Looking down at your phone and seeing 5% battery remaining is not the most pleasant experience, especially when you’re not at home and near a charger. It’s not just smartphones either. Laptops, Bluetooth headphones, and even smartwatches can die on you at the most inopportune times. Fortunately, there is a way to prevent that if you don’t mind carrying one extra device around with you.
Those devices are power banks. They come in all shapes and sizes with all kinds of functions, features, and uses. If you search for a battery pack on Amazon, you’ll see hundreds of options from various manufacturers and it can get overwhelming. We did the hard work for you and found the best power banks that you can get right now, no matter your budget.
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Power banks: Which one is right for you?
It all depends on what you need and where you need it. If you’re traveling a lot and you have space in your bag, then you’ll want something like the Anker 737 or the Ugreen 145W Power Bank. Both will provide an adequate charge to your devices without being too bad. If you need something smaller, the Inui and Nitecore options are great, as is the Anker PowerCore 20K.
The final options, like the Ugreen Magnetic Battery, Anker 548, and the Anker Nano solve some less common issues. The Nano is hyper-portable for those one-day excursions, while the 548 is massive and meant to be used over a long weekend outside in the campgrounds. The Ugreen Magnetic battery is great for iPhone owners who want MagSafe charging. So, choose the one that fits you best.
FAQ
Q: Do airlines have restrictions on power banks?
Absolutely yes, they do. For the long answer, we refer you to the FAA’s website where you can get a better look at things that are and aren’t allowed on flights. The short version is that power banks are restricted to carry-on baggage only. There is also a size limit of 100 watt-hours (Wh) per battery, which translates to roughly 27,000mAh. Thus, every power bank on the list above except the Anker 548 is eligible to be used on airplanes.
Q: Are power banks safe?
Yes. They are comprised of little more than a battery inside a container with some connections. The batteries inside are as safe as any battery-operated thing you own, including your smartphone. Like any other mass-produced goods, they can malfunction, which can cause them to catch on fire. However, this is exceedingly rare unless the power bank is dropped or mishandled in some other way.
Generally speaking, as long as the power bank and the laptop support USB Power Delivery, you should be okay. A 10,000mAh battery pack likely won’t charge a laptop all the way, but 20,000mAh should in most instances. Just make sure to check both the power bank and the laptop to ensure compatibility. This also applies to the Steam Deck and similar handheld gaming PCs.
Q: Can power banks charge a laptop?
Yes, but with some restrictions. The laptop has to be able to charge over USB-C, which isn’t true of every laptop, even ones that have USB-C ports. You’ll want to check your laptop’s specs sheet to see if yours has a USB-C charging port. However, we do know that MacBooks can charge over USB-C as it is their primary charging method.
Q: Which power banks last the longest?
This one is an easy question with an easy answer. The one with the biggest number lasts the longest. Thus, if you get a 10,000mAh bank, it’ll last approximately half as long as a 20,000mAh bank. And while it’s logical to assume that a 20,000mAh battery pack will provide the same amount of power as another 20,000mAh pack, that’s not the case. The efficiency of each battery pack plays a role in the overall performance. The batteries on our list above have high efficiency and offer the best performance.
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