Review: Omnicharge 40C+ laptop charger (142Wh 38400 mAh)
Review unit provided by Omnicharge
The Omnicharge Omni 40C+ is a 2-in-1 USB hub and laptop charger with a battery capacity of 38,400mAh / 142wh. The price of USD 399 includes one year warranty and free US shipping.
The marketing material I received for this sponsored review unit actually said to avoid describing this product as a power bank for branding purposes. Well, I'm gonna say the Omnicharge Omni 40C+ is a laptop and multi-device charger but it's actually more than that since it can also work as a USB hub, with HDMI and SD card reader.
Bottom line
This is an impressive charger with many features. This is almost the ultimate charger (I know of) at time of review, but you'll see later that there is still room for improvement.
Here are the main selling features for the Omnicharge Omni 40C+:
- It can be used as a USB hub and also as a charger
- 100W power delivery means most laptops can be charged with this
- There's pass-through charging to charge itself and other devices
- Has a good selection of ports: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, SD card, DC
- Design looks good. And build quality is amazing
You can see the long list of pros and cons at the end of the review.
The main selling point here is this laptop charger can also be used as a USB hub. If you don't need the USB hub feature, you can find many smaller and lighter portable chargers selling at lower prices, such as this one I've reviewed months ago.
The main limitations for this product would be the USB-C USB 2.0 transfer speed, and the HDMI output is only 4K 30Hz. One downside is there's a tendency to overheat when you're charging it for too long. If you have to charge it from 0 to 100%, you'll probably need to charge it with two separate sessions.
Things included
- Omnicharge Omni 40C+
- Hard zip carrying case
- 65W GaN charger with interchangeable plugs
- Omni 240W USB-C nylon cable
- Manual
I highly recommend reading the manual before you use the charger because there are so many features. It's good to know what the charger is fully capable of.
Design
This charger is huge. Dimensions are 9.5" x 2.7" x 2.5"(24.3 x 7.1 x 6.5 cm).
The weight is heavy at 1.1kg which is a compromise. If you don't use the USB hub feature, you can find smaller and lighter laptop chargers.
The rubberised exterior is textured and has good grip. It probably will also provide some drop protection for the charger. Build quality is excellent.
The charger can also be used as a laptop stand thanks to its triangular design.
Below are the specs for the USB-C ports:
Bidirectional Input & Output Charging
Input: USB-C PD: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 20V ⎓5A, 90W max
Output: USB-C 1: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 20V⎓5A, 100W max
USB-C 2&3: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 30W max
USB-C 4: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓2A, 20V⎓5A, 28V⎓5A, 100W max
USB-A Output
Port 1&2: 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓2A, 12V⎓1.5A, 18W Max
Hub front
USB-A: USB3.0 / USB-C: USB 2.0
On the other side there are:
DC Port
Bidirectional Input & Output Charging
Input: 5~25V, up to 5A, 90W Max
Output: 5~25V, up to 5A, 100W Max
HDMI out: v1.4, 4K 30Hz
SD card reader: USB 3 transfer speed.
Not all power banks can change laptops because many laptops require a certain minimal wattage for charging, and Omnicharge Omni 40C+ provides 100W which is definitely sufficient for most laptops. Note that the combined total power output is 150W.
One selling feature is pass-through charging that allows you to charge the charger and connected devices at the same time.
Important notes
Data circuit for each side of the charger is separate. Connecting one side of the charger to your laptop will only get you access to ports from that side, not the other side. It is possible to use all ports on the charger for the hub...
There's a "HDMI Only" mode from the settings when can be enabled to disable power to USB-C4. With "HDMI Only" mode enabled, you can connect both sides of the charger to use all the ports available. Pass-through charging will not be available with this workflow.
I measured transfer speed of 335 MB/s and 340 MB/s for read and write for the USB-A ports. USB-C2 and C3 unfortunately have USB 2 transfer speeds.
Safety features
There's protection against low power, over power, over voltage, low temperature and over heating.
There is a tendency for the charger to overheat when it's being charged for extended period of time. I notice the overheating protection will kick in and charging will stop at around 42 degrees celsius.
It's unlikely to get a full charge from empty with a single charging session as the extended charging period means it's likely to overheat. This has happened to me several times but so I usually have to wait for the battery to cool down (slowly) before charging it to 100%.
Conclusion
The Omnicharge Omni 40C+ works really well as a laptop and multi-device charger with the downside being it will overheat when it's being charged for extended period of time.
As a USB hub, the downsides would be the limited USB 2 transfer speeds for the USB-C ports, and HDMI only supports 4K 30Hz instead of 60Hz.
This is a versatile charger that can also work as a USB hub so there aren't many competing products that offer the same feature set. People who need such a feature set would probably know instantly whether this product is for them.
If I have this with me outdoors, I won't be afraid of my laptop running out of power anytime soon.
Pros and cons at a glance
+ Design looks good
+ Can be used as a laptop stand
+ Protection for overheating, low temperature, power surge, etc
+ Pass-through charging
+ USB-A has USB 3 transfer speed
+ Good selection of ports
+ Can be used as a USB hub with USB-A, USB-C, SD card and HDMI
+ Barrel and USB-C ports can either charge or be charged
+ 100W is suitable for charging most laptops
+ 142 Wh (38,400 mAh) battery capacity is huge
+ TSA approved, but it's best to check again
- USB-C only has USB 2 transfer speed
- HDMI only limited to 4K 30Hz
- 1.1kg is heavy
- Rubber external does not dissipate heat well
- Not possible to use both sides of the hub and still get pass-through charging
- Tendency to overheat when it's being charged for extended period of time
- Pricy at USD 399
Availability
The Omnicharge Omni 40C+ is available from Omnicharge online store
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