Of course Energizer made a laptop with a battery so big it’s banned on airplanes
Did you know that Energizer recently started manufacturing laptops? Me neither. The iconic battery company’s laptop is pretty on-brand, though: It packs a massive battery that’s supposed to last up to 28 hours of real-world use.
Sounds great, right? Well, that’s true, until you realize there’s a problem with a battery that big: you can’t fly with it.
Energizer makes laptops now?
It’s nothing new for companies to make random products outside of their niche, but I think Energizer making a laptop takes the cake. Although these laptops are made in partnership with Avenir Telecom, Energizer is the brand they all come with. You probably recognize the Energizer brand from the batteries you buy in stores. I guess Energizer also makes laptop batteries now?
Either way, this unique laptop is about to be very interesting. With pricing starting at €449 / $512 for the base model, you’ll find an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and up to an 18-inch Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) display on this laptop product line. There are three models here, ranging from the EnergyBook Pro 15 to the EnergyBook Pro XL 18, and finally the EnergyBook Pro Ultra, which had a unique trick up its sleeve: a massive battery.
With a 192Wh battery, this laptop should last a full week per charge
The EnergyBook Pro Ultra lives up to its name thanks to its gigantic Battery 192 Wh, 13,000 mAh. Energizer claims that this laptop is “designed for heavy-duty uses such as gaming, video creation and unlimited performance.”
Rated to last up to 28 hours of “actual use,” according to the press release. This “real use” includes “intensive office use (web browsing, office work, videoconferencing)”. It’s also rated for up to seven days of standby time or 11 hours of gaming and graphics design.
Honestly, a laptop with this much battery life is unprecedented in the Windows world, and it even beats the industry-leading Apple Silicon-powered MacBook Pro M5, which achieves 24 hours of battery life.
Is laptop battery life getting too long?
Too many good things?
I’m both skeptical and unsure if this laptop can actually get up to 28 hours of use on a single charge. Apple is able to achieve 24 hours of battery life with a 100 Wh battery, and Energizer’s battery is almost twice as large at 192 Wh. So if Energizer can’t To get solid battery life from such a large battery, there’s an even bigger problem.
However, only time will tell if the Energizer EnergyBook Pro Ultra actually lasts more than a full day on a single charge.
Unlike most laptops, you won’t be able to take this one on a plane
If you’re ready to hand over your money to Energizer for the EnergyBook Pro Ultra, you might want to wait a second. While it sounds great to have a massive battery in a laptop, there’s actually one thing the EnergyBook Pro Ultra can’t do: fly. That’s right, this laptop is banned on all flights in the United States.
The FAA allows all rechargeable batteries of 100 Wh and less to travel without restriction in your carry-on baggage. From 101 Wh to 160 Wh, you need to get permission to fly with a battery of that size from the airline you’re flying with – and even then, you’re limited to just two batteries per passenger of that size. Above 160 Wh, batteries are prohibited without the possibility of flying, without exception.
This means that the EnergyBook Pro Ultra cannot be transported anywhere. This also means that it cannot be shipped by air at all in most cases and you must use ground transportation to ship it. So if you plan to travel with your laptop, the EnergyBook Pro Ultra probably isn’t the best solution.
It’s also a good reminder in general to learn about new technologies before diving in head first. The Energizer EnergyBook Pro Ultra sounds good on the surface, and even when I saw it, I didn’t immediately think “I couldn’t fly with that.” But it’s worth researching new technology before you buy, just to make sure you’re able to live a normal life with whatever you’re considering buying.
Laptops aren’t the only batteries regulated by the FAA: all rechargeable batteries have regulations to follow. So before you buy that great portable power station for flying and charging your laptop at the airport, make sure it’s below the FAA required limit. If in doubt, call your airline. The last thing you want is to arrive at the airport and have to throw away your brand new battery because it’s too big to fly.
If you have a laptop that frequently breaks down while traveling and you don’t mind flying, just get a portable power station. They work with any laptop (either via USB-C or built-in AC ports) and the powerhouses are far more versatile than a laptop of unknown quality.
