Last fall I had the chance to take a look at ZENS' all-new Dual + Watch Wireless Charger, which offers spots to charge two Qi-enabled smartphones and one perch for the Apple Watch. I came away quite liking the accessory, which should be a great charging hub for anyone in a two-person household, and now the company has launched a companion accessory called the ZENS Dual Wireless Powerbank.

zens 2
This device is a portable battery pack that itself includes two spots for wirelessly charging an iPhone 8 or later (or any Qi smartphone), similar to the design of the Dual + Watch stand. The Powerbank has a 9,000 mAh battery, two USB-A ports, and one USB-C charging port on the rear (USB-C to Lightning fast charging is not supported). The device itself also supports wireless charging, so you can place it on the Dual + Watch stand without needing to mess with wires to fuel up the Powerbank more easily.

Design

ZENS mirrored the design of the Dual + Watch Stand for its new Powerbank, and both accessories have a nice rubberized texture on the mat where you place your ‌iPhone‌. Instead of aluminum on the sides like the stand, the Powerbank has a plastic enclosure that still has a nice heft to it.

zens 4
Just like the stand, I really like the simple design of the Powerbank. Black isn't usually a color I opt to use in stands as big as the ZENS Dual + Watch, but I've been using it since I reviewed it last October, and the only downside I've come across in the past few months is that it is definitely a dust and fingerprint magnet.

Unless you're okay seeing dust and smudges collect on the black surface, it's something you'll probably be wiping down multiple times a week, and the same goes for the new Powerbank.

zens 5
Although the two are design companions, there are some quirks when using them together. You can't place the Powerbank onto the stand in such a way that it takes up both Qi hotspots on the stand. This will cause the stand's lights to blink rapidly until you move the Powerbank so it rests only on one hotspot, at which point it will begin charging.

This makes the hunt to find the right angle to recharge the Powerbank a bit awkward, since it's got more width and length than the stand and always hangs off the side no matter which way you charge it.

zens 20

Incorrect placement (left) and correct placement (right)

As a bonus, you can charge the Powerbank on any Qi-enabled wireless charger, so if you already have a bunch of mats lying around your house it'll be super easy to place the ZENS accessory down and fuel it up, although this process does take a lengthy amount of time.

When charging, the front-facing LEDs light up to indicate its status, and you can press the button in this area to bring up the LEDs when it's not charging and discover how much battery is left. I found the Powerbank's lights to be fairly soft and unobtrusive during the night, just like the Dual + Wireless stand.

zens 7
Once it is charged, the 7.5 x 4.5 inch Powerbank isn't exactly a svelte accessory to carry around, so you'll really need to get your use out of its wirelessly charging on-the-go features to justify traveling with the device. Otherwise, there are numerous power banks that are smaller, more portable, and cheaper than ZENS' option, at the sake of not having Qi-enabled surfaces.

Daily Use

Because of its size, I opted not to bring the ZENS along with me on a recent trip over the holidays, but I have found a neat use for it as a mainstay on my living room coffee table. I've always wanted to place a Qi charger here, but its location means wires would be dangling in walking paths so it wasn't an option.

Having a mat I can easily reach to top off my ‌iPhone‌ while I'm watching TV or playing PS4 has been convenient, but topping off is the key here, because completely fueling up an ‌iPhone‌ wirelessly on the Powerbank will very quickly drain its 9,000 mAh battery.

zens 1
In multiple tests, I got just two full charges on my ‌iPhone‌ X before the ZENS Powerbank died. The first test saw my ‌iPhone‌ fuel up from 12 percent to 100 percent, then again from 2 percent to 100 percent. There was barely any battery left in the ZENS and it quickly died when I went to charge my ‌iPhone‌ for the third time.

The second test fared similarly, but provided slightly more charge to my ‌iPhone‌ X with two full charges and one half charge before the ZENS died. Given the wireless charging feature of the Powerbank, battery waste is likely a factor to consider, meaning that the full potential of its 9,000 mAh battery would not directly correlate perfectly to the ‌iPhone‌ X's 2,716 mAh battery.

zens 8
I contacted ZENS to make sure there were no faults with my specific unit, and the company informed me that when you take battery loss into account, about 2.5 charges for an ‌iPhone‌ X is expected. Still, just about two wireless charges feels low for the Powerbank, and unfortunately this number was around the same even for direct USB-A charging. I was able to charge my ‌iPhone‌ X twice through a USB cable connected to the Powerbank, and at some point in the third charge the device died and fueled up my ‌iPhone‌ X to about 30 percent.

With two iPhones wirelessly charging at the same time, you essentially use up nearly all of the Powerbank's battery in one go. This makes the full potential of the accessory less enticing, since you'd run out of battery long before you were able to fully charge four devices connected to the Powerbank at once (two wirelessly charging and two via USB).

Bottom Line

The ZENS Dual Wireless Powerbank sports the accessory maker's quality craftsmanship, but the device as a whole disappoints too often in its main purpose to recommend it as an addition to your suite of travel charging tools, unless you really need dual wireless charging capabilities.

zens 9
Wireless charging is still a novel addition to portable battery packs, but there are many cheaper and smaller 9,000 mAh battery packs on the market that make the €79.99 Powerbank from ZENS feel very steep.

ZENS provided MacRumors with the Dual Wireless Powerbank for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tag: ZENS

Popular Stories

election results 2024 live activities

Track 2024 U.S. Election Results Live on Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday November 5, 2024 5:02 am PST by
Apple News is providing Live Activities support for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, allowing iPhone and iPad users to track electoral results in real time directly from their Lock Screen. The feature is rolling out for U.S. users over the course of Election Day, November 5, providing continuous updates of the electoral count. So if you're interested, you don't need to repeatedly check...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...