INIU Cougar P63 Laptop Power Bank: A Comprehensive Review by Mighty Gadget Blog

I previously reviewed the INIU Slimmest BI-B41 10K mAh INIU power bank and thought it was a decent budget power bank.

INIU has now sent me the Cougar P63, which has a capacity of 25,000mAh and a 100W maximum output from the first output port, and it manages to cram this into a relatively compact package weighing just 392.3g.

While it doesn’t have a smart display like many Ugreen or Anker models, the capacity, size and price make it an appealing power bank for anyone wanting something compact but with more capacity than small 10K models.

The Cougar range sits above INIU’s more basic slim power banks and is aimed squarely at people who want to charge a laptop, tablet or handheld games console on the move. The P63 is the middle option in the line-up, sitting between the 20,000mAh 65W P62 and the 25,000mAh 140W P64. On paper, it looks like the sweet spot for most people, offering enough output for the majority of ultrabooks and MacBooks without the extra cost of the P64.

Specification

Design

The P63 is a chunky little block rather than a slim power bank. At 110 x 70 x 36mm, it has a footprint not much larger than a deck of cards, but it is thick, so it is better suited to a bag or jacket pocket than a pair of jeans. The 392.3g weight is noticeable in the hand, but it is impressive for a 25,000mAh power bank, with many rivals of a similar capacity being considerably longer and often well over 500g.

Most of the casing has a soft-touch rubberised finish that offers good grip. The downside is that it picks up marks and scuffs fairly easily, and after a short period of use, mine was already showing some wear on the “Fast Charge” print. The top third of the front is a glossy panel that houses the display, and this is a fingerprint and reflection magnet.

The display itself only shows the remaining battery percentage. It is a clear improvement over the four LED dots used on many budget power banks, as you know exactly how much charge you have left, but it occupies only a small part of what is a relatively large glossy panel. There is no readout of input or output wattage, which is something I find useful on rival models from Ugreen and Anker, as it lets you confirm a device is charging at the speed it should be.

All three ports are on the top edge, and each is clearly labelled with its maximum output, including the somewhat unusual 15W combined limit for OUT2 and OUT3. A single power button sits on the side, which wakes the display and can be used to check the charge level.

The most distinctive feature is the GoCord cable. This is a short braided USB-C to USB-C cable rated at 100W that doubles as a wrist strap. One end loops through an anchor point on the corner of the power bank, and the two connectors clip together into a small holder when not in use. It is a clever solution, as you always have a cable with you, and it is detachable, so if it fails, you can replace it with any USB-C cable rather than being stuck with a broken built-in lead. The flipside is that it is quite short, which is fine for a phone or handheld console, but less convenient when charging a laptop on a desk.

INIU offers the P63 in several colours, including black, red, yellow and a selection of metallic finishes. INIU also provides a three-year warranty, which is longer than the 18 months or two years offered by some rivals.

Ports and Charging Speeds

The P63 has two USB-C ports and a single USB-A port, and how much power you get depends heavily on which combination you use.

OUT1 is the main USB-C port and supports up to 100W via 20V/5A. That is enough to charge most laptops at close to full speed, including the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, Dell XPS models, and most Windows ultrabooks. It will also charge a 14-inch MacBook Pro at a decent rate, although the most powerful 16-inch MacBook Pro models can draw 140W, so you would be better off with the P64 for those.

OUT2 is a second USB-C port capable of 45W, which is plenty for a Steam Deck, a tablet or a phone with fast charging. Samsung’s Super Fast Charging 2.0 at 45W is supported thanks to PPS, and most other phones will charge at their maximum wired speed. The USB-A port tops out at 18W, which is fine for older devices, earbuds and accessories.

Using the 100W and 45W USB-C ports together gives a combined 110W, which is respectable for a power bank of this size. Adding the USB-A port into the mix with all three ports in use drops the total to 80W.

The odd limitation is the combination of OUT2 and OUT3. If you use the 45W USB-C port and the USB-A port at the same time, without using OUT1, the total output is capped at just 15W.