How to Choose the Best Portable Phone Charger

How to Choose the Best Portable Phone Charger

The best portable phone charger keeps your smartphone, tablets, and other electronics charged when you're on the go.best portable phone charger The key is to choose a power bank that has the right capacity for your needs. Most models are rated in milliampere-hours (mAh), which gives you a sense of how many full charges it can provide for your devices. For most people, the best option is to look for a battery with at least 10,000 mAh.

To find the most efficient power bank for your lifestyle, consider what you use it for, the amount of time you spend with it, and how much you want to pay.best portable phone charger For example, if you only plan to use it for your phone and an iPad or two, a less expensive model might work just fine. But if you use your tablet for work or play all day, an extra-capacity model might be worth the investment.

Our top pick, the UGreen PowerBank Plus, is a sleek external battery with a built-in Lightning cable and USB-C port. It's a little pricey, but we've seen it on sale at lower prices than its regular $70 tag. The Mophie PowerStation Plus looks pretty cool, too—it's a small circular charger that has LED lights that display how much juice it has left. The Apple Store exclusive packs a big 10,000 mAh battery inside and has a lightning and USB-C input, so it can charge itself and up to three gadgets at the same time.

For a more budget-friendly option, check out our runner-up, the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000. It's a little heavier than our top pick, but its charging times and speeds are comparable. It only fell behind in our testing because it lacks a second USB-A output port like the INIU brick, which we consider a minor inconvenience given its overall quality and performance.

Another solid option is the Baseus Magnetic Foldable power bank. It has the second-highest power-to-weight ratio in our testing, and it's also inexpensive. It has a USB-C port that can charge at up to 20W, so it can get an iPhone up to 76% of its way back in about an hour.

If you're a fan of USB-C, the INIU Portable Charger 10000 is our best choice. It's heavy, but it has an impressive capacity and offers a reversible USB-C port that can charge your device and your power bank simultaneously. It's also got two standard USB ports, so it can charge multiple gadgets at once, and it has a built-in flashlight to illuminate your way in dark settings.

The Anker PowerCore Slim and the 2-Pack Miady power banks are lightweight and portable alternatives to our top pick. They're both a little bulkier than the INIU, but they weigh a reasonable 6.9 to 7.7 ounces and are easy to slip into a pocket without discomfort. The Miisso has a slight advantage over the other two in that its shape is more ergonomic and fits snugly into the bottom of your smartphone, rather than sitting on top of it.