It’s ironic that portable chargers are required in 2021 considering we never leave the house due to COVID-19 restrictions, yet every morning I find myself checking the charge status of myriad power banks which range from 2500mAh to most recently 20,000mAh. Until I received the Aukey Basix Pro Wireless Powerbanks, the largest pack I owned was a Mophie 15,000mAh model.
The Aukey Basix Pro Wireless Chargers also happen to be the first wireless, Qi enabled, chargers I have used. How does the Aukey stack up to the others I’ve owned? Let’s find out.
Design
I was sent both the 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh models for the purpose of this review. They are both similar in size despite twice the capacity featured in the PB-WL03 model. The 10,000mAh (PB-WL02) measures 6.10″ x 2.95″ x 0.61″ versus the 6.2” x 2.9” x 0.74” dimensions for the 20,000mAh pack. Weight wise, they weigh 8.5oz and 12.5oz respectively.
Both feature USB-C (for recharging and output) as well as USB-A plug (output only) along the tops. The 10,000mAh pack uses 4 LED lights to indicate remaining capacity while the 20,000mAh features a digital display that tells you remaining capacity in 0-100% format. Each features a button along the side to turn on wireless charging and display battery pack charge status.
Bonus design features for these packs is a kickstand on the back and a device rest on the front. This allows you to wirelessly charge your phone while watching video in landscape mode. Super convenient for binge watching.
Input/Output ratings for both chargers is as follows:
- USB-C Input: (Power Delivery 3.0) DC 5V 3A, 9V 2A
- USB-C Output: (Power Delivery 3.0) DC 5V 3A, 9V 2A, 12V 1.5A
- USB Output: (Quick Charge 3.0) DC 5V 2.4A, 9V 2A, 12V 1.5A
- Wireless Output: 5W, 7.5W, 10W
- Max Power Output: 18W
Performance
For this test, I used only the 20,000mAh pack, assuming that the 10,000mAh pack will yield similar results except delivering around ½ the number of recharges. I charged my iPhone 11 (3,110mAh) using both the wireless and wired charging methods in order to determine charge efficiency.
Keep in mind that wireless charging efficiency varies depending on well the coils are aligned between the phone and the charger. Neither of the Aukey chargers feature indicators or guides to align the coils to be directly over each other.
Wired Charging – Using a USB-C to Lightning Fast Charge Cable
- iPhone 11 at 6% (~187mAh remaining)
- 30 minutes – iPhone 66% charged, Aukey 85% remaining capacity
- 60 minutes – iPhone 91% charged, Aukey 81% remaining capacity
- 85 minutes – iPhone 100% charged, Aukey 79% remaining capacity
- Based on these results, the Aukey drained 4,200mAh to charge 2,923mAh. That’s just over 70% efficient.
Wireless Charging
- iPhone 11 at 6% (~187mAh remaining)
- 30 minutes – iPhone 51% charged, Aukey 87% remaining capacity
- 60 minutes – iPhone 69% charged, Aukey 85% remaining capacity
- 90 minutes – iPhone 81% charged, Aukey 81% remaining capacity
- 120 minutes – iPhone 100% charged, Aukey 78% remaining capacity
Based on these results, the Aukey drained 4,400mAh to charge 2,923mAh. That’s just over 66% efficient.
Conclusions
I was honestly expecting wired charging to be significantly more efficient than wireless charging in both speed and consumed capacity of the Aukey power banks. While the time to charge was significantly faster using a USB-C rapid charge cable, the efficiency of delivering the charge was only slightly better with a hard wired connection.
Whether you choose to charge your phone wired or wirelessly, you can expect at least 4 charges from the Aukey 20,000mAh Basix Pro charger assuming your phone has approximately 3,100mAh battery pack. For most people, this may be the perfect companion for that weekend camping trip.
While I wasn’t able to test charge speed or efficiency using Quick Charge, I was able to confirm it delivers QC compatible voltages by testing the 10,000mAh pack in my heated coat. Using that pack on high power for roughly 40 minutes kept me cozy warm during a brisk morning walk. Upon returning home, the pack showed 3 remaining LEDs or approximately 75% remaining.
Both packs are available at Amazon through the Aukey Store. The 10,000mAh (PB-WL02) retails for about $43.00 at the time of writing this review. The 20,000mAh (PB-WL03) retails for $45.99 with a 10% off coupon available.
Given the slightly larger dimensions and weight and roughly $10 difference in cost, I would definitely choose the PBWL03 over its smaller capacity sibling. Not only will you get twice as many charges, you’ll have a better idea of remaining capacity due to its digital display. Only time will tell how these battery packs degrade over time but I’ve been quite happy with their performance over the past couple of weeks.
