To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
- 140W maximum output
- Fast charging for multiple devices
- Useful TFT display
- No wireless charging
- Slow interface
The Cuktech brand might not have the familiarity of Belkin, Juice or Anker, but with its first big foray into the UK power bank market it’s going big. The Cuktech 15 Ultra is a chunky 20,000mAh unit with three ports capable of dishing out a total 165W. What’s more, it supports the USB PD3.1 spec to deliver up to 140W from a single port.
For most users that’s going to be overkill right now, but it means you can fast-charge a laptop and a smartphone or tablet at once, while it’s equipped to handle laptops like the 16in Apple Macbook Pro that can take a 140W input. Right now, these are fairly few and far between, but expect them to become more common with time.
What do you get for the money?
The Cuktech 15 Ultra is a small brick of a power bank, measuring 45 x 57 x 152mm and weighing a moderately hefty 590g. It has three outputs on the front or top of the unit, depending on whether it’s standing vertically or lying down.
One is a USB-A port with a maximum output of 18W, but the other two are USB-C, one rated for up to 65W, the other rated for up to 140W. The actual outputs depend on what you have connected, with the 65W output dropping to 45W when three devices are charging, and the 140W output dropping to 100W unless it’s used alone. And, of course, you’re also limited by what charging profiles your devices actually support.
In addition, you get a useful 1.3in colour TFT screen, which provides real-time data on the current power inputs and outputs, along with the charge level and temperature readings. And this display works as a basic user-interface for settings, with the single button switching cycling through menu items if you press and hold.
What do we like?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a 140W-capable laptop to hand to check the headline output, but the 15 Ultra dished out 98.2W to a 100W device and 60.1W to my laptop. What’s more, charging speeds didn’t falter when I had both plugged in at the same time. Arguably the best thing about the 15 Ultra is that you can have devices connected to all three ports and they will all get a fast charge.
Speeds are just as impressive. Even over USB-A my test phone charged from zero to 24% in 15 minutes, or by 27% over USB-C. Both are among the best results I’ve seen from a power bank.
The Cuktech has one final trick up its sleeve. It will accept an input of up to 100W when charging, but you can also plug in two wall chargers for a maximum 165W. Your reward is the 15 Ultra heading into “Beast Mode” complete with a special screen animation, where you can see the charge level rising percentage point by percentage point.
In Beast Mode I witnessed it reach 80% from zero in just 20 minutes. While I worried that this might come with a massive heat build up, the case remained only slightly warm to touch.
What didn’t we like?
There isn’t much not to like about the Cuktech 15 Ultra. The user interface isn’t particularly responsive, but when you’re only setting whether the main USB-C input is input only, output only or two-way, this isn’t a huge reason to grumble.
Wireless QI2 charging might have been a nice extra, but it would have pushed the price up at the same time and the price is part of what makes this power bank so appealing.
Should you buy the Cuktech 15 Ultra?
If you’re looking for a powerful high-speed charger that can handle three devices, and one that’s fairly future proof to boot, the Cuktech 15 Ultra has you covered. It’s fast, has plenty of capacity and isn’t hugely big or weighty.
I wouldn’t want to carry it in a backpack every day, but it’s brilliant for weekends or long trips, and the Beast Mode is a real bonus when you forget to charge it up the night before.
