Akshay Bhalla was the former game guides editor for Screen Rant and the technology editor at MensXP. He has previously written about smartphones, apps, streaming, gadgets, and games for print, digital, and TV media outlets. When he isn’t writing about tech, he can often be found playing JRPGs, listening to music, or playing with his three dogs.
You can reach Akshay at bhallanator @ proton dot me.
I've never been a fan of wireless portable power banks that charge phones incredibly slowly and often run hot.
But with the advent of Qi2.2 charging, supporting phones now charge faster, but the heat issue persists.
Until I came across a liquid-cooled power bank, I wanted to know whether it was a gimmick or actually made a difference with the Google Pixel 11 Pro.
Does liquid cooling actually work in a wireless power bank?
I was expecting it to be a complete marketing gimmick
When I started using wireless power banks a few years ago, the technology was still in its early stages.
My experience was mixed: the power bank often heated up and then throttled my phone's performance, rendering it useless many times.
Heat also degrades any device's battery faster, so I wasn't interested in wireless chargers anymore.
I switched to using regular power banks until I got the new Pixel 11 Pro.
Since the Pixel 11 series supports Qi2 charging, I wanted to give wireless charging another shot; the only one that fit the bill was UGREEN's MagFlow Pro.
I was mostly interested in the liquid-cooling tech the power bank incorporated, as it could solve the overheating problem I faced with other wireless chargers.
The 10,000mAh power bank uses a micro-pump and coolant channels to reduce heat during wireless charging.
The theory is that this pump circulates coolant alongside a copper vapor chamber to keep the power bank's internals cool.
According to UGREEN, this method pulls heat away from the wireless coil and sustains higher output.
As a visual treat, you can see an animation reminiscent of The Matrix opening sequence.
The coolant in the UGREEN MagFlow Pro targets only the power bank's internals. So we recommend using it with the Pixel or other phones without a case to reduce thermal load transfer to the Pixel.
When I first used the power bank, it never really got hot, more like lukewarm water.
Even after 30 minutes of 25W wireless charging, it was comfortable to use the Pixel 11 Pro while attached to the MagFlow Pro.
To confirm the liquid-cooling micro pump is active, I would double-check the tiny display in the lower-left corner.
The display also shows how much battery is left in the power bank and how fast it's charging the phone, which made my job easier instead of guessing.
Finally, I like that this power bank comes with an attached USB-C cable that also doubles as a lanyard.
It makes carrying the Pixel 11 Pro with the power bank attached convenient, since the magnetic hold is strong and the two aren't easy to separate.
When I need to charge my Pixel 11 Pro quickly, I can use the attached cable or the extra USB-C port to charge the phone at 45W.
How does the MagFlow Pro power bank perform with the Pixel 11 Pro
I was quite satisfied with my choice
I've been using the MagFlow Pro with the Pixel 11 Pro for about a month, and my first key observation was how well the phone sustained wireless charging.
I've used another Qi2.2 power bank with the Pixel 11 Pro, and the difference was noticeable. The Xiaomi Qi2.2 power bank is capable, as it also outputs 25W.
When using it with the Pixel 11 Pro, the back of the phone and the power bank read about 104 to 106°F.
I took all temperature readings with a basic infrared thermometer. However, these are for observation purposes, as readings can be inaccurate.
But with the MagFlow Pro, both the power bank and phone stayed relatively cool. My readings ranged from 91.94 to 96.8°F, which was impressive compared to the Xiaomi power bank.
After longer sessions, I also noticed a tangible difference in how warm or cool the power bank was in my palm.
I also noticed that the Xiaomi power bank triggered thermal throttling and reduced charging speed.
The same happened with the MagFlow Pro, but because it ran much cooler, the Pixel 11 Pro throttled noticeably less aggressively.
I also noticed that after attaching it to the Pixel 11 Pro, standby mode fired up, which helped keep the temperature low because the screen dimmed.
I also noticed the power bank delivered more consistent power and about 13% battery backup left when the phone finished charging.
With the Xiaomi power bank, only one light kept flickering. It also made a noticeable difference in how long it took to charge the Pixel 11 Pro's 4,850mAh battery.
The MagFlow Pro charged the phone from 5% to 100% in about 90 to 110 minutes, while the Xiaomi power bank took about 130 to 135 minutes.
The non-cooling power bank clearly lost charging speed faster because of the extra heat. But for those who want to see all the stats in one place, here's how the two performed:
|
Power Bank |
Charging Methods |
Charging Duration |
Battery Remaining |
Maximum Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
UGREEN MagFlow Pro (10,000 mAh) |
Qi 2.2 25W Wireless/45W wired |
90 to 110 minutes |
13% |
91.4 to 96.8°F |
|
Xiaomi Magnetic Power Bank (10,000 mAh) |
Qi 2.2 25W Wireless/45W wired |
130 to 135 minutes |
1/4 light flickering |
104 to106°F |
Could liquid-cooled wireless chargers be the future?
MagFlow Pro's liquid-cooling tech makes a measurable difference compared to a regular magnetic power bank with the same specs.
But the performance difference is staggering, and cooler charging may even benefit long-term battery health.
Traditional power banks still do an incredible job and, in my opinion, should adopt some form of liquid cooling very soon.
UGREEN MagFlow Pro Qi2 25W Magnetic Power Bank with Liquid Cooling
- UGREEN
- 10,000 mAh
- 1 x USB-C
- 45W wired/25W Wireless
- 1
- Yes
- Yes