Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000

[testman78]

Introduction

It's a problem all gadget-loving folk deal with, the more gadgets you have, the more power you need. The solution, of course, is to buy yet another gadget, one that can supply power to all of those hungry devices, large and small. However, regular power banks can be limiting if you want to do more than just charge your smartphone, such as wanting to charge a laptop or power an appliance. There are power banks that can do that and that's why we're reviewing this Sandberg USB-C PD 100W 20000 power bank. The Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 may just be the holy grail of portable power. This battery pack can crank out over 100 watts of power, enough to feed USB-C powered laptops.



The Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 has the following specifications:




Packaging & Contents

Classic Sandberg package design featuring a clean black box with blue accents. The front side carries an image of the device.



The back of the box offers languages to the top with the scope of delivery listed out at the bottom.



You open the box and you find the power bank in a plastic case.



Inside the case you will find the charging cable, and a manual




A Closer Look

Even with all of its charging power, Sandberg almost always manages to have a small form factor with their power banks. This charger has a length of 17.5cm, a width of 7.8cm and a thickness of 2cm. The power bank is pretty heavy at 543gr, which is understandable given the capacity.



You'll find it more practical carrying the Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 in a bag than a pocket.



The build quality of this power bank is good, but something to know is that it's not a rugged power bank, so it's not safe from drops of water. However, generally speaking, the portable charger has a good build with its Aluminum Alloy shell that covers most of the power bank and everything feels solid to use, from the button to the ports.



There are two ports on the powerbank: a 12W USB-A and a 100W USB-C that functions as both a power output and input port. You can't charge a device a recharge the power bank at once (known as passthrough charging), though the USB-C PD input means having to charge each device separately is less of a hassle.



The ports are clearly labeled and the LED display is clear and easy to read.The amount of remaining power is displayed as a percentage which is a lot more detail than decoding a blinking LED or a 4-LED power meter.



On left side of the powerbank is the device's only button. This will activate the charger when a device has been connected, along with showing off how much juice is left. Charging automatically starts when you plug a device into the power bank, and so the power button is only useful for checking how much power is left.



The back side of the powerbank details all of its important technical specifications. Here's all that and the input/output ratings of the device. Sandberg USB-C PD 100W 20000 external battery bank comes with safety protections ranging from surge protection and over voltage protection to temperature control and output current limiting cut-off.




Performance

The Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 needs to be fully charged before using it for the first time. Depressing the Powerbank's button will activate the battery and display its current charge level. The ports hold on tight to the charging cables that you input to them, and the power button feels super responsive. The Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 can be charged in just 5 hours with a PD wall charger such as iPhone 11 Pro/Max charger. That is quite fast, actually, for the size of this battery pack, but keep in mind that the timing there is only when using the USB-C port and a USB PD charger (Sandberg does include one in the box). If you are charging via a regular USB-C port or charger, then it is going to take a lot longer to charge, closer to around 8-10 hours. So that effectively makes it an overnight charge type of thing.



Speaking of charging, the Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 is able to charge up your smartphone about 6 times before needing some more juice itself. Now that will depend on what smartphone you have, but on average most smartphones are sporting about 3000mAh battery packs inside, so those with smaller ones will get more charges out of this battery pack. In my testing, and iPhone 11 Pro powered up in under an hour. iPad Pro? 90 minutes. And my 16-inch MacBook Pro in about two hours and 15 minutes. All of which beat the standard charging times when compared to Apple's bundled power bricks.


Final Thoughts

This Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 is great for anyone looking beyond a regular power bank and wants to have the flexibility of charging their laptop at max power wherever they go. There's quite a lot of power capacity to use to charge small and larger devices to full power multiple times, or only once. The PD charging is the highlight of this power bank as it's able to supply a lot of charging power and it's also able to be recharged at PD speeds. The build is not rugged, but solid, and feels great to use for everyday use with its tactile feel. The Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 does not come with a wall adapter. This is becoming more common. The devices you want to power up already came with an adapter, and Sandberg's goal is help you minimize what you need to carry around. If you're flying anytime soon, TSA allows batteries of 100Wh or less in your checked luggage or carry-on.



At the time of this writing, the Sandberg Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000 is priced at $147.99. Sure, $147.99 for a portable charger may be a bit steep to some, but there are considerations to be made. You're getting one of the best chargers from a trusted brand that does have a strong reputation and also includes a 5 years warranty which covers your device if something happens during regular intended use of the Powerbank. If you're a mobile warrior with the right hardware to take advantage of the Powerbank USB-C PD 100W 20000, and you're craving the convenience of being able to not just top-off your phone, but also your laptop without being anywhere near an outlet, then Sandberg's solution can make a lot of sense.