'key takeaways

• The Baseus 140W portable charger is available now onAmazon for$109 .
• Plenty of power to charge your device(s) multiple times before it requires a recharge and small enough to travel with.
• A larger capacity means it takes considerable time to fully charge the power bank.

Battery banks aren't sexy...until you need them. Then, they are the bee's knees, the cat's pajamas, the sardine's whiskers, the elephant's instep, and...you get the picture. I have a number of these devices tucked away in drawers, closets, and cabinets, each of them waiting for that moment of necessity (such as a -- knock on wood -- power outage). And with Mother Nature tossing the weather every which way she can, it's just a matter of time before that happens.

When it does, I'll be ready...at least in a way that will keep me in battery power for a while.

Also: Finally - an outdoor speaker with 'infinite' battery life that sounds stunning

One of the banks I received to review was from the company, Baeseus. Baeseus has quite the product catalog filled with devices of all forms and price points. Its140W Portable Charger is an impressive charger that packs a punch. After giving it a full charge, I put it through its paces by charging different devices to 100% and came away impressed with how it functioned. 

Recommends

Baseus 140W Portable Charger

This portable charger packs a 24000mAh battery for plenty of charges.

View at Amazon

The specs

• PD 3.1 technology to deliver 140W super-fast charge.
• 24000mAh Lithium Polymer battery.
• Over 1,000 charge cycles.
• Smart LED display provides charging level, voltage, and current.
• Can charge three devices simultaneously.
• 1 USB-A and 2 USB-C ports.
• Actual dimensions - 5.43" X 3.38" X 1.26".
• 18-month warranty.

My experience

As soon as I unboxed the power bank, I plugged it in to charge. There are two USB-C ports, only one of which is marked as Input/Output (the far right port). When the bank arrived, it was about half charged. To my surprise, it took about 36 hours for the bank to finally reach 100%. Of course, this is a big battery, but I've had similar-sized batteries charge faster. The difference was the other batteries I've experienced were standard Lithium Ion and not Lithium Polymer.

Also: This device gives you a fully-charged phone battery in just 7 seconds

Once charged, it was time to test drive this baby. Here's what I was able to do from a single, full charge:

• One Pixel 8 Pro from 65% to 100%
• One Pixel 7 Pro from 31% to 100%
• One Chromebook from 22% to 100%
• One Android tablet from 18% to 100%
• One MacBook Pro from 63% to 100%
• Pixel Buds Pro case from 70% to 100%
• One Pixel 4 from 0% to 51%

Once the Pixel 4 hit 51%, the bank ran out of juice. Considering how much drain I put on the bank, that gives me a pretty good idea of how much I could trust this device to keep my devices running. Think about it this way: My Google Pixel 8 Pro can hang for nearly 24 hours (with average usage) before it's desperate for a charge. 

One thing to keep in mind is that I charged the tablet with the slower-charged USB-A port and everything else with the fast-charged USB-C port. I could have probably eked considerably more life out of this had I only used the slower charging port.

Also: This monster 4-port travel adapter can charge all of your tech, at home or on the go

According to the specs, the power bank allows for fast charging of an iPhone 15 Pro Max to 56% and a MacBook Pro 16" laptop to 55% in just 30 minutes. My MacBook Pro is a 13" with an M1 chip and I was able to go from 63-100% in about 20 minutes. Of course, using the fast charge with the MacBook Pro alone consumed about 25% of the charge from the bank. It's pretty easy to conclude that if you're only charging phones, you'll get even more life from a full charge.

's buying advice

At about$109 (on Amazon), the140W Portable Charger from Baeseus can give you a much-needed piece of mind as winter continues to settle in for a bought of uproarious ups and downs.

Although it took considerable time to get this bank to a full charge, the results were impressive. If you plan on purchasing a single power bank to keep your portable devices charged when you've either lost power to your home or you're on the go, this option from Baseus is a winner. It's straightforward to use, gives you plenty of juice, and is small enough to travel.

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