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I have had the Magic Laptop Power Bank from Raycon with me for many moons now. Yet somehow, it ended up sitting unused in my pile of gadgets until very recently.
Raycon is a Bluetooth audio accessory brand primarily, offering a decent range of budget earbuds and headphones. The brand also dabbles in cables and chargers, some of which I have tested before.
This product claims to be a 5-in-1 portable charging solution that can be used to charge laptops as well as wireless charging phones and accessories. Let me preface this hands-on testing by saying that Raycon’s charging tech isn’t very popular. Their excellent USB-C cables aside, the brand’s audio accessory department is what puts them on the map.
For Raycon to sell the Magic Laptop Power Bank, it needs to provide a very good reason why you shouldn’t stick with better, more reputable brands with higher-quality power banks that are also much more powerful. I’m not sure it succeeds here.
How (not) to sell a product
As it stands, Raycon failed to effectively advertise the Magic Laptop Power Bank. Here’s why.
Buying a portable power bank isn’t the most straightforward process. Once you’ve figured out what capacity is suitable for your needs, you also have to figure out how many ports you’re looking for, whether wireless charging is a priority or not, and how much power you require on the go. There are other factors such as the size and weight of the power bank that matter too.
So now you know what sort of information a potential customer would actively seek out when looking to purchase a power bank. It was unreasonably challenging for me to glean these details about Raycon’s power bank from the online store listing.
|
Category |
Raycon Magic Laptop Power Bank 5-in-1 |
|---|---|
|
Capacity |
15,000mAh |
|
Wired Charging |
USB-C port: – 45W PD input- 65W PD output USB-C built-in cable: – 65W PD output- 27W output with lightning connector USB-A port: – 18W output Adaptor mode prongs: – 30W input |
|
Wireless Charging |
Magnetic 15W Qi wireless charging output |
|
Extras |
LED display, built-in lanyard |
|
Dimensions |
110 x 90 x 28mm, 352g |
|
Colors |
Black, Purple |
|
Price |
$79.99 |
The brand’s product listing is basically a lesson on how not to sell a power bank, as it doesn’t properly highlight or mention most of these details. For example, the Raycon 5-in-1 Magic Power Bank listing doesn’t clearly mention the batter’s capacity; you have to scroll down to figure this out.
Also, the power output and input ratings are vague at best. Sure, we know it’s a laptop power bank because it’s in the name. But what does that mean in terms of rated power?
A USB-C laptop charges at 60W and above. But since this is a multi-ported power bank, it’s essential to know the total power output of the portable battery, which one of the ports supplies that power, and how the power splits when multiple devices are plugged into it at once.
Most brands like Anker, UGREEN, Baseus, and INIU provide detailed specifications about the ports on their charging tech as well as power distribution charts that showcase what charging speed the combined use of all the ports delivers.
Failure to communicate and deliver
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The build quality isn’t great either, the built-in cable feels very cheap, and the charging speeds are nothing to write home about. The USB-C ports support a 65W power output, but the USB-A port can only do a measly 18W, and the input is limited to an abysmal 30W with the prongs. If you need speedy recharging, the USB-C port supports 45W PD input.
Not only are exact charging speeds missing from the conversation, but the size and weight are also omitted. The only place you can even learn of this info is from the quick start guide inside the box. Why would you buy a product and then find out its exact specs?
But do you know what the website does advertise? A built-in stand for phones. However, the review sample Raycon sent me doesn’t even have one.
I’m not happy with the quality of the Raycon Magic Laptop Power Bank 5-in-1 or the way it skips key details when trying to convince people that it’s a worthwhile buy.
Based on this I’m going to deduce that you, the reader, are not going to waste your time on Raycon’s power bank. And I can’t fault you with that, because there are so many better options out there.
Don’t waste your time…
All that doesn’t even factor in the price, which is usually steep for high-quality power banks and battery packs.
Cheaping out is the worst thing you could do with charging tech because it’s quite literally a potential safety risk. There’s a good reason why airlines have such tight regulations around power banks. This is why most folks don’t mind spending a little more on a solid portable power bank anyway.
Raycon’s power bank is relatively cheaper, but it’s very chunky and hefty for a 15,000mAh battery pack. You can easily score a GaN power bank that’s more compact for the same amount of money and with better technical specifications.
On top of that, the current market for portable batteries, power banks, and hybrid chargers is insanely diverse. It’s not difficult to find the right battery catered towards any individual for a decent price. Anker and UGREEN alone make enough power bank models to satisfy anybody out there, with a wide mix of ports, capacity, and power.
I don’t recommend the Raycon Magic Laptop Power Bank 5-in-1 at the end of the day. Why buy this when there are scores of fantastic, higher-quality options out there that disclose a lot more information?
Raycon Magic Laptop Power Bank 5-in-1
It’s a pass for most
Raycon does a marvelous job at budget earphones and headsets, but the Magic Laptop Power Bank 5-in-1 is a miss. The concept is valid, but the execution is subpar, and the brand’s failure to communicate product specs is disappointing, to say the least.