Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 review: Crossed wires

Mo' cables, mo' problems.

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket
Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Price
From $99.95
Charging speed
Up to 18W
Capacity
10,000mAh
Fergus Halliday
Sep 27, 2024
Icon Time To Read3 min read
Quick verdict: Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2

The Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 is as much a showcase of portable chargers with built-in cables as it is a cautionary tale of the inevitable compromises.

pro
Pros
pro Carry around less cables
pro Built-in LED indicator
con
Cons
con Iffy build quality
con Expensive for 10,000mAh

How much does the Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 cost in Australia?

Starts at $99.95
Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2

In Australia, the Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 portable charger and power bank starts at $99.95. Where many of the brand's other power products come in a number of shapes and sizes, there's only a single option on offer here: the ChargeUp Pocket 2 comes in 10,000mAh and it comes in black.

While the ChargeUp Pocket 2 does come with some features that you might not find in a more budget-friendly power bank or portable charger, the price-tag does put it well above much of the alternatives. If you're in the market for a 10,000mAh power bank, it's not hard to find one cheaper than this.

That said, if you are attached to this particular one then there's always the option of finding a good deal. Check out the pricing table below for a round up of deals on the Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 power bank in Australia.

Store
Price
More info

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 Power Bank: Design and features

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2

Cygnett's ChargeUp Pocket 2 could easily be mistaken for something made by Belkin. Compared to some of the other portable chargers the brand makes, what's here is fairly generic. At least, when it comes to looks.

The ChargeUp Pocket 2 is a slab-like rectangle, with a set of LED lights on the top right corner and a single USB-C port that's used to charge up the unit. If you use a smaller handset like the iPhone 16, the size and shape is pretty comparable.

Where the ChargeUp Pocket 2 differs is that there are two integrated charging cables built into the sides. On the left, you've got a USB-C cable. This is matched on the right by a Lightning cable that'll play nice with older iPhones, iPads and AirPods on the right. Neither of these appendages is all that long, but their inclusion here brings practical value in that you're able to theoretically carry one less piece of tech around with you.

The devil is in the details though. The USB-C port that sits on the top of the ChargeUp Pocket 2 caps out at 18W but its integrated counterpart goes all the way to 20W. If you're looking to make use of the Lightning cable you'll only get as fast as 10.5W. Those numbers are more respectable than what you might be able to get out of a power bank from Kmart's Anko range, but far short of the best you can find in 2024.

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2: Performance

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2

It's hard to argue with the more tangible benefits of having a power bank with a built-in cable. However, the quality of that inclusion leaves something to be desired.

Since it isn't all that long, it's a little awkward to use. When I played my phone on top of the charger, the ends of the connector came apart almost immediately in a way that left me with some anxiety and concerns about the long-term integrity of the cable.

I can't guarantee that everyone else who picks this up will suffer the same experience but it does hint at the the natural downside of integrated cables like those found on the ChargeUp Pocket 2. At the end of the day, it's an additional point of failure in the mix and there's not a lot you can do with this thing if one of the cables here fails.

It's one thing to ditch the hassle of dealing with yet another cable, but you're paying more up-front for it and I have a lot less faith in the durability of what's here than I might with a more DIY configuration.

On a more positive note, I did like how the LED lights changed color to indicate that the charger is functioning as intended. It's a small but nifty touch that really elevates the experience by giving you more visibility that it's working as intended.

Aside from that though, there's not a lot here that the Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket does to set itself apart from the competition or justify its inflated asking price-tag beyond the baseline benefits of the built-in cables and even less in the way of things that offset the downsides of that decision.

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 : Is it worth the money?

Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2

For what it's worth, the Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 is a decent reprisal of a flawed formula. In addition to being larger and more expensive, it's lacking in the visual flair that augments the myriad alternatives out there. The integrated cables do bring a few benefits, but when you balance those against the natural drawbacks it doesn't feel like much of a net win.

It's nice to have options when it comes to tech, but there's not a lot of reasons to pick this one if you're in the market for a portable power bank. The Cygnett ChargeUp Pocket 2 works as intended but even in my short time with it I fast found myself wondering just how long that honeymoon might last.

How does this power bank compare to every other one we've reviewed?

Model
View more
Max capacity
Charging speed
Output ports
Weight
5,000mAhUp to 25W1x USB-C, 1x USB-A147g
20,000mAhUp to 15W1x USB-C, 2x USB-AStarts at 127g
5,000mAhUp to 15W2x USB-C, 1x USB-AStarts at 80g
6,600mAhUp to 15W1x USB-C + Qi 2Starts at 263g
10,000mAhUp to 18W1x USB-C + 2x USB-A + 1x USB-MicroStarts at 223g
10,000mAhUp to 20W1x USB-C + 1x USB-AStarts at 193g
Fergus Halliday
Written by
Fergus Halliday is a journalist and editor for Reviews.org. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school and began his full-time career as the Editor of PC World Australia. Fergus has made the MCV 30 Under 30 list, been a finalist for seven categories at the IT Journalism Awards and won Most Controversial Writer at the 2022 Consensus Awards. He has been published in Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, Screen Rant, Superjump, Nestegg and more.

Related Articles

Belkin Soundform Bolt earbuds
Belkin Soundform Bolt earbuds review: Sound trade-offs
Nine hours of playback will make up for a lot.
Graphic for Xbox deals
The best Xbox deals available in Australia
Unboxing the best Xbox deals in Australia.