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Best power banks and portable chargers to keep your devices topped up while on the go

Stay powered up, no matter where you go, with these top-rated power banks

Alex Lee
Senior tech critic
Wednesday 19 February 2025 11:08 EST
We tested the power banks and portable chargers for speed, weight, portability, power, design and extra features
We tested the power banks and portable chargers for speed, weight, portability, power, design and extra features (Anker/The Independent )
Our Top Picks

We all know that sinking feeling when your phone’s about to die, and you’re nowhere near a charger. It’s enough to have you legging it home early, just to keep your phone alive. Sound familiar? It’s probably time you invested in one of the best power banks or portable chargers to banish that feeling for good.

Power banks and portable chargers have come a long way since the days of those ugly, heavy charging units seen in the early 2000s. Nowadays, you can get slimline, featherlight and ultra-fast-charging power banks that can charge your laptoptablet and phone at the same time, and at ultra-fast speeds.

Some have wireless charging built-in, some have an in-built Bluetooth tracker, so you can find them whenever they get lost, and some even double up as Bluetooth speakers. Many of the best high-capacity power banks can also recharge within minutes, instead of half a day, which is how long older models used to take.

We’ve been testing the very best power banks and portable chargers, to find the ones that won’t leave you in the lurch.

How we tested

We tested a whole host of portable chargers
We tested a whole host of portable chargers (Alex Lee/The Independent)

We tested power banks and portable chargers for speed, weight, portability, power, design and extra features. We timed how fast they could revive a dead phone, tablet and laptop, checking if they lived up to their fast-charging claims. We also looked at weight and size – whether they were easy to slip into a pocket or better suited for chucking in a bag. For power, we checked the battery capacity (mAh) and how many full charges they could manage before needing a top-up themselves.

Design was another key factor, from overall sturdiness to whether they felt like they’d survive being knocked about in a bag. We also considered extras such as built-in cables, wireless charging and digital displays. To see how they held up in real life, we took them on holiday, relying on them as our only source of power. While there are lots of new brands popping up, we still found the best power banks came from Anker and Belkin.

Why you can trust us

Alex Lee is a senior tech critic at The Independent. He’s been reviewing gadgets since 2017, and has a particular interest in charging technology. Always tinkering with new fast-charging tech, he’s been reviewing the best power banks and portable chargers for IndyBest since 2021.

The best power banks for 2025 are:

  • Best overall – Anker zolo powercore 20K power bank: £34.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Anker nano 5K: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best 10,000mAh power bank – Anker nano with built-in USB-C cable: £39.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for Apple devices – Belkin boostcharge pro: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for multiple devices – Anker Prime 27,650mAh power bank: £179.99, Amazon.co.uk

Anker zolo power bank

Anker Zolo
  • Best: Overall
  • Dimensions: 11.99cm x 7.37cm x 3.15cm
  • Weight: 317g
  • Connections: USB-A, USB-C
  • Capacity: 20,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: No
  • Why we love it
    • Does the job fast and well
    • Has a huge capacity
    • In-built USB-C cable is handy
  • Take note
    • Not the smartest power bank
    • Quite chunky

It might not have the most exciting design or the jazziest features but the Anker zolo power bank is our favourite because it offers a huge 20,000mAh capacity and boasts a sturdy built-in USB-C cable, so you never need to remember to bring an extra one on your travels.

While it’s quite thick and chunky, it’s not that heavy. Featuring a second USB-C port, as well as a regular USB-A port, and its in-built USB-C cable can be used to charge the battery itself, as well as other devices, such as smartphones, tablets and even laptops. It does it really fast, too, thanks to its 30W charging speed. There’s also a handy trickle charging mode for low-power devices, including earbuds and smartwatches – something you activate by double clicking the power button.

We managed to eke out enough power for a week-long trip abroad, with this power bank charging up our iPhone 15 pro max and AirPods pro. If you want something you can pack into your backpack or handbag and take on trips, this is the device that will ensure you’ve always got power, no matter the scenario. The only snag is it takes a while to charge itself to full, so, make sure you give yourself a few hours.

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Anker nano 5K

Anker nano 5K, best power banks
  • Best: Budget buy
  • Dimensions: 10.4cm x 5.4cm x 2.5cm
  • Weight: 213g
  • Connections: USB-A, USB-C
  • Capacity: 10,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: No
  • Why we love it
    • Nice modern LED display
    • Pocket-friendly design
  • Take note
    • Not a huge charging capacity
    • No bi-directional charging

Essentially a better version of Apple’s MagSafe power banks, the Anker nano 5K is your emergency power bank, with a large enough capacity to live in your car or your backpack, helping you boost your phone back to full health.

Instead of attaching to the back of your phone and charging it up using magnets (which takes a really long time (wireless charging is super slow), the Anker nano 5K has a little foldable USB-C port that sticks out of the side, slotting into the bottom of your phone. This means it charged our devices quickly, and the USB-C only added a tiny bit of extra depth.

This is a great dinky power bank that stays in place securely. You won’t be able to recharge it using the USB-C port, but Anker provides a USB-C cable in the box for that.

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Anker nano with built-in USB-C cable

Anker nano with built-in USB-C cable, best power banks
  • Best: 10,000mAh power bank
  • Dimensions: 10.4cm x 5.4cm x 2.5cm
  • Weight: 213g
  • Connections: USB-A, USB-C
  • Capacity: 10,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: No
  • Why we love it
    • Nice modern LED display
    • Pocket-friendly design

If you think the Anker zolo is a little too big for your liking, the Anker nano is a more pocket-friendly device. With a slimline design, it fits more comfortably inside a handbag or your jacket and doesn’t weigh too much, either. It’s also more modern, featuring an LED display that tells you exactly how much battery it has left as a percentage (no more imprecise guessing with the four dots).

What we really love about the nano, however, is that it has a surprisingly durable in-built USB-C cable that doubles as a carry handle, so, we never needed to worry about forgetting to bring the extra cable to juice up our devices on the go. It also charges the power bank itself.

Thanks to the 30W fast charging, we never needed to plug in for an extended amount of time. The only issue is it’s only 10,000mAh, so, it was only really good for a couple of charges.

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Anker prime 27,650mAh power bank

Anker prime 27,650mAh power bank, best power banks
  • Best: For multiple devices
  • Dimensions: 16.2cm x 4.9cm x 5.7cm
  • Weight: 667g
  • Connections: USB-C
  • Capacity: 27,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: No
  • Why we love it
    • Charges loads of devices really fast
    • Has a huge capacity
    • The LED screen is really helpful
    • Connects to a Bluetooth app for real-time stats
    • Can be rung when lost
  • Take note
    • Hefty
    • Very expensive

It’s weird to say this about power banks but, if they were smartphones, the Anker prime would be the equivalent of the iPhone 16 pro max or the Samsung Galaxy S25 ultra: big, powerful and brimming with features. It has a huge 27,000mAh capacity and charges devices super quickly, making it ideal for anyone travelling away from home.

We were able to simultaneously charge our phone, headphones and laptop, just using this one charging brick. The USB-C ports offer up to 100W of power, and our laptop was juiced up to full in less than an hour. Like the Anker nano with the built-in USB-C cable, the Anker prime has an LED display that shows you how much battery is left (in minutes), as well as how many minutes it’ll take before it’s fully charged. 

Even better, and this might be overkill, it also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can link it up to the Anker Smart Control app and input your devices into the app, so you know how long they have left before running flat. You can also see stats and optimise your charge. The app can also ring your power bank, so you can hunt it down if it goes missing.

The thing we love most, though, is the fact you can buy a separate charging base (£59.99, Amazon.co.uk) that charges the power bank. If you’re anything like us, you always forget to charge the power bank itself but, with the base, you can plop the power bank directly on top of the base, and it’ll start charging up. Then, when you have to go back out, you just lift it off and go on your way. It has extra USB-C slots, too, so you can charge other devices.

The only downside is its heft and price. It’s about the size of a Coke can. While it’s great for work trips when you aren’t near any power outlets, it’s not so great for day trips.

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Anker 622 magnetic MagGo power bank

Anker 622 magnetic MagGo power bank, best power banks
  • Best: MagSafe power bank
  • Dimensions: 10.5cm x 6.6cm x 1.3cm
  • Weight: 142g
  • Connections: USB-C
  • Capacity: 5,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Has an in-built kickstand
    • Can charge wirelessly and via the USB-C
  • Take note
    • Wireless charging is quite slow

What’s neat about this power bank is it not only works like a handy little 5,000mAh power booster when connected to your iPhone via USB-C, it’s also one of the few power banks that can charge your gear wirelessly.

There are strong magnets on the inside, which kept our iPhone glued in place as it charged, and we loved that there was a fold-out kickstand on the rear, so we could prop it up and charge it at the same time. Yes, it’s not got a huge capacity – you won’t be using this for more than a single charge – but, even without the charging functionality, it still worked great as a stand.

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Belkin boostcharge pro power bank

vbelkin boostcharge pro
  • Best: For Apple devices
  • Dimensions: 10.01cm x 2.06cm x 7.01cm
  • Weight: 218g
  • Connections: USB-C
  • Capacity: 10,000mAh
  • Wireless charging: Yes
  • Why we love it
    • Supports MagSafe charging and 15W wireless charging
    • Can be used as a wireless charging pad through the mains
    • Handy kickstand included

If you’ve got the trifecta of Apple gadgets (iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods), this is the very best power bank for all your needs. With a hefty 10,000mAh battery capacity, it doesn’t just serve as a fast portable charger for your iPhone and other gadgets, it also has an in-built 15W MagSafe charger, which we used with our Apple Watch series 9.

Boasting super-fast 20W power delivery, the power bank took around 40 minutes to charge our Apple Watch from zero to full. It’s a great little portable charger for Apple devotees, and even boasts a handy kickstand, so you can charge while watching content at your desk. We also liked that the power bank can be plugged into the mains and used as a wireless charging pad, meaning it never eats into the power bank’s battery.

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JBL charge 5 wifi

JBL charge 5 wifi, best power banks
  • Best: Bluetooth speaker with built-in power bank
  • Dimensions: 22.3cm x 9.7cm x 9.4cm
  • Weight: 960g
  • Connections: USB-C input, USB-A output
  • Capacity: 7,500mAh
  • Wireless charging: No
  • Why we love it
    • Really solid speaker with Bluetooth and wifi compatibility
    • Packed with features
  • Take note
    • The power bank is more of an add-on
    • Charging via the power bank is slow

This is one of the niftiest inventions we’ve ever laid eyes on – it’s a speaker that has both Bluetooth and wifi connectivity, which also happens to double up as a 7,500mAh power bank. That means we could charge our phone using the USB-A port while blasting our tunes in the garden. 

It’s not the fastest power bank in the world but, as a speaker, it’s excellent. It works as an extra Alexa multi-room speaker, has Spotify Connect support, works with Chromecast and you can AirPlay your music from your iPhone. Sound is strong, the bass is good, and there’s no distortion when playing our favourite tracks. It sounds even better over wifi. Plus, you get 20 hours of battery on a single charge (not including the power bank battery).

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The verdict: Power banks and portable chargers

The Anker zolo might not be the smartest power bank on this list but it will charge your smartphone fast. It has a huge 20,000mAh capacity, meaning we could juice up our iPhone several times while on holiday. For something smarter, you can’t go wrong with the Anker prime power bank, which has a huge 27k capacity and can be optimised using the Anker app. Apple user? You’ll get a lot of use out of Belkin’s boostcharge pro, which has a handy magnetic charger on the top. 

Looking for a new handset, too? Read our round-up of the best mobile phones

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