I travel across the country all the time, and I'm usually carrying a bag that's full to the brim with technology. The problem is, sometimes things will start to run out of juice when I'm nowhere near an outlet. Luckily, power banks have become so good and so portable that it's essentially become a non-issue for me. I just need to make sure I charge it up before I leave home and more often than not I can avoid being stranded somewhere with a dead phone.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Power Banks:
However, you can do a casual search on Amazon and you'll find there are hundreds of power banks out there from brands you've probably never heard of. While these devices are essentially giant batteries and aren't that complicated, serious problems can occur if you get one that isn't up to snuff. You don't want a battery that inflates and heats up for no reason, after all.
A few brands are known to have reputable power banks these days. Anker, Belkin and Mophie have all emerged as some of the most reliable power bank manufacturers, and now we're even starting to see Energizer enter the arena. What's awesome is that because there are so many power banks out there, they've really been keeping up with how we're charging our phones with more and more batteries supporting Qi wireless charging on the go. Definitely not necessary, but it is an awesome feature to have, especially if you forgot to pack a USB-C cable in your bag for the day.
More than anything, you're going to want to make sure you get a power bank that has enough juice to keep your devices running. Generally a 20,000mAH battery pack will get you through about two full battery cycles on an iPhone, and can usually charge up a tablet once before needing to recharge. There are battery banks out there that are good enough to charge your laptop, too. Though, because of how much power laptops consume, you're going to want to make sure you get a power bank with at least 45W of output, with gaming laptops requiring even more.
While I haven't used every power bank on this list, I've gone through so many power banks I can't even keep track of them. I know exactly what to look for, and I'm just here to help you find the perfect portable charger for your next excursion.
Contributions by Danielle Abraham
1. Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K
Best Power Bank
Skip the hassle of remembering to pack cables and opt for a power bank with them built-in. Five-inch integrated Lightning and USB-C cables are included with the Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K to make life easier. Concerned about those wires becoming a tangled disaster? Belkin has the solution, as each cable tucks out of the way into a handy slot on either side of the portable charger for safe, organized storage when not in use. Even with the cables, the power bank still manages compact dimensions, about the size of a smartphone and weighs just half a pound.
Belkin’s power bank is limited to only those two cables when charging, so those more exotic devices may need an adapter. Still, most electronics, including the latest iPhones, support USB-C charging, making it a non-issue for the majority of users.
The 10,000mAh capacity of this power pack is plenty of juice to top up smartphones and even some tablets. However, with a maximum output of 18W when charging one device on either the Lightning or USB-C cable, it’s not a great option for laptops or other power-hungry devices. Still, iPhones should be back to 50% in under 30 minutes. Two devices can even be charged simultaneously, but that drops the total output to 23W. Pass-through charging is also supported, allowing you to recharge the battery bank using the USB-C port and a device via the USB-C or Lightning cable.
2. Anker 737 Laptop Charger
Best Power Bank for Charging Laptops
Laptops are, by their very nature, much more powerful than any phone or tablet on the market, no matter what flashy advertising might tell you. But with all that power comes the need for much more robust charging solutions, like the Anker 737. This chunky power bank has a total output of 140W, which is more than enough for most laptops, and can even charge some lower-end gaming laptops. That output is paired with 24,000mAh of power, which should charge most laptops up to full once or twice.
The only real downside is the size of this thing. Standing up, the Anker 737 is 6.13 inches tall and 1.95 inches thick, which is thicker than most of the laptops you'll be charging with it. It also weighs 1.39lbs, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it can definitely add up when you're putting it in a bag that's already carrying a laptop and who knows what else.
Regardless of how bulky it is, it's nice to have when you're working on the go, and you really don't want to run out of battery in the middle of a project. I know that I need it when I'm working an event like CES, where I'm writing constantly but am usually in a cab or on the show floor, far away from even the mention of a power outlet.
3. Charmast Portable Charger
Best Budget Power Bank
The problem with a lot of power banks these days – at least the reliable ones – is that they're expensive. You're usually paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 for a decent power bank, but you can get an equivalent for half the price if you give up on some of the nicer features. This power bank from Charmast is an excellent example. It has 20,000mAH of capacity, so it can charge your phone several times before running out of juice, but it's limited to 20W of output. That's still enough for fast charging but is decidedly less output than most premium chargers these days.
You can take one look at the design of this thing and notice that it looks a lot like my No. 1 pick, the Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K. However, it is a bit thicker, coming in at about 1-inch thick and it weighs more, coming in at 0.8lbs. So you're getting more power for less, but it charges slower and is a bit more bulky in your bag. But, hey, at half the price, that's not a bad deal, even if it means your phone charges in an hour and a half instead of one hour flat.
4. Anker MagGo Power Bank
Best Power Bank with Wireless Charging
While there are hundreds of power banks out there that let you plug in a device to charge, there are way fewer that let you take advantage of wireless charging, and even fewer that are any good at it. Most of the power banks out there that can do wireless charging use the first generation of Qi, which is limited to 7.5W of output, which will charge your devices at a snail's pace. The MagGo from Anker, though, supports Qi2, which ups that output to 15W, getting extremely close to fast charging that's typically about 20W.
The MagGo is also extremely portable, weighing in at just 0.44lbs and measuring just 0.58 inches thick, making it easy to pack in any bag. There's always a catch, though, and the Anker MagGo only has 10,000mAh of capacity, which means you're only going to get one or two full charges of an iPhone out of it at best. Still, at least it charges relatively quickly, no matter if you're charging wirelessly or via the USB-C port, which is twice as fast.
5. Veektomx Mini Power Bank
Best Compact Power Bank
Most power banks are already ultra-portable and compact, but some just do it better than others. The Veektomx Mini Power Bank is one of the smallest and mightiest options out there. It’s perfectly pocketable, measuring about the size of a deck of cards but thinner and weighing only 5.8oz. What makes this portable charger even better is that even though it’s tiny, it still packs in a 10,000mAh battery to deliver a full charge and then some to the majority of smartphones.
Even with its smaller size, the Veektomx Mini Power Bank offers three different charging ports for versatility: a USB-A, USB-C, and microUSB. Each of those ports supports fast charging with at least an 18W to 22.5W output when charging a single device, and comes with pass-through charging when topping up the power pack.
Not only is the Veektomx Mini Power Bank uniquely compact for portability, but it’s built tough with a solid plastic body and slight ribbing for an easier grip to prevent drops. Things are taken even further with a convenient LED battery level indicator, letting you know how much juice is left in the portable charger and the charging status. Perhaps best of all, all of this is available for right around $25, making it a real steal.
6. Jsaux Power Bank 20,000mAh 65W
Best Power Bank for Steam Deck
The original Steam Deck has a notoriously terrible battery life, and even with the Steam Deck OLED putting up some real improvements, games like Baldur's Gate 3 will drain that battery quickly. The Jsaux Power Bank 20,000mAh 65W is a great Steam Deck accessory that ensures you never lose power during an integral moment in a game, offering a 20,000mAh capacity that can deliver at least one charge or more to the gaming handheld.
With a max charging wattage of 45W on the Steam Deck, this power bank can hit those same speeds for a quick top-up. The handheld should get from 0% to 100% in about three hours. To make life easier, a short USB-C cable is built in, so you can forget about carting around a cable when taking your Steam Deck on the go. Beyond a USB-C cable, a single USB-C port and two USB-A ports are available for additional devices. There’s support for multi-device charging, but simultaneously charging devices will drop speeds slightly.
Given the powerful punch this power bank is packing, it is a little bulky, weighing right around 1lb and measuring an inch thick. Still, this brick is easy to handle and small enough to slide into a bag. Jsaux adds a little something extra to the mix, too, as it offers a ModCase for the Steam Deck with a strap to perfectly slot the battery pack onto the gaming handheld. When attached to the case, the integrated USB-C cable is just the right size to reach the Steam Deck’s port.
Opted for a great Steam Deck alternative instead? The Jsaux Power Bank works just as well with many of the other best handheld gaming PCs.
6. Emperor of Gadgets Portable Power Bank
Best Power Bank for Nintendo Switch
With a max of about nine hours of juice available on the Switch, and the battery depleting even quicker depending on the games you’re playing, a portable charger is the best Switch accessory to always stay in the action. Emperor of Gadgets has a power bank designed specifically for the handheld, strapping right onto it while adding minimal bulk. Even as the portable charger keeps things compact for an enjoyable playing experience, it will double your playing time on the Switch with its 10,000mAh capacity.
The Switch can only hit charging speeds of 18W, so something like the Jsaux power bank above is overkill. This Emperor of Gadgets portable charger is capable of about 15W, which should still see the Switch topped up relatively quickly. An integrated USB-C cable is conveniently included and is the perfect size to reach with the handheld’s USB-C port when the battery is mounted, so you won’t need to worry about bringing your own along.
This power bank isn’t exclusively for the Switch, so it’ll work with a range of devices, including the Nintendo Switch 2 that’s dropping in June. Additional USB-C and USB-A ports are also available. But if you’re looking for something a little different for the Switch, check these great Switch battery cases.
What to Look for in a Power Bank
Capacity
This is the most important spec you should look out for in a portable charger. This figure is always followed closely by a mAh unit, which stands for milliamp-hour. Given that most ultra-thin flagship phones have a 3,000mAh battery inside of them already, you're going to want to find a portable charger with at least that much capacity, so you can double the battery life of your handset – unless of course, you're looking for an extremely portable battery.
Most portable chargers these days come in a 10,000mAh capacity or higher, and this is pretty much the standard. Portable batteries of this size should give you three times or more charge while you're on the go. You should also keep in mind that there will always be some power that's lost when transferring between the power bank and your device, so you're probably not going to get the full 10,000mAh.
Ports and charging speeds
Not all chargers are created equal, with some offering much higher charging capabilities with increased voltages and amperages. Some chargers may use standards like Power Delivery (PD) to connect with your device and send the maximum energy possible. You'll want to compare what output capabilities the charger has with the charging speeds your phone or other electronics supports. Also, check which ports offer those speeds, as you may find some offer much higher charging than others.
For quick charging on a phone, you're going to want at least 20W of output, but with how big phone batteries are getting, I'd lean more towards 30W of output to charge devices quickly. The wattage requirement goes up significantly with more powerful devices, though. I'd recommend 30W as a minimum for an iPad, and if you're going to be using it to charge your laptop, 45W or even 60W is necessary to outpace the computer's power consumption.
Doing this, you can find chargers that support the quick charging of your phone or even find chargers that will be capable of delivering enough power to keep even your laptop running for some extra time. You'll also want to consider this same aspect but for the charger itself. After all, it has a battery that needs recharging, too. If you have a 20,000mAh battery, but it only supports 5W input, it's going to take a long time to fill it back up.
Power Bank FAQ
Should you drain your power bank before charging it again?
No, it isn’t necessary to drain lithium-based batteries, which are what you’ll find in almost every power bank. In fact, if you let your battery fully drain, it could potentially damage it, reducing its capacity. You should try to charge your power bank before it’s completely depleted or every few months when it’s not in use.
Can you bring portable power banks on a plane?
The short answer is yes, you are allowed to bring your power bank on the plane as long as they use litium ion or lithium metal batteries. According to the TSA, you are only allowed to bring them in your carry-on luggage or as a personal item. You cannot pack portable power banks into checked bags as they have higher risk of catching fire. There are also certain size limits for what you can bring – Anker clocks the limits at 100Wh or around 27,000mAh – so you should be fine with a standard 10,000mAh portable charger.
How long do power banks last?
The longevity of a power bank depends on usage, build quality, and capacity. Typically, chargers from notable brands like Anker and Belkin last 2 to 4 years. Cheaper models and lesser-known brands can last just as long, but it’s more of a hit or miss. Batteries with a higher capacity also tend to outperform options with lower mAh. To increase the lifespan of the portable charger, avoid overcharging, keep it stored in a cool, dry place, and charge it fully every three months.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
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