Kuxiu K1 15W 3-in-1 MagSafe Power Bank review: Compact, versatile portable iPhone, Watch, AirPods charger

Macworld

At a glance

Pros

Fast charging

High capacity battery

Compact yet versatile

Cons

Older AirPods Pro connection erratic

Our Verdict
The Kuxiu K1 folds up into a neat pack-of-card size that will fit in your pocket and twists into a versatile and high-performance multi-Apple-device charger.

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This apparently nondescript power bank looks like a slightly chunky iPhone power bank or an Amex Black Card member’s pack of cards.

Manipulate it like a Rubik’s Cube—it even clicks like one—and it transforms into an adaptable charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.

It even boasts a backstand so can be a regular magnetic iPhone charging stand at home as well as a powerful battery pack on the road.

It is available in two battery capacities: the familiar 5000mAh and 10000mAh varieties.




When folded shut the K1 looks like any other magnetic iPhone power bank.Simon Jary

Design

The Kuxiu K1 is a jet-black slab of metal measuring not much more than a pack of cards and not weighing too much more.

5000mAh (19.35Wh): 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches (10.5 x 6.9 x 1.5cm); 6.4oz (182g)

10000mAh (38.7Wh): 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.8 inch (10.5 x 6.9 x 2cm); 8.9oz (253g)

The back section can rotate up to 90 degrees, revealing a circular indent that will charge either an Apple Watch or wirelessly chargeable AirPods case (the AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe Charging Case works best). My AirPods Pro 1 normally charge wirelessly when sat on a Qi pad but the connection was erratic on the K1. The AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe Charging Case use MagSafe so connected straight away.

If your AirPods case isn’t compatible with wireless charging you can connect a cable to the power bank’s USB-C port and charge that way.

You can charge two iPhones in the same way: one wirelessly and one via the USB-C port.

When the iPhone is charging in portrait orientation, the Watch drapes over the corner of the back section. When the iPhone is in landscape mode it hangs off the top corner.

There are four small LEDs at the top of the sliding section to indicate the power bank’s remaining charge.

The K1 clamps onto an iPhone with a vengeance—it hosts 16 N52 magnets—and won’t let go till you prise it apart, making it a dependable portable solution that won’t separate when pulled from your pocket while charging the phone.




Simon Jary

Performance

In our tests the 10K Kuxiu K1 power bank performed admirably, charging a spent iPhone 16 Pro from 0 to 100% and then, once the battery in the iPhone had depleted again, it charged another 70%. That puts it near the top of our magnetic charging charts, beaten only by a couple of the less versatile magnetic power banks, such as the Anker Zolo 10K Magnetic Power Bank (191%) and EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K (190%). It matches the Anker Qi2 MagGo Power Bank (10K) at 170%, which is impressive as it’s the only one of these can charge three devices at the same time.

In terms of charging speed, it uses the Qi2 wireless tech that matches Apple’s MagSafe at 15W and beats away the merely “MagSafe-compatible” 7.5W chargers.

Attach a device via the power bank’s USB-C port and you’ll get a faster 20W connection. Some power banks can wired charge at 30W but 20W is still enough to fast-charge an iPhone. The power bank is charged itself at 18W.

The Apple Watch charging pad is rated at 5W, which is enough to fast-charge the wearable although it is not marketed as officially Made for Watch.

Alternatives

We’ll look at multi-device chargers rather than just magnetic power banks with USB-C ports or cables as the Kuxiu K1 is unlikely to interest anyone without an Apple Watch. There aren’t as many power banks for the Apple Watch as there are for the iPhone, so the competition is narrow.

I’m a big fan of the Anker MagGo Power Bank 10K for Apple Watch, which is a stubby stick with a pull-out Watch charging pad, but aside from its built-in USB-C cable there’s no iPhone wireless charging going on.

A closer match is the OneAdaptr OneGo 3-in-a travel power bank, which also folds out into a stand. Like the K1 it has a 10K battery but it its iPhone charging pad maxes at 7.5W compared to the 15W Qi2 charger on the Kuxiu.

Read our Best Apple Watch chargers and power banks roundup for more options.

Price

The 5K Kuxiu K1 costs $57.99 / £44 / €51,95. The 10K model is priced at $67.99 / £52 / €51,95. Amazon also stocks the 5K K1 and 10K K1.

For such a high-performing power banks these are reasonable prices. Choosing between the two probably won’t come down to price but size. The 5K K1 is about 0.2 inches slimmer but doesn’t offer the impressive battery capacity of the 10K model.

Should you buy the Kuxiu K1 15W 3-in-1 MagSafe Power Bank?

The Kuxiu K1 folds up into a neat pack-of-card size that will fit in your pocket and twists into a versatile and high-performance multi-Apple-device charger when you need it on your travels or act as a handy iPhone stand back at base or in the café.