No more forgotten cables. We tested the 165W Anker power bank with a hidden ace up its sleeve

The Anker brand has been present on the Czech market for some time, but only recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store here. In addition to wireless headphones, projectors, power adapters, and smart home products, you can also purchase countless power banks there, with each model finding a slightly different target group. 

We have now tested the model Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables) in our editorial office, which can currently be purchased for just 1,533 CZK with AlzaPlus+ membership (the regular price is 2,190 CZK). As its name suggests, it will appeal primarily to laptop owners, offering sufficient capacity and excellent performance. And it is also equipped with a rather unique retractable USB-C cable. 

Design and build quality

The Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables) definitely belongs to the more robust pieces, thanks to the combination of up to 165W total power and 25,000 mAh capacity. The weight of 595 g is quite noticeable, so it’s not a piece you’d want to take on shorter trips or walks around the city. If you’re not taking your laptop with you, in most cases you’d prefer to pack any lighter model in your backpack. 

The fact is, however, that compared to the competition, it’s not the worst value – it even weighs less than some less-equipped models (e.g., UGREEN 25000mAh PD 145W Power Bank). In terms of size, however, the power bank with dimensions of 49 x 157 x 54 mm won’t surprise you too much. 

The power bank’s body is made of matte gray plastic. The construction doesn’t feel as durable at first glance as the Xiaomi 212W Hypercharge Power Bank 25000 mAh model I tested last summer, but I didn’t perform any “crash tests,” so I can only estimate. The bottom base (when placed vertically) is rubberized, and in the upper part, there’s a space from which a retractable USB-C cable emerges from one half. It is 69 cm long, and once you pull it out to a certain length, it stops there until you slightly pull it further and retract it back into the body.

The second integrated USB-C cable is fabric-braided and emerges from the side of the body. However, my opinion on it is somewhat mixed. On the one hand, it’s convenient that I don’t have to carry my own charging cables for the power bank at all, as I only charge my laptop and phone on the go, but it might be cumbersome for some users. The manufacturer claims it can also be used as a loop, but personally, given the weight of the power bank, I would have slight concerns about handling it this way long-term.

Display

The display can definitely be counted among its advantages. When charging the power bank, it shows the power, percentage status with two decimal places, and remaining time. When charging other devices, you will see the output power from individual ports. In addition, you can also view the battery temperature and cell lifespan along with the current number of charging cycles on the screen. However, some enthusiasts might miss information about the currently used charging protocol.

The screen is colorful, and the individual “widgets,” which you switch between using the side button, seem nicely designed to me. Compared to the aforementioned Xiaomi model, it displays more items, which will certainly be appreciated by more technically inclined users, whom Anker generally targets. However, I believe even a layman will be pleased to know how long it will take for the power bank to be fully charged. 

Connectivity, charging, and performance

The Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables) is equipped with the two aforementioned USB-C cables, which can both deliver and receive power, and in addition to them, it also offers a USB-C port and one USB-A port. This allows for charging up to 4 devices simultaneously. I’m glad the manufacturer didn’t forget the classic “A” port, as not everyone has started primarily using “C” cables yet.

The power bank can be charged with up to 100 W using each USB-C port. In the case of integrated cables, this naturally has the advantage that you don’t need to carry any additional cable just to charge the power bank – it’s self-sufficient, and the only thing you’ll need to remember for longer trips is a wall adapter. 

During my testing, the power bank managed to adhere to the manufacturer’s advertised claim, and it indeed charged to 30% capacity within 20 minutes. The power initially quickly jumped to 80 W, then slowly reached 94 W, and at this value, after 18 minutes of charging, a slower 52W mode was activated due to high cell temperature. At this point, the power bank had 27% capacity. The power bank reached 50% in 43 minutes, 80% in 1 hour and 27 minutes, and 100% in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

When charging a laptop, the power bank showed very good results. I use a 2022 Huawei MateBook X Pro, which is equipped with a 60Wh battery. After fully charging a completely discharged laptop with the integrated cable, the power bank, whose capacity the manufacturer states as 90 Wh, had 27% battery remaining. Even after accounting for normal losses during voltage conversion and battery wear in the laptop, this is an excellent result. This means that the power bank can handle one full charging cycle of a typical ultrabook, and depending on what laptop you have, you might even have some charge left over.

From the remaining 27% capacity of the power bank, I managed to charge a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8, which had 10% at that moment, to 93%. The fact is that this flip phone only has a 4,300mAh cell, so with a Galaxy S26 Ultra, a large Pixel, or another phone with a similarly large battery (around 5,000 mAh), you would probably only end up at around 80%, but even so, it’s a decent result. This means that you can charge your laptop from the power bank and still have plenty of energy left for your phone.

Protocols, pass-through, and power distribution

The power bank offers full-fledged USB Power Delivery 3.0 with up to 100 W, the programmable standard PPS (3–11 V at 3 A) for fast charging Samsung and Google Pixel phones, an additional profile 10 V / 2.25 A (22.5 W) for Chinese brand devices, and the classic USB-A port supports Quick Charge with up to 33 W. However, the manufacturer’s website indicates that the power bank does not support 45W PPS (Super Fast Charging 2.0), so owners of some Samsung phones will not be able to utilize their faster 45W charging.

Also important is power distribution during charging. From any single USB-C port, it can output a full 100 W (and up to 33 W from USB-A). If you connect two devices to the USB-C ports, you will reach the declared maximum of 165 W in a 100 W + 65 W configuration, which is more than enough for simultaneously powering two laptops. When connecting three or four devices at once, the total ceiling drops to 130 W – the primary USB-C still maintains a solid 100 W for a laptop, while the remaining ports share the remaining 30 W, which is sufficient for a phone, watch, or headphones without issues.

The pass-through charging support is also pleasing. You can have the power bank connected to a wall outlet and simultaneously power other electronics from it. The only condition from the manufacturer is the use of an adapter with at least 20 W of power and the rule that the input power from the wall must be higher than the consumption of the connected devices.

Final evaluation and for whom the power bank is suitable

The Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables) is primarily suitable for users who travel with a laptop. Since mine lasts a maximum of three hours on a single charge, a power bank with such specifications is essentially a necessity for me for school or for traveling by train from Prague to Olomouc. 

Personally, I can also greatly appreciate the built-in cables, because currently I constantly have to remember to take at least one USB-C cable with me and not leave it at home connected to a wall adapter. Given that the power bank can now be bought for under 1,600 CZK with AlzaPlus+ (or on Heureka, the best offer is for 1,686 CZK), I would not hesitate to recommend the power bank to anyone who faces a similar problem as me – that is, has a laptop, travels frequently, and doesn’t want to worry about carrying cables. The purchase would also make sense at the regular price of 2,190 CZK, but at that point, I would also be looking more at models from competing brands like UGREEN or Vention.

For users who do not intend to charge a laptop from the power bank, purchasing such a powerful model will likely not make sense (frankly, I wouldn’t even buy it if I had a phone with 100W charging support). It would be more logical for them to get a power bank with the same capacity but lower charging power, which would be not only cheaper but also lighter.

Editor’s rating: 87.5% (at promotional price 90%, at regular price 85%)