Review: Ugreen's 100W Nexode power bank prioritizes performance

09 Oct 2024, 22:00 by Dominic Preston · Android Police

There are only a few things you really want from a power bank: reliability, portability, and decent charging speeds. By those three measures, Ugreen’s 20,000mAh Nexode power bank is everything you need it to be: a solidly built, high-capacity power bank that’s still slender and lightweight and tops out at a nippy 100W output — enough to keep even a laptop topped up.

This doesn’t pack any outlandish features or novel tech — not even a wireless charging pad — but if you need a big power bank that does the basics well, it will be hard to beat.

Ugreen 100W 20,000mAh Nexode Power Bank

9 / 10
$54 $80 Save $26

This Nexode power bank from Ugreen combines a decent capacity with fast output speeds, making it ideal for charging a laptop, tablet, or phone — or even all three at once. There are no frills like wireless charging or a detailed display, but the basics are done well and the price-to-performance ratio is just right.

Pros

Large 20,000mAh capacity
100W top speed is enough to run a laptop
Digital display to report battery level
Slick but understated aesthetic

Cons

No wireless charging
Digital display is limited to showing battery capacity

$54 at Amazon $80 at UGreen

Price, availability and specs

This 20,000mAh is part of Ugreen’s Nexode range, the branding it uses for its more powerful, performance-focused products. Appropriately then, its $80 price tag is at the upper end of what you might expect to pay for a decent power bank, but not unreasonable given the combo of a generous capacity and top speeds.

You can get 20,000mAh for much less than this if capacity is all you care about, but $80 is fairly competitive for that battery size combined with 100W charging. The only models you'll find for cheaper are from no-name Amazon brands that I'd be cautious about trusting to charge my tech.

Specifications

Brand
Ugreen
Battery Capacity
20,000mAh
Ports
2 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A
Weight
420g
Maximum Discharge
100W
Maximum Charge
65W
Capacity
20,000mAh
Expand

What’s good about the Ugreen 20,000mAh Nexode?

Everything you need, done well

As a tech journalist, I tend to travel a lot for work. Those days are often demanding on my tech, with heavy use of my phone, MacBook, and tablet. It’s thus a testament to this Nexode power bank that it’s quickly become a default addition to my backpack on work outings.

That’s partly thanks to its sheer capacity: 20,000mAh is enough to power even a flagship phone a few times over, or deliver a charge or two to any larger hardware. I’m unlikely to need this much extra power over any single day, so I know I can bring the Nexode and rely on it for a few days at a time.

With two USB-C ports and one USB-A, it can theoretically charge three devices simultaneously, though I rarely use it that way. I prefer to get the max speeds out of the main USB-C port, which delivers 100W of power when used in isolation, or 65W if combined with any of the other outputs, supporting USB-C PD and PPS.

100W is faster than most phones or tablets can take anyway, but it’s ideal for fast charging my MacBook, returning about 50 percent of its battery in just half an hour. The second USB-C port is capped at a more sluggish 30W, with the USB-A at 22.5W, though those two are limited to 20W each when both used at the same time. As for topping the power bank’s own battery up, it’ll charge at up to 65W with a compatible cable and adapter over USB-C PD 3.0. A full charge takes about two hours.

The final key selling point is size. At 420g and 26.5mm thick, this is hardly the sort of slimline power bank you’d want to keep in a handbag or slide into your jacket pocket, but by the standards of other 20,000mAh batteries, this is fairly compact and lightweight, and I don’t resent carrying its weight too often. It’s also comfortably below the usual airline threshold for power bank capacity, so it is safe to fly with.

The controls are simple: a single large button on the side next to a minimalist display that delivers a numerical read on the power bank’s remaining battery — a big improvement on cheaper devices that only have a few LEDs reporting broad battery ranges.

I’m a fan of the Nexode’s simple, understated look. It’s gray and functional, but without feeling drab. I’m less a fan of the drawstring bag that comes along with it, which somehow cheapens the look and feel, but I suppose a little extra protection is welcome.

What’s bad about the Ugreen 20,000mAh Nexode?

It’s simple, for better or worse

I honestly have few complaints about the Nexode, but you’d best be aware of what you’re getting, which is function over flash. That means it lacks two more advanced features you might hope for at this price: wireless charging or a more advanced display.

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Because cords are so last year

I’m personally still not entirely sold on Qi charging pads built into power banks — if I’m charging on the go, I usually want a quick top-up, and wireless charging isn’t that — but the tech clearly has its fans, and if that’s you, then you should look elsewhere.

While the Nexode packs a small screen to report battery levels, it doesn’t follow pricier power banks in giving detailed reporting on exact power input/output levels per port so that you can confirm exactly how much power your devices are drawing.

Most people won’t mind that, but again, if you’re not most people, then look elsewhere.

Should you buy the Ugreen 20,000mAh Nexode power bank?

If you want a big power bank that charges fast and won’t weigh you down, then yes. This delivers all the essentials with aplomb and looks good doing it. It won’t satisfy anyone hoping for fancier features, but the Nexode delivers on the most important parts of a portable charger, especially excelling at charging speeds while eschewing the frills.

Ugreen 100W 20,000mAh Nexode Power Bank

9 / 10
$54 $80 Save $26

$54 at Amazon $80 at UGreen

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