I replaced my portable solid state battery with this heat dissipating graphene – here’s why

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There are “MagSafe” magnetic wireless battery packs on the market. Some are good, some are varying degrees of unpleasant. And sometimes, the devices are head and shoulders above the rest. These packs are well built, using quality components, and carefully assembled.

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I Momax Q.Mag X is one such power bank. It’s thin, light, stylish, and cool — in every sense of the word. It also effectively replaced the solid state battery pack I had been using for months. Here is the reason.

It is a good looking power bank

IQ.Mag X is a 5,000 mAh/19.35 Wh power bank that magnetically clips onto your iPhone to charge it on the go. The capacity is because it won’t attract attention at airports, and the CCC mark means it will make it through the tight security at Chinese airports.

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The unit has a premium look and feels good in the hand, thanks to the glass and aluminum construction. It’s not the strongest power bank on the market — for that, you need something like this Nitecore NW5000 or i Dark Power Poseidon Nano — but if good looks are what you’re after, this is the device for you.

But there’s more to the Q.Mag X than good looks. And to keep it looking good, the bank even comes with a microfiber polishing cloth.

Thin, light, and cool

First, it’s small. In fact, it’s incredibly thin, at just 8.3 mm/0.33 inches. That’s the size of a pencil, and slightly larger than the smallest point on the iPhone 17, which is 7.95 mm/0.31 inches thick.

The bank is also very light, weighing only 125 g/4.4 oz, making it only 5 g/0.18 oz heavier than the carbon fiber-clad Nitecore NW5000.

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On the front is a 15W Qi2 wireless charger iPhones range from 12 to 17 in the series, AirPods with a wireless charging case, and Android handsets with wireless charging. For everything else, there is a 20W USB-C port at the bottom. And good news for those with more than one device — the power bank supports wireless and wired charging at the same time.

It also supports pass-through charging, so you can charge the device wirelessly as the power bank charges, perfect for overnight charging. The unit supports all popular charging processes, and has the usual built-in safety features.

IQ.Mag X is also cool during use, surprisingly the 15W MagSafe power bank, which can sometimes feel like hand warmers. This device has warmed up quite a bit. The Amazon listing mentioned graphene heat dissipation, which wouldn’t surprise me at all, since there were no hot spots on the unit while it was charging or being charged (I’ll come back to this area in a bit).

I really like the Q.Mag X. I know it’s just a power bank, but it’s very well made. The device perfectly combines beauty and functionality. I enjoyed using it a few weeks ago when I went out again.

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That’s why the following broke my heart. Yes, I needed to see if the power bank used graphene for cooling, and there was only one way to find out.

Time to open it up

It was time to find out spudger outbe dangerous, and look inside (I know I shouldn’t use a metal spudger near a live lithium-ion battery, but I’ve been doing this for years). I regretted doing this job, but it had to be done.

I learned a few things.

First, yes, the battery has a graphene coating. Graphene looks like black paint, but it’s a form of carbon with excellent thermal conductivity and infrared emissivity, so it’s sprayed onto metals, plastics, and electronics to distribute and release heat.

I also found the unit to be very well built. It took a while to go in, and there is enough sealant, adhesive, and hot silicone to keep it together.

Also, Momax didn’t skimp on the parts you can’t see. The components used are of high quality, and well assembled.

ZDNET shopping advice

I have tested many wireless banks, but Momax Q.Mag X outstanding, inside and out. And at just under $30 (price varies depending on available deals), it’s a steal. You should consider one especially if you often find yourself in hot places that can put the batteries at risk.

If you need more power, Momax has an upgraded 10,000 mAh version. Same quality, more capacity, less than $10 more.