If you’ve ever tried to work from a café with a wobbly table, a dying MacBook, and a bag full of tangled white cables, you know the specific kind of anxiety that comes with being a digital nomad.
We live in the era of the “workcation,” the “study sprint,” and the “remote office.” But the reality of this lifestyle is often less “sipping lattes in Bali” and more “hunting for a wall outlet in a crowded Starbucks while your laptop screams at 5% battery”.
For years, the solution was simple but annoying: carry a massive charger brick and a 2-metre-long cable that inevitably trips a waiter. Anker says: “Stop doing that!”
Their solution is the Anker Laptop Power Bank (A1695). It’s a 25,000mAh beast that promises to be an entire power station in the shape of a soda can. It claims to charge your laptop, your phone, and your earbuds simultaneously, without you needing to bring a single extra cable.
At S$159.99, it’s an investment. It’s priced like a premium gadget because it is one. But does this heavy-duty cylinder actually free you from the tyranny of the wall outlet, or is it just 600g of dead weight in your backpack? We took it on the road to find out.
The “Swiss Army Knife” of Cables
Let’s address the elephant in the room: the cables. This is the feature that will make or break your decision to buy this.
The A1695 doesn’t just have ports; it has two built-in USB-C cables.
- The “Lanyard” Cable: A robust, fixed 30cm cable that doubles as a carrying handle. It feels incredibly sturdy (tested for 20,000 bends), and it’s perfect for holding the bank and phone in one hand.
- The “Reach” Cable: A 70cm (2.3 ft) retractable cable that pulls out smoothly and snaps back in with a satisfying thwack.
This is, without hyperbole, a design masterpiece for travellers. The ability to pull this out of a bag and immediately plug in a laptop and a phone without digging for separate wires is a level of convenience you don’t know you need until you have it. It turns a messy tech setup into a clean, streamlined workspace instantly.
The “soda can” shape (157 x 54 x 49 mm) is also a clever choice. It fits into the water bottle pocket of most backpacks or the cupholder of a car, making it surprisingly accessible for its size.
The Power House: 100W Real-World Performance
Most “laptop” power banks struggle to actually keep a laptop alive while you’re using it. They trickle charge, barely keeping pace with your battery drain.
The A1695 is different. It outputs a massive 100W from a single USB-C port (either the built-in ones or the open port).
In our testing, this was enough to fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro while we were editing 4K video. It felt indistinguishable from being plugged into the wall. For the gamers out there, it handles a Steam Deck with ease, letting you game at full performance on a long flight.
The total output is 165W, meaning you can split that power. You can give your laptop a solid 100W charge and still have 65W left over to super-fast-charge your phone. That is a staggering amount of power to have in your bag.
Even better? It inputs (recharges itself) at 100W too. If you have a fast wall charger, you can get this massive 25,000mAh battery from 0% to 30% in just 22 minutes. That’s enough for a full phone charge in the time it takes to grab a quick lunch.
The “Smart” Control Center
Dominating the front is a vibrant, colour TFT screen. Unlike the smaller screen on the Nano model, this one feels like a command center. It tells you exactly how many watts are going into your laptop, how many are going into your phone, and crucially exactly how many minutes/hours of power you have left at the current rate.
It removes the “battery anxiety” entirely. You’re never guessing if you have 10% or 40% left; you know you have “1 hour and 12 minutes” remaining.
The Heavy Reality: Heat, Weight, and Physics
So, is it perfect? No. When you push physics this hard, physics pushes back.
1. It is a “Unit” (The Weight Factor)
At 595g (1.3 lbs), this thing is dense. You will feel it in your bag. It is not a pocket device unless you are wearing oversized cargo pants. It’s manageable for a backpack commuter, but if you’re an ultralight traveller who counts every gram, this is a significant addition to your loadout.
2. The Heat Throttling (The 100W Asterisk)
Just like its smaller siblings, the A1695 generates heat. A lot of it. While it can hit 100W, it cannot sustain that output indefinitely if the ambient temperature is high or if the bank itself is low on power.
Our research and testing confirm that Anker’s ActiveShield system will kick in if the unit gets too toasty (around 45-48°C), throttling the output down to 65W. This is still plenty for most laptops, but don’t expect a continuous, flat 100W line from 100% to 0%. It’s a safety feature, but it’s a limitation power users should be aware of.
3. The “Four Device” Trap
The marketing says you can charge 4 devices at once. Our advice? Don’t.
The power allocation logic is complex. If you plug in three or four devices, the “smart” distribution can aggressively cut power to the smaller ports, dropping them to a trickle (sometimes as low as 4W-7W). This is a beast meant for two high-power devices (Laptop + Phone). Trying to charge your watch, earbuds, phone, and laptop all at once turns it into a “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
The Final Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?
The Anker Laptop Power Bank (A1695) is a powerhouse, but it’s not for everyone.
This power bank is PERFECT for you if:
- You are a “Road Warrior” or student who works from laptops in places without reliable outlets.
- You hate cable clutter and want a minimalist, “grab-and-go” solution.
- You need to charge high-drain devices like a MacBook Pro, Steam Deck, or drone.
- You value speed (both input and output) over weight.
This power bank is NOT for you if:
- You only need to charge a phone (get the A1638 instead).
- You are an ultralight traveller where every gram counts.
- You expect to charge 4 devices simultaneously at high speeds.
The DANAMIC Take
The Anker Laptop Power Bank (A1695) is the closest thing to a “magic battery” we’ve seen for professionals.
Yes, it is heavy. Yes, it can get warm. But the sheer liberation of having two built-in high-speed cables cannot be overstated. Being able to sit down anywhere from a park bench, an economy seat, a client’s lobby, and instantly deploy 100W of power without rummaging for a charger brick is a luxury that is worth the weight.
It’s a serious tool for serious work (and serious play). If you are a student with a heavy workload or a professional who lives out of a suitcase, this isn’t just a battery; it’s your insurance policy!
The Anker Laptop Power Bank (A1695) is available in Singapore now at the official website, Shopee, and Lazada.
For more information, visit https://anker.com.sg/ or follow Anker Singapore on:
- Instagram: @Anker_Singapore
- Facebook: AnkerSingaporeStore
- YouTube: @ankersingapore6549
- TikTok: Anker Singapore
Ankers Laptop Power Bank (A1695)
Pros
- The dual built-in cables (one retractable, one fixed) are incredibly convenient and robust (so you can leave your cable pouch at home).
- Delivers a real 100W output that charges MacBook Pros and gaming handhelds at full speed.
- Recharges itself at 100W, meaning less downtime stuck to a wall.
- The best screen in the lineup: informative, clear, and genuinely useful for power management.
- At roughly 90Wh, it is just under the 100Wh limit for carry-on luggage on most airlines.
Cons
- Nearly 600g is a lot of weight to add to your daily carry; it is not pocket-friendly.
- It struggles to maintain the peak 100W output for long durations, often settling at 65W to stay cool.
- Charging 3+ devices drastically reduces charging speeds for everyone, so stick to 1 or 2 devices for best results.
- At S$159.99, it’s an investment piece compared to standard bricks.
