Baseus PicoGo Ultra-Slim Power Bank for iPhone review: Small but mighty

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

Super slim

Super small

Super colors

10K is 15W QI2

Cons

5K is 7.5W

Our Verdict
The compact PicoGo is somewhere in between its nearest competitors in quite a sweet spot of size and performance—the 5K model equals the record for lightest power bank we have tested.

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Lithium-ion scientists must have been busy lately, with magnetic power banks getting slimmer and smaller but just as powerful.

Power banks are useful tools to carry around with you, and the smaller they get the easier they are to carry with you in a handbag, backpack compartment or in your jacket pocket.

Baseus has made some of our favorite battery packs in the past and we’re fans of its latest range, the PicoGo AM41 Ultra-Slim Power Banks.

While neither the very slimmest, lightest or smallest, the PicoGo AM41 hits a sweet spot somewhere in the middle of its nearest rivals.




Top: 10K PicoGo. Bottom: 5K PicoGo.Simon Jary / Foundry

Skinny models

The Baseus PicoGo AM41 Ultra-Slim is available in the two standard phone power bank battery capacities: 5000mAh (5K) and 10000mAh (10K).

The smaller of the two, the 5K PicoGo measures 3.9 x 2.6 x 0.36 inches (10 x 6.7 x 0.9cm) and weighs a mere 3.9oz (111g).

The smallest magnetic power bank we have tested is the $39 Infinacore M3 Mini Wireless 5K Power Bank, which is shorter and less wide than the 5K PicoGo but a little fatter; see our photo below.

The slimmest we have got our hands on is the Vonmählen Evergreen Mag 5000mAh Power Bank, also $39, which is longer and wider than the Infinacore but a smidgen thinner.

The Baseus PicoGo 5K is a tiny bit shorter and less wide than the Vonmählen but almost exactly the same slim depth and is 13g lighter. It is precisely the same weight (111g) as the Infinacore. That’s why we think it’s the sweet spot between the three.




From left: Infinacore 5K, Baseus PicoGo 5K, and Vonmahlen 5K power banks.Simon Jary

The differences might appear minor but if you are seeking the smallest lightest and thinnest magnetic power bank, the fine margins still matter.

The larger capacity 10K Baseus PicoGo measures 4 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches (10.2 x 6.8 x 1.5cm) and weighs 6.2oz (175g). It’s about the same credit-card length and width but noticeably thicker in depth than the 5K, as you’d expect from a much more powerful battery pack.

Charge of the light brigade

Vital statistics for power banks don’t end on the measurements. Maybe most important of all is charging performance. The three rival power banks above are rated at 5000mAh battery capacity, but in our tests some perform better than others.

We let our test unit iPhone 16 Pro‘s battery run right down to zero, clamp on the magnetic power bank, and wait until the battery pack runs out and take note of the iPhone’s new battery percentage.

The Infinacore is cute but was let down by its recharge credentials, recharging the faded iPhone to 56%—enough to get you to the next charging station but lower than both the Vonmählen (70%) and Baseus (71%). That’s an extra quarter’s worth of charging power in the slightly larger but slimmer power banks.

Opt for the fatter 10K PicoGo and you’ll get exactly twice the charging performance (142%). Usually, 10K power banks aren’t as much as twice as powerful as their 5K equivalents so we were surprised that this was the case with the PicoGo range.

The 10K has another charging benefit: its wireless charging uses the Qi2 standard, giving it a speed of 15W compared to the merely MagSafe-compatible 7.5W wireless charging of the 5K model. For comparison, the 5K Infinacore is also rated at 7.5W while the Vonmählen 5K reaches 15W. The 10K’s 15W speed means the power bank will power up your phone faster when charging wirelessly.

For even faster charging you can attach the included braided USB-C cable and wire-charge the 5K PicoGo at 20W and the 10K PicoGo at 27W.




Simon Jary / Foundry

Power looks

The Baseus PicoGo has a sandblasted silicone finish to its aluminum alloy shell, making it quite strokable. The 5K and 10K models are each available in four colors: Space Grey, Nebula Pink, Natural Titanium, Cosmic Black.

Baseus is planning a version of the 5K PicoGo Power Bank with a kickstand, but this wasn’t available to us at the time of testing.

When you must recharge the power bank itself, input charging speed is 15W for the 5K and 20W for the 10K.

Combining wireless charging and wired to power two devices at the same time brings down the total speed to just 12W for each power bank.

Price

Prices for the 5K Baseus PicoGo Power Bank start at $34.99 / £34.99, and $45.99 / £47.99 for the 10K model. These prices are what we’d expect for a quality magnetic power bank and very reasonable for ones of this quality.

Compare the prices and test results of competing magnetic power banks in our roundup of the best MagSafe and magnetic power banks.

Should you buy the Baseus PicoGo AM41 Ultra-Slim Power Bank?

While it’s not the very slimmest or smallest, the compact PicoGo is somewhere in between its nearest competitors in quite a sweet spot and the 5K model equals the record for lightest power bank we have tested.

Both compare well on performance in our recharging tests, and look and feel great in hand. As such we would be happy to keep the PicoGo to hand when out and about to rescue us from a fading battery emergency.