The USB-C MacBook and MacBook Pros can be charged from a variety of third party chargers, including external batteries.
Not just any old USB battery will do though, they need to be PD batteries (Power Delivery) and have an output high enough to cope with the demands of a modern laptop.
There are all sorts of prices for these things, numerous at £100+, so I set about searching for something that was much more economical to use with my new MacBook Pro. After a lot of reading I settled on the iWalk ‘Furious’ portable charger Power bank and purchased it from Amazon.
Most of these batteries top out around 20,000mAh these days as bigger batteries can fall foul of airline and TSA guidelines on taking Lithium Ion onto aircraft.
While I purchased the unit to take on my travels, I also wanted something to use around the house too.
I ran my MacBook battery down to 10% and then plugged in the iWalk.
I then closed the lid (measuring the battery at 44 Watts) and returned a few of hours later. The iWalk was exhausted and the MacBook was now on 61%. So a rough guide is a 50% charge to this 15″ 2018 machine
In a 2nd test I ran the computer back down to 10% and plugged in the battery but continued to use the MacBook. this time the device charged to 48%.
So in either scenario I got practically 4 hours extra run time (for basic surfing, blogging, viewing YouTube etc).
The USB-C output port doubles up as the input for re-charging the battery too. With USB C PD input supported at up to 60W you can fast charge the iWalk using your Mac’s own USB type C mains adaptor in around 4 hours. You can also charge multiple devices at once from its 3 outputs (1 x USB type C, 2 x USB type A).
[QC 3.0 output delivers top 18 W output, USB C PD delivers top 45W output, USB output delivers 5V 2.4A output]
So then the iWalk Furious is ideal for my needs and at an economical price. I no longer need to unplug my bedside mains adaptor, I just use my battery where ever I need around the house instead.
783 Reviews
Anker Power Bank, PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W with 60W PD Charger, Power delivery Power bank Battery pack for iPad Pro/iPhone 11/Pro/X and much more
The Anker Advantage: join the 50 million+ powered by America’s leading USB charging brand.
Huge Charging Power: A 45W USB-C port offers enough power to charge a laptop at full speed, while two 15W USB ports offer optimized charging to phones, tablets, and more.
Colossal Capacity: With a massive 26800mAh capacity, you can charge an iphone X 6 times, a Galaxy S9 5 and a half times, or offer a full charge to a 13-inch MacBook pro or Dell XPS 13.
£129.99
purchase on Amazon
Now, anybody know where I can get a short (25 / 30 cm?) USB-C to USB-C charging cable?
iwalk.net : available from Amazon : REVIEW: The new MacBook Pro
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Last update on 2021-10-04 / affiliate links / images from Amazon product advertising API