USB Type-A to Type-C cable that you can use to charge a device or charge the power bank itself; remember to use an 18W or higher wall charger for the fastest power bank recharge. Power does pass through so that you can charge the battery pack and another device simultaneously.
This little beast is priced to be a great holiday gift for just about anyone; it’s tiny but powerful, and it is small enough for convenient everyday carry. The
The Aukey 10,000mAh 18W Fast Charging Power Bank sells for $20.76, and it is available here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Tiny size that packs a powerful punch; 18W fast charging through the PD and QC ports; It is not necessary to press the power button to begin fast charging; Perfect for everyday carry; Built-in Intelligent Safety Protection which includes Short Circuit Protection, Overcurrent Protection, and NTC Temperature Detection to protect your devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging
What Needs Improvement: Nothing
Having this power bank would save me a lot of hassle on trips