'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
This power bank is thinner than your iPhone and currently on sale for 20% off
Baseus Blade 2
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Baseus Blade 2 ultra-thin power back is currently available from Amazon for $80 with a 20% off coupon.
- It's super thin and lightweight with enough power to charge an iPhone 15 more than twice over, and uses silicon carbon EV grade batteries for safety and longevity.
- The text on the display is small and can be difficult to read.
Regular readers may remember that I've looked at a couple of Baseus Blade power banks before. These were the Baseus Blade and the Baseus Blade HD, both 100W units. Now, Baseus has added a smaller, thinner, and even lighter power bank to the line: the Baseus Blade 2.
Also: My MacBook Pro stopped charging - here's how I fixed it for free
The first thing that struck me about the Blade 2 is how thin it is. It's thin... really thin. Even thinner than my Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Yes, the Baseus Blade 2 is even thinner than my Apple Watch Ultra 2!
Baseus Blade 2 specs
- Ports: 2 x USB-C
- USB-C Inputs: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 20V⎓3A
- USB-C Outputs: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 20V⎓3.25A
- Type-C1 + Type-C2 Output: 45W+20W
- Multicharge: Yes
- Capacity: 12000mAh
- Max Output: 65W
- Max Input: 60W
- Display: LCD display showing remaining battery, power input/output and charging time
- Size: 0.35 x 5.2 x 6.38 inches
- Weight: 0.75 pounds
- FAA Airline Compatible: Yes
The Blade 2 has a flat, square design. It has two USB-C ports (both support charging so you don't have to guess which one to use when it needs charging), an on/off button, and an LCD display.
The display shows the remaining battery, power input/output, charging time, and whether it is connected to an app by Bluetooth.
The LCD is small, but functional, although the text might be hard to read for some.
Also: This monster 240W charger has features I've never seen on other accessories
The two USB-C ports are marked with tiny text, but since both support input and output there's no need to squint for the right one when it comes time to charge the power bank.
Twin USB-C ports and an on/off button.
There's also an app that you can use to get details of what the power bank is doing, change the color of the background of the LCD display, and activate a shut down time.
Baseus app for controlling the Blade 2.
I've carried out all my normal tests on the Blade 2 -- battery capacity, charge/discharge power, and thermal tests under prolonged, heavy load -- and it passed with flying colors, which I'd expect from a Baseus product.
ZDNET's buying advice
While the Baseus Blade 2 isn't designed for slipping into a pocket -- although it might fit into a large jacket pocket -- it's perfect for slipping into a laptop bag alongside your laptop and charger, or even a laptop sleeve. And with 12,000 mAh of charge capacity, it's not enough to fully charge a laptop, but it will give it a considerable top-up.
Normally priced at $100, there's currently a 20% off on-page coupon on Amazon that you can redeem to get this power bank for an even better price.