There's really nothing worse than watching your phone, tablet, or pretty much any gadget run out of battery. It can be incredibly stressful, especially when you are nowhere near a charging outlet. We've all been there, right? But you can avoid putting yourself in that situation again by simply carrying a portable charger with you when you are stepping out of your house. Portable chargers, commonly referred to as power banks, can help you charge your great smartphone and other gadgets when you are away from a charging outlet. I recommend carrying one around if your phone has a pretty good battery life because, well, you never know when you'll need more power, right?

There's no shortage of portable chargers on the market right now, so it can a bit overwhelming when you're looking for options to buy. If you're having trouble finding the right power bank and don't know what to look for, then I've made things a bit easier for you by highlighting some of the best power banks you can buy below. Additionally, I've also highlighted some important things to consider while picking a portable charger towards the end of this article, so it's easier for you to pick the right one next time you're shopping for one of these. Let's dive in!

Best portable chargers and power banks in 2023

Best portable battery packs to consider in 2023: Final thoughts

There are plenty of battery packs on the market, but those are the ones I'd personally pick right now. You can't go wrong with any of them, but I'd be leaning more toward the Anker PowerCore III as my favorite pick. One of the main reasons I prefer that over the other options is that it supports both wired and wireless charging. I find it convenient to have both charging methods because it's great for those who have devices that support both. Notably, it also packs a 10,000mAh battery, which is good enough to fully charge most smartphones.

I've highlighted many other power banks in this particular roundup, including the more compact 10,000mAh battery pack from Shargeek, a solar power charger, and even some thin and lightweight options. You'll definitely find something to your liking, so be sure to explore the entire list. As mentioned earlier, I am highlighting some important things to consider while picking the right power bank below. You'll find plenty of useful tips, and I hope it helps you pick the best power bank.

How to pick the right portable charger?

Picking the right portable charger or a power bank for your devices, thankfully, isn't as complicated as buying some other types of chargers out there. There are a few key things to consider though, so let's take a quick look at them.

• Size and capacity: The size and capacity of the portable charger depend on your charging needs, really. Most smartphones these days have a 3,000-4,000 mAh battery, so I recommend picking up a charger that can typically charge your device at least twice to get the best value for your money. A portable charger with a 10,000 mAh battery is a good place to start. The size of the portable charger will also increase as you go higher in capacity, so keep that in mind. The last thing you want to do is buy a portable charger that's not really portable since that would defeat its purpose.
• Traveling with power banks: While it is safe to travel with portable chargers on airplanes, there are certain restrictions. You must have portable chargers in your carry-on luggage, not checked-in luggage. Also, the battery limit is 100Wh, and anything above that isn't allowed. It also depends on the voltage of the power bank, so it's best to check with the airlines if you're carrying massive chargers with a larger capacity than 27,000 mAh.
• Charging ports: Modern-day power banks can charge multiple devices simultaneously as they carry more than one USB port. You may not need all those USB ports all the time, but it's nice to have some extra ports, just in case. It's also important to consider the input and output ports based on the devices you have. With most smartphones adopting USB Type-C ports — hopefully the next-gen iPhones, too — you might want to pick up a portable charger that uses a USB-C port for both input and output. I've also included some portable chargers that support wireless charging, so be sure to check them out if you want more convenience.
• Fast charging: Lastly, you should consider how quickly your portable charger can top up the battery. This, once again, depends on the type of device that you're charging, as not all smartphones support the same charging speed and standard. Apple's iPhones, for instance, support the Power Delivery (PD) standard and charge at around 20W. Most modern Android phones support PD or Qualcomm’s proprietary Quick Charge (QC) standard and can typically charge at speeds higher than 20W. So pick a portable charger based on the power requirement of the device that you’re planning to charge.

You also stop by our roundup of the best USB PD fast chargers and power adapters on your way out to see if you want to buy a reliable charger to keep all your devices and power banks charged up.