Macworld

At a glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

  • Equal thinnest wireless power bank
  • Lightest magnetic power bank
  • Above average performance
  • Available in latest Apple colors

Cons

  • 15W not 25W

Our Verdict

At just 0.27 inches thick, it’s as slim a magnetic wireless power bank as you can find, and it’s the only ultra-thin portable charger available in Apple’s latest Burgundy color.

Price When Reviewed

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Best Pricing Today

Best Prices Today: Baseus Picogo Air Magnetic Power Bank (AM71)

Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide

What is it? A very thin and lightweight magnetic wireless power bank.

Who is it for? iPhone travelers who want the lightest, thinnest portable charger.

Who shouldn’t buy it? People demanding the very fastest wireless charging.

Apple might not have made its latest iPhone Pro any thinner, but accessory makers are still stripping things down to create the slimmest possible products.

Baseus’s latest range of charging products comes in Dark Cherry – named before Apple settled on Burgundy for the iPhone 18 Pro – and includes a power bank so thin it nearly matches the iPhone Air, plus a 10K power bank and charger in the same color.

Apple’s iPhone Air has a ridiculously skinny depth of just 0.22 inches (5.64mm)—the Baseus PicoGo Air AM71 Magnetic Power Bank is just over a millimeter more, measuring a mere 4 x 2.8 x 0.27 inches (102 x 71 x 6.8mm). Its 0.27-inch thickness is the remarkable part, although we have seen it once before in the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K that matches it in slimness.

All three colors of the Baseus PicoGo Air on an iPhone Air.

Baseus

Baseus explains that it has a 50% thinner aluminum housing compared to the previous generation, with a 0.35mm charging coil and 0.15mm NFC (used to connect to a dedicated app).

It’s not exactly “card slim” unless you have a metal credit card from the 1980s, but it is certainly more pocket friendly than most power banks. The average depth of a 5000mAh magnetic wireless power bank is a comparatively portly 0.4-inch (10.3mm).

The power bank—also available in Black and Silver, see above—has nice curved edges, making it easy to hold and more visually pleasing.

How does the AM71 compare to other 5K power banks in terms of thinness?

The closest we have measured in terms of slimness are:

  • Baseus PicoGo Air: 6.8mm
  • BMX SolidSafe Air 5K (semi-solid state): 6.8mm
  • Anker Nano 5K MagGo Slim: 8.6mm
  • Vonmählen Evergreen Mag 5000mAh: 8.6mm
  • PhoneSuit Elite Mag Slim 5K: 8.9mm
  • Baseus PicoGo Ultra-Slim 5K: 8.9mm
  • Kuxiu S2 5K (semi-solid state): 10mm
  • Infinacore M3 Mini 5K: 10.6mm

The PicoGo Air matches the BMX SolidSafe Air in terms of skinniness. Let’s compare its weight with the same slim power banks mentioned above.

  • Baseus PicoGo Air: 3.7oz (105g)
  • BMX SolidSafe Air 5K: 4.1oz (116g)
  • Anker Nano 5K MagGo Slim: 4.3oz (122g)
  • Vonmählen Evergreen Mag 5000mAh: 4.34oz (123g)
  • PhoneSuit Elite Mag Slim 5K: 3.88oz (110g)
  • Baseus PicoGo Ultra-Slim 5K: 3.77oz (107g)
  • Kuxiu S2 5K (also semi-solid state): 6.14oz (174g)
  • Infinacore M3 Mini 5K: 3.88oz (110g)

The PicoGo Air is therefore crowned the lightest power bank we’ve tested, taking that honor from Baseus’s own PicoGo Ultra-Slim. Read more reviews of the best magnetic wireless power banks.

From the top: Baseus PicoGo Air, BMX SolidSafe Air, and Anker Nano Slim 5K power banks.

Simon Jary

What is the exact battery capacity of the Baseus PicoGo Air?

Power banks are generally classified in milliamp (mAh) hours: 5000mAh as 5K, 10000mAh as 10K, 25000mAh as 25K, and so on.

The Baseus PicoGo Air AM71 is labelled a 5K power bank, as its headline capacity is 5,000mAh, but if we look at the battery capacity in the different measurement of Watt hours (Wh) we get a more accurate view to compare power banks.

The PicoGo Air has a battery capacity of 19.4Wh, against an average 19Wh so a little higher than most. Its slim rival, the SolidSafe Air, has a slightly smaller 18.5Wh capacity, although it did a little better in our recharging tests; which we’ll explain below.

As a comparison, the iPhone Air’s battery is 12.4Wh; the iPhone 18 Pro’s is from 15.86Wh. See our comparison of iPhone battery capacities.

From the left: Anker Nano Slim, BMX SolidSafe Air, and Baseus PicoGo Air 5K power banks.

Simon Jary

How well does the Baseus PicoGo Air AM71’s battery perform?

In our magnetic wireless power bank lab tests, we let the iPhone’s battery fall to 0%. As soon as the Apple logo has moved to the lock screen we switch to the power bank and see how far it will recharge the iPhone from that near-dead start. This test was performed with an iPhone 16 Pro.

The Baseus PicoGo Air scored 82% in our test, meaning the power bank expired itself with the iPhone registering as 82% charged.

The BMX SolidSafe Air scored 89%, towards the top of the 5K charts despite its lower 18.3Wh rating. That’s probably because it’s a semi-solid-state battery that uses the latest technology to create more durable, safe and long-lasting batteries. That’s not to say the Picogo is none of those things—it just uses the more traditional lithium-ion technology found in most devices, including your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

The PicoGo’s 82% is still above average among the many 5K power banks we’ve tested; the average is 77%.

The Baseus PicoGo Air magnetically attached to the even thinner iPhone Air.

Baseus

How fast is the Baseus PicoGo Air?

The PicoGo Air doesn’t employ the latest Qi2.2 wireless charging standard that can output 25W. Instead, it uses the 15W Qi2 found in most power banks.

A 25W wireless power bank should charge an iPhone from 0-50% in around 30 minutes, while 15W takes about half as long as that again (45 minutes). 15 minutes might not seem a long time to wait, and indeed if you’re not in a hurry it’s no big deal—until you are!

Only the iPhone 16 and later can take the whole 25W, and older iPhones have a maximum 15W wireless charging potential anyway. Remember too that you can connect the power bank to a phone via its USB-C port, which for the PicoGo Air is rated at 22.5W, which any iPhone supports when charging with a cable.

When it comes to recharging the power bank itself, its input rating is 20W.

How strong is the power bank’s magnet?

Baseus warns that as the MagSafe power bank is only 0.27 inches thin, the internal magnet size is physically limited, so the magnetic hold is “somewhat weaker”. It therefore recommends using it without a case on the phone. We didn’t find it too weak when attached to an iPhone in a case, but we report the manufacturer’s recommendation anyway.

The PicoGo Air (left) is noticeably thinner than the higher-capacity and faster PicoGo AM52, also available in Dark Cherry to match the iPhone 18 Pro and Max.

Simon Jary

Dark Cherry (for Burgundy) range

The PicoGo Air is part of a full Dark Cherry range from Baseus.

Baseus

There’s a deeper but higher-capacity 10K PicoGo AM52 Power Bank that is rated at 25W wireless charging and scored 157% in our recharging tests. It comes with an integrated 45W USB-C cable that doubles as a handy carry strap.

You can recharge both with any decent USB-C wall or desktop charger, but Baseus has one in Dark Cherry for you, too: the compact 100W Baseus PicoGo Pro AH22 Fast Charger that’s not as wide (54mm) or tall (52mm) as even your AirPods case (62mm and 47mm), and features a digital display. It has three USB-C ports, each rated at 100W, although 100W is the maximum total output.

Baseus

How much does the Baseus PicoGo Air cost?

The Baseus PicoGo Air AM71 has a retail price of $69.99 / £65, but you might find it cheaper on Amazon.

The BMX SolidSafe Air is a little cheaper at $59.99 / £59.99 and boasts the semi-solid-state tech but is not available in the Burgundy color that will appeal to iPhone 18 Pro owners.

Should you buy the Baseus PicoGo Air AM71?

At just 0.27 inches thick, it’s as slim a magnetic wireless power bank as you can find, and it’s the only ultra-thin portable charger available in Apple’s latest Burgundy color. Even in the less interesting Black and Silver hues, it’s a great 5K power bank that will nearly refill your iPhone to 100% and slip into your pocket without you noticing.