Baseus Adaman 20000mAh 65W USB-C PD Power Bank $54.90 ($53.61 with eBay Plus) Delivered @ Baseus Official Store eBay

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• 

  SmoothCactus on 22/09/2023 - 02:06

  +28

  Cactus here

  I won't go into how these perform, because they work. That's as much as you'd need to know about that side.

  These use lithium polymer cells (the flat pillows of doom). After testing hundreds of power banks over the years, I cannot in good conscience ever reccomend a power bank that uses such cells for anything beyond 20w.

  These cells aren't designed for such use at such discharge currents. The circuit topology and design is alright, however the true capacity is closer to 15,000 mAh. This isn't too unusual or crazy for batteries at this price point, they all are fairly off by up to 25% so I don't have any problems with that as you get what you pay for.

  LiPo cells you see in these sorts of batteris also degrade faster and have substantially less cycles in their lifespan. I see 21700 cells perform 3-4 times better after several months. Over time these pillow cells hold substantially less charge and the indicator used will not correctly allign with the true capacity (the percentage rating is of whatever the current capacity is, not the total capacity. Meaning 100% can be 5000mAh after significant degradation) so users are often none the wiser when it comes to detecting degradation. It's most obvious when you notice you can't get x amount of charges of ur phone that you once did, but as this degradation happen so slowly people tend not to realize. Which is why such issues are systematically under reported in reviews and long term sentiment regarding such battery banks. The best analogy I can give is if you've experience battery issues with your phone after years where they don't hold charge as well, but they'll still go up to 100% despite lasting minutes or hours instead of days.

  But more problematically when they get to the end of their lifespan, they can swell and cause safety risks if you are lucky enough to not have them flat out die/stop working suddenly after 12-18 months.

  I know it's convenient to have slimmer and smaller batteries, but there's a good reason the top power banks all use 21700 cells and previously 18650 cells in their design. I wouldn't suggest any battery bank that uses such cells if you want it to last longer than 12months without starting to present issues of some sort.

  If you're on a budget or are strapped and really need something that works for a year, or you don't care about contributing to the E-Waste issue and you're okay with the process of correctly disposing of batteries (please don't throw these into the garbage bin, it's extremely dangerous and costly for your council and waste management organizations) then these work as a viable option.

  For anybody else, id implore you to spend money on something more expensive that will instead last you several years, as the best modern battery banks should last you 2-4 years of heavy use at best and longer with moderate to mild use.

  3/5 Cacti

  • 

    pacificstorm on 22/09/2023 - 02:48

    +6

    @SmoothCactus

    I know exactly what you are saying since I am experiencing the exact same things you mentioned above and you are so right about its sub par performance.

    I bought it mainly to charge my Steam Deck while on the go and let's just say, this product is so horrendous that all I can manage is a 10-15 minute (or maybe even much less) before if goes to empty (0%).

    A recommendation for a good reliable 45-65 watt Powebank brand would greatly appreciated.

    • 

      Seni0r El Cheapo on 22/09/2023 - 09:12

      I am all ears as well - for a recommendation.

    • 

      perrm on 22/09/2023 - 14:33

      Also here for the recommendation!

      • 

        mbcd on 25/09/2023 - 08:14

        +1

        @perrm @choopachups
        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/798475
        Still available with a SmoothCactus rating of 4/5 with issues mainly on the external materials used; had no comments regarding circuit or cells tho.

        • 

          Seni0r El Cheapo on 25/09/2023 - 16:03

          @mbcd: Thanks. Had a few USD in PayPal - ordered. Lets see how it goes :)

  • 

    Voucherd on 22/09/2023 - 09:37

    You sir are amazing, thanks for the detailed breakdown. Is there anything worth buying in the $50-75 price range or is it safe to say just save the money for a higher end model?

    • 

      SmoothCactus on 22/09/2023 - 13:50

      +5

      I know these are a bit more expensive, but if you can a ZMI no 20 (which was on sale a few hours ago on Oz bargain but had limited codes)

      Its the best bank money can buy at $170 rrp or $130 on sale.

      They are twice as expensive, but several magnitudes of order better if you want something that performs the best and will last a long time.

      I have 4 which have lasted nearly 3 years with minimal degradation or issues, and know 15 other people with them, who also have similarly performing cells after 2-3 years.

      There are some baseus banks that use 21700 cells that are decent for what they are at around $70.

      There's some sellers on aliexpress that make good banks at $60-80, but I'd need to dig them up and find links.

  • 

    virtual81 on 22/09/2023 - 14:25

    Can you explain how you test?

    Also whats wrong with LiPO cells? They're used in RC under much harsher conditions than a powerbank would see.

    I'd prefer Lithium Ion cells, but LiPOs should be up to the task for powerbanks.

    • 

      SmoothCactus on 22/09/2023 - 16:47

      +5

      You're completely correct actually. Lipo cells are able to withstand insane conditions. They're used in high density, light weight applications where extreme power draws are common like in RC uses.

      The thing is, those cells are first and foremost designed to operate under those conditions to begin. Modern lipo batteries are great, but I'm sure you've seen the price tag associated with them too.

      LiPos are a strange category of product because there is HUGE variation between products. They've been around for a long long time so modern lipo cells are also vastly different in many metrics to older cells.

      The universal constant I've seen with batteries is you always get what you pay for. Whether it's lipo or LiIon or other battery chemistries, batteries are usually always priced for what they're worth (outside of specific brands and names that include their own markup). Batteries are in such demand universally and constantly that their price don't fluctuate in ways which allow you to game the system and truly get better deals on a large scale for manufacturers to be able to sell you something with a higher density for less than a competitor. It's just a fundamental truth that you cannot usually get cheaper batteries without cutting corners or it skimming from SOMEWHERE. The money has to come and go from some point.

      Which brings it to the cells used in these banks. The cells I've seen used in battery banks vary like nothing else does. You can have 10-15 year old designs that are still being made, designed for cheap low power use, or industrial grade cells made extremely well that are expensive, it doesn't matter to manufacturers as long as they fit physically.

      The problem is, you can use and abuse LiPo, they can take it but the damage and costs of doing so are shifted to longevity. The more you do abuse them the worse the battery life, and this scales very poorly against lipo VS Li Ion despite modern lipo cells being able to have the same rated charge cycles / life or greater in many cases on paper.

      What I mean by this in practice is we see manufacturers using cells that aren't rated for, designed for or ever supposed to be outputting 100w PD or QC because in order to stay competitive they are going to use the cheapest options available to them.

      So there are lipo based banks that handle this level of output just fine out there. They aren't in this price range though. They'll exist in industrial spaces or more commercial and non-consumer product lines.

      In the battery bank space, 18650 and 21700 cells always last longer and perform more stable than lipo due to the competitive nature I described. As if you need to spend x amount for lipo to be competitive, then there are usually always better options available in many ways using lithium ion, and manufacturers know and have figured this out a long time ago.

      The problem is the battery bank market relies on obfuscation and deceit. Nobody tests cells, nobody has minimum standards. 95% of banks aren't their rated capacity and there's nothing you or I can do about it other than buy the good products from honest manufacturers when they come up. But it's hard for a consumer to do that if they don't know they're being lied to and both products are x mAh but one costs $50 less.

  • 

    CVonC on 23/09/2023 - 00:58

    +1

    So the ones in this post are okay?

• 

  Skidro on 23/09/2023 - 11:56

  Do not buy this. It turns into a paperweight in 15 minutes. I hope that the only value my purchase provides is that it dissuades 100 others to not buy this.