Best Power Banks: Keep your phone going as long as you do


Not all power banks are the same. As in all veins of consumer tech, there are cheap ones and pricey ones, and sometimes you’re paying simply for a name. But there’s so much more to choosing a portable charger than finding the cheapest version you can.

We want the fastest charging speeds – for recharging the bank itself and for charging a connected phone – and to know at a glance that a portable charger is going to get us through the day with juice to spare, even share. But we don’t want it weighing down our pockets.

We want multiple ports for charging additional gadgets, and more efficient use of power outlets to free up sockets. We don’t want to carry multiple charging cables – in fact we don’t want to carry any cables at all.

Design and capacity are most important, sure, but what about wireless- or even solar charging? What about an LCD screen? Waterproofing? Don’t you want the coolest and most convenient power bank you can get for your money without paying over the odds?

These days, it’s even possible to rent power banks as and when you need them (check out ChargedUp). Mind blown. To ensure you get the very best power bank for your needs, whatever that looks like, read on below our chart.

Best Power Bank Reviews

6. RavPower PD Pioneer 20000mAh 60W 2-Port Power Bank – Best Laptop Power Bank

RavPower PD Pioneer 20000mAh 2 Port Power Bank (RP-PB201)

11. Tech Charge Wireless PowerKit 5000 – Best Bundle

Tech Charge Wireless Powerkit 5000

12. Moshi IonGo 5K Duo – Best Design

Moshi IonGo 5K Duo

13. Tech Charge Super Slim 5000 – Best Power Bank with Built-in Cables

Tech Charge Super Slim 5000

14. Tech Charge Super Fast 20,000 Power Bank – Best High-Capacity Smartphone Power Bank

Tech Charge Super Fast 20,000 Power Bank

15. Aukey 10,000mAh USB-C Power Bank – Best 10,000mAh Power Bank with Multiple Ports

Aukey 10,000mAh USB-C Power Bank

16. Moshi IonSlim 5K – Best Low-Capacity Power Bank

Moshi IonSlim 5K

What capacity do I need?

Power bank capacity is commonly misunderstood. You don’t need to understand what mAh means, only that if your phone spec says it has a 4,000mAh battery you are going to need at least a 4,000mAh bank in order to get a full charge.

Actually you need more than that. No portable charger runs at 100% efficiency, with most averaging around 65%, and some hitting as high as 80 or 90%. The latter are the ones you want.

In order to fully charge a 4,000mAh battery phone, you’re likely going to need something more like a 6,000mAh power bank. So all those 5,000mAh banks that claim to charge your phone twice, don’t believe a word – not unless you’ve got a really old phone with a tiny battery.

Devices tend to sold in 5,000mAh, 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh capacities, with a few variations in between. As a rule of thumb, 5,000mAh is a single-use power bank that will be easily portable; 10,000mAh hits the sweet spot, both portable and offering around two charges; 20,000mAh is high-capacity, most useful for those who are going to be away from mains power for extended periods or will be charging multiple gadgets. Don’t attempt to stuff a 20,000mAh device in your pocket.

Of course you can buy banks with significantly higher capacities, which are particularly useful if you want to charge a laptop (see our round-up of PD power banks for that), but they are going to be much bigger, bulkier, and more expensive.

Do note that if you’re travelling on a plane your portable charger must be in your hand luggage, and anything over 27,000mAh (100Wh) needs approval from the airline (over 43,000mAh/160Wh, forget it).

With great power comes two great problems, however. First, recharging can take forever (okay, like nearly a day in some cases). Second, with most devices offering a row of four LEDs to denote how much power remains inside the bank, working out how much you’ve actually got left can be impossible.

Solutions here are simple. An LCD screen will give you an exact readout of remaining capacity, though these are rarely found on low-capacity and cheap banks. Passthrough charging lets you charge both the power bank and connected devices at once, freeing up power sockets if you are going to have to leave it plugged in for long periods. Ensuring you have the fastest possible input (typically a USB-C PD input, which can be as high as 100W) will also speed things up.

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. 

Best Power Banks 2021

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.

We’ve put together a range of articles to help you choose the best charging tech for the mobile devices you carry everywhere. You’ll also like:





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