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- Fast USB-A and USB-C ports
- Simple, informative display
- Charges quickly
- Headline speeds only for Xiaomi phones
- No wireless charging
If the 15 Ultra placed Cuktech in the pantheon of power bank greats, its pint-sized cousin, the 10 Mini, confirms it’s more than just another generic Chinese brand. While not as powerful or feature-packed as the Cuktech 15 Ultra, the 10 Mini is still a very capable unit, with one USB-A port and two USB-C ports capable of charging three devices at once – and a headline USB-C charging rate of 55W.
In theory, this should make the 10 Mini one of the fastest compact power banks we’ve tested, but there are some caveats. I’ve been testing Cuktech’s latest over the last two weeks to find out how it measures up.
What do you get for the money?
The 10 Mini a neat, compact, brick-shaped power bank roughly the size of a chunky bar of soap. It measures 90mm long and 50mm wide and reasonably light, at 216g. You’ll feel it in your bag or pocket, but not to the extent that you wouldn’t pack it for the daily commute or a weekend trip.
A 22mm-wide LED display in the black top panel lights up at a touch of a button to show you the current charge level or charging speed, and there are two holes nearby for attaching the bundled wrist strap. Otherwise, the key features are the two USB-C ports, either of which can be used to charge the power bank, plus one single USB-A port. The USB-C ports support charging speeds of up to 55W, while the USB-A port goes up to 33W.
In the box is a wrist strap, plus a short 150mm USB-C charging cable and soft travel pouch.
What did we like about it?
Let’s get this out of the way: the headline 55W charging speed only applies to some laptops and to compatible Xiaomi phones, the use of which will see you rewarded with a Xiaomi-specific charging animation on the screen.
I don’t own a Xiaomi phone to test this with, so I’ve yet to experience the wonders of 55W charging, but with my Android test phone I still saw charging rates of 40.65W, with 42.94W for my laptop. That’s not up there with the 70W rate of Anker’s A1695 Laptop Power Bank, but it’s great for a smaller, smartphone-focused model.
The 10 Mini also supplied a steady 18.5W through USB-A, and could still deliver 9.08W to the smartphone while my laptop was connected to the second USB-C port. Most importantly, it charged the phone from zero to 28% in 15 minutes over USB-A, and from no charge to 46% over USB-C. That’s a better performance than the Anker Zolo A1680, which reached 15% and 32% respectively with the same phone.
There’s no equivalent of the 15 Ultra’s 165W Best Mode for charging the power bank itself, but it will accept an input of 52.8W and can charge another device while so occupied.
What didn’t we like?
Not much. There’s no wireless charging, but that’s reflected in the more than reasonable £25 price. While it’s a shame that more devices can’t benefit from the 55W max charging rate, that’s not unusual.
Getting power banks and phones to charge at the highest possible speeds is rarely to be taken for granted.
Should you buy the Cuktech 10 Mini?
This is one of the best mid-capacity power banks I’ve tested. It’s a bit of a chunk by the standards of slimline chargers, but it’s still super-portable and capable of hitting some impressive charging speeds.
It’s great for charging smartphones on the move, but could also stretch to tablets and some smaller laptops. It’s also well-built, consistent and reliable, not to mention brilliant value at the price.
