Charge your USB-C laptop with the Anker 20,000 mHA battery pack while flying internationally, solving the hole left by modern infotainment systems.
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Problem of modern airline infotainment systems for business travelers
The advent of modern infotainment systems can provide near endless entertainment during long flights, they have a key weakness. Many airlines (and the OEMs that build them) have dropped the aviation-grade electrical outlet in favor of just a USB port. This change isn’t an issue for smartphones and tablets, but it does impact business travelers who need their laptop during flight.
The removal of the standard electrical outlet leaves business travelers on many flights with no organic location to charge their computer. The USB port does not provide sufficient electrical capacity to charge a modern lap top (like an HP or Lenovo).
What is an airline infotainment center?
Infotainment centers are the interactive screen and associated computing that delivers movies, shows, music, and flight information to passengers. They are generally located on the back of the seat or an in arm rest. These systems are often produced by Thales or Collins Aerospace and have become increasingly popular on long-haul aircraft. Many infotainment centers feature ports for headphones as well as a USB charging port. While these ports are sufficient to charge phones and tablets, they do not push enough wattage for laptops. These USB ports are also perfect for keeping your reMarkable 2 charged during international travel.
Recently, infotainment centers also feature Bluetooth to allow wireless headphones (like the Apple Airpod Pros) to connect.
Personal experience with a dead laptop during international flight
I was recently flying internationally (after writing this article on running during travel) when I ran into this problem. I had aspirations of completing all sorts of work during my transatlantic crossing, but was disappointed I was unable to charge my laptop. Instead of working for almost 8 hours, I was able to squeeze in 4 or so hours before my laptop died. This scenario left me searching for answer.
Laptop charging issues that extend beyond infotainment systems
Universal plugs are certainly not a new invention, but their ubiquity doesn’t mean they always work. Between the wear of the plug opening and just poor maintenance, I have a hit rate of ~50% with airline outlets. This means that even if plane is equipped with a charger, it often doesn’t work (or requires you to keep your leg pressed against the charger to stay in place.
Solution for charging laptop during intercontinental flight
After my trip, I began searching for a battery pack that was big enough to charge a laptop (but portable enough it could easily fit into a travel backpack. During this search, I discovered the Anker 20,000 mHA battery pack (22.5W). This device features a hefty 20,000 mHA battery with a built in USB-C dual use cord and ports for USB-C and regular USB.
The battery is significantly heavier than the average smartphone, but that comes with the territory. It also features a small LED display that indicates the level of charge.
The built in charging cable runs through a small bridge, so that it doubles as a carrying handle when not in use. This cable is used for both charging the battery as well as charging other devices. And since it’s attached, you’ll never be scrambling to find a USB-C cable with this battery.
The battery pack is 4.5 × 2.8 × 1.2 inches and weighs just under a pound.
Testing of battery pack during intercontinental travel
I recently had a chance to test this battery during an 8+ hour flight from Palma, Spain to Newark, New Jersey. While I was initially happy to find a plug at my seat (older 767 airframe), the opening was so worn my laptop or iPhone chargers would not stay in place without active pressure. With plenty of time on my hands, I decided to start testing.
Charging laptop during use with Anker battery
I used my laptop for ~2 hours at the beginning of the flight to do some work, reducing it’s battery ~5o% charge. As my laptop battery began to wane, I pulled out my Anker battery and pressed the initiation button.
I was glad to see that the charge was still 98% after a few days of traveling in my backpack. I extended the USB-C cable from the battery and plugged it into my laptop. I did get a “slow charger” warning from Windows (but the laptop kept charging). I expended ~30% of the Anker battery to keep working at the same level of laptop charge.
Because the Anker battery doesn’t push super high voltage, it’s limited in it’s ability to add charge to the laptop. That said, I was able to materially extend my laptop’s capacity / battery time. By plugging the Anker in, it was almost like just having a bigger laptop battery.
Charging laptop in backpack during flight
Next I tested charging my laptop while I watched a movie on my infotainment system. This method worked much better as the laptop was not consuming energy while it was being slowly charged. I was able to add ~35% to my laptop’s battery while watching a movie.
Overall, the use of the Anker 20,000 mHA basically doubled my ability to use my laptop during the transatlantic flight (in fact while writing this article).
Overall review of the Anker 20,000 mHA battery for charging a laptop
I am quite impressed with the capability of the Anker portable battery to charge a laptop. It’s not a perfect solution, but it did allow me to do much more work than I would have been able to without it. At it’s low price point of ~$40, I would recommend it to anyone that’s planning to take a longer international flight.
FAQ for charging laptop with battery pack while flying
The battery has a capacity of 20,000 mHA. In terms of how much that will charge your device, you’ll need to refer to the specs of the device’s battery. For a modern iPhone, the capacity is ~3,500 mHA. This means that you could charge it 3-5 times. Laptops have bigger batteries, so you’ll normally get about 1 full charge from a battery this size.
mHA stands for milliampere-hour and is a measure of electrical capacity. For more information on mHAs, see this article.
Airline infotainment stations that only feature a USB or USB-C port do not transmit enough wattage to power a laptop.
Standard airline plugs are absolutely still a thing, although between maintenance issues and worn plug interfaces they don’t always work.
Yes! You can absolutely charge a laptop with the Anker 20,000 mHA battery. Depending on your laptop’s energy consumption, you’ll either need to charge while using or charge while it’s closed. It’s capable of transmitting 22.5W.
