This sub-$100 power bank will easily meet your laptop charging needs, and then some

Power banks have changed a lot over the years. Going from tiny battery packs that were designed to keep your phone charged up, they now hold tens of thousands of milliamps-hours of power and can output 100W of power.

For example, take the Baseus Blade. 

This is a 20,000mAh lithium battery pack that's kitted out with twin USB-C and USB-A ports. The USB-C ports are capable of a maximum of 100W output and 65W input, and the USB-A ports capable of 30W output.

On the front is a display that shows the input/output (both Volts and Amps), and the time left to charge/discharge.

All this packed into a package 0.7-inch thick and weighing just a whisker over one pound. Everything is packed into a tough, grippy black plastic shell.

Compared to bulkier power banks, this feels like a much better, more ergonomic shape, for using with a laptop.

And it's pretty impressive at charging laptops. For example, it can take a 16-inch MacBook Pro from zero to 36% in only 30 minutes.

On the smartphone charging front, the Blade supports PD 3.0, QC.4.0, SCP, FCP fast charging protocols.

I've tested the claims made by Baseus — the 20,000mah capacity, 100W USB-C output, 30W USB-A output, 65W USB-C input, 1.5 hours charging time — and they all check out.

The large, easy to read display is a nice touch and gives you at-a-glance info on the capacity, charge/recharge time, and the Volts and Amps being output by the power bank. This lets you know exactly what's going on with the power bank without having to squint or press buttons or decipher little flashing LEDs.

A couple of things that I don't like about the Baseus Blade.

First, it gets hot in use. I recorded temperatures of 45ºC/113ºF on the front, and 54ºC/129ºF on the back.

While these temperatures are safe, and I had no problems running the power bank for extended periods like this, it's not something I'd like to run on my lap, and definitely not on something like carpet or a tablecloth or other soft furnishings.

Also: Why you need an Android smartphone with a thermal and IR camera

The power bank is also a dust magnet, and the shiny surfaces pick up and show every bit of dirt and dust.

The power bank also comes with a 3-foot USB-C to USB-C charging cable that's rated for 100W, and a soft carry pouch.

All in all, I like the Baseus Blade. 

A lot.

The shape is refreshing and much better for using with laptops, and the display is a nice feature giving an easy-to-read insight into the state of the power bank. 

It's a really convenient way to carry power to charge your laptop when out and about. And at $99.99 (Amazon is currently offering a $10 coupon), it's a quality power bank that can handle heavy power loads available at a decent price.