'Charging anxiety' is a term that is commonplace in the electric vehicle market. It's that feeling of running out of precious power when you're partway through a journey. Many people feel the same thing when they think about their phones or laptops running out of juice. Thanks to UGREEN's 300W 48,000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank, there's no need to be without.
The power bank delivers 48,000 mAh of capacity, which is plenty to charge phones and laptops multiple times. It is even possible to charge up to five devices at a time, but only up to 300W. This means you can keep all your devices fully topped up, no matter whether you're off on holiday without power or if you're desperate to stay online during a power cut.
UGREEN has built a sturdy device that fills the middle power bank market and sits perfectly between small mobile power banks and full-on portable power stations. The price might put a lot of people off but for those who are willing to spend the money, they won't be disappointed.
UGREEN 300W Power Bank: Specifications
UGREEN 300W Power Bank: Price
At $199.99 / £189.99, the UGREEN 300W 48,000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank is definitely on the pricy side of power banks but it isn't without reason. The capacity is significantly larger than smaller power banks such as the Anker MagGo 10K and provides more charging configurations than most other alternatives of this size.
UGREEN 300W Power Bank: Design & Handling
In terms of design, this 300W 48,000mAh power bank is typically UGREEN. All materials are a shade of grey or black, providing a muted palette of colors to ensure the device will fit naturally into any desktop environment. Two rubber pads at the bottom of the unit also help to ensure it won't slip or fall.
The front of the unit is where the magic happens and is taken up by a low-light but masterfully engineered screen that displays the battery level, the watts in, and the watts out. The screen is not domineering but fades into the background, much like the display on an Amazon Kindle.
Underneath the display are the power button, two USB-A ports, and three USB-C ports. The USB-A ports are 22.5W max and can only be used to output power. The first of the USB-C ports is 140W max and can be used to either charge the power bank or an external device. The final two USB-C ports are 'out' only and are limited to 100W. Any number of the five ports can be used at any one time, although the overall output is limited to 300W.
The power bank is advertised as portable, which is true, but it's heavy weight (1.86 KG) means it's not for the fainthearted. If you're transporting this any distance at all, then you'll want to make sure you have the muscles to do so. It'll be fine if you're taking it on holiday in your car but if you're going on a hike, then that might prove tricky. The unit does come with a carry handle, although this is made of plastic and could easily snap off if put under unnecessary pressure. The side of the unit also includes an LED light, which campers might find useful.
UGREEN 300W Power Bank: Performance
The output performance of this UGREEN power bank is relatively good, although I was never able to hit the heights of the watt outputs either for the USB-C or USB-A outputs. This might have been due to my phone and laptop cables but I'm not entirely sure they were entirely at fault. I was able to charge my iPhone XR in around an hour, although I expected it to be quicker.
In terms of charging the power bank, I experienced very mixed results. The device doesn't ship with a charger so if you want to get the quickest re-charge times, then you'll need to invest in something like UGREEN's Nexode 100W USB-C charger. This isn't ideal. I used a range of different USB-C cables and experienced anything between 3 and 12 watts of input. This meant it took me more than a day or sometimes longer, to go from empty to full charge.
UGREEN claims that even after 3,000 charge cycles, it will still have 80% of its capacity available. Considering you're unlikely to drain the unit and recharge it once every day, this power bank is likely to last 10 to 15 years.
UGREEN 300W Power Bank: Verdict
The UGREEN 300W 48,000mAh Power Bank is a great device that offers unparalleled charging features that will appeal to people going on a camping weekend or who want to be prepared for a power cut. Even though the unit is quite heavy, it is still small enough to take with you on a holiday, as long as you're not planning on carrying it too far.
The 48,000mAh capacity will charge most laptops once or any phone numerous times. The low-light display provides all the necessary information, including battery level as well as how many watts are coming in or out of the power bank. Having this level of information is one thing that sets it apart from smaller and cheaper power banks.
To get the most out of it, you will need to invest in the highest-wattage power cables but if you have time on your hands, then you'll have no problem getting all your devices charged up time and again with standard phone charging cables. I really like this power bank and am glad to have enough power ready to go should any emergency arise.
