BioLite Charge 80 PD Review

2021.03.15

The BioLite Charge 80 PD is a powerful 20,000mAh portable battery designed with travelers in mind. This USB power-bank complies with strict FAA guidelines to allow transport in carry-on luggage. It offers three ports, two standard USB-A and one USB-C Power-Delivery. A total of 18W can be shared between ports or output entirely to a single one.

BioLite is a manufacturer of off-the-grid devices that include solar-panels and power-generating stoves. They specialize in high-efficiency power and heat generation and are well-known by outdoor enthusiasts. Their latest products are a series of power-banks that comes in 3 sizes: the 6,000mAh Charge 20, the 10,000mAh Charge 40 and Charge 80 reviewed here.

The Charge 80 PD is a straight-forward power-bank in a rectangular body. All ports are on the same side with a button accompanied by status LEDs to indicate charge. It shows its power level in 4 increments that light up when the battery is connected to any device. When it is charging, the LEDs flash slowly. This makes it easy to know if the PD port is used for charging or discharging the battery. USB-A ports are exclusively used to power devices. Charging is possible using the included teal USB-A to USB-C cable.

According to BioLite, the Charge 80 PD can charge a typical smartphone five times, a tablet of unspecified size twice and a 13" laptop once. Testing confirms that a 6.5" Android phone can be charged in under 90 minutes from 10% to 90%. There is no 13" laptop on hand but we can confirm that it does not power a 14" ultrabook. Although numerous modern digital cameras support USB charging, the output of this power-bank is unsufficient to charge a camera while it is powered on. After connecting the Charge 80 PD to a Sony A7R IV mirrorless for an hour, the battery percentage did not even change by 1%. With the camera off though, it can refill its battery about five times. Oddly, BioLite only provides a USB-C to USB-A cable while the full potential of this battery can only be achieved with a C-to-C cable.

With its matte-grey and orange exterior, the BioLite Charge 80 PD looks positively toyish. The teal-ang-grey USB cable only adds to that impression. A fine texture all around the power-bank creates some friction to reduce changes of it slipping. The exterior shell feels cheap with some unexpected flex and crackling sounds. While this makes it seem fragile, the flex and slight spacing within the shell allows it to withstand impact better than denser devices as it gives in a little with pressure.

The BioLite Charge 80 PD is quite hefty. It weighs 465g, just over a full pound, which is about 20% more than other 20,000mAh power-banks. It is also noticeably larger at 16.5cm in length, compared to 14.5cm for the Aukey 20,000mAh USB-C bank shown above. It is not clear why it needs to be so large and heavy. This battery is considerably more sturdy than it looks.

Overall, this is a powerful battery that is just as versatile as others on the market. It delivers plenty of power while being easy to use. Its 18W total power can be distributed among all three ports or directed to a single one which is not supported by all power-banks. The BioLite 80 PD is sturdier than it looks and can be taken on flights since it complies with FAA regulation regarding Lithium-Ion batteries. NOTE: In carry-on and personal item only, this cannot be packed in checked-luggage.

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