Baseus 65W Free2Pull Power Bank review: 20K laptop battery pack with retractable USB-C

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating
ProsLarge battery capacityIntegrated retractable USB-C cableLightweightConsOnly one spare USB-C portOur VerdictThis 20K laptop power bank is plain looking but performed excellently in our charging tests and comes with a super-convenient retractable cable.

The Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank doesn’t do anything special until you pick it up and take a longer look at it. It’s lighter than most power banks of the same capacity, but its brilliance is its integrated and retractable USB-C cable which means you don’t have to carry a spare charging cable everywhere you take the power bank.

If you use a USB-C cable to tie up your shoes, this won’t matter to you—but, to the rest of us, it is a massive convenience that really sets it apart from the competition.

Power bank tech specs

Battery capacity: 74Wh

Fastest Power Output: 60W

Total Power Output: 65W

Power Input: 60W

USB ports: 1x USB-C (60W PD 3.0) built-in cable; 1x USB-C (60W PD 3.0).

Dimensions: 6.1 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches (15.5 x 7.2 x 3.4cm)

Weight: 15.1oz (429g)

Airline compatible: Yes

Port power

In our round-up of the best power banks for MacBook, we have reviewed laptop power banks with higher capacities, more powerful outputs, and more plentiful USB ports. But the more minimal specs on offer here might suit you perfectly.

While other laptop power banks offer 100W or even 140W power output per port, the Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank can output just 60W from each of its USB connections, and a low overall shared output of 65W.

If your laptop is medium-sized and charges quickly at 60W this may be all you need.

You could 60W power up a laptop and still have 5W over to connect your headphones or smartwatch at the same time. (Press and hold the power bank’s button for three seconds to turn on or off the low-current charging mode to safely charge lesser devices.)

If you own a 16-inch MacBook Pro, we’d recommend the Anker 27650mAh Power Bank that can fast-charge that model at 140W. For most other MacBooks, 60W should be fine to top up your laptop.

There’s no USB-A port on the Baseus power bank, so if you have a device with a charger that requires the old-style USB port, look for a power bank with just such as port as an option. With most devices requiring USB-C these days, we aren’t holding this absence against the Baseus battery pack, but do consider the lack of USB-A if it impacts you and your charging requirements.

Eventually, of course, the power bank itself will run out of juice. You can recharge the Baseus power bank at 65W via the spare USB-C port (or slightly slower at 60W using the retractable cable), which is not as fast as other laptop power banks we have tested.

The more expensive Anker 20K power bank can be charged at 100W, but at 65W input the 20K Baseus matches the Ugreen Nexode 20K power bank for input power.

At 74Wh it is well within TSA, CAA and EASA airline limits for carry-on.








Baseus

Baseus


Baseus

Performance

In our tests, the Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank recharged a fading 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro (69.6Wh battery capacity) to a very respectable 84%. The 27650mAh Anker power bank, while having a larger capacity, only managed around an extra 10% on top of that.

See our list of MacBook battery capacities for more details on the whole range of Apple laptops.

While its battery capacity is focused on charging laptops, this power bank can charge two devices at the same time, such as one or two iPhones, your AirPods, or your Apple Watch.

Other laptop power banks have up to five USB ports but ask yourself how many devices you will realistically need to charge at the same time.

Power banks with a lot of USB ports are best suited to users who may need to use many at the same time. A family on a long-haul flight or camping trip would need either multiple ports or multiple power banks.

The Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank is a great choice for users who know their laptop might need a top-up during the day and want to recharge their phone around the same time.




The USB C port of this charging power bank supports up to 65W input and output power, while the built-in retractable USB C cable supports up to 60W input and output.



The USB C port of this charging power bank supports up to 65W input and output power, while the built-in retractable USB C cable supports up to 60W input and output.Simon Jary / Foundry

The USB C port of this charging power bank supports up to 65W input and output power, while the built-in retractable USB C cable supports up to 60W input and output.Simon Jary / Foundry


Simon Jary / Foundry

Design

It’s too big to keep solely for your iPhone, but it is one of the lightest laptop power banks we have tested.

While the previously mentioned Anker 27650mAh power bank has a higher capacity, it weighs 23.3oz (659g) compared to the Baseus at 15.1oz (429g).

Maybe a fairer comparison is Anker’s own 20000mAh power bank, which weighs 18.7oz (529g), so the Baseus comes in nearly a quarter lighter at the same capacity.

Closer is the Ugreen Nexode 20000mAh power bank, which tips the scales at 16.9oz (480g). Still, the Baseus is the lightweight champion.

The standout design feature that may well persuade you that this is the power bank for you is its integrated retractable USB-C cable, which measures 27.6 inches (70cm).

This is much more convenient than carrying a cable and your power bank around and is neatly tucked away at the top when not in use.

We have found that some retractable cables become less retractable over time, but this cable looks and feels well-made for the long term.








Simon Jary / Foundry

Simon Jary / Foundry


Simon Jary / Foundry

Display

The Anker and Ugreen laptop power banks have more detailed and colorful smart displays. The Baseus power bank has a large but fairly plain and vanilla screen that shows just the remaining charge inside the battery pack.

That’s the statistic that is most immediately useful, and I wonder if many users will use these displays to any further degree than their power bank’s remaining charge.

Therefore, we wouldn’t pick a power bank based on its digital display unless we were really interested in power input and output information.

Price

Available in two colors, a standard silver gray and black, the Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank is priced at $79.99. We think that’s a great price for the battery performance and convenience of the retractable cable.

This is significantly cheaper than the 20000mAh Anker Prime Power Bank ($129.99), although that does boast three USB ports (including one USB-A) and the fancier smart display.

At present the Baseus 20K power bank is on sale in the U.S. only.

Should I buy the Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank with Retractable USB-C Cable 65W?

A 20000mAh (72Wh) power bank with a 65W output suits owners of the MacBook Air and 13- and 14-inch MacBook Pro, who don’t need more than two charging ports at the same time.

What we love about this power bank, aside from its lightweight and great price, is its built-in retractable USB-C cable that means more portable convenience and less cable mess.