The best power banks ensure your portable gadgets will last much longer, even if you’re out and about. While technology keeps getting better, device battery life is still fairly limited so these devices below will help soup up the battery life of your most loved devices.
- 1 What is a power bank?
- 2 How To Choose The Best Powerbank For Your Mobile Phone
- 3 Will Charging With Portable Battery Bank Damage a Phone’s Battery?
- 4 Advantages of wireless charging power bank
- 5 Disadvantages of Wireless Charging Power Banks
- 6 What is the difference between a portable charger and a power bank?
- 7 What should I look for when buying a power bank?
- 8 How many mAh is a good power bank?
- 9 Which power bank is not allowed in flight?
- 10 How many watt hours is 20000mah?
Before you dive in, you need to consider how much capacity you need, as well as how much you’re willing (or able) to spend, and how slim or portable you need it to be. That’s the case whether you’re looking to charge your phone, tablet, smartwatch, or even your laptop.
We’ve done a battery (pun intended) of tests on some of the best and most highly rated portable chargers on the market, pulling from both big brands and popular competitors. Testing involves seeing how fast devices charge and how many full phone chargers each power bank stores. While these specific portable chargers regularly appear on bestseller lists, they’re all different in a number of important ways.
So, if you’re always trying to keep your phone at 100%, or worry about running empty in the wild, we’ve got the details you need. This includes what chargers offer which kinds of ports, and how many, so you can even charge multiple devices at once. Even if your phone is on our longest-lasting smartphones page, you could benefit from this portable insurance package on your next outing.
Best power bank reviews in 2023：Our choice
1.Anker Portable Charger PowerCore 20100mAh
Reaching a decision on our number one choice was easy. Having tried out the Anker PowerCore 20100 power bank extensively at Creative Bloq, we’re certain it’s the best power bank you can buy right now.
In terms of charge speed, connectivity and price, it’s absolutely top-notch. With a hefty battery capacity of 20,100mAh, you’ll get a good few charges out of it before needing to top it up.
Slimline and sleek, the Anker PowerCore 20100 power bank can charge two devices simultaneously via its pair of 2.4 Amp USB ports, and if those devices use PowerIQ or VoltageBoost, it’ll charge them all the faster. And here’s the best compliment we can pay this power bank: after trying it out for a little while, our writer went out and bought one of their own.
There was a time when power banks with LCD displays were rather expensive, but prices have now come down as the screens filter through to even affordable models like this.
The power bank also has three outputs, which will come in handy if you have multiple devices to charge. There are two full-size USBs, plus a USB-C PD port that can act as both input and output, and all three support 18W Quick Charge – although only one at a time.
On the side is an additional Quick Charge 2.0-compatible Micro-USB, which can also be used for charging the bank. It will charge in about 3.5 hours with a Quick Charge/PD adapter, but about 5.5 hours with a standard 10W charger.
The downside of the design is that it’s a bit bigger than many of the super-slim, similar-capacity models on the market. This Charmast is roughly the same width as a phone, but a little shorter and a fair bit chunkier. It weighs in at 228g, which you may decide is better suited to a bag than your pocket.
Charmast supplies a soft mesh carry case and a short USB-A to USB-C cable in the box, a nice touch.
3.imuto 100W Laptop Power Bank
Offering mostly everything you could need at this price, the iMuto 20,000mah power bank has a 20,000mAh capacity that means you can charge the average smartphone over four times without a problem. The price is that it’s a fairly bulky power bank and it’s certainly heavy but with two ports and a screen that shows you how much charge is remaining, it’s certainly practical if not particularly portable.
4.Anker Portable Charger, 313 Power Bank
Our number 2 pick (still one of the best portable chargers) is the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000, which is a bit heavier than the INIU 10000 pack (7.3 ounces to 6.9 ounces). But it would have taken the top slot had it had that second USB-A output port.
That’s because its charging times were so close to the INIU brick (21% in 15 minutes, 76% in an hour) and its overall time to fill an iPhone 12 was 4 minutes shorter, at 1 hour and 56 minutes.
But it’s so close to the INIU that we have to keep it as the #2-ranked portable charger. These bricks are so close, practically within margins of error in testing. If you only need to charge one device at a time, and the sale pricing makes the Slim 10000 that much cheaper than the INIU, go for it.
This product has been reviewed by nearly 50,000 customers on Amazon and has been rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. A reviewer who rated it 5 stars said:
“I like the solid and sleek construction. Fits easily in my pocket. Most importantly it works! Fast charging, enough capacity to charge my phone multiple times over multiple days, and withstands plenty of me dropping it and yanking the cord out awkwardly and accidentally.”
USB-C is no longer the port of the future, it’s the port of the day. And while INIU’s 20-watt brick is a bit heavy (the second heaviest on this list), its dual-function USB-C port makes it a clear favorite for one of the best portable chargers for those charging with the reversible port. This way, you can both charge it and charge other devices with the same USB-C cables, and you’ve also got two other USB-A ports for recharging other devices.
On top of that, it turned in the best performance in the 1-hour charging window, bringing our dead iPhone 12 to 81% of its charge. And its 1-hour and 57-minute time to bring that iPhone to a full charge is the second-best of the pack, only off by a minute from the PowerCore Slim 10000. Its high capacity of 20000 mAh also meant it refueled an iPhone more than most of these chargers, with 4.78 iPhone 12 refills.
This product has been reviewed by nearly 4,500 customers on Amazon and received 4.6 out of 5 stars. A reviewer who rated it 5 stars said: “For 5 days on vacation I used this to charge my phone and GoPro, and the battery still had 44% of its life!”
6.Portable Charger Power Bank 25800mAh
We always look at no-name brands on Amazon with askew looks, and (unlike the INIU power banks) the Ekrist proves our suspicions right. Its main positive features are that its 25,800mAh power supply refueled our iPhone 12 four times, and at 11.2 ounces, it’s 1.4 ounces lighter than the 20,000 mAh INIU portable charger. That said, there are other bigger chargers that pack a ton of juice that you should opt for instead.
Its downsides are easy to see. For starters, there’s no USB-C input or output. And its charging proved slow in testing, with unimpressive scores on the 15-minute and 1-hour windows (17% and 72%), and one of the longest times for charging an iPhone 12 from dead to 100% (2 hours and 21 minutes). It would have been dead last if not for the Miady discount double.
This charger has been reviewed by over 29,000 customers on Amazon and received 4.5 out of 5 stars. “I can honestly say that it is charging my phone right now while writing this review. Great product,” said a reviewer who rated it 5 stars.
7.EXCITRUS Wireless Portable Charger
When it comes to charging your iPhone and other gadgets, the Excitrus PDW100208 offers everything you’ll ever need, making it our number one choice overall.
It comes with a 10W MagSafe pad for wirelessly charging your iPhone, along with 100W USB-C , 45W USB-C and 18W USB-A ports. That means you can charge up to four devices simulatenously, and you can even charge Excitrus PDW100208, using the 100W USB-C port and included USB-C to USB-C cable, at the same time.
It’s heavy, at just over half a kilo, and its long shape can be a bit awkward. But our reviewer found it performed brilliantly in practice, and offers a huge capacity via its wired ports. It’s certainly enough to keep your laptops, cameras and more going while you’re on the move, as well as your iPhone.
Costing just over $50, Anker’s solar-powered 20,000mAh power bank features separate USB-A and USB-C inputs. The USB-C port works at up to 18W to recharge your capable devices in a hurry.
While there are only two total ports on the Anker 20,000mAh power bank, it recharges with the power of the sun so you can get back to 100% as you go about your day. Even better, the battery pack features added drop protection in all four corners, and the IP65 rating is good against splashes and dust.
Pros
- AC outlet means this power bank can handle a wider range of devices than USB-A and USB-C ports alone
- Fast charging time with the provided wall charger
- Built-in flashlight
- About the size of a paperback book
Cons
- Display was less intuitive to use than the Scosche PowerUp 32K
There can be a fine line with power banks for camping. We’re trying to get off the grid, but we need a bit of the grid to come with us: for camping fans, air pumps, lanterns, and, of course, our phones. And when the smaller, smartphone-sized power banks stop cutting it (try sharing one of those with a loved one for more than three days), it can be tempting to upgrade to a real beast—a power bank that could maybe also serve as a home generator. Which, sometimes, can start to feel like it’s defeating the point of getting off the grid at all.
The Anker 511 Portable Powerstation is the perfect middle ground for your power needs. It’s got enough juice that you’ll never have to worry about your phone charge, but not enough that you’re tempted to stream all of Gray’s Anatomy when you could be sitting around the campfire. It’s big enough to include some extras, like a flashlight (handy) and an AC outlet, which was a feature I didn’t even realize I’d want until I made it to camp. But even with all that it’s still small enough that you won’t have to account for its size when fitting all your gear into your car. It would have been nice if the Anker 511 included a digital display that showed how much power it had left, rather than relying on a kicked-up version of the light bars of the smaller power banks, but it still provided the information I needed—that there was plenty of juice left in this bank for the rest of my trip.
You don’t have to pick between a great charger and a great power bank, or spend double on getting both. The Anker 733 Power Bank takes care of all your charging needs. On the outside, it looks like a normal charger, and it works amazingly as one. It can juice up three devices at up to 65W, using a couple of USB-C ports and a USB-A port.
What makes it special is that it comes with an integrated 10,000mAh battery. This means you can pull it off the wall and take it on the go, and it can continue charging your devices when it’s off the wall!
What is a power bank?
A power bank is a portable electronic device that can transfer power from its built-in battery to other devices. This is typically done through a USB-A or USB-C port, although wireless charging is also increasingly available. Power banks are mainly used for charging small devices with USB ports such as smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks. But they can also be used to top up a variety of USB-powered accessories, including headphones, Bluetooth speakers, lights, fans and camera batteries.
Power banks usually recharge with a USB power supply. Some offer passthrough charging, which means you can charge your devices while the power bank itself is recharging.
How To Choose The Best Powerbank For Your Mobile Phone
Technology has been developing at a rapid rate recently. Nowadays we have social media, organizer, entertainment, academic, creative apps and much more all at the palm of our hands. No wonder we always want to roam around with these smart devices wherever we go. However, there is one problem that the rapid growth of technology hasn’t been able to solve – battery life. Interestingly, more features a phone has, more someone wants to use it, and faster its battery drains. This is where the power banks come in.
Features you should check before buying a powerbank
1. Battery Capacity
The foremost thing about a power bank that comes to in our mind is the capacity. The capacity of a power bank is measured in Milliampere Hours (Yes, that’s what the mAh stands for on any battery). More the capacity of the power bank, more the number of times it can charge your mobile phone or tablet.
It is best to buy a power bank that offers a capacity which is higher than the actual capacity of the phone’s battery. Thus, if your phone has a capacity if 2500mAh, you should try and aim for a power bank that has a minimum capacity of 5000mAh. This will allow your phone to get charged at least twice. To account for some minor losses, go a bit higher, around 6000mAh.
While this makes sense, it is also best to keep your own usage in mind. You wouldn’t want to spend excess on your power banks when you are always near a charging port. Avoid buying power banks lower than 2000mAh unless you need your power bank to be super small and you aren’t frequently away from charging ports for long periods of time.
2. Manufacturer
The next thing you would want to keep in mind is the manufacturer of the product. I have come across a lot of readers who think that the type of technology used for the battery matters more, but the truth is that the manufacturer can make a real difference.
Good companies are bound to provide you with better products unlike cheaper brands that concentrate on providing everything at dirt cheap rates. Bigger brands tend to use high quality components for their products which makes them more reliable.
Mobile phones are relatively expensive, so it is always better to connect them to a power bank which has been manufactured by a trusted company.
While the showdown between lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries continues, the fact is that both types of batteries provide almost the same performance.
An average user may not even be able to distinguish anything between the two, but some power bank users think that lithium-ion batteries can be safer than lithium-polymer batteries. However, this entirely depends on the safety measures taken by the manufacturer.
So, look for a good company which can guarantee a good quality product even if you may have to pay a little more for it because power banks of a cheaper quality may ultimately end up damaging your phone.
3. Connectivity Options and Number of USB Ports
More the connectivity options your power bank offers, the better it is. Power banks are necessary at times of emergency and since you may end up using it for a variety of devices, it should be compatible with all regular gadgets and be able to charge all of them in its stipulated time.
Say you switch from an iPhone to a Samsung device and your power bank does not support your Samsung device, then your power bank may end up being useless. Considering it is an investment, look for a power bank that offers adequate connectivity options.
You can get a power bank with number of ports ranging anywhere from one to four or even more. You may want to charge more than one device at the same time. So, check the number of USB ports that the power bank comes with. You may also try wireless charging power banks which might prove to be more convenient for you.
4. Input and Output Power
Input power is the power that the power bank accepts when you are charging it. Since time is of great essence in this fast-paced world, everyone wants to charge their power banks as quickly as possible. A power bank with a higher input allows it to charge quickly so that it can be used when needed. This is especially necessary for power banks with a higher battery capacity.
If you don’t mind spending a little more on the power bank, you may notice that some manufacturers offer the quick charging option which can help you recharge them in the least possible time. Needless to say, when you are using a quick charging power bank, you must make sure that you use a USB cable that allows for the quick charging technology as well.
Output power on the other hand is the rate at which your power bank can charge a device. Output amperage values are generally of either 1 or 2 Amperes. However, some power banks offer a higher output power as well to charge your phone faster. Android devices, iPhones and iPads all require different output power. But that is not a cause of concern unless your device is heating up or charging very slowly. If you are using a power bank that features quick charge technology, then you must use the port that provides the quick charge option.
5. LED Indications
LED lights help you identify the status of the power bank whether it is being charged or being used to charge another device. It is easier to find out the charging status as the indicator lights show you how much charge is left in it. Without the LED indicators you may find it difficult to know when the power bank is nearing low battery. Most power banks, albeit a few, have charging status indicators.
6. Usage Patterns
How often have you thought of your usage pattern before buying a power bank? There are a variety of them in the market, but all of them may not meet your requirements.
If you are a heavy user or if you travel too often and are away from charging outlets for long hours, then you may need a power bank that provides more battery capacity even if it is bulky and heavy. But if you are an average user who finds his phone’s battery at about 10% by the end of the day and all you need is a charger that can help you extend the battery just for the time till you reach home then a power bank of lower capacity will be preferable.
7. Quality and Safety Options
Nothing trumps quality and safety. Whether it is your safety, your smartphone’s safety or the safety of the power bank itself, all of it is very important because it provides you with a certain peace of mind when using the product. Avoid power banks that do not have clear safety details mentioned on it or if they are from an unknown brand.
When you buy a good quality product from an established brand, the safety measures taken by the manufacturer are higher. The high price of a product may mislead you into thinking that is made of good quality; but some good brands offer inexpensive options too.
8. Price
Obviously, we need to make sure that we get all the best features at the most competitive and economical price. For this you need to devote some more time in comparing various models that you have shortlisted. Sometimes you may find that the same power bank proves to be more economical and sensible when bought from another site or store.
9. Reviews
Whenever you are buying any piece of technology, it is always important to ensure that the product has been tried and tested before. This can be done easily with the help of reviews. Always ask people for their opinion on the power bank after they have used it for some time. Initial opinions might be misleading; thus, it is best to ask only those people who have used the product for significant amount of time.
Will Charging With Portable Battery Bank Damage a Phone’s Battery?
Although it’s highly unlikely for your mobile portable charger to damage your phone battery, you can still take some safety measures just in case:
You Are Using A Bad Quality Power Bank
Quality is very important when choosing a power bank. A bad quality power bank can damage your phone’s battery, as well as your phone’s charging port. It can also create some security risks. For example, overcharging a bad quality Lithium-ion power bank can cause the power bank to explode.
Your Power Bank Has The Wrong Voltage
Having the wrong voltage in your power bank will lead to problems. The ideal voltage to charge a phone is 5V. If any battery pack charger gives a voltage of 4.2V or less, it will drain your battery instead of charging it.
Any voltage output greater than 5V will extensively damage your phone’s circuits by overloading it more than it can handle.
You Are Overcharging
Power banks should essentially be used sparingly. Using power banks to constantly keep your phone at 100% charge will over time damage the battery, which will lead to your phone not being able to retain its charge for long.
To avoid these problems, avoid using your power bank to overcharge your phone. Use it for emergencies, and even when you do use it avoid charging your phone up to 100%.
Advantages of wireless charging power bank
No Wires
Look ma, no wires! This is THE ultimate advantage of a wireless charging power bank for people who have the habit of misplacing their charging wires all the time.
With the wireless charging feature, all you need is a fully juiced-up power bank, and you are ready to charge.
Compatibility Across More Devices
Ever found a power bank and wire only to realize that the port is incompatible with the device you want to charge?
Say goodbye to the frustration of figuring out whether you need a USB-C or USB-A port and more with the widely compatible Qi wireless charging technology.
With more than 500 smartphone companies (yes, including the big leagues like Apple and Samsung) adopting this technology across their latest devices, it means that you can charge ANY Qi-enabled devices with the same wireless charging power bank.
Less Wear and Tear to Your Device Ports
No wires also mean less wear and tear to your ports.
Every time you insert and remove your charging cables exposes your device to potential damage – from frictional wear and tear, the introduction of dirt, and even potential corrosion when exposed to wet or damaged cables.
Want your ports to last longer? Switching over to wireless charging is a no-brainer.
Disadvantages of Wireless Charging Power Banks
Device Has to Stay on Charging Pad to Charge
Due to the wireless charging technology behind, the device must stay on the charging pad to be continuously charged.
If you are someone who enjoys using your phone while charging, then this may not be suitable for you. With a wired power bank, you can at least use it while it’s tethered to the power bank, but not with a wireless one.
It Has to Be Perfectly in Position to Charge
Unlike a wired power bank where you know that your device is charging as long as the cable is connected and turned on, devices need to be perfectly positioned in a specific orientation to be charged.
This is because there needs to be a precisely aligned orientation between the transmitter and the receiver of the magnetic field to generate the electrical current.
The good news? Many new companies are coming up with solutions for this challenge – from snap-on technology to helping you get in the right position all the time and more.
Takes a Little Longer Than Wired Charging
Compared to wired charging which is 100% efficient, wireless charging is up to 80% efficient, meaning some of the power is lost while transmitting electromagnetically.
This results in a slower charging process thus far. However, with improvements to the technology over time, this gap is expected to reduce significantly.
What is the difference between a portable charger and a power bank?
They both are same factor if you are relating the pocket size battery packs that are created to charge small electronic devices such as your cellular phone. A portable charger is a kind of power bank and can be designed to charge a no. of things. like a portable battery charger for your car.
There is no distinction: Power Bank and Portable Charger are one and therefore the same. through Power bank with the exception of the small one are comes certain heavy usage with high voltage and Power specifications. A power bank is any large set of batteries used for storing electricity that will not be used right way.
A lightweight power bank or mobile battery pack that you just will carry anyplace.
They go below totally different names: battery packs, power banks, portable chargers, pocket power cells and back-up charging devices to name just a few. But no matter you decision them, all of them do an equivalent factor.
Make sure you’re always connected with backup battery power that’s as mobile as you’re. Battery packs are available all shapes and sizes, smaller sizes for Associate in essential smartphone boost in your pocket, or larger sizes for multiple charges or to charge a tablet.
What should I look for when buying a power bank?
When choosing the best power bank for your needs, the first consideration should be battery capacity. Consider how long you’ll be on the move and how many devices you’ll be using. You’ll also need to bear in mind how much energy those devices consume as a laptop or camera will need more power to recharge than a phone or tablet.
Once you’ve decided what battery capacity you need, the next factor is weight. Usually weight increases in line with capacity, so you might want to strike a balance and sacrifice some battery capacity for the extra portability that comes with a lighter power bank.
Another important factor is compatibility. You need to make sure the power bank will actually work with the devices you want to charge. Also think about connectivity. If you’re likely to need to charge several devices at the same time, you’ll want to check how many charging points the power bank has.
Many power banks come with two or three ports, but some power banks offer up to six. And it’s worth checking what sort of ports are on offer; USB-A ports will do the job but not every quickly, while if you can find a power bank with a USB-C PD port then you’ll find your devices charge nice and quickly.
What speed do I need?
If I had it my way 5W power banks would be banned. They are painfully slow. Anything lower than 10W: nope.
These days even 10W, though marketed as ‘fast charging’, barely scratches the surface of what recent smartphones are capable of. With some able to go as high as 120W over a wired connection, a 10W power bank is not going to feel especially convenient.
That said, 10W is more common among the budget and mid-range, and many people will be using 10W chargers at home. But we’d still recommend looking for a faster power bank, especially those with Quick Charge or Power Delivery support (even if your current phone doesn’t support it, a later upgrade most likely will).
That seems pretty straightforward, although power manufacturers rarely provide the speed of their outputs measured in watts. Instead you’ll see a rating in amps, which you multiply by five (the voltage rating) to get the rating in watts. So 2A x 5V = 10W.
Which outputs do I need?
If you’re an iPhone user (and intend to stay an iPhone user), look for a power bank with a Lightning port that can serve as input and output to save you scratching around for cables you wouldn’t otherwise use.
Android phones are increasingly moving over from Micro-USB to USB-C, and in which case a USB-C port that acts as input and output is preferable. However, it’s still common for power banks to be recharged over Micro-USB, and sometimes you’ll find both Micro-USB and USB-C. Don’t try to use them simultaneously for recharging the bank. As a rule of thumb, USB-C is going to be the faster option.
How many ports you need depends on how many gadgets you want to charge at once. If more than one, watch out for power banks with a max output that is lower than the sum of all ports together – they won’t be able to deliver the maximum rated output of all at once. Also watch out for capacities that are too low to fully charge multiple devices.
There is no need to worry about plugging devices into ports that are capable of delivering more power than they are able to accept, since USB devices will draw only the power they need. Many power banks include technology that is able to intelligently dole out this power among ports more appropriately depending on what devices you are attempting to charge (often known as Power IQ or similar).
Wireless power banks are becoming more commonplace, and here you won’t need any outputs if you’re intending to use it only for wireless charging. An input will still be required to recharge the bank itself.
How to choose the best portable charger for you
Finding the right charger capacity: You’ll often see a four to five-digit number, with the letters mAh following it, and that’s your first big indicator of how much this charger is right for you. If you’re constantly refueling your phone and other gadgets, go for at least 10,000mAh. For each extra device you charge, add at least 5,000 to the mAh rating you’re looking for. Just need to prevent your device from hitting 0 on late nights out? You’ll be good with something in the under 5,000 mAh rating, provided you remember to charge it often.
Be a ports authority: If you hold onto your devices forever, and don’t already know what a USB-C port is, you can probably just get whatever fits your price. But if you’re the kind who wants faster charging, look for a brick that has PD in its name. The best portable chargers, at least for my money, charge devices the fastest and use the Power Delivery (PD) standard. Also, their USB-C ports mean you can refuel these power banks with the same cords used to charge modern laptops.
How we test portable chargers
You want a charger that was put through the rigors of refueling, so we did just that. With timers in hand, we kept draining an iPhone 12 and then timed how much time it took for each power bank to refuel those phones. Along the way, we checked out how much of said iPhone 12 (the same one) were refueled after 15 and 60 minutes. We kept that iPhone at 100% brightness the whole time.
Our ranking also factored in the portability and designs of each model, as especially small and pocket-friendly chargers can’t physically store as many mAh of battery power as their larger brethren. Similarly, the smaller a charger is, the less likely it has more than two ports (one for gaining a charge, the other for giving power).
How many mAh is a good power bank?
Anything from the 5000-2000 mAh in a power bank will work best for you, but you must remember you will more than likely not have multiple options for power included with a smaller device.
Which power bank is not allowed in flight?
Lithium batteries have a tendency to combust, and are therefore prohibited for cargo transport, as part of air-transport regulations.
How many watt hours is 20000mah?
72wh
20000 mAh at 3.6v is 72wh this is under the carryon limit.