Review: Baseus Blade 2 – A super slim but pricey laptop power bank

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank carves out its niche with a sleek design and practical functionality in a market flooded with portable power solutions.

This isn’t a battery for your whole home, or even for multiple devices for multiple charges, but it’s a good way to keep things topped up away from a socket.

Tailored for the modern professional and tech enthusiast, this power bank promises to keep your devices charged without the bulk commonly associated with external batteries.

Inside the Box

Unboxing the Baseus Blade 2 reveals a minimalist approach. Alongside the power bank, users will find a USB-C cable but no wall plug.

Like most tech companies, the company assumes you have a charging brick already. But more on that later. 

Specs and Design

The Baseus Blade 2 stands out with its ultra-thin profile, measuring 6.4 inches by 5.2 inches by 0.4 inches and weighing in at a modest 11.6 ounces. This slim design does not compromise on functionality.

That’s its main selling point – fitting the power bank into the same sleeve as your laptop. Since the Baseus Blade 2 is about as slim as a smartphone and just about as tall, you won’t have any issues fitting this one right next to your laptop or bag. 

The Blade 2 boasts two USB-C ports and a built-in status display with real-time charging information. The device’s aluminum body and matte finish provide style, durability and resistance to everyday wear and tear.

The Baseus Blade 2’s simple, backlit LED display shows basic information, such as the battery percentage remaining, charging speed, and charging time. That’s everything you need to know about your charging.

You can install an app to switch out the wallpaper and a few other details, but that’s not essential in any way.

The device is available in three color options – blue, silver, and orange. 

Performance

As tested, the Baseus Blade 2 demonstrates commendable performance, particularly with smaller devices. Its 12,000mAh capacity and 65W output make it suitable for charging smartphones and tablets efficiently. 

The “problem” is that this one’s marketed as a laptop power bank. With only 12,000mAh available, you’ll barely be able to get a full charge on most laptops. I use an HP ProBook 450 G9, which could barely fully charge.

With a 65W output, it’s speedy at charging, great enough to keep you afloat if you’ve forgotten the charger at home. This won’t be enough for power hungry MacBook Pro models, but most ultrabooks will be fine.

Since there are two available ports, you can charge multiple devices simultaneously, such as your tablet and your smartphone, but the charging speed will be limited considerably when both ports are in use. 

Things I liked

There are many things to love about the Blade 2, starting with its size and weight. It’s fantastic to be able to carry an extra laptop charge with you anywhere you go without it occupying a ton of space.

So is the fact that it’s super light, especially when compared with other similarly powerful portable chargers. 

The 65W charging speed is good, although I wouldn’t call it great—not when 100W versions are available. Laptops consume a ton of energy when you’re working, and if you plug in the Blade 2, it will have a hard time compensating. 

Another cool thing about this portable battery is that it comes with multiple safety protections in place while charging. Baseus claims it has protections against short circuits, over-discharge, temperature spikes, over-charging, and more. 

Things I didn’t like

While the Baseus Blade 2 impresses with its design and functionality, its capacity to fully charge larger laptops must be improved in a future iteration. This limitation may deter users seeking a comprehensive charging solution for all their devices.

Additionally, while the slim profile is advantageous for portability, some may prefer a higher-capacity power bank for extended use without frequent recharging.

The first Baseus Blade, for instance, delivered 20,000mAh of energy and a charging speed of up to 100W. It was, however, a bit thicker at 0.7 inches (compared to Blade 2’s 0.4 inches). 

The price is pretty much the same for both laptop power banks. While the original Baseus Blade has a recommended retail price of $130, it’s often available for $99.99. And that’s the exact price of the Blade 2.

Since this model has just been launched briefly, the discounts are still slim, so you may have to wait a bit before buying it with a solid discount.

Another peeve with the Blade 2 is that it only comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and no wall brick. While it’s true that you’ll mainly be using this one by connecting it to your laptop, you’ll still want to charge the power bank.

Even though you could use pass-through charging on your laptop, a dedicated wall charger is often faster.

Also, there’s only one cable included with the power bank, and there are two ports. I know this is something pretty much all companies do, but for $100, couldn’t they throw in an extra cable?

As it happens, my house is full of USB to USB-C cables, but there are very few I could use with the Blade 2 to charge my phone, for instance. While that’s a “me-problem,” I’m sure others are in the same situation. 

To buy or not to buy

In conclusion, the Baseus Blade 2 is a stylish, lightweight, and efficient power bank for mobile phones and tablets, with limited but valuable support for laptop charging on the go.

Its sleek design and user-friendly features make it an excellent choice for those prioritizing aesthetics and portability in their charging accessories.

However, the price is steep, considering you can get the original Blade for the same price with a larger capacity and higher output.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: GameSir G8 Galileo mobile gaming controller – Solid value
• The best fitness tech and accessories
• Asus ROG Ally vs Steam Deck: The battle for handheld gaming is on
• Review: Honor Magic6 Lite – a superb mid-range option