This Ugreen PB724 power bank arrives in a nicely branded retail pack, detailing the devices key features and specifications.
Inside, we find the power bank itself along with a USB-C power cable and assorted documentation. This consists of a User Instruction booklet, a Help Guide and an Operation Manual, all produced in many different languages. The latter is the only useful one, although its use is somewhat diminished by the strange way the information in various languages is laid out across a large sheet.
As we've come to expect from Ugreen products, the power bank is very nicely finished, with an attractive charcoal grey plastic case featuring a black display window.
The base includes two silicone strips to prevent slippage and allow a modicum of airflow. On the side is a push button which, the label assures us, controls "More than power".
It's a fairly chunky and weighty package, so it's slightly surprising to find it only offers two USB power ports - one USB-C and one Type-A - with a note saying the maximum total output at 5V is 4A (or 20W) which seems surprisingly little. However, this isn't entirely as poor as it seems as both ports are capable of supplying higher voltages (if your device supports them) at decent currents.
Also slightly misleading is the power bank's rated 12,000mAh overall capacity. 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh power banks are ubiquitous and cheap, but it appears this power bank's current is at 14.8V as opposed to others which run at around 5V. Inside it contains four Lithium-ion cells, each rated at 3,000mAh, run in parallel to give the total 12,000mAh.
Although not specified, the power bank was capable of quick charging our phones through both USB ports.
The amount of charge left in the power bank is shown in the display. It has a circle inside which there is a numerical display of the percentage and, rather pointlessly, a five-bar indicator of the same information.
In an attempt to be 'cute', which is replicated across Ugreen's Nexode range, when left alone for twenty seconds the display changes to show a pair of eyes. The eyes show heart symbols when the power bank is 100% charged, another shape down to 20% charge, and then flat lines below 20%.
The power is normally supplied automatically when a device is plugged in, but if you are charging something which only draws a small current you can force the power bank into trickle-charge mode by pressing the side button for three seconds. Holding the button for six seconds switches it fully off.
Probably the key feature of this power bank is the ability to use the Power Delivery system to supply up to 100W to a connected device, such as a laptop. For the maximum 100W of power it can supply 20V at 5A.
We tested this feature using the supplied USB-C cable, and found the power bank was discharged from 100% to 1% in around 90 minutes. By the end it had charged our laptop's internal battery from flat to 91% capacity, effectively doubling the capability of our laptop's battery. The power bank only ever got slightly warm during this period of maximum output.
This 100W PD ability makes the Ugreen PB724 a very useful companion to your laptop, assuming it supports PD charging through the USB-C port. We'd prefer the non-PD 5V capability to be a little more powerful when charging two phones, especially given the device's high-power PD capabilities. Even so, this power bank is going to be our laptop companion when travelling.