ChargeCore SafeCharge Max power banks use LiFePO4 for safety

ChargeCore SafeCharge Max power banks use LiFePO4 cells instead of Lithium-ion for increased safety and peace of mind.

CyberShack will not review Lithium-ion power banks, no matter how good a brand, as they are potential firebombs. We were pleasantly surprised that a local company, Laser Co., launched the good-value LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) power banks on the Australian market.

The power banks come in 20,000mAh ($69.95), 10,000mAh ($49.95) and 5,000mAh ($29.95).

LiFePO4 advantages over Lithium-ion

• Up to 5000 full recharge cycles (500-1000 with Lithium-ion)
• Supports USB-C PD for faster charging (no)
• LED percentage battery life remaining
• Slower self-discharge – will remain on the shelf charged for longer
• High resistance to thermal runaway and comes in a strong ABC V0+ Shell
• 3-year warranty
• Website here

Tech details (all based on 10,000mAh model)

We tested the 10,000mAh, which is 3.2V/10A/32W. Put simply, the fuel tank holds 32W output for an hour. But like a car, the faster you go, the lower the kilometres per litre.

Charging is via the USB-C port and accepts a maximum of 18W (5V/3A/15W, 9V/2A/18W or 12V/1.25A/18W).

Output is

• USB-C: 5V/3A/15W, 9V/2.22A/19.8W and 12V/1.67A/20W
• USB-A: 5V/3A/15W, 9V/2A/18W, 12V/1.5A/18W and 10V/2.25A/22.5W

It comes with a USB-A to 2 x USB-C and 1 x Lightning cable with a maximum combined output charge of 2A.

As usual, no charger is supplied. Recharge time depends. At 5V/2A/10W (minimum), it takes just over 5 hours. At 18W, it took around 2 hours and 37 minutes. You can use higher-wattage chargers, but they will only draw 18W.

You can expect the 20,000mAh version to take about twice as long to charge.

Size

• 5000mah/16Wh: 66 x 15 x 10mm x 13g
• 10000mAh/32Wh: 66 x 15 x 15mm x 22g
• 20000mAh/64Wh: 66 x 25 x 150mm x 40g

Capacity

Most phones don’t quote battery capacity in Watts

• A typical Android 5000mA phone battery is about 18W.
• An iPhone 16 has (approximately) 3500mAh/13W (standard), 4000mAh/14.5W (Plus), 3355mAh/13W (Pro) and 4600mAh/17W (Max).

Allowing for the usual efficiency losses, it will charge most devices under 5000mA in about 90 to 120 minutes. ChargeCore claims that an iPhone 15 standard gains a 50% charge in 30 minutes at 20W charging.

While it has three charge ports, the maximum combined output is 20W.

CyberShack’s view: ChargeCore SafeCharge Max power banks use LiFePO4 for safety

Lithium-ion power banks, especially those above 20,000mAh (100Wh), have attendant safety issues. Read Planes and power banks – FAA/TSA rules enforced (Urgent update off-grid), may not be able to be placed in check-in baggage and must not be used in-flight.

Australian domestic airlines are now announcing that power banks (any size or type) cannot be used in-flight. While ChargeCore LiFePO4 is many times safer than other power banks, airline staff are yet to understand that there is a difference, so take care.

As is characteristic of Laser Co and its ChargeCore brand, it is a no-frills value device. We will soon see many more safer LiFePO4 banks.

Rating

We won’t formally give a score because this is new technology for power banks. If we had to use one, the ChargeCore SafeCharge Max LiFePO4 would be it.

Pro

• Won’t explode if dropped – big plus
• Seems to achieve about an 80% charging efficiency (higher than Li-ion)
• 20W max available for faster charging
• More eco-friendly
• 5000 recharge cycles smash Lithium at 500-1000

Con

• Not PD 3.0 or 3.1
• The display shows the percentage of power remaining
• No wattage discharge information when charging a device
• It would be nice to include a 3W USB-C charge cable