2024-12-01 21:27:00
www.zdnet.com
What’s the deal?
The Baseus PicoGo Magnetic Power Bank is on sale for 17% off at Baseus ahead of Cyber Monday. Snag one for $42 (save $8).
Also: The best Cyber Monday deals: Live updates
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Baseus PicoGo Magnetic Power Bank nails a fun and functional design, ample battery boost, and a fair price.
- The $50 Qi2 power bank can boost your devices with up to 5,000mAh of added juice via 20W wired charging or 15W of wireless, magnetic charging. Plus, it can charge wirelessly and with the USB-C port simultaneously for a double device boost.
- The PicoGo’s innovative rotating stand ring puts it into a functional class of its own, but it offers an on-par battery boost with other ZDNET-tested packs. If you’re looking for larger pack capacities, better grip, or traditional stand configurations, you’ll be better off looking elsewhere.
If there’s one mobile accessory for which the options seem endless, it’s MagSafe battery packs. Trust me. Testing these MagSafe battery packs is one of my pastimes at ZDNET, and I’ve truly worked with plenty of them. I evaluate each battery pack, testing for function, style, features, and, most importantly, charging capabilities in real-world situations like my commute and day-to-day activities.
I’ve used battery packs from brands like Anker, Belkin, Baseus, Casely, Burga, ESR, and more, and the 5,000mAh pack reigns supreme for the most popular (and most competitive) type of battery on the market. This supremacy is partly because it’s the most practical capacity to carry around before MagSafe batteries become too heavy and bulky and partly because most 5k options are under $60, making them more affordable, especially when they go on sale.
And hey, we can’t knock a 5k MagSafe battery. I recommend this size for most people, but the limitless options on the market make it hard for products to stand out. So when they wow me, best be sure I’m writing about it.
This is where Baseus’ newest PicoGo Magnetic Power Bank comes in.
At first glance, the PicoGo pack doesn’t look abnormally special from anything else on the market, and that’s because, spec-wise, it isn’t. Its design is similar to that of competitor packs. The PicoGo is not quite as slim as the Torras MiniMag pack I recently tested or as rounded as Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro Qi2 pack (another personal favorite), but somewhere between the two.
The Baseus PicoGo (bottom), Belkin BoostCharge Pro Qi2 (middle), and the Torras MiniMag (top) stacked on each other for comparison.
Kayla Solino/ZDNET
The PicoGo has a traditional rectangular design with rounded edges and corners, a sleek finish, and indicator lights on the bottom of the pack. It weighs about what I would expect (6oz, to be exact). The pack comes in four colors (blue, white, black, and pink). The 5,000 mAh pack can charge at 20W with wired charging or at 15W with wireless, magnetic charging. Plus, it can charge wirelessly and with the USB-C port simultaneously for a double device boost.
This pack increased the battery of my iPhone 14 Pro from 25% to 60% in half an hour. About 40 minutes later, the phone was back up to 80%, with half of the battery capacity still left in the pack.
Also: This ultra-thin battery pack I tested is a must-have travel gadget (and it works with MagSafe)
All things considered, this MagSafe battery is pretty standard … except it’s not. Two things about this battery pack piqued my interest from the get-go when I first saw the product at an NYC launch event. It’s priced at only $50 (even less during a sale), and its kickstand feature is upside down and all around (literally).
The 360 degree PicoGo kickstand.
Kayla Solino/ZDNET
While several competitor battery packs offer kickstands, they typically are either plastic or metal pieces that pull out from the pack and snap back into place. This approach means they’re fixed and can only hold specific angles predetermined by each pack’s size and the length and angle of each kickstand. Baseus did it differently.
Also: This 5-in-1 charging station cut down on my desktop cord clutter – and it’s on sale now
Instead of a stand, you get a metal ring that closely resembles a MagSafe-style ring. It lifts vertically from within the back of the pack and has a pretty extensive range of motion. The ring also spins 360 degrees, allowing for a custom stand placement and a vertical or horizontal orientation. When you don’t want it, the ring snaps in completely flush with the back of the battery. While I have seen this design on some other battery packs and phone cases, I haven’t seen it incorporated into 5k packs with Qi2 at Baseus’ price point or in alternative color options outside of black and white.
The Baseus PicoGo on an iPhone 14 Pro. Note the pack’s slight overhang off the edge.
Kayla Solino/ZDNET
This phone ring-style grip is the first I’ve tested on a 5k battery pack, and it’s more than just nifty. Now, back to the price. The PicoGo costs $50 full-price, which is pretty on par with the cost of other options. The Belkin BoostCharge Pro Qi2 pack retails for $60, and the Torras MiniMag can usually be nabbed between $40-$50. Belkin’s pack is the most comparable with its kickstand, but it doesn’t offer a full rotational design, and the Torras MiniMag doesn’t even offer a kickstand.
Also: This ultra-thin battery pack I tested is a must-have travel gadget (and it works with MagSafe)
While the PicoGo is not absolutely perfect, in my opinion (it has the slightest hint of an overhang on the bottom of my phone, a major pet peeve, and it lacks any texturing on the back for enhanced grip), the pack is arguably exceptionally worthy of its cost, especially if you can get it for around $40 on sale. Take it from someone who tests battery packs, for a 5k battery pack with a kickstand and Qi2, that’s a pretty good buy.
ZDNET’s buying advice
If you’re looking for a 5,000mAh MagSafe battery pack that’s great for everyday use, travel, and more, the Baseus PicoGo may be your best pick. The pack is ergonomic and its 360-degree rotational kickstand is unlike any other I’ve tried. The PicoGo’s charging, size, and design are on par with plenty of other comparative battery packs that are ZDNET-tested.
Plus, at under $50 while on sale, this battery packs lots of value (pun intended), making it a great gift for yourself or a loved one this holiday season.
While many sales events feature deals for a specific length of time, deals are on a limited-time basis, making them subject to expire anytime. ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best offers to help you maximize your savings so you can feel as confident in your purchases as we feel in our recommendations. Our ZDNET team of experts constantly monitors the deals we feature to keep our stories up-to-date. If you missed out on this deal, don’t worry — we’re always sourcing new savings opportunities at ZDNET.com.
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