Best portable high-capacity power banks, including 50,000mAh+ chargers 2024

Today's phones and tablets are more powerful than ever, but despite more power-efficient processors, it's not uncommon to find yourself needing to charge up at times when you aren't near a wall outlet with a portable charger or power bank. A high-capacity battery pack that is 20,000mAh and higher is ideal for people who need a lot of juice while on the go, and while they may not fit into your pocket, they're necessary for keeping your devices topped off.

Sure, you could go out and buy the biggest one you see, but if you take the time to understand the little differences between everything, you'll end up with a battery pack that truly fits your needs and works the best for your specific workflow/lifestyle. Once you have determined what you'll be using the mobile power solution for, you can decide if a high-capacity power bank is for you or if you should go with one of the best portable power stations.

At a glance

Best overall

Anker is one of the biggest names among power banks and chargers today. It's built that name thanks to exemplary build quality and long-term durability and recently announced new technology to further improve on the best Anker power banks on the market.

The Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) is a major upgrade from previous generations with 27,650mAh in a very compact package. But don't mistake its small size for small power. It can pump out up to 250W of juice and recharge at the same rate, but you do need to get the charging base separately for the latter. This means that this power bank can charge phones, tablets, and power-hungry laptops with no trouble.

With that much power, it can recharge a smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S24 nearly seven times on a single charge or recharge most USB-C laptops from empty to full at least once. If you are using just one port at a time, it is worth keeping in mind that the USB-A port is capped at 65W whereas each USB-C port maxes out at 140W. This remains constant when two ports are in use, except for the secondary Type-C port which can only push out 100W. As for three-port charging, you get 18W via the USB-A port, 140W via the first USB-C port, and 92W via the second USB-C port.

This beefy bundle isn't lightweight, but nothing over 20,000mAh is. The Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank is compact enough to easily slip in and out of a backpack while rushing around a hotel or convention. While it doesn't come with a charging base, it does include a high-quality 140W USB-C-to-C cable. You also get a helpful display showing battery percentage, what the output or input rate is, and how long until the battery is drained or full, as well as a companion app which is very unusual.

Best wireless bank

When it comes to charging multiple devices quickly with a power bank, you don't need tons of ports, just a few ports that all charge at decent speeds. If you need a big, beefy battery that you can still fly with, the Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD is just under the FAA's 100Whr limit, so you can take it on flights. It's just what you need to keep a laptop or camera topped off while working on the go.

The main port here is a 100W USB-C Power Delivery port, which will give your laptop a quick recharge and recharge faster once you reach your destination and plug it back in. You also get two USB-A ports for smaller peripherals and a 15W Qi wireless charging pad on the top of the bank. The Type-A ports don't deliver blazing-fast speeds like the Type-C port, but they're good for versatility.

Goal Zero is a brand you might not have heard of before since it tends to deal with solar and portable power solutions. However, because it's geared towards outdoor tech, you can rest assured this is a battery pack that will not leave you hanging. There is a newer version of this power bank with an upgraded display and faster Qi charging speeds, but at its current price, this model is still an excellent choice.

Best high capacity

Let's say that you want an overwhelmingly huge battery pack with no concern about its price or size. If that's the situation you're in, the INIU PowerNova 27,000mAh 140W Power Bank hits all the right notes.

The 27,000mAh capacity here is enormous, and while you may not think you need that much battery, it comes in handy for long road trips, hurricane season, and other situations in which you're without access to power for a prolonged period of time. With such a big battery, you could charge a Galaxy S24 a little over six times!

For phones, tablets, and other mobile gadgets, you have two USB-C PD 3.1 ports and one USB-A port. INIU's battery pack is also a great choice for laptops, as the first USB-C port can kick out the max 140W speed on single-port charging, with the other Type-C port delivering 45W and the USB-A port pushing out 18W. This goes down to 100W with the other ports in use.

The INIU PowerNova won't be going in your pocket anytime soon, but you can easily toss it in a backpack and have hours upon hours of charge time to take with you anywhere. The brand includes a carrying pouch and a cable, although it's not a 60W or 100W e-marked cable so it can't handle the max power promised.

Best style

Our editor Harish Jonnalagadda tests a lot of power banks, and two of his favorites are the Shargeek Storm 2 and Storm 2 Slim. He called the latter his "new favorite" because of its portability and 130W charging speed, but even though it could just make our list at 20,000 mAh, we're more focused on high-capacity power banks here, so we'll go with the standard Storm 2 for this list.

The Storm 2 has four ports, including a DC outlet with a variable voltage you can control via the built-in screen, which also shows ports in use, battery charge level, and thermals. As Harish noted, 25,600mAh is just under the 27,000mAh maximum allowed on carry-on luggage, and the Storm 2's 579g weight gives a pretty solid size-to-capacity ratio.

You can use up to three of the four ports at once; below is the breakdown of how much power you get per charge:

• USB-C1 + USB-C2: 65W + 30W
• USB-C1 + USB-A: 65W + 18W
• USB-C2 + USB-A: 30W Max
• DC + USB-C2: 65W + 30W
• DC + USB-A: 65W + 18W
• USB-C1 + USB-C2 + USB-A: 65W + 25W
• DC + USB-C2 + USB-A: 65W + 25W

Perhaps the coolest thing about the Shargeek Storm 2, aside from its powerful wattage, is its transparent and distinct look, something techies will find pretty distinct from power banks' usual look.

Most powerful power station

There are battery packs in a league of their own, and there's the EcoFlow Delta Pro. Not everyone needs to spend this much money on a battery pack, but if you want one of the most powerful options out there and have the money to afford it, this is it, chief.

The EcoFlow Delta Pro is less of a battery pack and more of a lunch box-sized emergency power station. You get plenty of ports and surge output up to 7200W, which powers more substantial things through the AC outlets and car socket for a day or two.

Going back to the port selection, you have a lot to choose from. Let's look at the extremely versatile port selection this hefty power station has to offer:

While it is on the expensive side and a bit cumbersome, after reviewing the EcoFlow Delta Pro, it became clear it's one of the best options for having a reliable power source during power outages, emergencies, and long camping treks.

As an added point of comfort, the power station has a large LED room light to ensure you are never left in the dark, checking all of the boxes for why everyone should own a portable power station.

Best for camping

One of the best use cases for a power bank is using it as a power source while camping, hiking, or on other outdoor adventures. If this is the primary scenario in which you'll be using your new power bank, we recommend checking out the BLAVOR Solar Charger Power Bank 20,000mAh.

For people who spend a lot of time outdoors, one of the best features of this battery pack is solar panels on the top that allow it to recharge using the sun. Solar recharging isn't the fastest, but it is nice to have. If you need to recharge the BLAVOR more quickly, you do so via USB-C or micro-USB. This bank has a single 18W USB-C Power Delivery port, two USB-A ports (one 9V/2A, one Qualcomm QuickCharge 18W), and there's even a 10W Qi wireless charging pad so that you can charge four devices at once.

An IPX5 rating offers ample protection against splashing water, there's a built-in LED flashlight to help you see at night, and the 20,000mAh capacity should be plenty of battery for most weekend adventures.

• Back to the top ^

How to choose

Get the right power bank without unnecessary bulk

You'll be happy no matter which battery packs on this list you choose, but at the end of the day, if you want a portable power bank that offers high-power output and isn't going to be a beast to carry around, the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) is the way to go.

The Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank allows you to charge three devices at once, comes with a high-quality cable, and has a helpful display to see the battery status. While this power bank isn't going to come cheap, it offers impressive capabilities that will likely handle your mobile power for years to come.

How much battery capacity do you actually need?

Perhaps the most important thing to consider before buying a battery pack is its capacity — in other words, how big of a battery it's packing.

Since we're dealing with high-capacity packs, we're only looking at 20,000mAh or higher options. As such, any of the picks on this list will be able to charge your smartphone multiple times and still have some leftover fuel in the tank.

For comparison's sake, most smartphones today have batteries that vary in capacity from around 4,000 and 5,000mAh. If you're planning on using your battery pack to charge your phone, tablet, or headphones, something with a capacity of around 10,000mAh to 15,000mAh should be enough so long as you're getting home to an outlet by the end of the day. If this sounds like a better fit for you, you might want to consider a more compact power bank.

So, why do power banks with capacities of 20,000mAh and more exist? There are a couple of good reasons:

• For people who want to charge a larger device, such as a laptop, having a big capacity will ensure you have access to enough power.
• For backpacking or other outdoor adventures where outlets are few and far between, a high-capacity bank ensures you can keep your phone charged and your lifeline alive, as well as power small camping appliances.
• If you live somewhere prone to severe weather like hurricanes or tornadoes, a power station-style high-capacity portable charger will ensure you can stay connected while waiting for the electrical grid to be repaired. That also applies to whether you experience a serious personal emergency like a house fire.

Why is USB-C so important?

We've talked a lot about USB-C Power Delivery throughout this article, but let's take a step back for a second and explain why it's so important and why you should get a USB-C battery pack.

USB-C is essentially the better-in-every-way evolution from those micro-USB ports that used to be prevalent on just about every Android phone for charging but are now extinct. Not only does USB-C benefit from the fact that it's reversible (meaning there's no "wrong" way to insert it), but it's also considerably more powerful. Power Delivery can be used to charge at speeds up to 100W or beyond, such as the 140W speeds on our overall pick, the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank.

Here's the thing, though — not all USB-C ports are created equally. Most USB-C ports come with the Power Delivery standard (often referred to as PD), which signifies that a USB-C port offers considerably faster charging and data speeds. So if a USB-C port only offers 15W, you should skip it.

As such, when you're looking to charge a device that has an extraordinarily big battery, not just USB-C but also Power Delivery is a must. Not only are a lot of newer devices moving to Power Delivery 3 or above ports, but it'll also cut down quite a bit on recharge times.