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Ways to charge the Macbook

Fireball Dragon

Fireball Dragon

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 26, 2012
880
256
Chigwell, England
Okay, so my Macbook has finally dispatched I am looking for ways I can charge it, particularly whilst at work or on the move.

So these are the possible ways I have narrowed it to, but just wanted clarification and experiences from current users about which methods are the most efficient.

1) USB-C to USB-C cable with USB-C power adapter.

2) USB-C to USB cable with USB power adapter.

3) USB-C to USB cable with USB power pack.

Are options 2 and 3 okay to use, or do I require power adapters with a specific voltage?
 
Fireball Dragon said:
Okay, so my Macbook has finally dispatched I am looking for ways I can charge it, particularly whilst at work or on the move.

So these are the possible ways I have narrowed it to, but just wanted clarification and experiences from current users about which methods are the most efficient.

1) USB-C to USB-C cable with USB-C power adapter.

2) USB-C to USB cable with USB power adapter.

3) USB-C to USB cable with USB power pack.

Are options 2 and 3 okay to use, or do I require power adapters with a specific voltage?
Click to expand...

According to several commercial/professional reviews both 2 & 3 work without issue so long as the power brick is outputting at least 5w @2 amps, though at that level the MB will charger more slowly. The power bricks themselves take care of the voltage regulation, that shouldn't be an issue. Just make sure you use one that can output variable voltage from 110-240 and you will be perfectly fine.
 
I am unable to charge mine using a Xiaomi 10400 mAh power bank. It says connected to charger, not charging.
 
MyopicPaideia said:
According to several commercial/professional reviews both 2 & 3 work without issue so long as the power brick is outputting at least 5w @2 amps, though at that level the MB will charger more slowly. The power bricks themselves take care of the voltage regulation, that shouldn't be an issue. Just make sure you use one that can output variable voltage from 110-240 and you will be perfectly fine.
Click to expand...

5w@2A ??? I missed that one. I thought the rMB needed at least 5V@3A.
I have an anker Astro5 15.000 mAh usb powerbank with a 2A out. If that one is capable to charge/ maintain the rMB, I would be very pleased.
Then I can't be bothered with Skylake 20% battery improvement anymore...
 
Fireball Dragon said:
Okay, so my Macbook has finally dispatched I am looking for ways I can charge it, particularly whilst at work or on the move.

So these are the possible ways I have narrowed it to, but just wanted clarification and experiences from current users about which methods are the most efficient.

1) USB-C to USB-C cable with USB-C power adapter.

2) USB-C to USB cable with USB power adapter.

3) USB-C to USB cable with USB power pack.

Are options 2 and 3 okay to use, or do I require power adapters with a specific voltage?
Click to expand...

1 works (obviously)
2 works but is slower and under load the Macbook will probably not charge. However, under normal work, it maintains the charge, which is great
3 same as above, but in both cases you should probably use a 5w

I would also add "4" which is a USB wall plug. I've replaced at least one outlet in each room of my house, most commonly the one by the night stand with an outlet that has a USB charger built in. I charge my macbook with that and a USB A-C cable every night and it works perfectly.

----------
crucius said:
I am unable to charge mine using a Xiaomi 10400 mAh power bank. It says connected to charger, not charging.
Click to expand...

Your machine might be under load. I have an Anker 6500 that works great but drains the pack FAST but if the MB is under load it won't charge it. It has to either be using none or very little power. Normal use, my Anker charges fine.

I also have an MPow 25w with 4 USB plugs that charges perfectly (slower than the apple charger, but it cost me $13 plus a $7 cable vs $79.
 
There are also multi-USB Charging hubs you can buy. I picked up one so I could get the surge protector off my night stand.

Also, you can charge the macbook from another computer if you have a USB-C to USB A male cable.
 
Download this program - http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/

Click the battery details button. There will be a small pop-up. At the bottom, it will say "Battery adapter".

This is essentially the power that is flowing from any charger you are connecting to the rMB (whether the official Apple one or a normal USB charger).

Try and get at least a 12W rating. Sometimes you'll need to unplug and re-plug in the connector until the adapter can get this value (for me, it sometimes drops to 7W).
 
And in case you are curious, yes, you can charge your rMB with an iPhone 5W USB charger. It will charge very slowly though, but it will give you power if needed.

MD810
 
objektør said:
5w@2A ??? I missed that one. I thought the rMB needed at least 5V@3A.
I have an anker Astro5 15.000 mAh usb powerbank with a 2A out. If that one is capable to charge/ maintain the rMB, I would be very pleased.
Then I can't be bothered with Skylake 20% battery improvement anymore...
Click to expand...

Well, the iPhone wall charger can charge it and it is not putting out 3A, that is for sure. That is what I based my 5w @2A statement on.

Test your powerbank and let us know. Then again it could be a strange current issue charging from mains as opposed to from a battery pack?

Off topic on the Skylake upgrade, but with Y-series not supporting LPDDR4 memory, and the battery life going up 20-30% - it actually doesn't seem quite as significant an upgrade for the MB as it will be for the MBP. That's a big reason why, after reading up on that and people's real world reviews, videos, etc. I went ahead and ordered myself a 1.3/512 in Space Grey last week, it should be good until at least 2017/Cannonlake before I get the itch to upgrade.
 
1/2/3 should all work just fine like others have said.
I've yet to get my rMB, but once I do I'll test both of my Anker Astro 2 Pro 20,000mAh and Anker E3(?) 10,000mAh and get back to you :)
 
I just now tried to charge it using my work (Windows) PC and a USB-C to USB male cable -- unfortunately that doesn't work, though ;)

I think it's because Windows doesn't recognize the device and therefore doesn't supply power. We need the rMB in the Apple Mobile Devices service for Windows :)
 
I have a:
Xiaomi 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 10600mAh 2.1A
None of them recharge my MacBook :(
However I have a multiusb charger (6 USB - 40W) and it charge the macbook pretty hard: 10W!

What battery can recharge the Macbook?
 
bibyfok said:
I have a:
Xiaomi 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 10600mAh 2.1A
None of them recharge my MacBook :(
However I have a multiusb charger (6 USB - 40W) and it charge the macbook pretty hard: 10W!

What battery can recharge the Macbook?
Click to expand...

Hmmm...the battery packs might not output the right combination of voltage and amperes is my only guess, and don't have the flexibilty to negotiate the proper current? That is all I can think of, I may be missing something of course!!
 
seong said:
1/2/3 should all work just fine like others have said.
I've yet to get my rMB, but once I do I'll test both of my Anker Astro 2 Pro 20,000mAh and Anker E3(?) 10,000mAh and get back to you :)
Click to expand...

The Anker e6 works fine. I've not used it enough to say how long it lasts, but at a guess I'd say 12-15 hours depending on usage.
 
twynne said:
The Anker e6 works fine. I've not used it enough to say how long it lasts, but at a guess I'd say 12-15 hours depending on usage.
Click to expand...

Oh wow, that's a LONG TIME to charge. I'm definitely going to record my tests to confirm that ;)
 
bibyfok said:
I have a:
Xiaomi 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 10600mAh 2.1A
None of them recharge my MacBook :(
However I have a multiusb charger (6 USB - 40W) and it charge the macbook pretty hard: 10W!

What battery can recharge the Macbook?
Click to expand...


Weird. I have a dirt cheap 5V 2A power pack that charges the MB and a newer QuickCharge 2.0 one which also does (but no quicker). My cheap USB C cables are a little "fiddly" I actually had to slightly unplug one from the power pack to get it to work... but these cables cost about £3 direct from China.
 
RealEvil said:
Weird. I have a dirt cheap 5V 2A power pack that charges the MB and a newer QuickCharge 2.0 one which also does (but no quicker). My cheap USB C cables are a little "fiddly" I actually had to slightly unplug one from the power pack to get it to work... but these cables cost about £3 direct from China.
Click to expand...

Do you use a USB-A to USB-C?
Because I did not manage to get one of these so I use USB-A male -> USB-A male plugged to the USB-A fem. -> USB-C (the adapter from Apple).
Maybe it comes from here but I doubt it as I can charge with that setup from my USB Alipower charger (5 USB/40W).
 
melb00m said:
I just now tried to charge it using my work (Windows) PC and a USB-C to USB male cable -- unfortunately that doesn't work, though ;)

I think it's because Windows doesn't recognize the device and therefore doesn't supply power. We need the rMB in the Apple Mobile Devices service for Windows :)
Click to expand...

At home, I use the regular charger that the computer came with to charge my rMB. At work, I'm using a a male-to-male USB A cable with one end plugged into my work laptop (HP ProBook but we're getting new ones next month) and the other end plugged into a USB A to USB C adapter which is plugged into my rMB. I'm not sure why it's not working for you. My work computer doesn't seem to recognize the rMB as a device either.
 
fatefulwhisper said:
And in case you are curious, yes, you can charge your rMB with an iPhone 5W USB charger. It will charge very slowly though, but it will give you power if needed.

MD810
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, but no. I tried using this but it did not keep the Macbook charged. It will keep your Macbook powered, but it will not charge your battery. The battery will drain while plugged into this low powered adapter.
 
Ive got a Vinsic battery pack, just turned off my rMB at 40% battery remaining on it (it did say 5hrs approx to full recharge) my battery pack is at 100% charge.
Will see how long it takes to charge up the rMB, thats if it gets to full capacity. The Vinsic is 20000mah at 2.1 port

EDIT:
Battery Pack 100%
Macbook 40% battery

Battery Pack 90%
Macbook 58% battery
 
Last edited:
bibyfok said:
I have a:
Xiaomi 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 10600mAh 2.1A
None of them recharge my MacBook :(
However I have a multiusb charger (6 USB - 40W) and it charge the macbook pretty hard: 10W!

What battery can recharge the Macbook?
Click to expand...
As far as I know, "can charge" or "can not charge", it's decided by the output voltage, and the speed of charging is decided by the output current. And you just need 5V to charge your Macbook. So you may need to confirm the output voltage of your power banks. If the output voltage of your power banks is 5V, they can charge you Macbook theorectically.
There is another situation. Some power banks can not charge Macbook if the remaining power of your Macbook is over 50%. You can contact buyer support to confirm this.
 
bibyfok said:
I have a:
Xiaomi 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 16000mAh 2.1A
RAVPOWER 10600mAh 2.1A
None of them recharge my MacBook :(
However I have a multiusb charger (6 USB - 40W) and it charge the macbook pretty hard: 10W!

What battery can recharge the Macbook?
Click to expand...
As far as I know, "can charge" or "can not charge", it's decided by the output voltage, and the speed of charging is decided by the output current. And you just need 5V to charge your Macbook. So you may need to confirm the output voltage of your power banks. If the output voltage of your power banks is 5V, they can charge you Macbook theorectically.
There is another situation. Some power banks can not charge Macbook if the remaining power of your Macbook is over 50%. You can contact buyer support to confirm this.
 
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