(Pocket-lint) – In an ideal world, there would be no need for battery packs. Yet, the reality is that battery life is still an issue for many users, even those with flagship devices.
Getting through the day with some power remaining requires some serious discipline, which is tough if you’re used to spending all your time in group chats, playing games, or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.
That’s where our list of the best battery packs and portable chargers for smartphones comes in. They’ve been around for years, which thankfully means there are hundreds of great options to pick from, and some are now starting to include 20,000mAh capacities and support for USB-C. These two things together mean that you can even charge a laptop.
So, without further ado, here’s our selection of the best power bank options to deliver juice back to your gadgets.
Top portable chargers to buy today
Mophie Powerstation Plus XL
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The Mophie Powerstation Plus XL battery portable charger is available with a Lightning cable and there are different capacities available if you want something bigger (Powerstation XXL, 20,000mAh with three USB-C outputs) or smaller. There’s no USB-C option yet.
Anker PowerCore 10000
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Anker has plenty of power banks to keep you charged for days on end, but the PowerCore 10000 offers a great mixture of affordability and power.
Depending on whether you have an iPhone or Android, you should be able to recharge your phone fully from zero 2-3 times.
It also provides fast charging technology (though it doesn’t support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge), which, of course, means the juice is delivered to your device quickly.
Cygnett ChargeUp Pro 20K Laptop Power Bank
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This epic power bank has two USB-A outputs as well as a USB-C input/output that can be used to speedily charge devices (it supports Qualcomm Fast Charge 3.0).
The USB-C connection can also be used to charge laptops including the MacBook Pro. A special chip in the device enables laptops to be charged at a much faster rate than standard USB-C ports – so more akin to being plugged into the wall.
Miady 10000mAh Dual USB Portable Charger
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If you’re constantly on the move, it never hurts to have two portable chargers in your bag, not just one. And with Miady’s pair, you can also double up for a very affordable price.
Both feature a 10,000mAh capacity, meaning you should get at least a couple of 0-100% charges from each bank, whether you have an iPhone or Android smartphone.
At just 218g each, as well, they’re also not a huge pain to carry around, though it is important to keep in mind there are no capabilities for fast charging here.
RavPower 20,000 Powerbank
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This RavPower power bank has the largest capacity of those listed in this feature and it comes with a USB-C input and output, as well as a USB port.
It is also compatible with Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 technology and it comes with two Micro-USB cables and a USB-C adapter.
INIU Portable Charger
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Those who need precision when recharging their devices should consider INIU’s portable 20,000mAh monster, a power bank that displays the percentage of power left.
Thanks to 18W power delivery and dual Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 ports, it can also recharge iPhone devices from 0-60% in just 35 minutes. And that capacity we’ve mentioned means you should also be able to recharge roughly seven times in total, too.
Naturally, this means it’s not just smartphones you can feed power to, either, with USB-C laptops also able to benefit.
Belkin Portable USB Rechargeable Battery
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This Belkin portable battery pack is small enough to fit in your pocket and is compatible with any USB-enabled advice.
It also comes in five colors including black, blue, pink, red, and green in case you want colorful power.
POWERADD Slim 2 5000mAh
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Plenty of people don’t want to carry around the traditional-looking power bricks – or require the power they provide – which is where a more compact option, like Poweradd’s Slim 2, comes into play.
The 3.9 x 1.3 x 1.2-inches hexagonal tube means you should be able to squeeze it into your back pocket in a pinch, while still receiving 5000mAh of power.
And, of course, while this isn’t enough to keep recharging your device over and over, you should get at least one 0-100% charge out of it before it needs recharging itself
Anker PowerCore 20100
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This Anker PowerCore 20100 battery pack is claimed to be as light as a can of soup, and it also offers fast charging technology.
Anker says it will charge an Apple iPhone 8 nearly seven times or a Samsung Galaxy S8 five times before it needs recharging itself.
RAVPower 10000mAh Power Bank
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RAVPower is another name that has plenty of different portable chargers for you to pick between, but this 10,000mAh option represents a nice middle ground between portability and power.
It has the ability to charge an iPhone 11 Pro Max 1.5 times over, and the Galaxy S10 twice, with the two USB outlets allowing you to charge two devices at the same time.
The company’s intelligent charging tech also means it avoids overcharging your devices once they have reached capacity, leaving you with more power for the rest of your gadgets.
Writing by Britta O’Boyle and Dan Grabham. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
