I might have just found the perfect power bank – for a reason I didn't expect
Even a 10,000mAh battery can still use MagSafe
I've had plenty of portable power banks in my time, and it's been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine to upgrade them every few years. Generally speaking, that's involved the batteries getting smaller, as the tech behind their casings has slowly but surely shrunk over time.
For a couple of years, my default pick when packing a backpack for a working day or a short trip was an Anker 10,000 mAh battery that had a built-in retractable USB-C cable, and it worked a treat right up until I lost it a couple of months ago (I wish I knew where).
So, when Lisen offered to send me a battery pack to test, the timing was good – but so was the feature list. Lisen's power bank comes in at a decent premium of £49.99 at full price (although it often gets discounts), so I was curious to see whether that price could be justified.
Well, a few weeks later, I'm hugely impressed – by its compact design, but also by how much its Qi2 magnetic charging option has been useful even in a bigger battery. I've long known that ultra-slim magnetic chargers can be amazingly convenient, but hadn't banked on finding the same for a bigger one.
Lisen's power bank can charge at up to 25W wirelessly if your device supports it, too, which is pretty remarkable and banishes the one major downside to wireless charging (speed). The other occasional issue can be heat, but I've also been impressed by how well it dissipates heat while in use.
Where the magnets have come into their own, though, is not just for actual charging use. With my iPhone 15 Pro, I've found the best combination has been to use the magnets to secure the battery pack in place on my phone, but then to still use the short included USB-C cable to actually charge over a wired connection.
This bumps the charging power up to 45W at maximum, and means even faster charging with much less heat generated. It's the best for a quick top-up, but unlike my old Anker battery, I don't have to worry about keeping hold of two devices, since it's magnetised to my phone.
At 206g, I'm also impressed by how lightweight the battery is while still offering 10,000 mAh of capacity, which has made it all the easier to keep it in a sling bag or even my pocket at a stretch.
If you're in the market for a new battery pack and want one that marries magnetic convenience to good charging speeds and dimensions, I'll give this one my seal of approval.
