You’ve switched onto low battery mode, your phone brightness is turned down all the way and you’re praying to the smartphone gods that your ever-dwindling battery survives until you make it to within reach of a plug socket. But despite your best efforts, your phone gives up the ghost.
If this sounds like an all-too-familiar scenario, a portable charger (otherwise known as a power bank) would be a wise investment. From lipstick-sized packs that can give your phone – or any USB-chargeable device, for that matter – an extra bit of juice to see you through the next few hours, to larger, but still portable options that will revive your device many times over, the range is huge.
Just how many times over a pack can recharge your device depends on its capacity, and the capacity of the device itself. This is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). An iPhone 7, for example, has a battery capacity of 1,960mAh, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 packs a 3,000mAh battery. Larger devices, unsurprisingly, have much larger batteries – the 12.9in iPad Pro’s battery is 10,307mAh. To work out how many times your charger will recharge the device, divide the charger’s mAh rating by that of the chosen device. (So, a 10,000mAh charger will fully revive your iPhone 7 around three and a half times, considering no charger is fully efficient. To be sure that your device will get at least one full charge from the charger, make sure the phone’s capacity is no more than 70 per cent of the charger’s capacity).
And remember, depending on what device you’re looking to charge, you may need to carry round a separate charging cable, as not every charger is compatible. Check your connections before you buy.
1. Aukey 20000mAh Power Bank: £19.99, Amazon
This has an excellent capacity of 20,000mAh, which should give your iPhone 7, for example, around seven full charges, bearing in mind efficiency. Two USB ports give 2.4A output individually, or can combine for a speedy 3.4A, so it’s good for charging multiple devices at once. The charger itself can also be powered up by a lightning cable, which means you may only have to carry one cable around with you, device-permitting. There’s a built-in flashlight – you never know when you might need it – and although it’s not the best looking device around, it’s still perfectly portable at 388g. The power button lights up different colours to indicate battery level.
2. AmazonBasics Portable External Battery Charger 10,000 mAh: £16.99, Amazon
This charger is available with a range of different capacities, going from 5,600mAh to 16,100mAh – the former giving most smartphones at least one full charge, while the latter will deal with a hefty tablet. We found a happy medium in the 10,000mAh model, which strikes a balance between power and portability (it weighs 215g). There are two USB ports so you can charge two devices at once, and the 3.4A output means your devices will be charged quickly. Four LED lights on the front clearly show how much juice is left in the pack.
3. Proporta Stripe TurboCharger 12000: £40, Proporta
With a 12,000mAh capacity, this charger from Proporta will give multiple charges to all smartphones, and has two USB ports. Thanks to the 2.1A output, your devices will be revived quickly – Porporta goes large on its TurboCharge technology, and it seemed to have an effect on our devices. It’s durable, too, having undergone multiple drop tests in production (when we dropped it a few times in the office, it was entirely unscathed).
4. Zendure A8 QC Pro Portable Charger 26,800mAh: £72.95, Amazon
This is the most expensive charger on our list by some way, but the old adage that you get what you pay for holds true. For one, it has by far the biggest capacity on our list, with a whopping 26,800mAh (it’s especially good for charging tablets). It also automatically detects which device you’ve connected, and adjusts its output accordingly to achieve the quickest charging time. And when your device is back up to full power, the charger will turn itself off automatically. There are four USB ports, which is handy if you’re on a group outing. It weighs 482g and is compatible with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 (good news if you have the Sony Xperia S7, HTC 10 or many more – check your device’s specs).
5. Lumsing 15000mAh Power Bank: £27.99, Amazon
This is a versatile, powerful charger with three separate ports. The first is for USB-C connections, such as on the HTC 10 (there’s a growing trend towards this type, so this charger is future-proof to an extent). The second is for Quick Charge devices, while the third is a smart charge port, which automatically adjusts to the optimum output depending on your device. Its 15,000mAh capacity will give multiple charges of pretty much every smartphone, and a full charge at least of tablets such as the 12.9in iPad Pro – or you can charge three devices at once. The sleek design, with LED battery indicators on the side, is slightly longer and thicker than an iPhone 7, with a weight of 356g, so it’s best to be carried in a backpack or large coat pocket.
6. RAVPower 20,100mAh Portable Charger: £34.99, Amazon
If you’re after a charger with a high capacity but don’t want to pay for all the extra features of something like the Zendure above, RAVPower offers a good alternative. The 20,100mAh capacity is enough to charge a smartphone many times over. And if your smartphone is compatible with Quick Charge 3.0 then there are few faster chargers out there. It weighs 275g, so for the power it provides, it’s not too hefty. It’s USB-C compatible, too.
7. Anker PowerCore 5000 Portable Charger: £11.99, Amazon
Anker is one of the biggest, most reliable portable charger brands in America, and this product is among its most popular. The tiny, cylindrical design measures 10cm x 3cm, so it’ll easily fit into a trouser pocket, and with a weight of 136g, it’s imperceptible when flung into a backpack. The capacity, 5000mAh, is impressive for its size and will charge a Samsung Galaxy S8 fully, with a bit to spare. It doesn’t support Qualcomm Quick Charge, but the 2A output still offers a speedy charge. Handy LEDs on the side show how much juice the charger’s got left. Available in red or black.
8. CHJGD Ultra-Compact 10000mAh Power Bank: £23.99, Amazon
Admittedly, most power banks aren’t particularly exciting to look at, but this one goes some way to change it. The designs range from a Ferrari theme to an eye-catching mosaic, but the charger itself doesn’t skimp on build quality as a result. It claims to be the world’s smallest charger with a 10,000mAh capacity and it’s certainly a contender, with dimensions of 93 x 63 x 19mm, and a weight of just 188g. It automatically adapts its output to suit your device, with battery-indicating LEDs on the bottom.
9. Iceworks 3000mAh Portable Charger: £12.95, Amazon
This charger is as slim and as wide as an iPhone, but not as long, and only weighs 41g, meaning it is genuinely pocket friendly. It’s an especially good charger for iPhones, as it has an in-built cable and comes, rather generously for the price, with two lightning adapters, so you can plug the charger straight into your phone. (The adapter slots into the top of the charger, too, so it shouldn’t be lost so easily). Without the adapter, it’s USB compatible. It will definitely give a full charge to smartphones sized around 2,000mAh.
10. EasyAcc 15000mAh Power Bank: £19.95, Amazon
It’s one of the heftier chargers on our list, weighing 335g, but it packs a punch, with 15,000mAh capacity (enough to comfortably charge an iPad Pro) and 4.8A output, meaning it can competently charge three smartphones at once, or just one at great speed. What’s more, each of the three ports are smart, adjusting to whichever device you’ve connected, and they’ll automatically switch off when not in use, saving precious power.
11. Poweradd Slim2 5000mAh Portable Charger: £7.99, Amazon
This is another tiny, great value charger that will give a full charge to most smartphones. It only weighs 181g and is just under 10cm tall but manages to pack in a 5,000mAh capacity, with four LED battery indicators on the top. It has an auto-detect output, with speedy charging up to 2.1A. At less than a tenner, we think this one is a bargain. Available in a range of colours.
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The Verdict: Portable chargers
Our Best Buy is the Aukey charger, which is an excellent combination of everything you need in a charger: capacity, speed, versatility, durability and great value.
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing
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