Top 5 compared
The best power banks
Your phone kept going on a long day out, or through a power outage after an ice storm.
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The top 5 at a glance
A power bank is a rechargeable battery that charges a phone, earbuds or a tablet away from an outlet. Capacity is given in mAh: a 10,000mAh pack charges most phones about twice and slips into a pocket, a 20,000mAh one about four times, and bigger packs trade weight for more charges. Some have a cable built in; others come with a short one that unplugs.
Wattage sets the speed: 20W or more fast-charges most phones, and a laptop needs a pack that puts out more from a single port. Lithium batteries give less in the cold, so through the winter a pack does better in an inside pocket than in the glove box. Under CATSA’s rules, a pack over 100Wh needs the airline’s approval to fly.
What matters
- USB-C in and out, so one charger does both jobs.
- The charge left shown as a percentage, not four dots.
- Enough ports to charge two or three things at once.
#1INIU Compact 10,000mAh 45W Power Bank (P55)
$30–$50
It matches Anker’s Nano below on capacity and speed, 10,000mAh and up to 45W, for a lower price, and at 184 g (6.5 oz) it’s light enough for a coat pocket. Its braided USB-C cable doubles as a lanyard and unclips, and a built-in stand props the phone up for maps or a video call while it charges.
What owners say: Owners keep one in a work bag and say it charges phones quickly, and its small size and light weight win praise.
A closer look: The full 45W only reaches a phone or tablet that supports it; others charge at their own top speed. A 27W wall charger refills it in under two hours, by INIU’s figures, and the little flashlight earns its keep in a dark bag or when the power goes out.
- Detachable braided USB-C lanyard
- Built-in phone stand
- Flashlight for dark bags
Best for: Everyday carry and fast charging
- Capacity
- 10,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 45W
- Ports
- 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C
- Built-in cable
- No
- Charge display
- Digital
- Weight; full recharge
- 184 g (6.5 oz); 1.7 hrs at 27W
- Flying
- Carry-on (under 100Wh)
#2Anker Nano Power Bank (10K, 45W, Built-In Retractable USB-C Cable)
$50–$75
A pack that carries its own cable: the same 10,000mAh and 45W as the INIU above, with a 70 cm (2.3 ft) USB-C cable that pulls out of the pack and winds back in, so there’s nothing to forget or tangle. A small screen shows the charge left and what each port is putting out.
What owners say: Travellers rate it highly: the display is clear and easy to check, the retractable cable earns plenty of praise, and it charges quickly.
A closer look: Charging three things at once shares out 22.5W in total, so plug the phone in on its own when speed matters. A 30W USB-C charger refills it in about two hours, and it passes power through, so phone and pack can charge together overnight.
- Cable rated 20,000+ bends
- Charges phone and pack together
Best for: Travel, with no cable to forget
- Capacity
- 10,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 45W
- Ports
- Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C
- Built-in cable
- Retractable USB-C
- Charge display
- Charge and each port’s output
- Weight; full recharge
- 231 g (8.1 oz); 2 hrs at 30W
- Flying
- Carry-on (under 100Wh)
#3INIU 20,000mAh 22.5W Power Bank
$30–$50
Double the capacity of a pocket pack, in what INIU bills as its smallest 20,000mAh size: enough for a weekend away, a camping trip or a power outage after a storm, with 22.5W fast charging for phones.
What owners say: It charges an iPhone three or four times before it needs a refill, owners report, and works with all their devices. Some find it heavy, and charging speed and staying power split them.
A closer look: At 22.5W it charges a laptop only slowly, so it suits phones, earbuds and tablets best, and a low-current mode looks after watches and earbuds. At 20,000mAh it’s well under the 100Wh line for flights, so it can go in a carry-on bag without asking the airline.
- Low-current mode for earbuds
- Built-in flashlight
- 3-year warranty
- Short USB-C cable included
Best for: Weekends away and power outages
- Capacity
- 20,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 22.5W
- Ports
- 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C
- Built-in cable
- No
- Charge display
- Digital
- Weight; full recharge
- –
- Flying
- Carry-on (under 100Wh)
#4Anker Power Bank (20K, 87W, Built-In USB-C Cable)
$50–$75
A laptop pack at a lower price than the Prime: 87W shared across three devices and up to 65W to one, which Anker says takes a 14-inch MacBook Pro to half in under 40 minutes, with a USB-C cable built in so there’s one less cable to pack. Anker says its 20,000mAh is approved for flights.
What owners say: It charges quickly and works every time, owners say, and the built-in cable comes in handy on trips. Opinions vary on its weight and how much it holds.
A closer look: This is a bag battery rather than a pocket one, at 439 g (15.5 oz). The built-in cable is tested to 10,000 bends, and with three outputs it can charge a laptop, a phone and earbuds together, sharing the 87W between them.
- Cable tested to 10,000 bends
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Charging three devices from one bag
- Capacity
- 20,000mAh
- Fastest output
- 87W total (65W per port)
- Ports
- Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C
- Built-in cable
- USB-C
- Charge display
- Charge indicator; % not stated
- Weight; full recharge
- 439 g (15.5 oz); 1.5 hrs at 65W
- Flying
- Carry-on (under 100Wh)
#5Anker Prime Power Bank, 26,250mAh 300W (A110A)
$150–$200
The most charge on the list, kept just under the 100Wh line so it still flies in a carry-on: 26,250mAh, with two USB-C ports and a USB-A sharing 300W and up to 140W from one port, enough to keep a MacBook Pro running at full speed while it charges. A screen shows the charge left and what each port is putting out.
What owners say: Owners say it charges a MacBook or an iPhone remarkably quickly and travels well, and the build wins praise. Value, its real-world output and its durability all split them.
Heads up: At 600 g (1.3 lb) it’s a battery for a laptop bag, not a pocket.
A closer look: The quickest refill needs two USB-C chargers plugged in at once, 250W between them, which Anker says gets it to half in 13 minutes; one ordinary laptop charger takes a good deal longer. The Anker app can cap a port’s output, and there’s no wall plug in the box, just a 1 m (3.3 ft) cable and a travel pouch.
- Travel pouch included
- No wall charger included
Best for: Laptops, tablets and long trips
- Capacity
- 26,250mAh (99.75Wh)
- Fastest output
- 300W total (140W per port)
- Ports
- 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C
- Built-in cable
- No
- Charge display
- Charge and each port’s output; app
- Weight; full recharge
- 600 g (1.3 lb); 80% in 40 min at 250W
- Flying
- Carry-on (99.75Wh, under 100Wh)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1INIU P55 | #2Anker Nano 10K | #3INIU 20K | #4Anker 20K 87W | #5Anker Prime 26K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $150–$200 |
| Capacity | 10,000mAh | 10,000mAh | 20,000mAh | 20,000mAh | 26,250mAh (99.75Wh) |
| Fastest output | 45W | 45W | 22.5W | 87W total (65W per port) | 300W total (140W per port) |
| Ports | 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C | Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C | 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C | Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C | 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A; charges by USB-C |
| Built-in cable | No | Retractable USB-C | No | USB-C | No |
| Charge display | Digital | Charge and each port’s output | Digital | Charge indicator; % not stated | Charge and each port’s output; app |
| Weight; full recharge | 184 g (6.5 oz); 1.7 hrs at 27W | 231 g (8.1 oz); 2 hrs at 30W | – | 439 g (15.5 oz); 1.5 hrs at 65W | 600 g (1.3 lb); 80% in 40 min at 250W |
| Flying | Carry-on (under 100Wh) | Carry-on (under 100Wh) | Carry-on (under 100Wh) | Carry-on (under 100Wh) | Carry-on (99.75Wh, under 100Wh) |
| Best for | Everyday carry and fast charging | Travel, with no cable to forget | Weekends away and power outages | Charging three devices from one bag | Laptops, tablets and long trips |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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