EcoFlow Rapid Magnetic Power Bank review: rapid by name, rapid by nature

Best Prices Today: EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K

Magnetic wireless charging—whether MagSafe or compatible Qi2—has revolutionized iPhone charging and created an exciting market in portable power banks. Simply magnetically clamp a compact battery pack to the back of your iPhone and slip it back in your pocket as it recharges or start using it straight away.

15W Apple-certified MagSafe or Qi2 made wireless charging relatively speedy, and cheaper power banks could chug along at a decent 7.5W pace if they are only MagSafe compatible. All iPhones post the 2020 iPhone 12 (with the strange exceptions of the SE and 16e) include the necessary magnets to work with the magnetic accessories.

Recently, magnetic power banks—such as the Anker Zolo 10K Magnetic Power Bank and Baseus Nomos Magnetic Power Bank Qi2 have upped the game by including an integrated USB-C cable that means you can still attach the power bank to the phone but connect with the cable for a charging speed of up to 30W. See: The Best MagSafe portable battery packs and power banks for iPhone.

Wired charging is always faster than wireless as less energy is wasted with a direct connection, so having a power bank that has both wireless and wired charging offers the best of both worlds. Both the Anker Zolo and Baseus Nomos can cable-charge an iPhone at 30W, with the Nomos fastest at recharging: 15W (Qi2) vs Anker’s 7.5W (MagSafe compatible).

The Anker did, however, perform better in our recharging tests, scoring 190%: it fully recharged an iPhone 16 Pro once and then again to 90%, so nearly two full refills of the iPhone battery. The Baseus managed a still respectable 166% in our tests.

The decision between the two high-capacity 10000mAh (10K) power banks boils down to a higher recharge return with the Anker vs a speedier but slightly lower return with the Baseus.

The latest magnetic power bank in the Macworld Labs, however, might steal the show from both. Enter the EcoFlow Rapid 10000mAh Magnetic Power Bank.

Fast and full of power

The EcoFlow Rapid 10000mAh Power Bank matches both Anker and Baseus battery packs by boasting a built-in USB-C cable that can charge at 30W.

Like the Baesus Nomos it uses the fast 15W Qi2 magnetic technology when charging wirelessly.

And in our tests it perfectly equals the Anker Zolo with a recharging score of 190%.

The Rapid doesn’t just get its name from its dual 15W wireless and 30W wired power output speeds. It can be recharged itself at an incredible input rate of 65W, meaning it will be back full of juice faster than any other easily portable power bank that we’ve tested. In comparison the Anker has a 20W input speed and the Baseus 30W.

When using either USB-C port to charge a device, the RAPID 10k prioritizes steady, efficient wired charging by turning off wireless charging (Qi2) to maximize power output. It can simultaneously charge two devices via USB-C.

As it supports pass-through charging you could charge one device and recharge the power bank at the same time. When charging via either USB-C, wireless charging appears to be pegged back to just 5W.

Design

The EcoFlow Rapid’s integrated USB-C cable tucks in neatly at the bottom of the power bank. Having a cable built in means you don’t have to worry about carrying one around with you. Of course, wireless charging means no cable required—except for charging the power bank itself—but for the fastest output speeds that USB-C cable comes to the fore. It also means you don’t need to remember a cable if recharging the power bank itself as the cable can be used to add power in as well as out.

There’s also a spare USB-C port so that you can charge more than one device at a time. Both the Anker and Baseus power banks also feature such a port.

EcoFlow Rapid is a little larger than its nearest competitors.

• Anker Zolo 10K: 4.15-x-2.7-x-0.8 inches (10.5-x-6.9-x-2cm) and weighs 241g.
• Baseus Nomos 10K: 4.25 x 2.7 x 0.8 inches (10.8 x 6.8 x 2cm) and weighs 232g.
• EcoFlow Rapid 10K: 4.25-x-2.8-x-0.9 inches (10.8-x-7-x-2.3cm) and weighs 275g.

This larger size is the compromise you might have to make to gain maximum power and top speed. While it doesn’t look much in raw dimensions, in hand the Rapid is noticeably larger. But, it will still fit in a pocket and that 40g difference is not much extra heft.

If you really want a slim power bank you should instead consider a smaller 5000mAh (5K) battery pack. Thankfully, there is a 5K model of the EcoFlow Rapid, and this achieved 70% in our recharging test. It is the first 5K power bank we have had to review that includes a built-in USB-C cable and it boasts 30W input and output. The 10K model is faster to fill but has more capacity to top up.

The EcoFlow Rapid looks stylish in a gray body with mirrored smart TFT display—a feature missing from the Zolo and Nomis, which both indicate remaining battery charge with a simple series of LEDs.

The Rapid’s display shows its remaining battery charge with an easily readable digital counter and accurate to a hundredth of a percentage point.

You can customize the display with a dedicated app, choosing to view charging speed, power output, and even customizing the screen with your name or a pattern.

Buzzy location

This is the first power bank we have tested that includes a location tool. It’s not as sophisticated as Apple’s Find My and won’t locate the power bank on a map.

Instead, with the Find My Device function in the EcoFlow app, you can locate your missing power bank with its built-in buzzer.

Price

The EcoFlow Rapid 10K Magnetic Power Bank is priced at $89.99 / £89.99. While the Anker Zolo costs just $49.99 / £49.99, remember that it is rated at just 7.5W for wireless charging compared to the Rapid’s 15W. The Baseus Nomos is priced around the same as the Rapid.

If you want to sacrifice some battery capacity for a slimmer design but still have the 15W output and built-in USB-C cable, the EcoFlow Rapid 5K Magnetic Power Bank is $20/£20 cheaper. It lacks the 65W super-speedy input (instead 30W). and the location finder, but it’s a super neat slim power bank that will get one phone through the day.

For more options we have tested and reviewed the best magnetic power banks.

Should you buy the EcoFlow Rapid 10K Magnetic Power Bank?

With its built-in USB-C cable (30W output, 65W input) and 15W Qi2 magnetic wireless charging the EcoFlow Rapid 10K Magnetic Power Bank lives up to its speedy name. Battery capacity is high end, too, and with smart display, app control and location finder, the Rapid 10K rises to the top of our magnetic power bank chart.

Best Prices Today: EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K