We know that when it comes to portable power bank, someone who wants a pocketable power bank for topping off a phone only on occasion has different needs than a business traveler who wants to keep a tablet and two phones charged for back-to-back international flights. For each scenario, we set out to find the best balance of capacity, charging speed, size, and features. A hulking, heavy, cheap pack, for instance, isn’t as good as a moderately priced one you’ll actually use. We also looked for models that can cut down the clutter in your bag or pockets through the inclusion of convenience features such as multiple ports and integrated cables. — Wirecutter: Best Portable Power Bank
Category | Purpose | Physical Characteristics |
Top off a phone at the end of a day | Less than 3 ounces, credit card or lipstick design | |
Every day | Fully charge a smartphone one or two times | Less than 6 ounces, the size of a deck of cards or bar of soap |
For your bag | Charge multiple devices, including a tablet | Less than 1 pound, similar in size to a portable hard drive |
For your luggage | Charge a smartphone over multiple days or fully charge multiple tablets | More than 1 pound, similar in size to a softcover Game of Thronesvolume |
If you need something with more juice that can completely refill a phone after a busy day, pick up the EasyAcc Portable Power Bank 6000mAh. You can get a lot more power far more than how much you’ve paid for. While making a little more room in your pocket or bag for a slightly bigger pack, this power bank unit can be the size and heft of a smartphone or a bar of soap.
In Wirecutter’s tests, the EasyAcc Power Bank 6000mAh had the most available power, and it was the only tested unit in this category with both of the features Wirecutter likes to see in unites of this size, namely an integrated Micro USB cable and a high-speed port (at least 2 amps). The integrated cable means one fewer thing to carry and lose, and it takes up less space than a separate cable, especially as the shape incorporates a way to tuck the tail out of sight. And the high-speed port on this model means that it can top up even a full-size tablet in a reasonable amount of time.
Model | Stated nominal capacity (mAh) | Average available capacity (mAh) |
---|---|---|
EasyAcc Portable Power Bank 6000mAh | 6000 | 5500 |
Limefuel Blast L60X | 6000 | 5333 |
Anker 2G Astro 6700 | 6700 | 5273 |
Zendure A2 2G 6700 | 6700 | 5211 |
AmazonBasics Portable Power Bank | 3000 | 2444 |
