This is a major digression from the software tech posts we usually do but since we mostly use devices that are powered by electricity we cannot escape it. Think about this way: for you to be a programmer/software developer you need a machine that needs power to run. On top of that, the Internet that you need has to be powered somewhere. We will not 'climb up the stack' in this post; our primary focus is on your 'workstation' i.e. your laptop mostly. Occasionally you might suffer a power outage and you need to continue working. Or you are away from a socket outlet and you need to continue working on your projects. This is where the Power Bank comes in. With a power bank you can keep your machine running for some extra time. It also comes in handy when you have to power your machine while at your client's premises without bothering them with plugging into their socket outlets (and it looks professional and a bit considerate when doing so).
We will be doing a simple comparison between 3 power banks that we have some experience with: the 100W Havit PB5212, the 130W Oraimo PowerJet and the 145W Ugreen Nexode PB205 power bank.
This is the de facto standard of what a rugged laptop power bank should be. It is pretty common in the market at this point, budget-friendly and packs a punch for such an affordable price. We can hazard to say that this particular power bank has just hit the right spot in the market both in pricing and its power deliver: not too cheap and not too expensive either while having a large capacity that allows it to be very portable.
A product from Havit that is aimed at the lower end of the market. It features a 20000mAh storage and a maximum output wattage of 100W.
Ugreen is commonly known as a manufacturer of rather high-end electronics. The 145W Ugreen PB205 power bank fits in neatly into its manufacturing philosophy with a solid and sleek build.
Now, let's head over to the comparison showdown.
Clear Winner: Oraimo PowerJet 130W
2nd Runners Up: 145W Ugreen PB205
3rd Runners Up: Havit PB5212 100W
The Oraimo PowerJet 130w is a clear winner here. With a massive 27,600 mAh storage it can charge a power-hungry laptop while leaving enough juice to charge it later or to top up as you use your laptop. The 145W Ugreen PB205 comes in a close second with a 2600mAh lesser storage than the Oraimo PowerJet 130w i.e its storage is 25,000mAH. It has the same advantage as the Oraimo PowerJet 130w but a bit lower power will be left after charging a power-hungry laptop. The Havit PB5212 100W comes in at a distant thrid with a maximum storage of 20,000mAH. This can still charge a standard laptop but the juice that would be left would not charge it fully a second time.
Clear Winner: 145W Ugreen PB205
2nd Runners Up: Oraimo PowerJet 130W
3rd Runners Up: Havit PB5212 100W
All power banks output at wattage that can comfortably power any laptop. The 145W Ugreen PB205 is clear winner here. With an output wattage of 145W it can power the most powerful gaming laptops in the market without breaking a sweat. With such a high output wattage it can quickly charge a basic standard laptop. The second runners up is the Oraimo PowerJet that can output a cool 130W from its USB C1 port. The Havit PB5212 comes in third at a maximum of 100W output wattage.
Here is something interesting about the Havit PB5212 100W power bank: it delivers 100W in both its USB C1 and USB C2 ports when each is used individually. The other two banks only output their maximum wattage on the USB C1 port only.
Clear Winner: Havit PB5212 100W
2nd Runners Up: 145W Ugreen PB205
3rd Runners Up: Oraimo PowerJet 130W
The winner here is the Havit PB5212 100W power bank. It is pretty light for such a power capacity: at ~ 390 grams only. The 145W Ugreen PB205 comes in second at around 500 grams while the Oraimo PowerJet 130W is the heaviest and comes in third at a ~600 grams.
Clear Winner: A Tie
All three power banks have solid builds. The 145W Ugreen PB205 has a solid Aluminum/Plastic build with a slick rectangular profile. The Havit PB5212 100W also comes in a rectangular profile but with an all-plastic build. The Oraimo PowerJet 130W is the only one in this comparison post that comes in your standard brick build.
Clear Winner: Oraimo PowerJet 130W
2nd Runners Up: Havit PB5212 100W
3rd Runners Up: 145W Ugreen PB205
The Oraimo PowerJet 130W power bank wins yet again when it comes to its power display. With a hidden LED display you get to see input/output wattage of the ports and also the power level. The Havit PB5212 100W comes in a close second with a display that shows the input/output voltages, the power bank's power levels and the time left before the bank fully discharges. The third runners up is the 145W Ugreen PB205 power bank that has a simple LED display that only shows the power levels.
Clear Winner: 145W Ugreen PB205
Sometimes users tend to use their power banks while charging it in parallel. This is what is called 'pass-through' power bank usage where you have plugged in your power bank to charge it while it is also connected to your laptop or mobile device. Sadly, this is actually contraindicated by most power bank manufacturers. Why? The advice against 'pass-through' usage is that it leads to the damage of the unit.
While both Oraimo PowerJet 130W and Havit PB5212 100W power banks do not explicitly state they support 'pass-through' usage (we'll assume here they do not support it) the 145W Ugreen PB205 power back is openly marketed as supporting 'pass-through' usage.
Clear Winner: Tie
All power banks can be carried aboard planes and trains without any restrictions. Most airlines put a limit of 100kWh that can be carried onboard. All these have less than that limit.
Clear Winner: Havit PB5212 100W
2nd Runners Up: Oraimo PowerJet 130W
3rd Runners Up: 145W Ugreen PB205
The Havit PB5212 100W is the cheapest amongst the three followed by the Oraimo PowerJet 130W. The 145W Ugreen PB205 is the most expensive of the 3.
So which of the three is the best? That largely depends on purchasing factors or buyer/user preferences?
All-in-all the 3 power banks can power your laptop, tablets while also charging your mobile devices. Some like the Oraimo PowerJet 130W and the 145W Ugreen PB205 even feature 'trickle down' technology that can modulate their power outages to lower levels to charge smaller devices like smartwatches and earbuds.
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