Top 6 compared
The best power banks
Your phone topped up when it’s flat by mid-afternoon or you’re a long day away from a socket.
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The top 6 at a glance
A power bank is a rechargeable battery in a case, for charging a phone, earbuds or a tablet on the move. A 10,000mAh one charges most phones about twice and still fits a pocket; bigger, heavier packs have the capacity and output for a laptop. Some have their cables built in; others take whatever lead you carry.
Every one here has USB-C. The higher the watts, the faster it can charge a phone that supports it, so check what your phone takes. More capacity means more weight, so the bigger packs live in a bag rather than a pocket. Power banks can go in hand luggage on a plane, but not in the hold.
What matters
- Leads or sockets that match your devices, USB-C or Lightning.
- A battery display, so you know when it needs a refill.
- Enough ports to charge two things at once.
#1Anker 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank with Built-in USB-C Cable
£20–£30
- 30W fast output
- Built-in USB-C lead
- Charges two devices at most
The USB-C cable is fixed to the pack and loops round as its strap, so it can’t be left behind, and the 30W output charges a phone quickly. Anker started out in 2011 making replacement laptop batteries.
What owners say: Quick to charge, light and easy to carry, and owners love the built-in cable that doubles as a carry loop, though battery life splits opinion, with a few saying theirs stopped holding charge.
A closer look: There’s no wall plug in the box, but a USB-C charger you already own will refill it, and it takes up to 20W, so one with at least that much tops it up fastest. The built-in lead is only 13.7cm long, which keeps things tidy in a bag or on a train table but means holding phone and battery together while they charge.
Best for: Cable doubling as a strap
- Capacity
- 10,000mAh (about 2 phone charges)
- Fastest output
- 30W
- Built-in cable
- USB-C
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later
- Charges at once
- 2
- Battery display
- Digital
#2INIU 45W 10,000mAh Power Bank
£26.99 RRP
- 45W fast output
- Light at 182g
- Three charging sockets
- No built-in cable
Around 40% smaller than a typical 10,000mAh power bank, so it genuinely fits a jeans pocket, and 45W fast charging means less time tethered to a socket. INIU puts it at nearly two full phone charges, and it has two USB-C sockets and one USB-A.
What owners say: Reliable, quick to charge and small enough for a pocket or handbag, though a few say theirs stopped holding charge after a few months.
A closer look: Unlike power banks with a fixed lead, this one comes with a 12cm braided USB-C cable that unplugs, so a frayed or lost one is easily swapped for any spare. There’s enough power to top up an iPad, a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck as well as a phone, which suits anyone who games on the move. INIU covers it with a three-year warranty, so keep the receipt.
Best for: Fast charging, pocket size
- Capacity
- 10,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 45W
- Built-in cable
- No
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later
- Charges at once
- 3
- Battery display
- Indicator lights
#3INIU 20,000mAh 22.5W Power Bank
£20–£30
- 20,000mAh, several phone charges
- Three devices charging at once
- Low-power mode for earbuds
- No built-in cable
Twice the capacity of a pocket-sized pack, so a phone gets several full charges over a long weekend away from a socket. One USB-C and two USB-A sockets run three devices at once, and INIU says it keeps charging low-power gadgets such as earbuds and smartwatches.
What owners say: Compact for its capacity and good for several charges away from home. The gripes are a slow refill, the weight, and a few units giving up after some months.
A closer look: Refilling a battery this size takes a while, so plug it in the night before a trip rather than an hour before you leave, ideally on a USB-C charger of 20W or more. The lead in the box is a short USB-A to USB-C, so an older iPhone with a Lightning port needs its own cable.
Best for: Earbuds and watches
- Capacity
- 20,000mAh (several phone charges)
- Fastest output
- 22.5W
- Built-in cable
- No
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later
- Charges at once
- 3
- Battery display
- Digital
#4Anker 25,000mAh 165W Power Bank
£89.98 RRP
- 100W from each USB-C port
- Runs four devices at once
- Retractable 70cm built-in lead
Three 100W USB-C outputs, two of them built-in leads and one a socket, mean it can charge a laptop, a tablet and a phone at once. One for long-haul flights and festival weekends.
What owners say: Powerful enough to charge a MacBook and an iPad together, with handy built-in cables, though it’s on the heavy side and a few owners say theirs stopped working.
A closer look: One of its two built-in leads pulls out to about 70cm and winds back in, so a phone can charge in your hand while the pack stays in the bag. Add the extra USB-A and USB-C sockets and it runs four gadgets at once, and a 100W wall charger will get it to 30% in about 20 minutes. At 15.7cm long and 4.9cm deep it travels in a bag rather than a pocket.
Best for: Charging laptops
- Capacity
- 25,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 165W total (100W per port)
- Built-in cable
- Two USB-C (one retractable)
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later
- Charges at once
- 4
- Battery display
- Digital
#5CFIAI 15,000mAh Power Bank with Built-in Cables
£10–£20
- Exact battery percentage screen
- Built-in USB-C and Lightning leads
- Four devices charging at once
A 15,000mAh pack with the cables built in, so there’s nothing extra to remember on the way out. At about 15 by 7cm and under 2cm thick it slips into a small bag, and CFIAI says it takes an iPhone 15 from flat to half charge in about 30 minutes.
What owners say: Handy for travel, with built-in cables and enough power for two or three phone charges, though charging speed gets mixed reports and some cables wore out.
A closer look: A quick press of the power button shows the exact charge as a percentage, so there’s no guessing whether it needs plugging in before a trip. With built-in USB-C and Lightning leads plus two extra sockets, it can charge four devices at once, which suits a household with a mix of phones. A wall plug isn’t included, so use one you already own. Its 22.5W top output is a standard phone fast charge, so a phone that takes 30W or more charges quicker from a pack that gives it.
Best for: Battery percentage display
- Capacity
- 15,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 22.5W
- Built-in cable
- USB-C and Lightning
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C Android, iPhone 5 and later
- Charges at once
- 4
- Battery display
- Digital
#6HELLEE 10,000mAh Power Bank with 4 Built-in Cables
£10–£20
- Four built-in charging leads
- Light at 180g
- Silicone lanyard for carrying
Four cables built in, including old Micro-USB, so it charges a Kindle, earbuds and an older phone without a cable hunt. Its USB-C socket works both ways, refilling the pack or charging another gadget.
What owners say: Compact and pocketable, with its cables built in, though charging speed and how long it lasts between charges get mixed reports.
A closer look: Just 1.9cm thick and 11.5cm long, it slips into a clutch bag or the front pocket of a school bag, and the silicone lanyard clips to a backpack strap or loops over your fingers. A full battery holds around two phone charges, enough to cover a long day of maps and photos on a city break.
Best for: Older Micro-USB gadgets
- Capacity
- 10,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 22.5W
- Built-in cable
- USB-C, Lightning, Micro-USB, USB-A
- Phones its own leads charge
- USB-C and Micro-USB Android, iPhone 5 and later
- Charges at once
- 6
- Battery display
- Digital
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Anker Zolo 10K | #2INIU 45W 10K | #3INIU 20K 22.5W | #4Anker 25K 165W | #5CFIAI 15K | #6HELLEE 10K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £26.99 RRP | £20–£30 | £89.98 RRP | £10–£20 | £10–£20 |
| Capacity | 10,000mAh (about 2 phone charges) | 10,000mAh | 20,000mAh (several phone charges) | 25,000mAh | 15,000mAh | 10,000mAh |
| Fastest output | 30W | 45W | 22.5W | 165W total (100W per port) | 22.5W | 22.5W |
| Built-in cable | USB-C | No | No | Two USB-C (one retractable) | USB-C and Lightning | USB-C, Lightning, Micro-USB, USB-A |
| Phones its own leads charge | USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later | USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later | USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later | USB-C Android, iPhone 15 and later | USB-C Android, iPhone 5 and later | USB-C and Micro-USB Android, iPhone 5 and later |
| Charges at once | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Battery display | Digital | Indicator lights | Digital | Digital | Digital | Digital |
| Best for | Cable doubling as a strap | Fast charging, pocket size | Earbuds and watches | Charging laptops | Battery percentage display | Older Micro-USB gadgets |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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