Anker Prime 250W Power Bank And 100W Charging Base 2023 REVIEW

Using the Anker Prime 250W Power Bank and 100W Charging Base together is a great way to keep devices charged and be able to eliminate unwanted cables and charging devices in the process. The cost can be restrictive but ultimately, I feel the investment is worth it since they offer reliable power delivery.

In a world where we are constantly on the move, our reliance on technology has become increasingly apparent. From smartphones to laptops and everything in between, our devices have become essential tools for work, communication, and entertainment. This is especially true of someone like me who works from home and from remote locations. The one thing that ends up holding me back is battery life.

The frustration of running out of power at the most inconvenient moments can be overwhelming and even embarrassing. Fortunately, Anker’s newest charging companions — the Anker Prime Series — provide best-in-class charging solutions for every need. The newest product line was just released today and I was fortunate enough to be able to try out the Anker Prime 250-watt Power Bank and 100W Charging Base early!

This incredible charging device features an astonishing 27,650 mAh capacity power bank. The power output is a combined 250 watts for up to three devices at once. With such a large battery capacity, the Anker Prime 250-watt Power Bank is capable of charging and iPhone 14 nearly five times on a single charge. It can be recharged using one of the two built-in USB-C charging ports or the Anker 100W Charging Base.

Main Features

The Anker 100W Charging Base is a wireless charging companion for the Anker Prime 250-watt Power Bank. This base offers an elegant solution for keeping the power bank fully charged at all times, a true lifesaver for last-minute packers. Beyond charging the power bank, this base doubles as a convenient 3-port, 100-watt charger to keep on the desk or tossed in a bag for use as a portable standalone charger. The base is available sold separately or as a bundle with the Anker Prime 250-watt Power Bank.

Main Features

The power bank has a list price of $179.99 and the charging base is $69.99. Both products can be purchased from anker.com or amazon.com. The charging base is sold separately or can be purchased as a bundle with the Anker Prime 250W power bank (details TBA).

Based on information available at launch, orders placed for the charging base on or after August 1 will be shipped between August 11-18, 2023 and orders placed for the power bank on or after August 1 will be shipped between October 23-November 9, 2023.

Before I start my official analysis, I want to point out that with an early release product, there are usually some testing limitations that a reviewer will have to take into consideration. In this case, the caveats were small but still worth noting.

Early Sample Caveats

All of these caveats were things I found I could live with and are essentially minor to the main function of the power bank.

Unboxing

The pre-production version of the power bank was sent in a blank box. It did, however, come with a user manual and USB-C to USB-C charging cable. The charging base did have its standard retail package, which I would assume matches the retail version of the power bank as well as the other devices in the product line.

It’s a stylish black box with a full color photo of the product on the front. There are main details called out and the model number can be clearly found on the bottom of the box. The device is well packaged and I wouldn’t imagine that any damage would happen to it while it’s stored in its box.

Getting Started

Getting started with both devices is very easy and self-explanatory. The power bank had a 21% charge out of the box so I set it on the charging base to fill it up to 100% before using it. The charging base had to be plugged into a power outlet, but it came with its own dedicated power cord so that was as easy as routing the cable through my desk and plugging it into a power strip.

I noticed that when I placed the power bank onto the base that an LED ring illuminated on the front, indicating that it was in use. This only seems to happen when the power bank is charging and not when any device is connected via USB cable. This would be one improvement I would like to see made — an indicator showing any device charging. It could be a simple icon on the side or a different color LED ring. I just think it would be a nice addition.

After approximately 34 minutes, the power bank had gained 66.6% and I calculated the charging rate around 1.96% per minute.

Charging with the Power Bank

When it came to testing the charging feature of the power bank, I used my iPhone 14 Pro as the test subject. It has a 3,200 mAh capacity battery and the power bank could recharge the iPhone nearly 9 times on a full charge. When I started the testing process, the phone had a 43% charge. I plugged it into the power bank using a standard Apple-issued USB-C to Lightning cable and let it charge for approximately 36 minutes. During that time, the iPhone’s battery gained 42%. I do want to callout that after 80%, the iPhone enters Apple Trickle Charging mode and this does affect the charging rate. That said, I based the charging rate off the first 10 minutes the phone was charging. The iPhone 14 Pro had a charging rate of 2.1% per minute.

I also wanted to see how well the power bank would work with an older MacBook Pro. I used my 16-inch 2019 MacBook Pro to test this out. It requires a 96W power adapter, but will charge using USB-C. So, I used my Apple-issued USB-C to USB-C cable and plugged it into the power bank. The laptop immediately ‘dinged’ when I plugged it in and showed that it was plugged into a power adapter. The power bank indicated that the laptop was charging that it was receiving approximately 57W of output power. Since the battery on the laptop was above 80%, I didn’t track the charging like I did with the iPhone, but I was happy with knowing the power bank would provide a charge to this laptop.

Charging with the Charging Base

Just like with the power bank, I used my iPhone 14 Pro as a charging guinea pig for the Charging Base. I used the same testing method and this time, the phone registered a charging rate of 1.25% per minute. The big difference between this test and the Power Bank charging test was that I was using the phone at a moderate level while it was plugged into the charging base. This did, of course, require some power, and I assume that decreased the charging rate. I did also check to see if the charging base could provide power to the 2019 MacBook Pro and yes, it did.

The Connected App

As I mentioned, my app experience is a bit different than what most people will experience. The pre-production sample I received from Anker had a few minor limitations with the app functionality, but I don’t feel that those hindered my overall usability at the end of the day. I really enjoyed being able to view the stats of the devices while they were charging and being able to find the battery across the room. When you ask the app to ‘find a device’ the device will emit a high pitched beep and you should be able to track it down easily — assuming it’s within hearing range. I never really would have thought about an power bank being connected to an app, but I do enjoy the added features it brings.

Pros

Cons

It can be very hard to find reliable charging devices outside of the original equipment provided by the manufacturer. Anker has become a trusted charging partner for me over the years and I absolutely adore the new products releases they have had over the past couple of years. This Power Bank and Charging Base combo are a match made in heaven for me.

I love the flexibility of being able to take these two devices with me when I travel and know that I have enough power to support my main devices. I also really love the extra features that are provided (the bright display and information from the app. I’m looking forward to seeing other products that Anker releases and can’t wait to use these on my next trip.

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