The best power banks and portable chargers
A power bank, also commonly referred to as a portable charger, is an essential purchase for anyone who’s on the go with a phone, tablet, or a gaming handheld like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck. It lets you recharge your precious gadgets one or more times via a USB connection, so you can keep talking, texting, or gaming throughout the day.
Power banks range in price depending on a few factors: how compact it is, what kind of ports it has, how much battery capacity it contains (typically measured in mAh), and how quickly it can recharge your devices.
Today’s phones and tablets may differ in terms of their peak wired charging speeds, yet we’ve found some battery packs that should work well no matter what device you have. It’s true that some outliers, like Samsung’s Galaxy S23 phone, can recharge at 25 W or higher depending on the model, but many other Android phones and iPhones recharge via a wired connection at under 20 W — even less when you’re charging wirelessly.
Get one that lists the Power Delivery capability (noted as “PD” in the specs), and it should ideally match, or come close to, the peak charging speeds (in watts) of the devices that you intend to charge with it.
The batteries we recommend for phones and tablets are also a good pick for the Nintendo Switch. However, the Steam Deck needs more juice, as do some mightier laptops that can receive power via USB-C.
In terms of tablets, picking either of the two power bank options we recommend below should be a good fit for what you may have. For reference, all iPads currently ship with 20 W power adapters, and so far, tablets from other manufacturers like Samsung and Amazon haven’t deviated far from that charging speed.
Whichever you choose, it never hurts to
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