Best Power Banks
1. BEST POWER BANK OVERALL
Anker 737 PowerCore 24K
PROS
- Useful digital display
- Very powerful, fast and feature-packed
CONS
- High price
While it’s big compared to some of the others on this list, this chunky model is the best power bank to invest in if you want a versatile and impressive battery to charge up your laptop, iPad, phone and everything in between.
The 737 aims to be the only charger you need, it delivers exceptional speeds via its two USB-C ports, and includes an extra USB-A port for added flexibility. That means it can power three devices at once. It has a big capacity – enough to charge your phone almost five times – and we used it to refuel our MacBook Pro in a quick hour-and-a-half.
We love the informative digital display that tells you the battery percentage, time to recharge and output per port (among other useful stats). That’s something you won’t find on most rivals. It also has pass-through charging, so you can recharge the power bank while charging other devices at the same time, and it fits within the requirements for taking on flights too. If you’re okay with the weight and cost, this is our top pick.
2. BEST SMALL POWER BANK
Anker 321 (PowerCore 5K)
PROS
- Small and pocketable
- Lightweight
CONS
- Not that fast
A budget-friendly option that does the basics without overcomplicating things, the Anker 321 is the best power bank if you want a convenient model that’s only about the size of a small chocolate bar.
It’s super pocketable, making it easy to bring with you for an evening out or just to pop in your coat pocket for the day. The capacity here isn’t large, but it’s enough for a top-up to keep your phone going or to recharge your headphones if you notice they’re running low before a train journey.
The maximum output is 12W and that’s shared between its USB-A and USB-C ports, meaning it could end up being rather slow if used to power up two devices at once. If size matters most though, this is a top compact option.
3. BEST TINY POWER BANK
Anker 621 Power Bank with Built-In Lightning Connector
PROS
- Super small size
- Quick to charge
CONS
- Not the biggest capacity
Just need a little battery top-up from a power bank that’ll fit in your bag? This little helper is the one we’d recommend, especially because it has a built-in connector for your phone, which is perfect if you tend to forget your cables or just don’t have the space for a tangled mess.
For iPhone users, this is a go-to power bank to pop into your work backpack for the day. It may not quite have enough capacity for a full phone recharge but it’ll have enough to restore some juice if you’re out for the evening and can’t get back to a mains charger in a hurry. It’s easy to use, and the simple flip-up connector charges more quickly than other convenient power banks that attach with magnets.
Don’t have an iPhone with a Lightning port and need an option with USB-C instead? You’re in luck – we also tested out the USB-C version of this power bank and it’s just as much of a lifesaver, with the added benefit that it can charge our earphones, Kindle, Bluetooth speaker and other gadgets.
4. BEST COMPACT POWER BANK WITH BUILT-IN USB-C
Anker Nano Power Bank 10,000mAh
PROS
- Useful display
- Great capacity and fast charging
CONS
- No included pouch
This pocket powerhouse may well be the only power bank you need for refuelling almost all your gadgets, with a small and lightweight design that packs in far more ability than you’d expect. The 10,000mAh capacity is one that we’d consider more than enough (that’ll almost get you two smartphone recharges) but it’ll also be enough to get a decent amount of juice back in your tablet, laptop or headphones.
The short built-in USB-C cable is super convenient, as is the surprisingly fast 30W power output. We used this to keep our iPad running while in use during our travels, and it couldn’t have been more handy. This is also solid, well-built and lightweight – we’d understand being concerned about the built-in cable getting damaged, but it’s reinforced well and doesn’t feel like it would be easy to harm.
We also love that it’s got a little built-in colour display to show off the current battery percentage. We’ve found that to be a reliable way to keep an eye on the battery level when we’re recharging the power bank itself too – it’s much more informative than the light-up dot system. Overall, we’d struggle to come up with real downsides to this, although it’s a shame it doesn’t come with a pouch like most portable chargers used to.
5. BEST LARGE POWER BANK
Anker 335 (PowerCore 20K)
PROS
- Massive capacity
- Can charge three devices at once
CONS
- Anker 737 is much faster
If you want a large capacity without the sheer heft and high price of Anker’s 737, we’d recommend looking at this model which goes for about half the cost. It gives you enough juice to deliver seven charges to an iPhone 8, and the ability to power three gadgets at once.
You miss out on super fast charging for laptops that you’ll get in the 737, but the 20W available via the USB-C port here is enough to refuel an iPhone at high speed, which is all most of us need.
In addition to that port, it includes two USB-A ports, so you could use this to charge up your phone, earbuds and Apple Watch all at the same time.
6. BEST MAGNETIC WIRELESS POWER BANK
Anker MagGo Power Bank Qi2 10,000mAh
PROS
- Faster Qi2 wireless speeds and high capacity
- Useful kickstand
- Battery percentage display
CONS
- Rather expensive
Qi2 is the latest innovation in the world of wireless charging, and it means you can deliver much faster wireless speeds to compatible devices which work with magnetic attachment. Before it arrived, faster 15W magnetic wireless charging was limited to models made or officially certified by Apple. Now, though, it’s possible to get that super fast speed from a versatile power bank like this model from Anker.
This is best viewed as an upgrade to the older Anker 633 model, with a similar design and built-in handy kickstand, but that now has Qi2 and a battery percentage display. It’s capable of super quick speeds from its USB-C port too, refuelling itself at 20W and charging up other devices at 27W. With this much extra speed over the predecessor and a compact size for its 10,000mAh capacity, we view this as an ideal versatile power bank for travel, although it’s a model that comes at a high price.
