Anyone used, and can recommend, a minimum 60w powerbank that should work with the laptop and be safe? There seems to be a big price range on Amazon but I am not sure I would trust the cheap ones. What capacity is one likely to need to do a full recharge of the laptop? I found a formula using Google but the result I got did not sound right.
I’ve been looking at a couple, this one seems to be decent: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1412281-REG/digipower_rf_pb268pd_60w_usb_c_portable_charger.html
B&H has it in the specs that’s it’s equivalent to 96.5 Wh, or 1.5 full charges for a Macbook Pro 13 based on the description it uses in the Microcenter product page: Digipower 60 Watt USB-C Power Delivery Portable Charger - Micro Center
There’s also the cheaper https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1600479-REG/belkin_bpb002btbk_boost_charge_20k_power.html that’s a bit smaller than the digipower (20k vs. 26.8k) and only charges at 30w, but uses USB-C PD so should work still. I charge my 2017 Mac Pro 15in with a 30w charger sometimes and it works, just a bit slow if I’m pushing it while charging.
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Thanks. A note to anyone else watching this thread that my understanding is that the maximum capacity allowed to be taken on a plane is 27,000mAh and that is why there some at 26,800mAh. And it must be taken in cabin baggage, not the hold.
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I’ve also been quite happy with several different sizes of Anker’s power banks. I have at least three now, including a 20,600 mAh Bank that I’ve used for several years now. It can charge just about anything I throw at it.
Another thought if you’re interested in dual-purpose, get a battery jumper/booster for your car that has a USB option. Several modern ones are quite compact, and can be used to jump start a car. 
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That does look nice but what I am looking for is a powerbank or portable charger. I already have a 60w charger and will be getting the GaN one from Framework with my DIY. Anker makes some nice powerbanks but for some reason the ones I like come as a bundle with a charger and that makes them more expensive. I don’t understand why they can’t sell the powerbanks separately.
Are you looking for something like this? It seems to meet your requirements, while also not coming with a charger.
https://www.amazon.com/ZMI-PowerPack-USB-C-Power-Bank/dp/B07N7Z6LSC
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That’s definitely the sort of thing. I will have a look at the reviews. I tend to look at the 1 star reviews first and this has only 3% so looks promising. Haven’t read them all yet but I am impressed at the engagement of the seller in response to one of the 5 start reviews.
This is the newer version of what I’ve been using for road trips and off the grid travel for about 4 years.
https://us.anker.com/collections/portable-power/products/b1376111
Not perfect, but really nice. It could be smaller and lighter, but it will charge my phone about 6 trillion* times before I have to recharge it.
*not actually
The capacity situation is sort of complicated, since powerbank capacity is advertised in mAh and USB-PD voltage is configurable. 26,800 mAh (or, more conveniently, 26.8 Ah), at 5V, is 134 Wh, which is 2.44 times the capacity of the Framework battery pack. But a 60W charger is probably doing something like 3A * 20V. If the powerbank can output 26.8Ah at 20V, that puts you all the way at 536Wh, which is nearly 10 charges.
So there really isn’t enough information given to figure out how much Framework battery charge you will get out of a particular powerbank, and it may vary even between packs of the same advertised capacity.
I think Anker is probably being honest when they say that their 26.8Ah, 45W max charger can charge a Dell XPS 13 (52Wh) once. In that case, it might be able to output 26.8Ah at 5V, but more like 2.68Ah at 20V. 2.68 * 20 = 53.6, which covers the XPS 13’s battery capacity with a little buffer
I believe the powerbank capacity is based on nominal li-ion cell voltage (3.7v) rather than the chargers output voltage. That’s the reason so many choose 26.8 as it puts it as 99Wh, just below the TSA limit for bringing on an airplane.
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I can’t yet confirm if it works with Framework, but GoalZero makes several power banks that should work. In my case, I use the Sherpa 100AC with several devices, including my company laptop.
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I purchased the
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Charging-Portable-Smartphones-MobileStudio/dp/B07PTNV3CF?ref_=ast_sto_dp
It’s expensive though. I like the…
- 100W charging capability
- It can act as a USB A and C hub
- It can do pass through charging.
Their other model, the Omnicharge 20+ has an AC outlet as well.
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