If you have high-powered USB Type-C (USB-C) devices that you need charged on the go, this Tronsmart Brio 54W 20100mAh Power Bank with USB-C Power Delivery could be something useful to you. I’ve searched high and low, and I think there are few options available for power banks that offer USB-C with Power Delivery. This Tronsmart Brio is one.
Power banks have become essential parts of our mobile gadget life. While USB-C devices have become quite commonplace, power banks don’t seem to be catching up as quickly. Worse still if you want Power Delivery that can actually deliver at least 30 W of power.
Tronsmart is not very well-known. But like Anker, they are a manufacturer based out of China that sells directly to consumers, instead of through other brands that do little more than put a new label and slap a big margin. Tronsmart sells a range of electronics, including power banks. This Brio is one of the series of power banks available from Tronsmart.
The Tronsmart Brio power bank reviewed here has a 20100 mAh battery capacity. This isn’t as big as many other larger power banks, but there’s still a sizeable amount of juice to keep your electronics going. There are two USB Type-A ports, and one USB-C port, with the latter used for both charging other devices as well as input to charge the power bank itself.
The stellar feature of this Tronsmart Brio if the amount of power the USB-C port delivers. I was searching for a power bank specifically to support charging of my late-2016 MacBook Pro at a respectable pace. I had earlier tried an Aukey power bank, but it didn’t perform well enough. This Tronsmart Brio power bank does.
The official specifications state that this Tronsmart Brio power bank can produce a total of 54 W of output across all three ports. The USB-C port can support 30 W of output. In my own testing, I’ve seen that the power bank is indeed capable of handing 15 V at about 2 A using a handy USB-C power meter I have, so the 30 W of output is completely legit.
This Tronsmart Brio power bank can itself be charged over USB-C with Power delivery, also at 30 W, so this power bank will not take forever to get topped up. Good thing this is happening over USB-C Power Delivery standard too, not anything proprietary. Just remember to get a suitable USB-C Power Delivery wall charger, of course.
USB-C can deliver power in either direction. In the case above, the power bank is charging the MacBook Pro. The opposite can happen too. A button on the side of the Tronsmart Brio power bank lets you change the direction of charging if necessary. This is required only for the USB-C port. The USB Type-A port can only be used for charging other devices.
The other two USB Type-A ports support something Tronsmart calls VoltiQ, which basically means they each do 5 V at 2.4 A.
There are four simple LED indicators on the top of the power bank to indicate battery level. This is a little too rudimentary, and if not for a digital LCD display, I would have liked to see more levels of battery charge indication.
The power bank measures 160 x 74 x 24 mm. It’s encased in a black plastic body, with some design accents to add a touch of visual appeal to an otherwise very plain brick. Two short USB cables (one C-to-C and one A-to-C) and a carrying pouch is included with the power bank.
This Tronsmart Brio 54W 20100mAh Power Bank with USB-C Power Delivery is available from Lazada (affiliate link) at S$79.90.
Conclusion
If you’ve got any high-powered USB-C device that you need to keep charged up on the go, this Tronsmart Brio 54W 20100mAh Power Bank with USB-C Power Delivery will come in very handy.
Pros:
- USB-C port with Power Delivery up to 30 W
- Two USB Type-A ports for legacy devices
- Large 20100 mAh capacity
Cons:
- LED indications are too basic