Four portable power banks that go the extra mile

The stress of carrying around battery-powered tech and not being sure when you’ll find the next wall plug is real. And though there are heaps of power banks available on the market, picking one you can rely on isn’t straightforward.

When weighing up a portable battery it’s vital to choose a good brand, but you’re also looking to strike a balance between capacity, ports, size, speed and price, with each given different weight depending on your needs. Commonly, you can find compact units that hold 10,000mAh, charge at up to 30W, and cost about $70. That’s reasonable value for keeping a phone topped up all weekend, but below are four notably well-built premium units I have tested and recommend, that will give you a little extra.

The all-rounder

Odds are you won’t need 100W most of the time, but it is nice to have. I used the P63 to charge my MacBook Pro at full speed from very low to completely full in a couple of hours, while working, and it used less than half of the bank’s stored power. You can be assured your phone and most other devices will charge at their full speed from the main USB-C port, whether it’s an iPhone that takes 40W, a handheld gaming console that takes 65W, or a laptop that takes 90W.

If you’re mainly concerned about one device, this is a brilliant bank; it fills fast when you plug it into the wall, and has enough capacity to totally replenish your phone four or five times. But it will also happily charge multiple devices. You can charge two USB-C devices at up to 65W and 45W, or one USB-C and one USB-A at 65W and 18W. Charging three at a time clearly tests the limits of the bank though. The main port will still give 65W, but the other two get the bare minimum. And the unit will get hot.

The P63 looks and feels nice, which is unusual for a power bank, though it is a massive fingerprint magnet. A glossy panel gives the impression of a big screen, but in truth there’s only a simple display underneath that shows the percentage battery left. What appears at first to be a corded lanyard is actually a short USB-C cable in disguise, one which is capable of carrying the full 100W. It’s a clever way to prevent you from forgetting a cable but, although it feels well-made, I’m hesitant to put any kind of stress on a power cable, so I wouldn’t hang it off anything.

The magnetic option

Simply snapping a magnetic charger to your phone when needed is a lot tidier than plugging in a cable. I primarily tested the 10,000mAh Fortix model, which had plenty of juice to fully charge my phone twice with some left over. It attached solidly, and was big enough that I could grip it like a pop socket, but it also made the phone quite bulky. If you want to keep using the phone as normal while you charge, a slimmer option like the $80 5000mAh Fortix might be better. There are number of these designs on the market, including one made by Apple specifically for its iPhone Air, and most (including this one) have both a magnetic charger and a USB-C. There are also many that feel a bit thin and flexy though, which you don’t want in a battery.

The 15W wireless charge speed is below the MagSafe maximum of 25W, but I found I was happy to start charging sooner and keep charging longer because I didn’t have to sit down with a bulky pack and a cable, or banish my phone to my backpack. If you have earbuds or other devices that can charge wirelessly (MagSafe AirPods are especially good here) you can top them up wirelessly with the Fortix while you sit at a cafe. But you can also just use a cable, and you’ll get a slightly faster 20W. If you do two devices at once, both will have greatly reduced speeds, but it works. In addition to iPhone, these will also work on any Qi2 Android phone. I tested them on a Google 10 Pro and they worked perfectly. On Samsung phones, because of the low camera bump, I had to tilt the battery a little, which doesn’t affect performance but is not ideal.

While there are cheaper magnetic battery banks out there, these are the most solid-feeling I’ve used. And I do appreciate that they are made with a cutting edge semi-solid state battery design, meaning they have minimal liquid content (so much less danger of fires) and should last for thousands more charges than an equivalent lithium-ion battery. One downside of the overall design is the lack of a screen; you only have a little row of LED dots to show how much juice you have left.

The wall plug

The BoostCharge Hybrid looks and works like any other travel charger; it’s a big black brick with one USB-C, one USB-A and easily removable prongs (it comes with all the regions so you can take it overseas with no adapter). When plugged into your wall it’s a 25W charger. However, it’s also got a 5000mAh battery stored inside, so it will continue charging the connected devices at a maximum of 20W when you unplug it from the wall. Of course none of these numbers stack up to the beefiest dedicated batteries, but this is also a legitimately pocketable device. And it may seem like a minor thing, but having the one fist-sized device act as a charging brick and a portable battery bank can be really convenient.

As you move around from place to place you plug it into a wall socket when you can — it will top up any attached device first and then fill up its internal battery — and then you just put it in your pocket when you need to leave and your device will continue charging. I also find myself using this device at home surprisingly often, which isn’t something I can say for any other battery bank, because it’s always plugged in and full. I have a big 100W charger at my desk for topping up gadgets, but if I happen to need something in another room and the battery is dead (often a tablet, headphones or a game controller), I’ll plug it into this charger and then take it with me.

The obvious trade-off is that you could get much faster charging and more battery capacity if you used two separate devices. And of course if you had a battery bank plus a charger with multiple USB-C ports, you’d be able to top up your phone and battery significantly quicker when you found an outlet. But the selling point here is an all-in one solution at the expense of some speed.

The overkill scenario

It may not be pocketable, but the Prime’s thin brick shape makes it easy enough to grip and carry. It looks like a premium product, and if you have a work set-up that might demand heavy charging (say a laptop plus a phone), it’s a sleek power source that won’t take up much room. The 100W input means you can half-fill the bank in less than half an hour, assuming a strong enough wall plug, and then you can use that stored energy to charge two USB-C devices simultaneously at up to 100W each. Either port can boost to 140W if you’re only charging a single device. There’s also a USB-A that gets 20W if both the USB-Cs are full, or 22.5W otherwise. Yes, if you’re doing the maths, that’s a total 220W maximum output. And yes, it does get warm.

Another big benefit is the colour screen on the front, which you can cycle between an overview display showing remaining battery, one showing the exact wattage going through each of the three ports, and one showing the temperature. Being able to see power stats at a glance can be helpful if you’re not sure you’re getting the full speed, maybe because of a lower-spec cable or a device’s settings. This power bank also has Bluetooth for use with Anker’s app, where you can tweak some settings (such as power delivery preferences to keep temps low and increase longevity) and see live power stats.

This unit also connects to Anker’s line of desktop charging bases, which could streamline your set-up by charging devices at home and serving as a spot to drop the bank and make sure it stays juiced up. But by that point you may be dropping $400 on a charging set-up, which is pretty tough to justify. On the other hand, if money is no object, Anker also has a $300 version of this power bank that has a 26,000mAh capacity and 300W max output (140W on both USB-Cs simultaneously, plus the USB-A).

A note on battery safety

High-capacity rechargeable batteries can be dangerous. If they overheat or malfunction, the resulting fire can be explosive and difficult to extinguish. However, while all batteries can potentially go wrong, almost all incidents are due to one of two factors; poorly made devices, or inappropriate handling. So here are some tips to minimise the risk.

• When buying devices with a battery inside, stick to known brands and trusted stores. Well-made devices have battery management systems and thermal cut-offs, along with properly built and wired components. Avoid cheap, unbranded battery packs and mystery cables.
• If you’re unfamiliar with a brand, check for regulatory marks. These include the FCC and CE marks, but the one that shows a device meets Australian requirements is the Regulatory Compliance Mark, which is a circled tick inside a triangle.
• Batteries generate heat. Unplug devices once they are charged, and never leave things charging unattended on a soft surface like a bed or blanket. Don’t charge with hot devices, and avoid keeping them in hot environments like cars.
• Avoid dropping, crushing or tampering with any battery-powered device, and inspect regularly for damage. If the plastic casing is cracked, any wires are damaged, connectors are bent or the device appears swollen, do not use.
• Modern USB devices negotiate safe power levels with chargers, meaning it is not inherently dangerous to plug a device that only needs 5W into charger that can do 100W. But sticking to high-quality chargers and cables ensures these built-in safety handshakes work properly.

While battery packs are ideal for travelling, it’s worth noting that you should always check airline rules. Power banks are not allowed in checked luggage. Units under 100Wh (a measure of total energy potential, generally equivalent to a power bank with around 27,000mAh capacity) are allowed in carry-on luggage, so the above four recommendations and the large bulk of consumer power banks can fly. But the actual use or charging of power banks on planes is now largely prohibited.

Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.