CukTech 10 power bank brings portable power [Review]

When you move around a lot with your devices, a portable power source like the CukTech 10 Power Bank can be a lifesaver. Keep the 10,000mAh device charged and throw it in a bag with USB-C and USB-A cables, and you needn’t fear gadgets with dead batteries under routine circumstances (but if you throw in a major power outage, your mileage may vary).

So if you’re in the market for a portable power bank, act fast — for a limited time, you can nab the CukTech 10 for just under $30. That’s a great price on a good-enough charger.

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CukTech 10 Power Bank review

I wrote about the CukTech 10 Power Bank when it first came out, mainly because a compact, 10,000mAh power bank for under $30 seemed like a good value. Now that I’ve had a chance to try the product, I can confirm that it is, indeed, a good value for anyone who runs around a lot with gadgets and finds them frequently low on battery power with no power outlet to be seen. That could apply to MacBook, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch, for example.

Snickers bar comparison: Not quite as small as CukTech implies

CukTech boasts a compact size in part by changing the typical power bank shape. It doesn’t spread the battery inside over a flat area that ends up making the whole device roughly the size and shape of an iPhone. Instead, it’s taller and less wide when you lay it flat. Or you can stand it on end like a tiny monolith.

How tiny? CukTech’s description on it website likens its size to a Snickers candy bar. But, frankly, that would have to be the biggest Snickers bar in the world, or at least the King-size version rather than the regular size. See the image above. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Amazon description goes with “large energy bar.” CukTech 10 weighs about 10.1 ounces (and that would have to be a Snickers bar made of lead or perhaps plutonium).

CukTech also says it “fits in any pocket,” and that may be true enough, but I’d be more comfortable putting the chunky thing in the pocket of a knapsack or the storage compartment of a computer bag than in my pants pocket, especially if I’m carrying other items.

Fairly speedy charging, but it could be faster

The CukTech 10 Power Bank is pretty quick about charging itself and other devices. It takes up to 90W of self-charging power from any suitable charger you have, via USB-C cable (the USB-C port on the bank is for both input and output). “Imagine getting 55% power bank capacity in just 15 minutes, enough to charge your iPhone 15 once,” CukTech says. And it seems pretty accurate.

I used a 150W Anker charger to fill up the power bank rapidly. The color TFT screen on it keeps you advised as to input and output power as well as current battery capacity. I used the power bank on my portable devices. And if I ever left the house, I would bring this thing.

Charging iPad Air via USB-C

I connected my M1 iPad Air (5th generation) to the charger via USB-C cable with the tablet at 18% capacity. The bank delivered an average of about 25W of power (max 27.9W) over about an hour and 5 minutes to fill the iPad to 80% capacity. It was up to 39% in 20 minutes. and 66% in 45 minutes. The charger’s capacity fell steadily during this time, of course. By the time the iPad battery hit 80%, the charger’s battery was down to 23%, with another 25 minutes to go at that rate before the power bank’s battery died.

So taking an iPad from near empty to near full is a big job for the charger. Keeping multiple devices from dying is probably more in line with its typical use.

Charging iPhone 13 Pro via USB-C

The power bank charged up my iPhone 13 Pro from 20% capacity to to 93% capacity in an hour and 4 minutes. It claimed to be moving up to 17.6W of power for a while. In the first 5 minutes, the iPhone battery jumped from 20% to 32%. Typically, the fuller the target device’s battery gets, the lower the transferred wattage shown on the bank’s display will read. When I plugged in the iPhone, the bank’s transfer crept up to about 17.5W. By the time the iPhone got up around 90%, it was 3.3W. During that charging, the power bank went from 100% capacity down to 68%.

Charging Apple Watch 6 via USB-A

The two devices above charged via the USB-C cable that came with the power bank (or any USB-C cable I happen to have). For my Apple Watch Series 6, I used an Apple MagSafe USB-A cable designed for the wearable. Suitably, the USB-A connector on the bank pushed between 0.7W and 1.8W of power to the watch, increasing its battery life by about 10% every 10 minutes, while gradually slowing. Though not blazing fast, it didn’t take long for it to pump up the watch from 13% to near full.

Charging 2 devices at once

If you use both ports on the power bank at once, you get a total of 133W of charging, according to CukTech (about 100W to USB-C). I found when I charged both Apple Watch and iPhone, it pushed a fluctuating 9W to 12W to the handset and about 1.5W to the wearable. With iPad and Apple Watch plugged in, the bank gave 24W to 26W to the tablet and 0.7W to 1.5W to the wearable.

And I will note there may be an efficiency question with the device. The Amazon listing inserts this caveat: “Note: Due to energy loss during charging, the 10 Power Bank from CUKTECH offers an estimated 5500mAh power.” That sounds like a pretty steep loss.

CukTech 10 Power Bank features and specs:

• Automotive-grade 21700 power cells produced by top-tier manufacturers
• Single-port 100W charging; two-way charging with USB-C and USB-A (maximum power 133W)
• Compatible with PD 3.1 and PPS fast-charging technologies.
• Length 143mm; width 45mm
• TFT screen indicates voltage, current battery level, power output, and remaining time for charging and recharging.
• 90W PD fast self-charging (up to 55% capacity in 15 minutes)
• In the box: CukTech 10 Power Bank, 6A 240W USB-C charging cable, instruction manual, 18-month warranty

You can pick up the Cuktech 10 on Amazon for $49.99 $42.49 (15% off). And for an unknown amount of time, you can reduce the price further by checking the 30% off coupon on the product page and seeing the sub-$30 price at checkout. It’s a good value at that price.

Where to buy: Amazon

CukTech provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

★★★☆☆