The best portable chargers we tested
Best portable charger for phones: Anker 521
Best portable charger for laptops and tablets: UGreen 145W Power Bank
Best budget portable charger: Iniu Portable Charger
Portable chargers, also called power banks, help keep your devices charged while you’re on the move. With USB-C ports for newer gadgets and USB-A ports for older ones, they save you from searching for an outlet or running out of battery during the day.
We tested over a dozen chargers to find the best options and keep up with the newest models. Here are our top three picks, whether you need to power your laptop all day or just want an affordable way to charge your phone on the go.
Anker 521
Best portable charger for phones
A compact portable charger with fold-out prongs, the Anker 521 doubles as a USB-C wall adapter. It’s highly efficient and totally convenient.
UGreen 145W Power Bank
Best portable charger for laptops and tablets
This 25,000mAh pack has the speed to charge everything you can throw at it, including a 100W laptop.
Iniu Portable Charger
Best budget portable charger
The Iniu Portable Charge is a compact, low-cost 10,000mAh battery pack that will keep your phone, tablet or earbuds going without emptying your wallet.
Best portable charger for phones: Anker 521
Anker’s 521 Power Bank is a dual-purpose device. It works as a 5,000mAh battery pack with two USB-C ports on the front and as a wall adapter with foldable prongs on the back. You can plug it into an outlet to charge your devices while also recharging the power bank itself. A button on the side, surrounded by LED lights, shows the remaining charge.
Each USB-C port can deliver up to 45W of power, but the total output is capped at 45W. If you connect two devices, the power is split between them.
With an efficiency of 86.9%, the Anker 521 is one of the best battery packs for transferring its stored power to your devices. Charging it through a USB-C port takes 1 hour and 51 minutes from empty to full. However, as a wall adapter, it’s likely to stay charged and ready to go when you need it.
In testing, the power bank charged an iPhone 14 Plus at 27W, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 at 25W (among the fastest speeds tested), and a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio at the full 45W advertised.
The Anker 521 offers great versatility, strong performance, and a reasonable price, making it a top choice for keeping phones, gadgets, and even tablets powered on the go.
Best portable charger for laptops and tablets: UGreen 145W Power Bank
UGreen’s 145W Power Bank is a powerful, budget-friendly portable charger, offering up to 145W across three ports for under $100 during testing—an impressive value compared to others at this performance level.
It features two USB-C ports and one USB-A port on the front. The right USB-C port charges the power bank at 65W or powers devices like laptops at up to 100W. The left USB-C port can also charge the bank or devices at up to 45W. The USB-A port in the middle provides up to 18W.
A small LCD screen on the right shows the battery percentage, making it easy to check the charge level. A power button is also located nearby for quick access.
The UGreen 145W Power Bank boasts an impressive 25,000mAh capacity, delivering 80.33% efficiency in our drain test. This performance stands out, especially among larger battery packs, where the average efficiency is just under 77%. Recharging the power bank takes only 90 minutes using its 65W fast charging capability—making it the fastest-charging pack we tested, regardless of capacity.
In our output tests, the power bank performed exactly as anticipated. It charged the iPhone 14 Plus at 26W, the Z Fold 5 at 22W, and provided a full 96W for the Laptop Studio. (Though it remains unclear why no battery packs deliver 45W charging for Samsung devices.)
Compact yet powerful, the UGreen 145W Power Bank is an excellent choice for users on the go. It combines high efficiency, multiple ports, fast recharge times, and a competitive price, making it a standout option in its category.
Best budget portable charger: Iniu Portable Charger
The Iniu Portable Charger is affordable and compact, easily fitting in your pocket or purse. It features three ports on the front — two USB and one USB-C. There’s also a small flashlight you can activate by double-pressing the power button. While not very bright, it helps save your phone’s battery. On top, a paw print design lights up when you press the power button, with each pad indicating about 20% of the 10,000mAh capacity.
You can recharge the power bank through the USB-C port at 15W, but it takes over 3 hours to fully charge, which is a drawback. The maximum output is also 15W, shared across ports if multiple devices are connected. It’s best suited for charging one device at a time or recharging multiple devices slowly.
Despite the slower speeds, the Iniu Portable Charger has an 85.34% efficiency rating, ranking third among tested models. It charged an iPhone 14 Plus at 12W, a Z Fold 5 at 11W, and a Surface Laptop Studio at 14W. It’s not ideal for fast charging but gets the job done.
At roughly $20, with 10,000mAh capacity and solid efficiency, it’s an excellent value.