Best portable chargers and power banks 2024

Nothing can turn your great Android phone from state-of-the-art to overpriced paperweight faster than a dead battery. The best portable chargers and power banks can help recharge your tech when life plays keep-away with your power outlets. 

Portable chargers used to be big, bulky, and slow, but USB-C power banks and Power Delivery charging standards have made things much faster — fast enough to charge laptops, even — and have allowed power banks to get slimmer and better than ever. 

There are plenty of options in every shape or size, but our favorite is the versatile Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless. Still, there are plenty of other choices that rank among the best portable battery packs. Here are our top recommendations that you can buy today.

At a glance

Best overall

Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless

(Image credit: Source: Anker)

1. Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless

Best overall

Reasons to buy

+
10W wireless charging
+
18W Power Delivery charging
+
Solid build quality and design

Reasons to avoid

-
Only two ports
-
Expensive for a 10K

While most portable chargers only let you recharge your devices with wired charging, wireless portable chargers are showing up in the best portable chargers, making the feature finally become somewhat mainstream. 

There were several hurdles that early models had to overcome — finicky placement, inconsistent speeds, and the higher energy loss that inherently comes with wireless charging — but we've finally reached the point where wireless power banks are dependable, widely compatible, and consistent.

While most wireless power banks only charge at 5W, the Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless will charge Samsung smartphones at 10W, iPhones at 7.5W, and all other Qi-enabled phones at 5W, even smaller devices like Galaxy Buds Live or AirPods Pro. When you need faster speeds, you can use the USB-C port for 18W Power Delivery charging to refill your phone more quickly.

Flexibility is paramount in an accessory that will outlive your phone, and being able to use a power bank even when you forget the cable at home is liberating. While this isn't the thinnest power bank around, the usefulness of wireless charging coils and the sturdy design of the PowerCore III Wireless is worth the added thickness — and price.

Aside from making some of the best USB-C power banks, Anker loves to slip in little details to help elevate the experience with its products, including a nicely fitting travel pouch, a high-quality USB-C-to-C cable, and a curious little clip that can extend out from one side. This kickstand allows you to slot your phone into it and keep watching while charging via USB-C or USB-A. (If you want to use the kickstand while wirelessly charging your phone, keep reading, we'll cover one later.)

Best on a budget

INIU 22.5W 20,000mAh power bank

(Image credit: INIU)

2. INIU Portable Charger (20000mAh)

Best on a budget

Reasons to buy

+
Great flat size with three ports
+
Large LED display
+
20W PD3 & QC 4.0 charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Single USB-C port
-
Only comes with a C-to-A cable

INIU may not be a brand many are familiar with, but it makes some of the best power accessories on the market, and its power banks offer a lot of bang for the buck. The INIU 22.5W portable charger offers the best blend of power and portability, with some extra features that more expensive options lack — all for about the price of pizza night with the fam.

Roughly the size of a Pixel 6 Pro, this 20,000mAh power bank can charge up to three devices simultaneously, while still being slim enough to slip into your pocket next to your phone. You can choose from either USB-C Power Delivery or Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0, meaning whether your phone is brand new or a few generations old, the INIU power bank will charge them all with ease.

Unlike the Anker, INIU doesn't provide you with a C-to-C cable, but it still comes with an A-to-C cable for quickly recharging this portable charger. It also has a nice travel pouch to keep it protected in your bag, and a built-in LED flashlight to guide your way through the dark. 

Considering you're probably going to use a C-to-C cable to charge your phone, you can use that same one to charge the bank when you get home at night. 20,000mAh should recharge most phones 2-3 times.

Best for laptops

Baseus Blade 100W portable charger

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

3. Baseus Blade 100W portable charger

Best for laptops

Reasons to buy

+
Competitive price
+
100W charging for laptops
+
Very slim design
+
LED display

Reasons to avoid

-
No wireless charging
-
Only 95W total output when using all four ports

When choosing the best portable charger, it's all about balancing power with portability. After all, a power bank doesn't do you any good if it's so bulky that you forget it at home. Likewise, a power bank that's small but low-capacity can run dry before your day is over, especially when you need to keep multiple devices alive. Lower-capacity portable chargers also have lower charging speeds, making them incapable of powering anything larger than a tablet.

These factors are why the 20,000mAh Blade power bank from Baseus is almost perfectly balanced as the best portable charger on the market. I love keeping this power bank with me since it weighs in at just over a pound and is so slim. 

This power bank can recharge a phone 4-6 times, but it also has the ability to recharge tablets and laptops thanks to its 65W Power Delivery output and up to 100W of the non-PD variety. Whether you're trying to power one of the best Chromebooks, a MacBook, or some Windows laptop with USB-C, you can top them off with the Blade.

There are three ports on this power bank — two 100W USB-C ports and two USB-A ports capable of 30W  — so if you're going to be charging a laptop and phone regularly, you'll need to keep a USB-C to USB-A cable handy. 

It's worth mentioning that if you are charging devices using all of the ports, you'll max out at 95W total output. Baseus includes a C-to-C cable for charging your laptop or phone, as well as for recharging your portable charger.

You'll be able to recharge your portable charger at up to 100W if using one of the many excellent USB-C wall chargers that are capable of that sort of output. While it's nice that Baseus included an LED display to see how much power is left in the charger clearly, it would have been even better if a wireless charging pad had also made it in.

Best compact

Zendure Supermini S20 Otterbox Cable

(Image credit: Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

4. Zendure SuperMini (10,000mAh)

Best compact

Reasons to buy

+
Smaller than a credit card
+
18W or 20W PD charging (model-dependent)
+
Great color options and durability
+
Low-power mode for accessory charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Ports are on opposite sides
-
Both ports share the 18W total output
-
Expensive for a 10K

Finding the best portable charger that won't stick out of your pockets awkwardly — especially if all the jeans they make for your body type have tiny, tiny pockets — can be challenging. But Zendure's smallest portable charger, aptly named the SuperMini, is just what you're looking for. 

This 10,000mAh bank offers the same 18W speeds — or 20W, on Supermini 20W models — and ports as the Anker PowerCore III and the Aukey Basix Slim, but it packs it into a footprint that's smaller than a credit card and light enough to not tug at your jeans when carrying it in your pocket all day.

For a small, rugged power bank, you'd expect this to come in boring colors like black and white. Instead, you have six color options with the Supermini, though you might have to search around a little more for the newer Minty Green and Misty Rose. I'm partial to the Blue Horizon, which is bold, beautiful, and easy to spot amongst the clutter that is my standing desk, but the Sunrise Red is also super-cute.

If there's any downside to this pint-sized power bank, it's that the ports are at opposite ends, which makes things awkward if you're charging two devices at once while walking around — such as in the airport rushing to catch a flight. For a bank this small, you'll likely only need to charge one device at a time, but it's worth mentioning.

Best oversized capacity

Anker 737 GaNPrime 140W Power Bank

(Image credit: Anker)

5. Anker 737 GaNPrime 140W Power Bank

Best 24,000+ mAh option

Reasons to buy

+
Clear display to see the battery status
+
Powerful enough for MacBooks
+
Long-lasting durability
+
Fast recharge
+
Two USB-C PD ports

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey
-
Only one USB-A port

When looking for power banks, Anker will invariably come up on the first page of every search. Anker is one of the most trusted brands in the space, offering durable, dependable, and long-lasting power banks that will stand the test of time. It may not be at the forefront of every bleeding-edge feature or trend, but it refines each of its products and present them in a premium package. 

Such is the case with the Anker 737 GaNPrime Power Bank, which gives you the ability to power a laptop and three phones at once thanks to two USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. This device was part of a new line of chargers and charging accessories launched summer of 2022.

The claim to fame for this power bank is that it supports 140W PD 3.1 charging. When using both USB-C ports, you can still get the full 140W, meaning you'll be able to charge a MacBook at its fastest speed. The helpful display will let you know how much power is leaving the power bank and how much is coming in. Plus, it can estimate how long it will take until empty or full.

Both USB-C ports are capable of 87W, but that speed is only attainable when it's the only thing plugged in. When 2-4 devices are plugged in, the maximum output is 78W. That would still give you 45W for the laptop, 18W for the USB-C-connected phone, and 12W for the two USB-A devices to share, which is pretty impressive.

This bank has a higher capacity than the Baseus Adaman, but it has almost three times the price tag, too. However, Anker offsets some of that price by throwing in a PowerPort III 65W wall charger and Powerline cable that'll recharge the Elite III in just over two hours.

Best mid-range

RAVPower PD Pioneer 15,000mAh Power Bank

(Image credit: RAVPower)

6. RAVPower PD Pioneer 15,000mAh Power Bank

Best mid-range power bank

Reasons to buy

+
30W USB-C Power Delivery + 18W USB-A
+
Compact, lightweight profile
+
Comes with pouch and cable
+
1-100% LCD readout for charge level

Reasons to avoid

-
Only two ports
-
PD charge rate capped at 20W when using both ports

RAVPower makes some of the best power banks that offer excellent bang for the buck on the market. That includes this 15,000mAh power bank that costs less than half some 10,000mAh banks on this esteemed list. 

Sitting between 10,000 and 20,000mAh, this Goldilocks of a portable charger might not have the highest speeds, but if you need to keep several phones topped off throughout a long, long day of waiting in lines at Universal or that cross-country road trip, this is exactly what you need.

30W USB-C Power Delivery charging will fast-charge everything from Samsung to Pixel to OnePlus and beyond. This model improves over the previous generations max 18W to ensure it can quickly power the best Android smartphones. So it's universally compatible, and every Power Delivery charger has it for quickly recharging the power bank, too.

This 15,000mAh power bank also takes the guesswork out of exactly how much charge you have left. Rather than having to guess where in a 25% range the battery level is from four measly led lights, RAVPower includes an LCD to show a 1-100% status of battery life. 

This is especially great for ensuring you leave the bank between 80% and 40% before you stick it on a shelf for months at a time between your trips or vacations. Leaving a bank fully charged for months on end can damage the battery's ability to hold a full charge, so it's good to discharge it down a bit first so that it's closer to half-full instead.

Best for gaming

Aukey Basix Pro

(Image credit: Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

7. Aukey Basix Pro (10,000mAh)

Best for gaming

Reasons to buy

+
10W wireless charging
+
Built-in kickstand
+
Phone-sized 10,000mAh bank
+
0-100 power indicator

Reasons to avoid

-
Only two ports
-
Kickstand could be sturdier

Aukey's Basix line of chargers has not one but two wireless models on it, and I'm particularly fond of the 20,000mAh version because it's slightly more sturdy and features a LED display where you can see exactly how much of a charge is left. Unfortunately, you can only purchase the 10,000mAh version right now as Aukey no longer offers the other models in North America.

Those four little indicator dots are great for smaller power banks. Regardless of whatever phone you've got, 10,000mAh is plenty of juice for one and a half to two full charges. This depends on the size of your phone's battery of course. Since the average battery size is around 4,500mAh, it's safe to say that the handy Aukey Basix Pro (10,000mAh) will serve your device more than once on a single charge.

You may notice that the Basix Pro has a lot in common with the Anker PowerCore III Wireless — same wired and wireless charging speeds, same number of ports — but the Aukey has double the capacity in almost the same size power bank. Aukey's kickstand also has a leg up because you can simultaneously use the wireless charger and kickstand.

Where Aukey loses points is that, while you have a small symbol marking the middle of the charging coil, there's not as much of a guide for phone placement as on the Anker. Nor is there the non-slip ring to help keep your phone in place. When your phone slipping half an inch, can shut down the wireless charging, anything to keep the phone in place is heavily appreciated.

Best power station

BougeRV Flash300 power station

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

8. BougeRV Flash300 Portable Power Station

Best power station

Reasons to buy

+
Has AC and car outlets
+
100W Power Delivery
+
Wireless charging pad built-in
+
Built-in LED room light
+
Very fast charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Only one USB-C port

Power banks come in some pretty large sizes, but at some point, it's better to transition to the boxier form factor of a power station. These ultra-high-capacity portable chargers are designed to power small appliances on camping trips or keep your gear alive during a hurricane, and they have a wide array of port types and power levels to choose from. 

The best power stations can run you hundreds or thousands depending on your capacity, but I prefer the balance of capacity and price that comes around the 200-300Whr range. One of the stand-out features of this power station is the super-fast recharging. It can go from zero to one hundred in about 30 minutes and doesn't need a bulky external AC adapter. Just the provided cable.

While some may not be familiar with Fanttik, the company is making a name for itself with high-quality products made for on-the-go lifestyles. The BougeRV Flash300's size is a great option due to its Power Delivery input, output, and various ports. Though I do wish it had more than one USB-C port.

I have been testing the BougeRV Flash300, and I found it hit the sweet spot between being too expensive for the masses and too small to power anything other than laptops. BougeRV went with built-in carrying handles with all the ports on the front, and the AC input port on the side, making this an easy-n-go carry from the car to the campsite. 

BougeRV Flash300 power station

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

You can use the two AC plugs to charge non-Power Delivery electronics or run a camp fridge, but don't expect it to power beefier appliances due to a max output of 600W from the AC outlets with a rated 1200W surge.

It'll power some CPAP/BIPAP machine models but not all, so check your model's rating if this is something you rely on and need a backup should the power fail in your region again. With the large LED lamp built into the back of the unit, you'll have plenty of light for your room if the power does go out. 

If you want a power station in case of extended power outages after hurricanes, ice storms, or floods, BougeRV makes solar panels as well to recharge the device, but they cost a pretty penny.

Frequently asked questions

Why size matters for the best portable chargers

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

You can find portable chargers in a variety of sizes, but for the majority of you reading this, you're going to want either a compact 10,000mAh or a slightly beefier 20,000mAh portable charger. I'm partial to the former, such as the strikingly colored Zendure SuperMini, which makes it easy to slip into a pocket when out and about.

The best power bank is the one you remember to bring with you, and smaller, lighter banks are easier to carry around. 10,000mAh also gives you enough power to recharge a phone twice before it needs a recharge, but if you need to keep a whole family's worth of phones alive during a long day or a long weekend — or if you're only going to own a single power bank rather than a couple in different sizes — get the Anker 737 GaNPrime.

Anker's high-capacity bank is just over a pound in weight so that it won't weigh down a backpack or purse too much during long grueling days of travel or adventure. The 140W Power Delivery output means you can recharge laptops, and the bank can fully recharge in three hours, so you aren't tethered to a wall long when you're topping it back up.

Why battery packs are harder to find in stock right now

Currently, the world is dealing with a shipping crisis and chip shortages. Though it's improving, the situation is crippling many industries and making it hard for manufacturers, vendors, and retailers to keep a wide array of products in stock. 

Given that power banks have restraints that prevent them from being shipped via air in bulk, they're especially impacted by the backlog in most American ports. This means that, as hard as it is to find the best power banks right now, it's likely to only get worse until a solution can be found or the backlog is finally tackled.

Those looking for a new power bank right now can do two things. Firstly, if you already have a working power bank, you shouldn't replace it until it breaks. Once it breaks, please use an electronics recycling program or e-waste reclamation program to ensure that as much material from the broken bank can be recovered and recycled into other electronics (or disposed of properly).

Second, if you need a new power bank, be prepared to be patient. Don't wait until the last second to buy that power bank for your business trip or your Thanksgiving pilgrimage over the river and through the woods. Allow time for shipping delays and don't expect many deals this holiday shopping season due to lower-than-normal supply.

Namerah Saud Fatmi
Editor — Accessories, speakers, and tablets

Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart tech. She spends her time guzzling coffee, writing, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends. Find her on Twitter @NamerahS.