We've tested more than 100 power banks over the years from brands including Anker, Samsung, Belkin and INIU, assessing how easy they are to use, their features and charging times.
How much Mah does a battery pack charge?
In our tests, 10,000mAh of battery pack capacity translated to roughly 5,800mAh of device charge. 20,000mAh chargers delivered around 11,250mAh to a device, and 25,000mAh banks translated to about 16,200mAh of charge. That's an average efficiency rate of around 60 percent.
Should I buy a QC battery pack?
Here are a few tips to help you make a decision: For those with a compatible device, make sure the battery pack is Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, or PD certified. Depending on your smartphone, this can make a big difference in performance. If you own a QC 2.0 device, however, ask yourself if paying extra for a QC 3.0 capable pack is worth it.
Watching your phone or tablet steadily run out of power when you're nowhere near an outlet is stressful. But there's an easy solution: a portable battery or power bank. These are available in many sizes and capacities, and can include lots of handy features like fast charging and multiple ports.
This impressive little external battery pack from Baseus is a strong contender for knocking Anker's MagSafe battery off its pedestal in this guide. Baseus' bank is about half the price and has a built-in USB-C cable so you can recharge non-iPhones without needing to have a cable on hand. The cable can also be used to recharge the bank itself.
However, if you want more capacity, some of the best options we've used include the Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank 20K and Anker PowerCore 26800 Portable Charger, while the high-end Anker Prime Power Bank, 20,000mAh is a capable and versatile power bank for recharging all tech when you're on the go. It's the most powerful option we've tried lately.
Does a rechargeable power bank have a lithium-ion battery?
Nearly every rechargeable power bank you can buy (and most portable devices) contain a lithium-ion battery. These beat other current battery types in terms of size-to-charge capacity, and have even increased in energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years.