Bought one last time they sold it.
These things are actually pretty good. Nice to be able to have a battery pack for a USB-C laptop. Has come in handy more than once.
Powerful but heavy (1.3 lb) and expensive (almost $1 per WH). If you need that much power and can stand even more weight, you could consider over of those lunch box power stations with 120vac output at maybe $0.50/WH and higher capacity.
I bought this the last time around. It came DOA. Meh replaced it. The new one worked great but stopped working a couple of months later (wouldn’t charge) after using it several times. My experience has been consistent with the one star reviews which are pretty consistent on why they gave one star. Basically I put a match to my money.
From my Aug 2022 post:
FYI Here is the better manual online that what comes in the box as the one in the box has a shortage of pictures and words (most of the space is taken up by the same lack of information in about 10 languages):
I have one of these. Works great! I’m considering buying another, but I really don’t need it. Also, it gets confused when you plug a USB-C cable into both ports. It thinks it is trying to charge itself.
I have so many USB chargers from Meh and yet can never find one when I need one. Don’t know I’m willing to pay $80 for one that will get lost in a junk drawer somewhere that I can’t find it when I need it though. These should come with built in trackrs.
@ohhwell the junk drawer is hypothetical. They’re not literally in a drawer (well they might be). I buy them. Kids or wife go on trips. I don’t get them returned. Next time someone goes on a trip there is a panic “I cant find a Powerbank”. I don’t know where they are. They have disappeared into the unknown like so many pencils, Philips head screwdrivers, and socks before them.
@OnionSoup The thing that gets lost most often is a 10mm socket. I swear that there must be some kind of pocket dimension that swallows them up. And there’s another one for “exactly the screwdriver bit that fits these fasteners”, too.
@werehatrack always the Philips head screwdrivers for me. Always pull out a dozen slotted screwdrivers before I come across a Phillips. They disappear.
While the Best Buy version is as shown above, the $150 that Amazon is asking also includes the charger that goes with it: The 65W usb-c wall charger. And currently has a $40 coupon for the bundle, for $110. This makes the wall charger $30.
Anker Power Bank, 25,600mAh Portable Charger 87W Bundle with 65W USB-C Wall Charger, https://a.co/d/2XT3eoj
If you already have a capable charger, by all means, get the meh version here. The one at Best Buy doesn’t include the charger.
@Barc777
So nice of Amazon to give the Product Dimensions when Meh! and Best Buy didn’t (that I could find). Some people like to know how big the thing is that they are buying:
@Barc777 in all fairness, the charger this comes with on Amazon (Anker 515 Charger) is usually right around $30; it’s currently $34. So you are essentially just buying the brick at full price buying the bundle on Amazon. I think the only reason you’d want to do that is if you trust the Amazon return policy/customer service more.
Link to said charging brick: https://is.gd/KSmK2D
(Used a link shortener [non-paywalled] because Amazon has cringe urls. If this takes you to an ad, let me know and I’ll immediately replace it)
@clarinetbob The one thing to watch out for with used batteries is that the more they are used, the less good they work: they don’t charge to full capacity due to degradation, they don’t use their fully charged capacity, more energy is lost as heat, they don’t charge as efficiently, etc… It does sound like a great deal, but even though they say “like new,” you don’t know if you’re getting one that’s been power cycled 2 times or 200 times.
@hchavers They sell heated jackets and pants that use power banks to provide the juice to the heating coils. Those are really useful if you work outside in during winter.
@benj This one is probably much closer to its stated mAh rating. Almost every company lies about the rating, sometimes outrageously, except for these really expensive ones from particularly reputable companies.
It is fairly common for the no-name power banks to actually have a capacity 1/2 or even 1/4 of what it advertises.
@benj Either can charge your phone, headphones, smartwatch, etc. The $20 ones will most likely not charge your laptop on the go. If that’s not something you need, your Griffin’s will be fine. If you need to bring your laptop with you into the backcountry, this would be a smart purchase.
@benj power output capability and quality of the cells are the big two. I seem to remember the $20 ones did not even support QC 3.0 where this one will do PD 87.
Anker is a very trusted name brand and has excellent product support. I have a few anker banks that are 3 years old and they are still perfect.
That being said, I have also had decent enough luck with the off brands as well.
@ciabelle Thank you! I had no idea. 73 year old brain here needs to reboot! I’ve only used the Griffins on Bluetooth speakers and various rechargeable lights, and they work fine for that.
@ohhwell Thank you! I didn’t know all the various distinctions with all these power banks. My cheap ones have worked well on Bluetooth speakers, lights etc… Fortunately I have the newest laptop, phone and tablet from Samsung and battery life has been the best I’ve ever had, so haven’t needed any power banks for those. (I’ll keep my fingers crossed)
You know what would be nice? To not say “something went terribly wrong” when trying to cancel my membership (twice), but when I go back later and see that my membership has been canceled, so – I assume that nothing went terribly wrong? smh
Oh hey my comment from the last time this was on sale got mentioned in the write-up! I ended up buying one for exactly the reason I mentioned: Steam Deck. And I can confirm that it works great, providing plenty of extra Steam Deck runtime for any long flight.
Honestly. Mediocre deal. Amazon had 737 powerbank (looks like still one in warehouse) 24,000mAh 140w usbc port $80 lastnight. I saw it on TikTok and almost got it. This one at $50 would be a steal though.
Hey meh how about getting some of the viral tiktok items?
@IAMIS One thing will definitely happen, and another might. One: The power bank will never work again. Two: There is a slight chance it will self discharge in a very dramatic manner.
The recommended way to deal with a lithium battery fire or potential fire is to fully submerge the device under water. This should be water without people in it, so get out of the tub. You want enough water so that the battery won’t have enough energy to boil the water.
Firefighters extinguish electric car fires by picking up the burning car with a forklift and dropping it in a swimming pool. If you ever have an emergency where you need a pool of water right away, call the fire department. They have the equipment and training to do it fast. Not only can they fill a pool with a literal fire hose, they may be able to use several fire hoses at the same time.
@hamjudo I am reminded of the fellow whose clever attempt to save a bunch of money was ill-timed. He was fortunate enough to have a fire hydrant in front of his house, and he had the wrench to operate the valve and enough hose to reach his pool. He even did the deed after dark. But he could not have known that a neighbor was going to have a heart attack right then…
Here’s a problem, unless I misunderstand. It doesn’t come with a 110v USB wall adapter for the included charging cable. Yeah, you have a few of these kicking around your home. But they are probably 2v to 5v. However, what you need to charge this aux battery fast is like a 20v or 30v USB wall adapter. And those aren’t cheap, like $20 bucks.
However, if you use a Chromebook, the USB-C wall chargers that came with it should be able to recharge this brick pretty fast.
Bought one last time they sold it.
These things are actually pretty good. Nice to be able to have a battery pack for a USB-C laptop. Has come in handy more than once.
/showme the offspring between a power bank and a speaker dock
I’d consider buying that, @mediocrebot
@mediocrebot I now want this.
@AaronLeeJohnson @mediocrebot I want a sound poutot.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/anker-powercore-iii-elite-25600-mah-87w-usb-c-pd-portable-charger-black/6433261.p
Actually, $111.99 at Best Buy.
@cengland0 You might like the version below from Amazon, which includes the 65W wall charger and the $40 coupon off the bundle.
@cengland0 Our bad on that - thing was $149.99 all week and must have gone on sale on Saturday or Sunday
@troy Thank you, as alwyas, for being open and transparent.
I should make a house out of these bricks.
challenge accepted.
@alacrity I got one of these for Christmas but my phone won’t fit.
@alacrity @brennyn Any modern phone that would fit in there is probably no big loss if blended.
I really want one of these for my usb-c soldering iron. Very few battery packs can provide the 20V the soldering iron requires for maximum heat.
But $79.99 is a bit steep for a product offering on meh. It is probably worth every penny but too much for an impulse buy.
Here’s a Usb-C Blender in case you really do want to make a Margarita. Halfway decent reviews even.
@Zelucifer It is Anker so that is not surprising.
Powerful but heavy (1.3 lb) and expensive (almost $1 per WH). If you need that much power and can stand even more weight, you could consider over of those lunch box power stations with 120vac output at maybe $0.50/WH and higher capacity.
I bought this the last time around. It came DOA. Meh replaced it. The new one worked great but stopped working a couple of months later (wouldn’t charge) after using it several times. My experience has been consistent with the one star reviews which are pretty consistent on why they gave one star. Basically I put a match to my money.
From my Aug 2022 post:
FYI Here is the better manual online that what comes in the box as the one in the box has a shortage of pictures and words (most of the space is taken up by the same lack of information in about 10 languages):
https://manuals.plus/anker/powercore-iii-elite-manual#user_manual
You might want to check yours out when it comes in the mail in case there is a problem.
Here is the thread from the last time around:
https://meh.com/forum/topics/anker-powercore-iii-elite-25600mah-87-watt-high-speed-usb-c-pd-power-bank
I have one of these. Works great! I’m considering buying another, but I really don’t need it. Also, it gets confused when you plug a USB-C cable into both ports. It thinks it is trying to charge itself.
I have so many USB chargers from Meh and yet can never find one when I need one. Don’t know I’m willing to pay $80 for one that will get lost in a junk drawer somewhere that I can’t find it when I need it though. These should come with built in trackrs.
@OnionSoup And stay charged while they’re lost.
/giphy dead in a drawer
@OnionSoup SAME!
@OnionSoup Although they say it is compact, this thing is a pretty decent size. Might not get lost in a junk drawer.
@ohhwell the junk drawer is hypothetical. They’re not literally in a drawer (well they might be). I buy them. Kids or wife go on trips. I don’t get them returned. Next time someone goes on a trip there is a panic “I cant find a Powerbank”. I don’t know where they are. They have disappeared into the unknown like so many pencils, Philips head screwdrivers, and socks before them.
@OnionSoup The thing that gets lost most often is a 10mm socket. I swear that there must be some kind of pocket dimension that swallows them up. And there’s another one for “exactly the screwdriver bit that fits these fasteners”, too.
@werehatrack always the Philips head screwdrivers for me. Always pull out a dozen slotted screwdrivers before I come across a Phillips. They disappear.
While the Best Buy version is as shown above, the $150 that Amazon is asking also includes the charger that goes with it: The 65W usb-c wall charger. And currently has a $40 coupon for the bundle, for $110. This makes the wall charger $30.
Anker Power Bank, 25,600mAh Portable Charger 87W Bundle with 65W USB-C Wall Charger, https://a.co/d/2XT3eoj
If you already have a capable charger, by all means, get the meh version here. The one at Best Buy doesn’t include the charger.
@Barc777
So nice of Amazon to give the Product Dimensions when Meh! and Best Buy didn’t (that I could find). Some people like to know how big the thing is that they are buying:
7.22 x 3.24 x 0.94 inches
@Barc777 And 1.3 pounds.
@Barc777 EVEN BETTER! They have all of the above “used like new” for $84 on Amazon (with 65W brick and cable). Sold be Anker.
@Barc777 in all fairness, the charger this comes with on Amazon (Anker 515 Charger) is usually right around $30; it’s currently $34. So you are essentially just buying the brick at full price buying the bundle on Amazon. I think the only reason you’d want to do that is if you trust the Amazon return policy/customer service more.
Link to said charging brick: https://is.gd/KSmK2D
(Used a link shortener [non-paywalled] because Amazon has cringe urls. If this takes you to an ad, let me know and I’ll immediately replace it)
@clarinetbob The one thing to watch out for with used batteries is that the more they are used, the less good they work: they don’t charge to full capacity due to degradation, they don’t use their fully charged capacity, more energy is lost as heat, they don’t charge as efficiently, etc… It does sound like a great deal, but even though they say “like new,” you don’t know if you’re getting one that’s been power cycled 2 times or 200 times.
Specs
Product: Anker PowerCore III Elite 25,600mAh 87-Watt High Speed USB-C PD Power Bank
Model: A1291H11
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$112 at Best Buy
Warranty
Limited 18-month Anker Warranty
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 1 - Tuesday, Apr 2
Who’s got the power tonight?
I can’t think of a situation where I am away from a power plug with my computer for that long.
@hchavers That’s exactly the situation it’s for.
@hchavers They sell heated jackets and pants that use power banks to provide the juice to the heating coils. Those are really useful if you work outside in during winter.
@hchavers Well, I guess this product isn’t for you then huh?
This past January, on MEH I bought two Griffin 20,000mAh 74 Wh power banks for $20.00. How does today’s offer compare to that?
@benj This one is probably much closer to its stated mAh rating. Almost every company lies about the rating, sometimes outrageously, except for these really expensive ones from particularly reputable companies.
It is fairly common for the no-name power banks to actually have a capacity 1/2 or even 1/4 of what it advertises.
@benj Either can charge your phone, headphones, smartwatch, etc. The $20 ones will most likely not charge your laptop on the go. If that’s not something you need, your Griffin’s will be fine. If you need to bring your laptop with you into the backcountry, this would be a smart purchase.
@benj power output capability and quality of the cells are the big two. I seem to remember the $20 ones did not even support QC 3.0 where this one will do PD 87.
Anker is a very trusted name brand and has excellent product support. I have a few anker banks that are 3 years old and they are still perfect.
That being said, I have also had decent enough luck with the off brands as well.
@benj this one will charge a laptop or MacBook via USB-C…the cheap ones will not charge a laptop.
@jandrese Thank you! I learned something new here today. I was clueless of any distinctions!
@ciabelle Thank you! I had no idea. 73 year old brain here needs to reboot! I’ve only used the Griffins on Bluetooth speakers and various rechargeable lights, and they work fine for that.
@ohhwell Thank you! I didn’t know all the various distinctions with all these power banks. My cheap ones have worked well on Bluetooth speakers, lights etc… Fortunately I have the newest laptop, phone and tablet from Samsung and battery life has been the best I’ve ever had, so haven’t needed any power banks for those. (I’ll keep my fingers crossed)
@TimW Thank you! I had no clue!
You know what would be nice? To not say “something went terribly wrong” when trying to cancel my membership (twice), but when I go back later and see that my membership has been canceled, so – I assume that nothing went terribly wrong? smh
I miss the $10 10k Mophies w/built-in usb-c.
@Yeknomgod I got a couple I will sell you since I am not using them.
Oh hey my comment from the last time this was on sale got mentioned in the write-up! I ended up buying one for exactly the reason I mentioned: Steam Deck. And I can confirm that it works great, providing plenty of extra Steam Deck runtime for any long flight.
Honestly. Mediocre deal. Amazon had 737 powerbank (looks like still one in warehouse) 24,000mAh 140w usbc port $80 lastnight. I saw it on TikTok and almost got it. This one at $50 would be a steal though.
Hey meh how about getting some of the viral tiktok items?
Does anything happen if one falls in the bathtub while you are in it?
@IAMIS One thing will definitely happen, and another might. One: The power bank will never work again. Two: There is a slight chance it will self discharge in a very dramatic manner.
The recommended way to deal with a lithium battery fire or potential fire is to fully submerge the device under water. This should be water without people in it, so get out of the tub. You want enough water so that the battery won’t have enough energy to boil the water.
Firefighters extinguish electric car fires by picking up the burning car with a forklift and dropping it in a swimming pool. If you ever have an emergency where you need a pool of water right away, call the fire department. They have the equipment and training to do it fast. Not only can they fill a pool with a literal fire hose, they may be able to use several fire hoses at the same time.
@IAMIS Informative comment of the day. From someone who apparently wrestles pork meat.
@hamjudo I am reminded of the fellow whose clever attempt to save a bunch of money was ill-timed. He was fortunate enough to have a fire hydrant in front of his house, and he had the wrench to operate the valve and enough hose to reach his pool. He even did the deed after dark. But he could not have known that a neighbor was going to have a heart attack right then…
Sneaky, I almost bought it again by mistake. But since I bought it in 2022, I don’t really need another one.
Here’s a problem, unless I misunderstand. It doesn’t come with a 110v USB wall adapter for the included charging cable. Yeah, you have a few of these kicking around your home. But they are probably 2v to 5v. However, what you need to charge this aux battery fast is like a 20v or 30v USB wall adapter. And those aren’t cheap, like $20 bucks.
However, if you use a Chromebook, the USB-C wall chargers that came with it should be able to recharge this brick pretty fast.
@Snowshoe If you live near an Ikea, they just released a 30W USB-C charger for $8.