Baseus EnerCore CR11 power bank
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Baseus’ EnerCore CR11 is a powerful 67W power bank that’s about as compact as you can get for $63 on Amazon.
- Its built-in retractable cable means you don’t have to worry about bringing cords along, and powerful enough to top up a laptop.
- It might be overkill if you’re just charging your phone or a camera.
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I’ve noticed that when I’m in content creator mode and packing my favorite portable drone, action cameras, pocket-sized gimbal camera and portable mics — and maybe even my laptop — I’m desperate for power to make sure that the day isn’t cut short.
But because I’m usually packing a bag to carry all my stuff, size and weight isn’t as much of an issue, so I can take something a little bigger than I’d have just for my iPhone.
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The power bank that I’ve been taking with me recently on my content creation days is the Baseus EnerCore CR11, and it has proved itself such a great unit that I’ve been recommending it to other content creators.
There’s no doubt that retractable USB-C cables are a thing now, with them making an appearance on power banks, chargers and in-car chargers (not to mention USB-C cables with their own retractors — some of which are happy to hold up a 56 pound lump of iron!) from all the big names.
Baseus has always been a company that’s had its eye on the ball when it comes to attention to detail, and that shows with the EnerCore CR11. The retractor on this power bank is one of the smoothest I’ve tested, and it locks out at several different lengths (as opposed to many where you only get three or four). I like this because I can make the 2.3 foot cable the right length for my needs.
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The 20,000mAh capacity is ideal for keeping things like action cameras and drones topped up throughout the day without adding too much in the way of weight to my gear bag. If I needed anything bigger I’d be looking at something like the Anker SOLIX C300 DC or the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus, but these are considerably heavier than the 13.9 ounces of the EnerCore CR11.
The 20,000mAh capacity is enough for three or four smartphone recharges, a recharge of a MacBook Air, a couple of recharges of an iPad Pro. That should be enough for most demanding content creators.
The EnerCore CR11 is also a beautiful power bank. This isn’t something that normally catches my eye, but this one is quite striking. The shell is a iridescent dark blue, and there’s a neat, somewhat retro-looking power display. It really looks the part.
On the side of the power bank is a button that’s used to turn the display on, and a quick double-press activates low-current mode, allowing the power bank to recharge low-draw gadgets like earbuds, which allows this one power bank to covers pretty much any gadget you might want to take with you.
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One thing that I really like about this power bank is how is stays nice and cool even under heavy load. Baseus has used graphene and aerospace-grade aerogel thermal insulation to dissipate the heat, and the on-board control chip keeps an eye to make sure that things stay safe and cool.
ZDNET’s buying advice
I get to test a lot of power banks, some make the cut, many don’t. The Baseus EnerCore CR11 definitely does thanks to its compact size and powerful 20,000mAh of battery capacity, the retractable cable, and spare USB-C port. It’s also solidly built so can take the rigors of being thrown into a pack and taken on adventures.
Priced at $63, you can’t call this a cheap power bank, but it’s a power bank that does exactly what it says it will do on the box, and is the sort of power bank that will give you many years of service.
