If you carry a portable charger in your pocket, you’re carrying a small slab of lithium. Most of the time, that’s fine. But it’s always been a trade-off: the thinner the battery, the lower the capacity – and the greater the risk that you’re carrying something that can overheat and make your pants catch fire if it’s damaged or poorly made. A new class of portable charger batteries – semi-solid-state – is starting to change that equation.
BMX’s SolidSafe Air ($59.99) is the clearest example yet of what semi-solid-state battery technology means for the portable charger category. At just 6.8mm thick, it’s currently the world’s thinnest 5,000mAh Qi2 magnetic semi-solid-state power bank you can buy, and among the world’s thinnest portable chargers regardless of battery technology. It’s wrapped in a slightly curved titanium shell that fits nicely in your hand and slides comfortably into a front pocket. In addition to magnetic wireless charging, the SolidSafe Air delivers 20W wired USB-C output. This charger is everything you need in a portable charger, just with better battery technology.
Why semi-solid-state matters in real life
Traditional lithium-ion batteries rely on a liquid electrolyte. That liquid is flammable, and under the right (or wrong) conditions – puncture, crushing, overheating – it can fail in dramatic ways.
Semi-solid-state batteries replace most of that liquid with a gel-like solid material. That reduces the amount of flammable material inside the battery and makes it more resistant to heat and physical damage. So, it’s far less likely to turn into a pocket fire hazard.
BMX says it has internally tested its semi-solid-state cells under mechanical damage scenarios, including drilling, cutting, and nail puncture, to observe how the cells behave under stress. You can watch a demo of this in their YouTube video. No flames, and they still work after being damaged.
Semi-solid-state batteries also have longer lifespans. Manufacturers claim around 1,000 to 2,500 charge cycles compared to the 400 to 500 you get from a typical lithium-ion power bank. That means you can keep using it two to three times as long without seeing the capacity drop.
The semi-solid-state competition
BMX isn’t the only company moving in this direction. KUXIU’s S2 semi-solid-state pack is 9.9mm thick and sells for $45.99. Statik’s State 5K comes in at 11.4mm for $59.99. Both offer 5,000mAh capacity and 15W Qi2 magnetic charging. Pricewise, that puts semi-solid-state in the same price range as traditional lithium-polymer packs from brands like Anker, including its 5000mAh Nano MagGo Slim 15W (7.6mm), which is $54.99.
If you’re shopping for a new portable charger, semi-solid-state models are worth considering. They are safer and longer-lasting, and you get the same slim designs, as the SolidSafe Air demonstrates. It’s the direction the category is heading – and definitely what I’ll be carrying next.
The BMX SolidSafe Air comes in Black, Gold, and Silver for $59.99 on HeyBMX.com, with broad availability expected by the end of March.
[Image credit: Better Mobile Experience]
