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, that 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.
Luckily, there are a few brands that are pretty much 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 generally charge up a tablet once before needing to recharge. There are battery banks out there that can 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. Mophie Powerstation Plus
Best Power Bank
Power banks exist to make life a little easier and less stressful when traveling, and there's nothing worse than untangling a bunch of cables, or worse – forgetting them entirely. Luckily, the Mophie Powerstation Plus eliminates this problem by coming with built-in USB-C and Lightning cables to keep your devices charged. While having something with built-in cables sounds a bit like a nightmare, Mophie manages to keep them under control by having a little slot on either side of the device that keeps them out of the way and untangled.
You should keep in mind, though, that this 10,000 mAH battery pack is limited to just those two cables. That means you can't plug in more exotic devices to let them charge, without some sort of adapter. For me, though, everything that I'm usually carry around supports USB-C charging anyway, so it's easy to work around that problem.
As for output, the USB-C cable has a max output of about 30W, with the Lightning cable coming in at 20W. This is enough to charge most phones, tablets and accessories, but you probably won't get very far charging your laptop with this thing. However, for most people that only want to make sure their phone is charged at all times, that's an easy thing to live without, especially when it results in such a convenient little battery pack.
2. Anker 737 Laptop Charger
Best Power Bank For 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 24,000 mAh 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 1.39 pounds, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it can definitely add up when you're adding it to 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 number one pick, the Mophie Powerstation Plus. However, it is a bit thicker, coming in at about one inch thick, compared to the half-inch Powerstation Plus, and it weighs more, coming in at 0.8lb, rather than Mophies 0.52 inches. 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. You see, 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, which is getting extremely close to 'fast charging', which is typically about 20W.
The MagGo is also extremely portable, weighing in at just 0.44 pounds 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.
What to look for in a power bank
When shopping for a power bank the most important spec you should look out for is capacity. 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.
As you may have noticed 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.
After considering the capacity of your charger, you're going to want to think about charging speeds and the ports that deliver those 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. So, 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?
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. So, 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, but you should be fine with a standard 10,000mah portable charger.
Where to get the best portable chargers in the UK
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
