Duracell is a well-known brand when it comes to batteries, and while I haven’t used their famous coppertop batteries since I was a kid, their latest product has caught my attention. The Duracell M150, which is now available for purchase at $199, is an incredibly feature-packed portable battery bank that has impressed me.
Weighing just 1.8 pounds and measuring only 3.1 inches wide, the Duracell M150 manages to offer an impressive array of functionalities. It includes two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, a MagSafe-compatible wireless charging lid, and even a built-in ring light. What’s more, it also comes with its own charging dock, allowing you to keep it conveniently plugged in on your desk or nightstand before taking it on the go.
One of the standout features of the Duracell M150 is its power capabilities. With 100W of power from its main USB-C port and a 91Wh capacity, it is both compact enough to meet legal requirements for airplane carry-on luggage and powerful enough to charge high-performance laptops like the Dell XPS 15 or 16-inch MacBook Pro at close to top speed. In fact, it offers an impressive 150W of headroom, allowing me to simultaneously charge my laptop at 92W, my Steam Deck at 40W, and wirelessly charge my phone at 15W.
The Duracell M150 also boasts a clever storage compartment under its wireless charging lid, which is perfectly sized for small earbuds cases, short USB cables, or even a pair of USB-C power meters. I found this feature to be incredibly useful, as it allowed me to conveniently keep all my charging accessories in one place.
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However, there are a few downsides worth noting. When charging multiple devices simultaneously, the unit tends to generate some noise due to the fan spinning up. Additionally, it doesn’t provide fast enough charging (60W or less) to keep a large laptop running indefinitely.
Furthermore, while the wireless charging pad is MagSafe-compatible and offers some useful features like turning your iPhone into a bedside clock or photo frame with iOS 17’s StandBy mode, it only charges iPhones at 7.5W due to Apple’s limitations. This is significantly slower than the 15W charging speed I observed with my Samsung phone. Additionally, the Duracell M150 has an auto-shutoff feature that turns the unit off after a few hours, potentially leading to a dead phone if you simply place it on the charger before going to bed. To prevent this, you need to press the power button when placing your phone on the charger.
The Duracell M150’s LED lights also present a minor inconvenience, as they can be somewhat disruptive when trying to sleep. Duracell claims that this was a quirk specific to my unit and has been addressed in the current shipping versions. As a personal suggestion, I would love to see Duracell include a second wireless charger inside the compartment to conveniently charge my earbuds case or watch.
Lastly, I must mention that my personal experience with the Duracell M150 during airport security wasn’t quite satisfactory. The TSA flagged my bag twice, resulting in noticeable dents and scratches on the gadget’s thin painted aluminum shell. Unfortunately, this prevented me from including hands-on photos in this review. On the bright side, I was able to capture video footage of the product before it sustained any damage.
In conclusion, I am impressed with the Duracell M150 and its innovative features. It offers a comprehensive charging solution for various devices, combining portability, power capacity, and convenient extras like a wireless charging lid and built-in ring light. While it does have some limitations, such as noise when charging multiple devices and slower charging speeds for certain devices, the overall package is still highly functional and practical. I am excited to see more battery banks like this in the market, as it brings convenience and efficiency to our daily charging needs.
