Use M2 based 13.6 inch MacBook Air with USB-C battery banks?

[wrcousert]

My new MacBook Air arrives a week from today, and I'm thinking about using it exclusively with battery banks, to save my internal battery.

Is this a good idea? Will it negatively impact my internal battery life? If so, can someone recommend some decent battery banks that I can use with it?

 

[Farrgazer]

I do not think this is a good idea. If you are worried about the internal battery, don’t buy a laptop. I mean that with sincerity.

In my experience with laptops both MacBook and otherwise, the battery eventually fails. It will fail when tethered to an external power source - another battery or the power mains - and it will fail after daily off-grid usage. You are constantly making the battery heat up, whether it’s because you’re charging it, the power is bypassing the battery, or you are using the laptop off the grid. You just cannot beat physics.

My suggestion: buy a power bank only if you will find yourself far away from outlets for extended periods of time. Beyond that, I wouldn’t bother.

 

[tstafford]

Yeah. I agree with the prior post. If this is a concern for you, buy a different machine. Either a desktop or a laptop that has a replaceable battery. Too much worry otherwise.

 

[wrcousert]

If I practically live on my MacBook Air, and recharge it daily, can I expect to have decent battery life after the first year? The $129 replacement charge is reasonable enough if I don't have to do it very often.

 

[Farrgazer]

If I practically live on my MacBook Air, and recharge it daily, can I expect to have decent battery life after the first year? The $129 replacement charge is reasonable enough if I don't have to do it very often.

If it isn’t a manufacturer defect (which is generally rare), then you can expect a tangible difference in battery life after about 2-3 years of daily usage and draining/charging.

MacBook batteries are generally rated for 1000 charge cycles. A charge cycle refers to one cycle of fully charging and discharging the battery’s capacity once.

 

[StoneJack]

Yes, you can use the MBA with a USB C powerbank. I think i used for some time Macbook 12 inch with such a powerbank, it is fine, just takes some time to fully charge.

 

[Isamilis]

My new MacBook Air arrives a week from today, and I'm thinking about using it exclusively with battery banks, to save my internal battery.

Is this a good idea? Will it negatively impact my internal battery life? If so, can someone recommend some decent battery banks that I can use with it?

Bad idea. The air should be thin and practical. Good news is, you probably not necessarily to do so, because M2 battery is phenomenal (unless you run for hard tasks). No need to charge frequently.

If you want to save battery, try search “charge limiter”, one of them, Al Dente. Many users reported it saves their battery health.

 

[estabya]

I’ve used an 18W USBC battery pack to charge my M1 MacBook Air in a pinch. It’s been fine when necessary, but I don’t see the advantage of doing this exclusively. The cycles will wear your battery whether you charge with a portable charger or AC one.

If you’re worried about extra heat from charging you could use an 18/20W AC charger. My wife has used the same 18W charger with her iPad Pro and MacBook Air since 2020 with no issues. But if you are doing intensive tasks this might not be able to keep up with power demands and result in battery drain while plugged in.

 

[Chancha]

If you frequently discharge your MacBook (that is, actually use it and drain it) then you are fine. The battery will likely stay healthy, or that it won't degrade more than someone with lesser usage. Just make sure you don't wait until it reaches 1% every time before charging.

Ironically if the MacBook stays 100% charged all the time then it may be a problem, as lithium ion batteries maintains best when at 40-80%. Using your power bank to juice the MacBook up all the time, especially during use, fits in the above description.

 

[jdb8167]

If I practically live on my MacBook Air, and recharge it daily, can I expect to have decent battery life after the first year? The $129 replacement charge is reasonable enough if I don't have to do it very often.

That is how I use my M2 MacBook Air. I've had it for almost exactly 1 year. It has a battery cycle count of 144 and Apple's Battery in System Settings says its health is at 95%. If I query the ioreg tool, it shows 91.3% (4167 mAh current capacity out of 4563 mAh design capacity.) My current guess at 91% charge is that I have about 13 hours remaining.

I use my MacBook Air every weekday for 9-10 hours on battery. I charge over night. Apple's optimized battery charging that is built in to macOS keeps the charge at 80% overnight and then about one to two hours before I head off to work it finishes charging to 100%. I usually end the day at 25% remaining or a little over. I keep my display at about 7 notches above minimum for most of the day. Weekends I have it plugged into a 24" 4K display that also charges it with a dock. Unfortunately Apple's charging isn't smart enough to know that it is the weekend and it charges to 100% by Saturday morning and keeps it near 100% for the weekend.

Just use it like you want and you'll be fine.