CUKTECH 25 Power Bank SE Review: Strong Value at $70, With One Caveat

Overview

The CUKTECH 25 Power Bank SE is a 25,000mAh battery pack with a $69.99 list price. Like other SE-branded products, the iPhone SE being the obvious example, it trims cost while keeping the core features. A 25,000mAh capacity is widely seen as the right balance of capability and portability, but packs this size usually cost much more and come loaded with premium extras. CUKTECH reaches a far lower price while preserving most of what made the brand stand out, with one notable compromise in multi-device charging.

The CUKTECH 25 Power Bank SE is a 25,000mAh battery pack with a $69.

Design and build

CUKTECH's appeal has always included value and performance plus design and build quality on par with Anker, and the SE keeps that up. The shell is plastic but clearly high grade, the 1.19 lb weight is well balanced, nothing rattles and the single button feels firm. The shape is a departure: instead of the tall, soda-can form common at this capacity, it is flat and slim at 6.3 x 3.15 x 1.06 inches. A built-in braided USB-C cable is rated to survive 10,000 bends and, in practice, even held up to being used as a lanyard without the plug slipping from its dock or the cable straining, though that is not a recommended use. Overall there are no real design or build compromises.

Portability

The flat shape takes some adjustment but adds flexibility. Rounder packs such as the CUKTECH 20 Power Bank ($119.99) or the Anker Laptop Power Bank ($94.49) sit better in a backpack bottle pocket, while the SE slips more easily into flat pockets and laptop bags.

Capacity and charging

25,000mAh is enough to fully charge a laptop on the go and to refill most phones three to four times. In practice it kept a phone running through a full weekend with 30 to 40 percent left over, and also supplied a few hours of extra laptop work. The integrated USB-C cable delivers up to 100W, a second USB-C port also supports 100W, and a USB-A port tops out at 22.5W, so carrying a separate cable is optional.

Recharging the bank also runs at up to 100W, through either the built-in cable or the spare USB-C port. Peaks of about 97W were observed, adding roughly 25% in 15 minutes before heat slows things down. Overall, recharging is quick.

The trade-offs

The real weakness is multi-port output. Connect two or three devices and total output, combined across all ports rather than per port, falls to 20W. Most power banks lose some speed with multiple devices, but rarely this sharply. Split between three devices, 20W charges slowly and most laptops will not charge at all, so one device at a time is far faster.

The display is also simpler than on pricier rivals, which show per-port wattage, live stats, estimated run time, animations and settings. Here, one button press shows remaining charge and a second shows watts flowing in or out, nothing more. Those extra details are more curiosity than necessity, and the clean, minimal readout ends up being a plus.

Verdict

The CUKTECH 25 Power Bank SE excels in most respects: an accessible $69.99 price, build quality that rivals the best, a flat profile that fits laptop bags and backpack pockets, a generous 25,000mAh battery, 100W speeds and a convenient built-in USB-C cable. The one complaint, total output collapsing to 20W with two or more devices connected, may be a deal-breaker for some. Anyone happy to fast-charge one device at a time should buy it; those who need fast multi-device charging should look at the CUKTECH 20 Power Bank ($119.99), the brand's best option for that.

Pros: affordable, ample 25,000mAh capacity, fast 100W speeds, portable and solidly built. Con: speeds drop sharply when several devices charge at once.