Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have a 12-inch MacBook, which has a single USB-C port for charging, external video, data, etc. I have several dongles by Apple and third-party manufacturers to work around this limitation. When I ordered the Lepow monitor, I figured I would have to use a dongle to be able both to power my Mac and to connect video to this monitor. I am very happy to report that this is not the case! By connecting a USB-C cable to the port on the right side of the Lepow monitor and plugging that cable into a charger capable of Power Delivery (I am using an Anker PowerPort Speed PD 5), then connecting my MacBook via USB-C to the USB-C port on the left side of the monitor, I get both external video and charging. I am watching the % charge indicator on my MacBook climb steadily as I write this review. The included power supply for the Lepow monitor is USB-A, and there is a USB-A to USB-C cable included to power the monitor. This power supply and cable combination is not capable of charging the MacBook, although it may help slow the drain of the MacBook battery. To charge the MacBook, a USB-C PD charger and cable (e.g., the ones supplied with the MacBook 12-inch itself) are needed. The monitor is able to run off just the MacBook's internal battery, if necessary, through the single USB-C cable connected to the MacBook’s port. If this is done, the Lepow monitor automatically reduces its brightness to 50%. It can be manually turned up, however. I am trying these various options as I write, and the drain on the internal battery in my MacBook when powering the Lepow monitor does not seem to be too rapid. It is certainly nice to be able to use a portable monitor on my MacBook with no external power needed. The speakers are decent, but not as loud as the internal speakers on my MacBook 12-inch. Also, the screen brightness at 100% is only about 65% of the built-in Retina display. Overall, I am very satisfied with the Lepow monitor and would unhesitatingly recommend it to others looking for a portable external monitor for their laptop, especially laptops with only a single USB-C port like my MacBook 12-inch.