(Last Updated On: April 22, 2019)

Mid-range power banks are amongst the most used types of portable chargers on the market now. The reason for that is because they have enough power to charge our smartphones to full power at least once or twice, and yet they have very small form factors.

The form factor of mid-range power banks is basically that of mini power banks that have 3,000mAh power capacities. In this review, we’re going to be taking a look Aukey’s 10,000mAh Slim USB-C power bank.

The charger has an absurdly small form factor while still making use of mid-range power capacity and it also has a USB-C port for faster standard charging.

Power

Power Capacity:

The charger does have a 10,000mAh power capacity, however, if you don’t yet; the power capacity that brands state with their power banks is just for show. It’s not the actual capacity that you’re going to be receiving.

What you really need to know is the amount of power that you’re actually going to be receiving, also known as the output capacity. Basically, the capacity that you receive after the initial power has gone through its conversion during charging.

3.7 x 10,000 = 37,000 / 5 = 7,000

Most of the time, you’re going to average about 7,000mAh of power that you can actually use from the charger. This is a great amount of power for charging smartphones, as that’s the main type of device that this power bank is made for.

In terms of how many full charges that you’re able to get from this power bank?

About two. Most smartphones these days have a 3,000mAh battery capacity, mainly starting with the Samsung Galaxy S7, then the S8 had a 3,000mAh battery and so did the S9. However, in the recent release of the Galaxy S10, the battery capacity barrier is being breached.

With the S10e now using a 3,100mAh battery, Galaxy S10 now has a 3,400mAh battery and S10 Plus has a whopping 4,100mAh battery.

So if you’ve got an even newer smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S10 on the market, then you might fair even less than two full charges.

Output Charging:

There are two ports that you can use to charge your devices.

One is the USB-A port that has a 5V/2.4A (12W) charging speed. The other one is a USB-C port that has a 5V/3.0A (15W) charging speed.

So this power bank does not feature Quick Charge and neither does it feature Power Delivery charging with its USB-C port. We thought we’d mention that ASAP before there are any misunderstandings.

The standard port does have standard charging and with 12W, it’s still quite fast.

As for the USB-C port, it’s going to be most useful to use with USB-C Andriod smartphones, as you can charge your smartphone at 15W. Rather than using the slower USB-A port. Just remember, that you’ll need a USB-C to USB-C charging cable to use the USB-C port.

This power bank does not come with a USB-C to C charging cable.

Also, just to clarify why this power bank does not feature Power Delivery, it’s because the USB-C port has a 15W charging speed. While Power Delivery charging starts at 18W.

Another thing to know is that the USB-C port on this power bank is going to be most helpful for charging smartphones only. 15W of charging power from a UBS-C port is not enough power to charge a tablet or laptop.

Input Charging:

To recharge this power bank, you have two options.

You can either use the USB-C port, that can also be used to recharge the power bank. The USB-C port has a 3 Amp recharging speed.

Or you can use the slower Micro-USB input port that has a 2 Amp recharging speed.

Design

Size and Weight:

The size of this power bank is truly that of a mini power bank. We surely wouldn’t think that this portable charger has a 10,00mAh power capacity, it has more the form factor of a 5,000mAh portable charger.

The length of the power bank is 4.9 inches, a width of 2.7 inches, and a thickness of 0.5 inches. The weight of the power bank is 7 ounces.

In terms of length, the charger is smaller than most smartphones on the market, and with its thinness, you can place this power bank in the same pocket as your smartphone if you wanted to.

Functional Components:

Nearly all of the functional parts of this power bank are on the same side.

The USB-C port, USB-A port, Micro-USB input port, and four green LED power capacity lights can be found on the same side. As for the power button, that can be found on the long length side of this power bank.

Build

Structure and Material:

The build quality of this power bank is pretty good structurally speaking. The ports feel solid to use, and the power button is responsive.

If you were to drop it, the charger could get damaged though. However, it is quite light, and a fall may not do as much damage as a heavier power bank would have.

Tech:

On the tech side, the charger does not overheat, at least in our case.

There have been reports of this power bank actually having its batteries expand and bust out of the casing, and leaving the power bank useless.

In terms of technical improvements, this power bank does have a flaw. It makes use of Lithium Polymer batteries that are more prone to expansion due to heating up. This can be remedied with the usage of Lithium-Ion batteries.

However, that would cause the power bank to be larger and not nearly as small as it is right now. It’s an equivalent change factor in this case. It’s not assured that the batteries would expand as it’s a case by case type of occurrence.

Reliability

The reliability of this power bank is going to be best for Android USB-C smartphones owner. Even though the USB-C port does not feature Power Delivery, it’s still more powerful than a standard port.

It’s not reliable for charging USB-C laptops, and not really meant for charging USB-C tablets. Although you might get away with charging tablets with USB-C port as long as it’s a tablet, and not a laptop/tablet hybrid. As 15W of charging power is not enough for those types of larger devices.

Summary:

Power:

There’s enough power capacity to charge most smartphones to full power about two times. This power bank is best for charging USB-C smartphones, as the USB-C port is faster than the USB-A port.

Design:

The power bank is so small that you can basically place this charger in the same pocket that you place your smartphone in.

Build:

There have been reports of this power bank having its battery expand. There’s a chance of that happening as the charger does make use of Polymer batteries, but it’s not assured that it’ll happen. As the power banks that those users had may have had defects.

Reliability:

This power bank is most reliable for Android smartphones that have a USB-C port. As there’s enough power capacity to charge most phones to full power at least twice, and the charger does not.

Specs of the Aukey Slim 10,000mAh USB-C Power Bank:

• Power Capacity:

Initial: 10,000mAh

Output Capacity: 7,00mAh

• Output:

USB-A Port: 5V/2.4A (12W)

USB-C Port: 5V/3.0A (15W)

• Input:

USB-C Input: 5V/3.0A

Micro-USB Input: 5V/2.0A

• LED Power Indicator: 4 Power Indicators
• Size: 4.9 x 2.7 x 0.5 inches
• Weight: 7 Ounces

Conclusion:

Aukey’s slim USB-C 10,000mAh power bank has quite a lot going for it with its small form factor, fast standard charging, and an easy to use design. We just hope that its small battery problem doesn’t become a big one.