The best power banks

Whether you've got an aging phone or you're often on the move, the best power banks for phones can be an absolute lifesaver. Picking the right one, however, is more tricky than it may initially seem.

Sure, they all work the same in principal; plug them in, charge them up, then you're set to power up your phone on the go. However, there are abundant options now, from fast chargers to wireless magnetic power banks for iPhone, various sizes, shapes and capacities, making it difficult to choose.

Below, we've compared the best power banks we've tried tested, from beefy models that also function as some of the best power bank for laptops (including graphic design laptops) to more affordable or more compact options, as well as the best magnetic power banks for phones. We've considered the battery capacity, the number of ports and the power they deliver as well as the physical size of the devices to help you find one that meets your needs.

If you're a digital nomad, make sure you also see our guide to the best external hard drives to make sure your set-up is mobile-ready. For now, let's look at the best power banks available today.

The quick list

The best power banks in detail

Best power bank overall

Need to know: Having used the Anker PowerCore 26,800mAh power bank extensively at Creative Bloq, we still think it's the best power bank overall, providing a good balance of capacity, charging speed and price.

Design: We liked the sleek, slimline design, which makes it relatively compact and easy to carry in a bag or pocket, although it's not the smallest or lightest we've tested, so if you're regularly on the road and portability is key, you might want to reduce your capacity expectations and opt for the next option on our list. We would have liked a better-quality USB cable, too.

Features: The 26,800mAh capacity should be enough to charge a phone or tablet a couple of times, and it can also charge two devices simultaneously, provided those devices use PowerIQ or VoltageBoost.

Value: At around £50, depending on the retailer, this is a great value for a high-capacity portable charger.

Best slim power bank

Need to know: This is our value pick for its balance of a low, low price with decent charging chops, though it won't be able to handle anything larger than a phone.

Design: The INIU 10000mAh Portable Charger has two USB-A output ports and a USB-C input and output port. It's compact, simple and features a fun paw print motif.

Features: The capacity is fairly low for today's standards. It's less than half of that provided by our first choice, and it's not going to do for mulitple charges or as a power bank for laptops, but it'll do fine for smaller devices like phones and e-readers. However, it can charge three devices at the same time - though we're not sure that will ensure a full charge for all devices.

Value: Best of all, it's very reasonably priced at under £20, making it an excellent value choice if you just need a boost throughout the day.

Best value power bank

Need to know: If the main thing that you're after is great value in your power bank, we can heartily recommend this iMuto high-capacity portable charger. Don't care too much about getting flexibility and features? This may be the power bank that suits your needs the best.

Design: It's heavier and chunkier than our top picks, but it does feature a handy digital display that shows you how much power remains in the bank.

Features: Charging is also a little slower than our top picks, but its USB-C port delivers 65W, making it an option as a cheap power bank for laptops.

Plus, its 27,000mAh capacity at this price point and with these specs makes it a great option that will cover all tech bases.

Value: If you look at its approachable £50 price point, and the money that you'll be saving, its drawbacks aren't bad trade-offs. It's roughly the same price as our top pick, but has a few value-adding features.

Best powerful power bank

Need to know: If you have a more power-hungry device like a laptop, or just need to charge a normal smartphone or tablet multiple times on a long journey, you might need something more powerful and heavy-duty than our previous choices.

Design: It's easily the biggest and heaviest power bank on this list and not one that you can slip into a pocket. That said the extra weight could be worth carrying if you're going to be without a mains connection for some time. It can charge an iPhone 15 at least five times over.

Features: Anker says it can charge an M2 MacBook Pro to 50% in under half an hour, and our tests backed that up. Each USB-C ports can deliver up to 140W of power and the whole device can deliver 250W, charging up to three devices at once with the two USB-C and one USB-A port. It's very fast to recharge too because you can use both USB-C ports at once to recharge, resulting in a combined recharge rate of up to 170W. We found it took around 40 minutes to fully charge, and the quality OLED digital display keeps you up to date on battery status.

There's even an app that allows you to find the charger if you misplace it, although the size of this thing might make that a little unlikely.

Value: Unsurprisingly, at £126 this power bank is also the most expensive on our list, and if you don't need to charge a phone many times, or charge a laptop, a charger of this size and price is overkill.

Best phone power bank

Need to know: If you're looking for a power bank for phone charging, a magnetic wireless charging solution can make the job quick and easy, avoiding the need for a cable.

Design: We found the magnets on this Baseus power bank to be stronger than those on Apple's own MagSafe battery pack, holding an iPhone 15 Pro Max securely both in portrait and landscape position, and you can also use it as a handy portable stand in StandBy mode.

Features: It's not the fastest charger we've used, delivering only half the speed that iPhones can take, and its capacity is only 10,000mAh. That means I wouldn't recommend the wireless option if you often have to charge in a hurry, but there is also the option of a USB-C port, which charges faster at up to 20W.

Value: All in all, we think it offers decent value for the price, delivering an excellent power-to-weight ratio for £60. The 10,000mAh capacity should be enough to charge an iPhone 15 almost twice and a Galaxy S23 Ultra once and then some.

Best solar power bank

Need to know: If you're going to be outdoors a lot, but don't want to go completely off grid, a solar power bank is a great way recharge your phone when you're away from civilisation.

Design: It's slim by design, but fairly heavy, which might be too much of a concession for backpackers looking to keep things lightweight.

It's also not the most discrete or attractive-looking by design, however it does suit the more rugged aesthetic of camping, hiking or other outdoor activities.

Features: It's a great option, both for practical and environmental reasons, but you have to be realistic. The solar panel recharges the battery very slowly, so you'll still need to make sure you charge it via the mains before you head off into the wilderness.

Still, its 26800mAh capacity is admittedly pretty good for its class.

Value: At £33, this is a surprisingly affordable option, given it features solar charging and offers such a solid capacity.

How to choose the best power bank

There are four main variables to take into consideration when choosing the best power bank for you. Firstly, there's the output of a power bank, which can determine whether it's compatible with the device you want to use it with. Check the output of the power bank and the requirements of your devices. If you're looking for a power bank for a laptop rather than a phone make sure the device specifies that it can power laptops.

Portability is another factor and will depend on the size and weight of the power bank. Most people will want a power bank that's easy to carry around in a bag or even a pocket. Related to this is the issue of durability. We've checked the devices above are built to last, but some go further by using a water-resistant build. Finally, price is obviously an issue, and you'll need to decide how much your prepared to spend.

How we chose the best power banks

We chose the best power banks in our guide based on a combination of our own tests, reviews from our sister sites and verified customer reviews. We compared the stated specs of each power bank and where possible tested them by charging a variety of devices from different brands, including iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, iPads and, when the power bank is powerful enough, laptops.

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