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Best Portable Chargers

Updated September 2023
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Duracell Rechargeable Power Bank 20100 mAh
Duracell
Rechargeable Power Bank 20100 mAh
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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

This is a great option for those needing an emergency charge due to its high-compatibility features.

Pros

This dependable model can deliver extra power to your devices. Has dual charging technologies, making it easy to charge both your power bank and your phone simultaneously.

Cons

Product battery gets depleted easily after a few months of use.

Best Bang for the Buck
Durecopow Solar Charger for Cell Phone
Durecopow
Solar Charger for Cell Phone
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Best for Camping
Bottom Line

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, this solar-powered portable charger is for you.

Pros

Impressive 30000 mAh capacity can charge phones and iPhones. Compact and lightweight, fits easily in most pockets. Waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. Can be charged via adapter or through the solar panel. Equipped with an LED flashlight, compass, and high-quality ion polymer battery.

Cons

Depending on weather conditions and geographic location, it could take very long to power up with solar energy.

Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger
Anker
PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger
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Powerful & Affordable
Bottom Line

Reserve power from a top brand in a compact unit that can recharge a typical smartphone several times.

Pros

Charger uses the brand’s VoltageBoost and PowerIQ technologies to charge devices quickly. It weighs only 180 grams and will disappear into a purse or pocket. This model includes 11 safety features to protect you and your devices. The charger comes with a Micro USB cable.

Cons

Some doubt the claimed 10,000 mAh capacity. A few say it doesn't hold a charge well.

Anker Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger
Anker
Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger
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Best Portability
Bottom Line

Our tests found this to be a great choice for on-the-go use for travel or a busy day.

Pros

Compatible with any MagSafe case. Made with strong magnets to keep it from falling off of your phone while charging. Exerts built-in, multi-protection safety system to prevent numerous danger hazards.

Cons

Only compatible with iPhone 12 series.

mophie Powerstation Plus XL
mophie
Powerstation Plus XL
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Hefty Choice
Bottom Line

This heavy-duty portable charger holds more than enough power for when you need it most.

Pros

Able to fully recharge a smartphone at least twice with a full battery. Features an LED power indicator. Light and sturdy construction. Contains dual USB ports for charging 2 devices at once, as well as a built-in USB-2 cable.

Cons

It weighs just over 10 ounces.

HOW WE TESTED

After going through an intensive research process to narrow down our short list of top products in this space, we tested the Anker  to be sure that it’s worthy of our recommendation. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter and test to verify manufacturer claims.

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Consulted
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Buying guide for the best portable chargers

If you’re into technology, chances are your list of basic human necessities has one more thing on it after food, water, and air: extra battery power for your gadgets. Every device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, mouse, or Bluetooth headphones, needs power to keep going. That’s where a portable charger comes in handy.

Portable chargers, sometimes called power banks, are standalone batteries designed to recharge your gear. These small, black, nondescript boxes with USB ports might not look like much, but they can carry enough extra power to recharge a laptop several times over. There’s no way around it: if you regularly carry a lot of devices with you and want them to make it through the whole day, you need a portable charger.

The portable charger market is full of different models, ranging from keychain-size tubes with just enough to refill your phone to capacious models that can charge several devices at once. 

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Some portable chargers are powerful enough to jump-start a car. If you’re on the road a lot and worry about getting stranded by a dead car battery, buy a portable charger that works with jumper cables for added peace of mind.

Key considerations

The right power bank for you will depend on a variety of factors. Answer these two questions to get a sense of the models and features you should start with.

How many devices do you need to charge simultaneously?

Make a list of all of the devices you might need to charge and be sure to include things like Bluetooth headphones. If you expect that you’ll need to recharge a lot of gear regularly, buy a portable charger that supports charging multiple devices at once.

Do your devices charge via USB or with an AC adapter?

If you’ll mostly be connecting devices that can charge via USB, just about any portable charger will work. But if you need to charge a beefier device like a laptop, you’ll need to buy a portable charger with an AC outlet. They’re a little more expensive, but they usually include a pretty big battery, so the investment is worth it.

The most important tech specs

Different portable chargers offer a lot of different extra features, but at the end of the day, there are only two specs to care about: the milliampere hours (mAh) and the amperage (A).

Milliampere hours: These are the units of measure for battery capacity. For example, a fully charged laptop battery typically stores around 5,000 mAh. Smartphone batteries usually have a capacity of between 2,500 mAh and 3,500 mAh. Capacity is the single most important feature of a portable charger, so pay attention to the mAh numbers as you compare models.
 

Amperage: Often referred to as amps, this is a unit of measure that describes how fast a portable charger can send power to a device. For example, a 1.0 A portable charger will take a few hours to charge a phone, while a 2.4 A portable charger can do the same in under an hour. Keep in mind that with amperage, performance is affected by the total number of devices being charged, so if you buy a 2.4 A portable charger and connect two devices, both will charge more slowly than they would if charged individually one after the other. If you’ll be charging one or two devices, get a portable charger with at least 2.4 amps. If you’ll be charging more devices than that, get a 3.4 A or 4.8 A model.

Portable charger features

As you’re comparing portable chargers, keep your eyes peeled for these extra features.

Status indicators: Basic portable chargers use a series of LED lights to indicate the remaining battery life, but fancier models will have a much clearer interface with a digital readout. As you’re looking at specific models, check to see how you’ll keep tabs on battery life.

Solar charging panels: If you take a lot of outdoor trips, or if you’re just packing an emergency bag, solar-powered portable chargers are a smart way to make sure you’ll always have access to power. Portable chargers with solar panels get recharged just by being left in the sun, and then they pass that power on to your devices.

Built-in flashlight: While it might not sound impressive at first, a portable charger with a built-in flashlight is useful, especially if you keep your charger in your bag. Having a flashlight handy is an easy way to be able to see your bag’s contents without having to fish everything out.

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Did you know?
Many portable chargers come with a carrying case, but if yours doesn’t, it’s still a good idea to buy one separately. It’s useful for keeping dust and dirt out of the charger’s ports – dirty or damaged ports can prevent your battery from working properly
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Portable charger prices

Inexpensive: In the $15 to $40 range, you’ll find a lot of solid, straightforward portable chargers meant for charging one device at a time. Models in this price range are great for casual use or keeping with you in case of an emergency. If you’re looking to charge multiple devices, or if you want a portable charger that can charge your devices multiple times before needing a recharge of its own, you’ll need to spend a little more.

Mid-range: In the $40 to $100 range, you’ll see portable chargers with much bigger capacities and interfaces that are a lot easier to understand. Many will give you precise, percentage-based battery indicators or include as many as three ports for devices to charge. If you travel a lot or you’ve got a ton of devices that all charge via USB, you don’t need to spend more than $100.

Expensive: Above $100, you’ll find luxury portable chargers. Admittedly, at that price, you’re paying for the design, but that also means you can find some slick-looking portable chargers if you’re willing to spend the money. Models can get as expensive as $250, so it’s easy to spend a lot.

Tips

  • Plan on replacing your portable charger after three to five years. Portable chargers are batteries, and no battery lasts forever. Eventually, your portable charger will start to degrade, but it will take a pretty long time. Frequent users should expect to replace their portable chargers every few years. If you don’t use yours every day, it will last much longer.
  • Keep different types of charging cables handy. That way, you’re always ready to charge different kinds of devices. It never hurts to be prepared, so pack a few different cables with you for your different devices. Consider keeping a micro USB cable, a Lightning cable, and a USB-C cable.
  • Get a portable charger with a built-in wireless charging pad if you have a device that supports wireless charging. Some portable chargers have a built-in Qi charging pad, so you can lay your phone on it and instantly start charging, no wires required. Wireless charging is a lot more convenient than using a cable so it might be the best choice, if that's something you covet. 
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If you need your devices to charge as quickly as possible, look into Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology, which charges 85% faster. It needs to be supported on both the portable charger and the device, but it’s found on most flagship phones.

FAQ

Q. Why are some portable chargers so much bigger than others?
A.
The sizes of portable chargers vary, and that’s mostly a function of how big the battery is. For example, a 25,000 mAh battery is larger than a 5,000 mAh battery. On top of that, manufacturers design their own battery enclosures of all different sizes. For example, you’ll likely find a few portable chargers that are marketed as being “rugged” because they have sturdier enclosures.

Q. How can I tell if a portable charger is compatible with my phone?
A.
As long as your phone recharges with a USB cable, you’ll be fine. Portable chargers are designed to be hardware agnostic, so you don’t have to worry about whether your devices will work.

Q. What are the differences between portable chargers and power banks?
A.
They’re the same thing. In some cases, manufacturers will use the term “power bank” to describe a device with an especially high-capacity battery or a portable charger with an AC outlet, but there’s no hard and fast rule. In most cases, you can use the two terms interchangeably.

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