CukTech 10 Power Bank Delivers Portable Power (Review)

If you travel a lot with your devices, a portable power source like the CukTech Power Bank 10 can be a godsend. Keep the 10,000mAh device charged up and toss it in your bag with USB-C and USB-A cables, and you won’t have to worry about your gadgets running out of battery under normal circumstances (though if you throw in a major power outage, your results may vary).

So if you’re looking for a portable power bank, act fast — for a limited time, you can get the CukTech 10 for just under $30. That’s a great price for a decent-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 it seemed like a good value for a compact 10,000mAh power bank for under $30. Now that I’ve had a chance to try the product, I can confirm that it’s indeed a good value for anyone who runs around with gadgets a lot and often finds themselves with low battery and nowhere to plug in. That could include a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, for example.

Snickers Bar Comparison: It’s Not as Small as CukTech Suggests

CukTech prides itself on its compact size, in part by changing the typical power bank shape. It doesn’t spread the battery inside out on a flat surface, which ultimately makes the entire device about the size and shape of an iPhone. Instead, it’s taller and narrower when it’s lying flat. Or you can stand it on its end like a tiny monolith.

How tiny? The CukTech description on its website calls the bank “similar in size to a Snickers bar.” But honestly, it would have to be the world’s largest Snickers bar, or at least the king-size version, not the standard size. See the image above. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Amazon description calls it a “large energy bar.” The CukTech 10 weighs about 10.1 ounces (and would have to be a Snickers bar made of lead or possibly plutonium).

CukTech also claims that it “fits in any pocket,” and that may be true, but I’d feel more comfortable shoving this sturdy item in the pocket of a backpack or the glove compartment of a computer bag than in my pants pocket, especially if I’m carrying other items with me.

Charging is quite fast, but could be faster

The CukTech 10 Power Bank charges very quickly, and it also charges other devices. It draws up to 90W of charging power from any suitable charger you have, via a USB-C cable (the USB-C port on the power bank is both input and output). “Imagine getting 55% of the power bank’s capacity in just 15 minutes, enough to charge an iPhone 15 once,” CukTech says. And that seems pretty accurate.

I used the Anker 150W charger to quickly charge the power bank. The color TFT screen shows the input and output power, as well as the current battery capacity. I used the power bank for my portable devices. And if I ever left the house, I took this thing with me.

Charging iPad Air via USB-C

I connected my M1 iPad Air (5th generation) to the charger via USB-C cable when the tablet was 18% charged. The bank delivered an average of about 25W (max 27.9W) for about an hour and 5 minutes to charge the iPad to 80% capacity. It reached 39% in 20 minutes and 66% in 45 minutes. The charger’s capacity obviously dropped during this time. By the time the iPad reached 80%, the charger’s battery had dropped to 23%, and the power bank had about 25 minutes left to discharge.

So charging an iPad from almost empty to almost full is a big task for a charger. Keeping multiple devices from running out of juice is probably more in line with its typical use.

Charging iPhone 13 Pro via USB-C

The power bank charged my iPhone 13 Pro from 20% capacity to 93% capacity in 1 hour and 4 minutes. It claimed to boost power to 17.6W for a while. In the first 5 minutes, the iPhone’s battery went from 20% to 32%. Usually, the more charged the target device’s battery is, the lower the transferred watts shown on the power bank’s display. When I connected the iPhone, the power bank’s transfer increased to about 17.5W. When the iPhone reached about 90%, it was 3.3W. During this charge, the power bank dropped from 100% capacity to 68%.

Charging Apple Watch 6 via USB-A

The two devices above charged using 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 Apple’s MagSafe USB-A cable, which is designed specifically for the device. The USB-A port on the power bank sent between 0.7W and 1.8W of power to the watch, increasing battery life by about 10% every 10 minutes while gradually slowing down. While it wasn’t lightning fast, it didn’t take long to charge the watch from 13% to almost full.

Charging 2 devices simultaneously

If you use both ports on the power bank at the same time, you get a total of 133W of charging, according to CukTech (around 100W for USB-C). I found that when I charged both an Apple Watch and an iPhone, it delivered power fluctuations of 9W to 12W to the handset and around 1.5W to the wearable. When I connected an iPad and Apple Watch, the power bank delivered 24W to 26W to the tablet and 0.7W to 1.5W to the wearable.

And I’ll note that there may be a problem with the device’s performance. The Amazon listing includes the following disclaimer: “Note: Due to energy loss during charging, the CUKTECH 10 Power Bank offers an estimated capacity of 5500 mAh.” That sounds like a pretty big loss.

CukTech 10 Power Bank Features and Specifications:

• Automotive Grade 21700 Power Cells from Leading Manufacturers
• Single-port charging 100W; Bidirectional charging via USB-C and USB-A (max output 133W)
• Compatible with PD 3.1 and PPS fast charging technologies.
• Length 143mm; width 45mm
• The TFT screen displays the voltage, current battery charge level, output power and remaining charging time.
• 90W PD standalone fast charging (up to 55% capacity in 15 minutes)
• In the box: Power Bank CukTech 10, USB-C 6A 240W charging cable, user manual, 18-month warranty

You can buy Cuktech 10 on Amazon for $49.99 $42.49 (15% off). And for an unknown period of time, you can reduce the price even more by checking the 30% off coupon on the product page and seeing the price below $30 at checkout. It’s a good value for the price.

Where to buy: Amazon

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

★★★☆☆