Comparison · Charging & power · 2 models
Two 20,000 mAh power banks: UGREEN Nexode 100 W against Samsung 45 W
Both are 20,000 mAh banks of about 400 g, both print their watt-hours for the airport, and both fast-charge a Samsung phone. The difference is the top port: UGREEN's gives 100 W, enough for a laptop, while Samsung's gives 45 W, a phone figure. UGREEN also tells you how much charge actually comes out and how fast it refills; Samsung does not. Which to buy depends on whether a laptop is in the bag.
Quick answer
Side by side
| Model | Energy | Max output | Ports | Weight | Size | Recharge input | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGREEN Nexode 20,000 mAh 100 W100 W — the laptop bank | 72 Wh | 100 W | 2 × USB-C + 1 × USB-A | 420 g | 139 × 80 × 26.5 mm | 65 W | View listing |
| Samsung 20,000 mAh 45 W battery pack45 W — the Galaxy bank | 74 Wh | 45 W | 3 USB ports (listing: 3 × USB-C)† | 402 g† | 152 × 76 × 25.5 mm | Not stated (9 V input)† | View listing |
Scroll sideways to see every column
† Figure from a retailer listing or otherwise awaiting confirmation from the manufacturer; other figures come from manufacturer manuals and leaflets.
UGREEN’s figures are from its specification table, which its UK store did not render, so we use the US table for the same item 25188. Samsung’s are from its UK page, with the 74 Wh from its US specification page. Samsung’s weight differs from the listing’s (402 against 350 g), and its port count is the listing’s; both are marked in our data.
The top port decides it
100 W — the laptop bank
UGREEN Nexode 20,000 mAh 100 W
- Energy
- 72 Wh
- Max output
- 100 W
- Ports
- 2 × USB-C + 1 × USB-A
- Weight
- 420 g
- Size
- 139 × 80 × 26.5 mm
- Recharge input
- 65 W
Check price
The UGREEN’s main USB-C port gives 100 W. That is enough for a 14-inch MacBook Pro or any 65 to 100 W Windows laptop, the same as a good laptop charger on a desk. The second USB-C port gives 30 W and the USB-A 22.5 W, so a phone charges alongside the laptop at a useful rate. It recharges at 65 W in 1.6 hours by UGREEN’s figure, and passes power through, so it can sit between the wall and the laptop overnight. Protocols on the main port include PD 3.0 with PPS, QC 3.0 and Samsung’s AFC; an LED display shows the charge. It is 139 × 80 × 26.5 mm and 420 g, with a two-year warranty and no built-in cable.
Strengths
- 100 W single-port — a MacBook Pro or any USB-C laptop
- UGREEN states 72 Wh and the delivered 11,300 mAh
- 65 W recharge in 1.6 hours with pass-through
Limitations
- 420 g
- Second USB-C port is 30 W only
- Bulkier than the phone banks
Good for
- a laptop on a train
- a long day with phone and laptop
- someone who wants the Wh printed
Look elsewhere if
- a pocket
- a phone-only owner
45 W — the Galaxy bank
Samsung 20,000 mAh 45 W battery pack
- Energy
- 74 Wh
- Max output
- 45 W
- Ports
- 3 USB ports (listing: 3 × USB-C)†
- Weight
- 402 g†
- Size
- 152 × 76 × 25.5 mm
- Recharge input
- Not stated (9 V input)†
Check price
Samsung’s battery pack gives 45 W with Super Fast Charging 2.0, PD 3.0 PDO and PPS — the protocol set a recent Galaxy wants for its fastest charging. Samsung states three USB ports (the listing says three USB-C) and puts a 0.3 m USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. It is 152 × 76 × 25.5 mm and 402 g by Samsung’s UK page; the listing says 350 g and we record the conflict. Samsung does not state the per-port split, the recharge input wattage (only that it takes 9 V) or the warranty period on the page we cite.
The arithmetic is simple. Forty-five watts is a phone and tablet number: a MacBook Air will take it, slowly; a bigger laptop under load will not keep up. One hundred watts is a laptop number. If a laptop is in the bag and a socket may not be, the UGREEN is the bank; if not, the Samsung does the phone job just as well.
Strengths
- 74 Wh stated by Samsung — no arithmetic at the gate
- 45 W with PPS, the Galaxy fast-charge standard
- Three ports, cable in the box
Limitations
- 402 g
- Samsung does not publish the per-port split, input wattage or warranty
- 45 W is a phone figure, not a laptop one
Good for
- Galaxy owners
- a weekend away
- a family's phones on a day out
Look elsewhere if
- a laptop
- a jacket pocket
Watt-hours and the airport
Both banks print their energy in watt-hours, which is the figure airport security works from: 72 Wh for the UGREEN, 74 Wh for the Samsung. Both are under the 100 Wh line below which the UK Civil Aviation Authority requires no airline approval. Since 27 March 2026 the CAA’s rules are two banks per person, in the cabin only, not recharged or used to charge devices on board, and individually protected. A printed Wh figure means no arithmetic at the gate; both banks have one.
Delivered capacity
UGREEN prints a second number most makers leave out: 11,300 mAh at 5 V delivered from its 20,000 mAh of cells at 3.6 V. That is the honest measure of what reaches your devices, after conversion and cable losses. Samsung prints the 74 Wh but no delivered figure. The cells are similar; the difference is in what each maker tells you. For planning, take the UGREEN’s ratio as a reasonable guide for both: a little over half the label figure reaches a phone.
Recharging the bank
UGREEN states 65 W in and a full recharge in 1.6 hours — over a lunch break, from a 65 W laptop charger. Samsung states only that the bank takes 9 V input, with no wattage and no time, so there is nothing to plan around. If you need the bank full again between a morning and an evening train, UGREEN’s figure is the one you can plan around.
Size, weight and cables
They are close: 139 × 80 × 26.5 mm and 420 g for the UGREEN, 152 × 76 × 25.5 mm and 402 g for the Samsung. Both are bag items, not pocket items. Samsung puts a short USB-C cable in the box. The UGREEN has no built-in cable, so the cable is your choice, and it must be rated for the wattage you need — a 100 W cable for a laptop at full speed, since an ordinary 3 A cable stops at 60 W.
Which one, by kit
- Laptop plus phone, a day on trains: UGREEN.
- Galaxy phone and earbuds, a weekend away: Samsung, for the matched brand and the cable in the box.
- Two phones for a family day out: either; the Samsung’s three ports suit three devices.
- Recharging the bank in a hurry: UGREEN, 1.6 hours at 65 W.
- Wanting the warranty in writing: UGREEN, two years; Samsung’s page does not say.
Sources
Facts checked 13 November 2026
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — changes to rules on the carriage of lithium batteries and power banks (effective 27 March 2026) — Standard or regulation, checked 24 September 2026
- Samsung UK support — How to use Super fast charging — Manufacturer documentation, checked 23 September 2026
- UGREEN — Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 100W (item 25188) specification table (US store; UK store's spec block did not render) — Manufacturer documentation, checked 24 September 2026
- Retail listing (UGREEN) — Retailer listing, checked 24 September 2026
- Samsung UK — 20,000 mAh Battery Pack 45W EB-P4520XUEGEU (Wh from the US spec page) — Manufacturer documentation, checked 24 September 2026
- Retail listing (Samsung) — Retailer listing, checked 24 September 2026
Can I take a 20,000 mAh power bank on a plane?
Yes, in the cabin. Both banks print their watt-hours — 72 Wh for the UGREEN, 74 Wh for the Samsung — and both are under the 100 Wh line below which no airline approval is needed. Since 27 March 2026 the UK Civil Aviation Authority's rules allow two power banks per person, in carry-on only, not recharged on board, not used to charge devices on board, and individually protected. Airlines can add their own rules, so check yours.
Will the Samsung bank charge a laptop?
A USB-C laptop will accept power from it, but 45 W is a phone and tablet figure. A MacBook Air will charge slowly from it; a 14-inch MacBook Pro or a 65 W Windows laptop under load will at best slow the drain. For a laptop, the UGREEN's 100 W port is the one that keeps up.
Which is better for a Samsung phone?
Both list PPS, which Samsung's Super Fast Charging needs, so both should fast-charge a recent Galaxy. Samsung's bank is built and named for Super Fast Charging 2.0 at 45 W; UGREEN lists PPS alongside PD 3.0, QC and AFC on its main port. For a phone alone there is little to choose; the Samsung includes a short cable, the UGREEN states more of its numbers.
How many phone charges do I get from 20,000 mAh?
Fewer than the label suggests. UGREEN prints the delivered figure: 11,300 mAh at 5 V from its 20,000 mAh of cells, because energy is lost converting from cell voltage and in the cable. Samsung prints 74 Wh but no delivered figure. For a phone with a battery of around 4,500 mAh, expect two charges and a bit from either bank, not four.
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