We originally reviewed the ultra-compact 10,000mAh version of its PD Pioneer, but with that model currently out of stock we also like this 20,000mAh version, which is suitable for charging USB-C laptops as well as phones. This Anker power bank takes about ten hours to charge back up from flat to full (i.e. It's expensive, but you'll pay out for the IonGo 5K Duo from Moshi if style is as important to you as is functionality. This Charmast is roughly the same width as a phone, but a little shorter and a fair bit chunkier. Wireless charging tends to be slower than with cables, and the Cygnett is no exception with a 5W standard speed for Android phones, though iPhone users get 7.5W fast charging and Samsung owners get 10W, making it fast enough to be useable. The Anker PowerCore 10K Wireless is a Qi wireless charger just like the PowerCore III but at half the wattage and at a cheaper price. Because it’s wireless, there’s no need to carry a cable around with you. Capacity: 20,100mAh | Weight: 356g | Output: 2x2.4A | Input: 2A. If I had it my way 5W power banks would be banned. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. As for its adventure credentials, it’s drop-proof to 1.2m, weighs 400g and the smart-looking device is clad in a durable TPU rubber exterior. It's pretty compact, too, at 105x50x25mm and 181g. As far as we can ascertain the Wireless PowerKit is not Apple-certified, but compatible with all current iPhones that support wireless charging, as well as all Qi-compatible wireless devices. The Mi Power Bank 2S isn’t particularly quick to recharge, via microUSB, but for the money that’s to be expected. You might want to go for a wireless power bank for ease but that will require spending more for the privilege. It’s a sizeable thing and pretty heavy, as you’d imagine, but still suitable for carry-ons. It’s long and slim at 14.2mm thick, weighing 230g, and with an anodised aluminium finish. In the box you get a 10W wireless charging pad, a 5,000mAh power bank that can charge your mobile devices over standard USB or Qi wireless, and three cables (two Micro-USB and one Lightning). Detest wires? They are painfully slow. Better still, the Moshi supports passthrough charging, allowing you to charge both it and a connected device at once, but given that there's no separate input here that's going to work only with iPhone. We've reviewd the best portable power banks available right now. For wireless earbuds and iPhones it can deliver 5W or 7.5W as appropriate. An input will still be required to recharge the bank itself. The power bank features two 2.4A USB outputs cleverly integrated into the body that supports simultaneous charging. PD Power Banks 20,000 mAh or Over 1. Along with the best power bank deals, Gearbest also offers a complete range of versatile accessories including cables, QI wireless chargers, mobile bank protective covers, transmitter pads, solar charging products, rechargeable cases and more to keep you connected for longer. And 20,100mAh is much more reassuring than 10,000mAh or less, and that should get you between five and seven wired smartphone charges depending on the model of your phone. It is sold pre-charged, so you can simply take it out the box and start recharging your phone. This ultra-slim power bank from Tech Charge is a good-looking device with built-in cables for USB-C and Lightning (Apple-certified), as well as a full-size USB output. There was a time when power banks with LCDs were rather expensive, and as prices started to come down they began to flood the market. 10000mAh | 3-4 Phone Charges. Pros: Sleek; iPhone and Apple Watch charging Cons: Slower than some, Capacity: 10,000mAh | Weight: 230g | Output: 2.4A | Input: 2A. 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. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recommended/tech/best-power-banks As for input, that’s also 3A USB-C rather than microUSB. It has a maximum output of 18W, however, so expect slower charging when using both ports at once. A sizable capacity combined with optimized portability. Anything lower than 10W: nope. It has an ultra-rugged case, multifunction torch (light and stroboscope) and a vivid color frame. Anker PowerCore Lite 10000mAh. Print + digital, only £19 for a year. Best power banks May 28, 2014. While the full-size USB output is marked up as QC3 and the USB-C is PD, both operate at 18W - plenty fast for charging a phone or tablet, but unlikely to be enough for a laptop. You can use both at the same time, but the max output the Aukey can support at any one time is 18W. There's a useful 10,000mAh capacity, which should be good for at least two full charges of your smartphone – and potentially more, depending on your device. When you're dealing with relatively large amounts of power, it's significantly more useful than trying to guess whether one or two lit LEDs worth of juice is going to get you through the day. This translates to speedy wired charging for your connected device, and the power bank itself can recharge in just 3.5 hours. Here’s the full list of providers we’ve considered and how many of their customers said they would recommend them to a friend. With some able to go as high as 120W over a wired connection, a 10W power bank is not going to feel especially convenient. In fact, it’s fairly similar in size and shape to a Huawei Mate 20 Pro, or indeed a Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, it really doesn’t take up a lot of space. Learn more. Still, if you're careful, it could be a useful extra function to have. 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. The down side of the design is that it's a bit bigger than many of the super-slim, similar-capacity models on the market. And for its final trick, the Laptop Power Bank itself charges back to full in five hours via 30W input (with a USB-C wall charger, that is), which is incredibly useful and quicker than some lower capacity power packs on test. One other minor niggle: the four green LED lights on the power button don’t stay lit which is a bit disconcerting but don’t fret, the Valet is still charging your iPhone. View the Cygnett ChargeUp Swift Wireless for £70 on Amazon. Actually this is normal for power banks, which lose energy through voltage conversion and heat generated, and typically run at an efficiency of 60-70%. Mind blown. For peace of mind Tech Charge builds in the usual safeguards, including overheating, over-voltage, short-circuit, over-current and over-charge protection. One of the smallest 10,000mAh power banks in our round-up, this Aukey model combines ultimate portability with enough power for charging your smartphone multiple times. One problem with most power banks is that you need to carry around a cable to plug your phone in, too. 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. The PowerCore 20100 comes with four blue LED lights to show its own charge levels. Charging is up to 15W over USB-C and 12W over Lightning. WIRED Recommends the best power banks to keep your phones, tablets, smartwatches and laptops charged, By Welcome to WIRED UK. RavPower supplies a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box, which is used with the Power Delivery port, but to make use of the second 18W Quick Charge port (full-size USB-A) you'll need to provide your own cable. Pros: Good value; fast charging; big battery Cons: A little heavy, Capacity: 10,000mAh | Weight: 400g | Output: 4.8A | Input: 2A. It weighs in at 228g, which you may decide is better suited to a bag than your pocket. There's also a USB-C port, which is both input and output. As on the larger model, with both ports engaged you share the 18W maximum output, so having one fewer USB-A is really no major loss. Typically sold separately, you can save some money on charging accessories when you buy them as a bundle - and this Wireless PowerKit 5000 from Tech Charge offers incredible value. The power bank is nicely designed, with a rectangular body and rounded corners, plus a soft-touch black casing. The digital display in the top right corner displays a percentage of how much charge is left on the device and it auto switches off when not in use. Charmast supplies a soft mesh carry case and a short USB-A to USB-C cable in the box, a nice touch. You'll need to plug in your device and then press the power button, which just seems like an unnecessary extra step in this day and age. You can charge two devices at once via the 2.4A USB-A port and the 3A USB-C port - both are clearly labelled and the latter also supports Nomad’s (actually very fast) Fast Charge. 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. It keeps things pretty basic, with just a single USB-A output (with Quick Charge 3) at one end and a an 18W USB-C Power Delivery input/output at the other. What that means in real life is two to three emergency charges of an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. On top is a power button with four integrated LEDs that reveal remaining capacity, and you can use this to enter a trickle-charging mode suitable for smartwatches and earbuds. Learn more about the results and the winners. Review10Best looks at the best power banks in the UK and selects the one by EAFU as the best power bank. That said, 10W is more common among the budget and mid-range, and many people will be using 10W chargers at home. Design and capacity are most important, sure, but what about wireless- or even solar charging? But there's so much more to choosing a portable charger than finding the cheapest version you can. Moshi claims the bank will also retain that power for up to 27 months when left unused. RavPower is a very well known maker of power banks, and you won't go far wrong with its products. Allowing you to charge mobile devices without having to be tethered to a plug socket. Using both ports simultaneously is more useful when the USB-C is used as an input. Also watch out for capacities that are too low to fully charge multiple devices. Our resident Xiaomi expert and a follower of all upcoming phones, she is also the go-to for charging tech. As in all veins of consumer tech, there are cheap ones and pricey ones, and sometimes you're paying simply for a name. 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. The black model looks significantly better for this reason. ZeroLemon 26800mAh Solar Power Bank: best portable device on the market; Buy now on Amazon. The USB-C port will still fast-charge any connected devices during this time. Do note that Aukey now also sells a higher-capacity 20,000mAh model, which adds an LCD readout of how much power is available. The Belkin Valet Charger (£88) is rather lovely and unlike most of the ultra-practical boxy, black plastic options on this list, its compact size and silver and black finish won’t embarrass your sleek Apple products. Not so tasty is the fact that the Belkin is slightly slower to charge than less stylish, less convenient options out there, with a single 1A USB port. Hailing from Anker, a respected brand in the power bank market, this 20,000mAh portable charger represents very good value at this capacity. Save 20% with voucher. This portable charger measures just 137 x 67 x 24mm. How many ports you need depends on how many gadgets you want to charge at once. Pros: Excellent value; slim and light; reliable backup Cons: Slow input, Capacity: 20,000mAh/27,000mAh | Weight: 558g/635g | Output: 2x2.4A | Input: 3A. We're big fans of this dinky power bank from Charmast. There's a small Tech Charge badge on one side, directly up from which is a row of four very unobtrusive LEDs to denote remaining power capacity - and then a high gloss panel at either end, one of which houses all the ports. If one of those attached devices is a fitness tracker, wireless earbuds or another low-power gadget, the Aukey has a handy Low-Current Charging mode (USB-A only) that you can switch to by pressing and holding the power button for a couple of seconds. 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. If you're browsing in the UK, click here to find out where you can go to find the best portable charging banks in the UK. By Best Power Bank for Camping – Goal Zero Venture 30 Goal Zero Venture 30 has been designed with outdoor use in mind. Wireless charging power banks are becoming more common, and this Aukey example can deliver up to 10W wirelessly. With a rated battery capacity of 1,821mAh, you might be wondering where the rest of the power is going. Pros: Huge battery capacity; charge three devices at once Cons: Big and heavy; expensive, 20,000mAh: £120 | Check price on Amazon27,000mAh: £150 | Check price on Cygnett, Capacity: 9,000mAh | Weight: 400g | Output: 1x2.4A, 1x3A | Input: 3A. Belkin claims you could use the 6,700mAh Valet Charger to juice up an iPhone three times or an Apple Watch eight times. This is the faster way to recharge the device, supporting up to 18W in comparison to the Micro-USB port's 10W. But this Tech Charge kit offers excellent value, and it is eminently functional. By They’re the best fast charge power banks that you can find. Otherwise there’s not much to it, just four blinking white LEDs for reference. Anker Power Bank, Astro E1 5200mAh Ultra Compact Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank with PowerIQ (TM) Technology for iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Nexus, HTC and More (Black) 4.5 out of 5 stars 16,606. The kickstand comes into its own when you want to watch video while charging the phone, positioning it at a useful angle with no messy cables in sight. WIRED. £13.99£13.99 £14.99£14.99. Pros: Rugged; big capacity; fast charging (both ways) Cons: Might not need the extra features, By Devices tend to sold in 5,000mAh, 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh capacities, with a few variations in between. WIRED, All the actually good deals in Amazon’s spring sale, The best gadgets and gear in 2021 from WIRED Recommends, The best wireless earbuds for any budget in 2021, The best headphones for any budget in 2021, The best instant cameras to buy in the hope of summer plans, The best 50-inch TVs you can buy right now, The best bike helmets for the road, trails and commuting, The best suitcases and carry-on luggage for future holidays, The best exercise bikes for home workouts, The best backpacks for work and cycling in 2021, The best cameras for kids and teens in 2021. The best power bank you can buy is the Anker PowerCore 20100 (£33). As the name suggests, the PowerCore III 10K has a decent sized 10,000mAh battery, which should offer at least three charges from the power bank before it needs recharging itself. Beat the problem with a power bbank. All three can operate at up to 12W. overnight), so it's not the quickest in this regard, but you may not need the full capacity every time. | 19 Mar 2021. 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). By the time you read this, the Freeloader iSIS by Solar Technology will have been released. Place your device on the centre of the circle. All told, a neat, reliable portable wireless charger. The Eggtronic Laptop Power Bank keeps things simple, compact and reliable, which is really all you want from a laptop power bank you want to travel with. Solutions here are simple. For all your power bank needs, we’ve always got you covered. In common with many modern USB-C power banks, the Aukey uses this port for both charging connected devices and recharging the bank, which means you can get back up and running much faster when all your batteries run low. Iceworks 3000, £12.95 from Amazon - buy here. The 345.5g Essential is a black plastic brick, though relatively compact for the amount of power it can hold. The Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless is a Qi wireless charger with a special feature: you can use it as a portable power bank, too, which can be super handy. With great power comes two great problems, however. Best portable power bank chargers for charging on the go THERE'S LITTLE more frustrating than when you're on the go and your phone dies. We originally reviewed the ultra-compact 10,000mAh version of its PD Pioneer, but with that model currently out of stock we also like this 20,000mAh version, which … You'll also like: Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. It is also a perfect solution for charging multiple devices. It has a textured top surface that improves grip in the hand, as well as the overall appearance. So 2A x 5V = 10W. These days that is a single charge for most phones, but with older iPhones and budget Androids you should expect to find a small amount of juice left over for emergencies. The best of both worlds. Cygnett's ChargeUp Pro 20K (£120/£150) is our best power bank for laptops. When it comes to the right portable charger saviour, there are so, so many options out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. One of the best features is that it charges super fast. Latest iPhones; Compare Contracts; Secure Site; Latest Guide: The Best Family Plans. The additional cable means it's now suited to Android as well as iPhone users, although as before this is Made For iPhone-certified. That's still super-fast, and given an appropriate wall charger can refill this bank in less than three hours. This does not impact the products we recommend. It is protected against extreme shock through its … That ‘seven’ claim is based on an iPhone 7, and while we didn’t match that in testing, the five to six charges we did get are still damn handy. These days, it's even possible to rent power banks as and when you need them (check out ChargedUp). 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. It's hard to put into words the feeling when you, having grabbed your smartphone to discover a dead battery, realise you also have a charged up power bank in your bag. Not that it's going to take an age to recharge, thanks to a 10W Micro-USB input, but note that the power bank itself does not charge wirelessly. 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. It's fast at 15W, which means charging the power bank itself doesn't take significantly more time than charging your phone, but we'd have been more impressed were it to provide support for passthrough charging. Enter the Iceworks 3000. We have the best portable chargers and power banks … 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. Marie Black, Editor In Chief The wireless charger is rated at 10W. TRIAL OFFER