Tired of being dependent on an outlet whenever you want to work for more than an hour on your laptop? Are you looking for a convenient and portable charging solution for your laptop? You are not alone. Fortunately, portable powerbanks for laptops have only recently come to market.
Laptop power banks are not as common as power banks for cell phones and tablets. Perhaps because most people simply find an outlet in a coffee shop to charge their laptops. Probably also because laptop charging technology has been slow to standardize, not making it easy to develop standard portable external batteries for laptops
Sunslice was one of the first portable charging players to include a laptop powerbank in its "energy anywhere" lineup.
Laptop chargers are hard to find and don't always work. Some are even too big and heavy to carry, so it's best to go to a coffee shop and pay for a cup of coffee or charge at an airport or train station when you travel.
To address this, Sunslice offers different external laptop batteries: the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro, the Gravity 20 Extreme Pro and all our portable solar generators. Their features, such as capacity, power and charging protocol, differ to ensure a charging solution for different types of laptops. The Gravity 20 Extreme Pro delivers up to 60W USB-C PD and is suitable for many USB-C laptops, while the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro delivers up to 100W USB-C PD for more power-demanding laptops. So it's important to understand these differences before making your choice.
USB-C laptop portable battery (for laptops that charge via USB-C)
Many modern laptops have USB-C power for charging. For example, many Apple MacBook models charge via a USB-C cable. This is becoming commonplace on new laptops, especially lightweight and thin models. There are also models from Sony, Asus, HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc. But many laptops still require a power port that is not USB-C Type. For these models, see the next section.
If your laptop can charge by USB-C PD (PD stands for Power Delivery), you can plug in a portable battery that supports USB-C PD and charge it with that powerbank. But you can't use just any battery: you'll need one that offers sufficient charging speed (Watts) and voltage (Volt) to charge your laptop as well as sufficient capacity (mAh) to fill it. Small portable batteries designed to charge smartphones often offer neither in sufficient quantity for a laptop. The choice of cable is also important. The weight of the charger is usually a factor when you plan to use your laptop battery on treks and hikes, but also if you plan to carry it in your backpack in everyday life.
USB-C PD power supply
A battery designed to charge a laptop may be a bit heavier, but it can still fit in a backpack or laptop bag.
All of our laptop power banks support USB-C through their USB-C PD output ports.
Therefore, both the Gravity 20 Extreme Pro and the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro can charge your laptop if it also has a USB-C charging port and its power requirements are within the power bank's output capabilities. Please make sure that this is indeed the case.
Beware, USB-C ports are also used for other functionalities such as data transfer (when you plug a USB flash drive or hard drive into your laptop for example). So check if the USB-C port you identified is used for power and not just for data transfer. In general, the power port is the port that is closest to your screen (on the left or right). Here's an example of a USB-C port that's only used for data transfer. The power port is not Type-C.
Power supply
As mentioned above, you also need to make sure that your external computer battery can deliver enough power. The Gravity 27 Extreme Pro provides up to 100 Watts of USB-C PD power, making it suitable for most USB-C laptops that require 100W or less.
Check the power rating of your laptop's original charger. If your laptop requires more than 100 Watts of USB-C PD power, as can be the case with some gaming laptops, charging may not function correctly.
External laptop battery capacity
The capacity of your PC powerbank is an important, though not limiting, factor in choosing a charger. Computer capacities vary greatly from one computer to another. The Gravity 27 Extreme Pro has a capacity of 27,000 mAh (99.9Wh) and can provide one or more laptop charges depending on the laptop battery capacity and charging losses. It weighs 570g. This weight corresponds to one of the lowest weights in relation to its capacity.
With capacities below 100Wh, both the Gravity 20 Extreme Pro and Gravity 27 Extreme Pro are generally permitted in carry-on baggage. Power banks must be carried in hand luggage rather than checked baggage. Always check the specific rules of your airline before travelling.
Choosing a good USB-C to USB-C cable
Of course, you need to get the right cable. Not all USB-C to USB-C cables are suitable for charging computers. You need a USB-C to USB-C cable capable of supporting USB-C PD charging and supporting the required voltage and power. To use the full 100W USB-C PD output of the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro, use a USB-C cable rated for 100W, such as an E-Mark 100W USB-C to USB-C cable, available here.
Non-USB-C laptop portable battery (for laptops that do not charge via USB-C)
The majority of laptops do not have a USB-C PD power port. They then have their own charging protocols. A large portion of external laptop batteries are not suitable for these computers and the choice can be complicated.
How to charge laptop with power bank without Type-c?
If your laptop doesn't have a type-C charging port, you can charge your computer using a type-C to charging port adapter. Your powerbank still needs to be able to deliver 20V and at least 45W or more depending on your computer.
The Gravity 27 Extreme Pro is then an ideal solution. It is important to read the rest of this section to fully understand how it works.
Power Supply
The power supply needed is one of the limiting factors in choosing your laptop charger. If your charger does not allow the necessary power, it is not suitable. If this one, on the other hand, allows for more power than your computer requires, there's no need to worry. This battery is well compatible with your computer and by communicating during the charge, the power and adequate supply voltage will be imposed by the computer to the battery (and not the other way around!)
Sunslice therefore offers the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro, which can provide up to 100 Watts of USB-C PD power. Check the power rating of your laptop's original charger. The Gravity 27 Extreme Pro is suitable for most USB-C laptops that require 100W or less, provided that you use a compatible cable or adapter.
Choosing a compatible USB cable
The most complicated part is then choosing a good power cable. There are different types of cables available on our site that can charge a wide range of computers. In case you are not sure, please feel free to contact us.
USB-C to USB-C cable
A USB-C to USB-C laptop cable allows charging of computers that use a USB-C power port. Beware that not all USB-C cables allow for high-power laptop charging. To use the full 100W output of the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro, use a 100W-rated USB-C cable. An E-Mark 100W USB-C to USB-C cable is available here.
USB-C laptop adapter set
The USB-C laptop adapter set is the ideal solution in case your computer does not have a USB-C power port. Combined with the right tip, the adapter solution connects to the USB-C output of the Gravity 27 Extreme Pro on the one hand and to the power port of your computer on the other.
In order to ensure compatibility with your computer, we provide a set of adapters consisting of 14 tips. This also allows you to charge the computers of your relatives and friends, as well as increase compatibility with your next computer.
Here, below, is an explanatory image of the different tips present in the adapter set.
Here are also the different types of computers that can be charged with these tips:
If you only have one computer to charge and you know exactly the adapter you need, you can find our individual Type-C charging adapters here and choose the one you need!
AC chargers (for laptops without USB-C charging)
There are also portable solar generators such as the Gravity 512 and Gravity 1024, which are equipped with AC outlets and allow you to charge your laptop using its original mains charger. They can also power many other devices that use a standard AC connection, provided that their power requirements remain within the generator's output limits.
Using the Gravity 512 or Gravity 1024 is extremely simple: plug your laptop's original charging cable into the AC outlet just as you would into a regular wall socket.
The Gravity 512 and Gravity 1024 are more expensive and heavier than most USB-C power banks. This is explained by their much larger capacities of 512Wh and 1024Wh. In return, they offer greater compatibility and can power a much wider range of devices through their AC and DC outputs.
The Gravity 512 and Gravity 1024 can be charged from the mains and with solar energy using compatible solar panels such as the Fusion 100 and Fusion 200 portable solar panel.
