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- Our team of experts have tested and reviewed dozens upon dozens of portable power banks over the years
- Right now, the best power bank to buy is the Anker Prime A110A, due to its phenomenal capacity and blisteringly fast charging speeds
- Those on budget will do better with the Cuktech 10 Mini, which offers good capacity and better portability for a bargain price
- Read on to see which other power banks we recommend, including our favourite MagSafe compatible option and the best high-capacity budget model
Over the past few years, power banks have become a necessary part of any tech-head’s toolbelt. Whether we’re talking about emergency power for your laptop because the train ports aren’t working again, trying to eke more playtime out of your Nintendo Switch 2, or keeping your phone juiced up during a weekend away at a festival, portable power banks bring peace of mind when you’re out and about.
Our team of experts has tested and reviewed countless power banks over the years, pushing the limits of their charging capacity and multi-device claims to ascertain which are going to be reliable members of your tech family and which are liable to let you down.
Below, we’ve gathered together the best performers from our testing, with a wide range of power banks suited to different needs. If you’re unsure of your requirements, our buying guide covers the key features that are worth bearing in mind. Otherwise, these are the best power banks you can buy right now.
| Best power banks: At a glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best power bank | Anker Prime A110A (~£180) | |
| Best budget power bank | Cuktech 10 Mini (~£25) | |
| Best MagSafe power bank | Anker MagGo 10K (~£90) | |
How we test power banks
We connect power banks through a USB power meter to a range of devices, including Android and iOS smartphones and an Acer Chromebook, to check how much power they output from each of their USB-A and USB-C ports.
We also check their wireless charging capabilities and measure the rate at which they charge from a 65W USB-C charger. Finally, we run a quick charge test to find out how much they can recharge our test smartphone in a 15-minute period.
The best power banks you can buy in 2026
1. Anker Prime A110A: The best portable power bank
Price when reviewed: £180 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… outstanding charging speeds and useful digital display
- Not so great for… those on a budget
The Anker Prime A110A is the definition of excess. It has a staggering capacity of 26,250mAh – enough to fully charge your laptop and juice your smartphone several times over – and supports super-fast 300W charging allowing for the simultaneous speedy charging of multiple devices. In short, if you need a lot of power, this is the way to get it.
Its two USB-C ports can both output a maximum of 140W at the same time, and you can even tuck a lower-power device into the USB-A port at up to 20W and charge three things at once. You can check the various output levels via the incredibly useful touchscreen, which also can monitor charging status, current temperature and you can do this via Anker’s companion app, which connects to the power bank via Bluetooth.
All of this quality does come at a price, however, with £180 being quite expensive for a power bank.
Read our full Anker Prime A110A review
Key specs – Capacity: 26,250mAh; Input: USB-C; Outputs: USB-C (140W), USB-C (140W), USB-A (20W); Dimensions (WDH): 63 x 38 x 160mm; Weight: 600g
2. Cuktech 10 Mini: Best cheap power bank
Price when reviewed: £25 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… portability
- Not so great for… wireless charging
The Cuktech 10 Mini is cheap but it packs more of a punch than you might think for the money. You get three ports here: two USB-Cs that can charge at up to 55W and a USB-A port that supports charging up to 33W, it has a total capacity of 10,000mAh – enough for roughly two full smartphone charges – and there’s enough output power to juice up a laptop and a phone at the same time.
The build is slight enough to comfortably slip into a bag or a pocket and, at 216g, it weighs roughly the same as a flagship smartphone. There’s a useful little LED display, too, which lights up at the press of a button to show you current charging status and battery level.
As for negatives, there are impressively few. There’s no wireless charging and the claimed 55W peak speed only applies to laptops and some Xiaomi phones – our test Android handset hit around 40W. Otherwise, this is a value-packed charger with great speeds and a keen price.
Read our full Cuktech 10 Mini review
Key specs – Capacity: 10,000mAh; Input: USB-C; Outputs: USB-C (55W), USB-C 55W), USB-A (33W); Dimensions (WDH): 90 x 33 x 50mm; Weight: 216g
3. Juice Eco Max+: Best budget high-capacity power bank
Price when reviewed: £35 | Check price at Argos
- Great for… massive capacity for multiple gadgets
- Not so great for… underwhelming charging speeds
It’s one of the bigger power banks out there, but the new Juice Eco Max+ makes the size and weight worth your while with a whopping 24,000mAh capacity – 4,000mAh more than the old Juice Max. It features two USB Type-A ports and a USB Type-C port that doubles as an input, and while none of these gives you super-fast charging speeds, 12 to 15W should be enough to keep your gadgets charged over a weekend camping trip or a long commute.
My tests confirmed Juice’s stated charging speeds, with output measured at 11.17W on USB Type-A and a maximum 15.09W over USB Type-C. It won’t handle a laptop but it’s a great option for Nintendo Switch users or anyone travelling with a tablet and a smartphone, as you can charge up to three devices simultaneously from just the one unit. The rounded corners and soft plastic shell make it an easy fit for a bag or backpack, and it’s comparatively cheap as well.
Key specs – Capacity: 24,000mAh; Input: USB-C; Outputs: 2x USB-A (12W), USB-C (15W); Dimensions (WDH): 68 x 140 x 28mm; Weight: 406g
4. Anker MagGo 10K: Best MagSafe power bank
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… high charging speeds and a handy kickstand
- Not so great for… anyone on a tight budget
It’s more expensive than the MagGo 6.6K and lacks the ingenious hinged design, but the bigger MagGo 10K is the better power bank in many ways. Its larger 10,000mAh capacity gives you enough juice to charge an iPhone 15 twice and still have some left over, while I found its 20W USB-C port delivered 18.9W in actual use. And you’ve still got a 15W Qi2 charging pad if you don’t want to be bothered with a cable.
A clever little kickstand at the back means you can still charge wirelessly with your phone locked in a vertical position, or even held horizontally if you want to catch up on your Netflix watch list on the move. I also like the handy built-in screen on the right-hand side, which lets you know exactly how much charge you have left and how long it’s expected to last. If you’re looking for the best wireless power bank, this is as good as it gets.
Read our full Anker MagGo 10K review
Key specs – Capacity: 10,000mAh; Input: USB-C; Outputs: USB-C (20W), Qi2 wireless (15W); Dimensions (WDH): 69 x 108 x 20mm; Weight: 250g
5. Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10,000mAh: Best power bank for fast wireless charging
Price when reviewed: £80 | Check price at Amazon
Great for… Fast wireless charging, compact design and integrated kickstand
Not so great for… Mediocre wired charging speeds
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10,000mAh gives you 15W USB-C charging and 15W QI2 wireless charging, along with MagSafe compatibility at a lower price than some competitor power banks.
Like the similar Anker MagGo 10K, it teams an integral charging pad with an integrated kickstand, allowing you to prop up your iPhone or compatible Android phone while charging,; this turns your phone into a handy bedside alarm clock and calendar in Standby mode.
It can charge up to two devices simultaneously (one wired, one wireless) while it charges itself from its mains adapter, but speeds do take a slight knock. And while wired charging speeds aren’t quite up there with the MagGo 10K, they are still significantly better than most budget wireless power banks. The only thing it’s missing is a proper display. All you get is a tiny row of LEDs to show remaining battery capacity.
Prices vary dramatically, so it’s not always cracking value, but if you find it cheaper than the Anker MagGo 10K it’s a brilliant alternative.
Key specs – Capacity: 10,000mAh; Input: USB-C; Outputs: USB-C (15W), QI2 Wireless (15W); Dimensions (WDH): 70 x 100 x 20.6mm; Weight: 218g
How to choose the best power bank or charger for you
What kind of power bank should I buy?
Basically, you’re trying to balance four factors: size, speed, capacity and price. The rules are simple enough: the less you spend, the lower the capacity and the slower the power bank will charge.
Cheap power banks
The cheapest and smallest power banks will have a capacity of between 2,500mAh and 10,000mAh. These days we’d avoid anything below 5,000mAh, as it won’t have enough charge to refuel most recent smartphones. At the upper end of this range, though, you’ll have sufficient capacity to recharge your phone or give a tablet a decent boost – and you can find one the size of a smartphone or a Mars Bar for around £12 to £18.
Mid-range power banks
Spend £18 to £30 and you’re looking at power banks with a 10,000-20,000mAh capacity and better connectivity, with USB-C connections now pretty much standard. You may get an increase in size and weight to match; 20,000mAh batteries can be roughly the size of a big-screen smartphone, but they’re also a good 50% heavier. However, you’ll also have much faster charging, with Quick Charge 4 and USB PD.
Expensive power banks
Splash out more than £30 and you can bag an even bigger power bank, with capacities starting out at 20,000mAh and going all the way up to 26,800mAh or more. USB-C with Quick Charge 4 and USB-PD will be a given, making up for the fact that you’re carrying a heavier brick of a charger. The advantage is that you’ll be able to top up multiple devices, often simultaneously, and you’ll have enough charge to keep them going for a whole weekend or even longer.
What else should I look out for?
Most power banks now use a USB-C port to recharge, although some models will have a micro-USB port as well to ensure compatibility with older chargers. Don’t worry if you don’t have the required cable, as one will usually be provided in the box.
One advantage of this shift to USB-C is that power banks now support USB PD for faster charging. This means your power bank will often recharge faster when connected to a suitable fast charger, at anywhere from 20W to 60W. At those speeds, even a high-capacity charger can recharge fully in three to four hours.
As for charging your devices, you’ll usually have a choice of USB-A and USB-C ports, with the latter supporting the fastest USB PD charging standards. All power banks and smartphones support the USB BC 1.2 standard, which can deliver up to 7.5W over USB-A or 15W over USB-C. Most also support the USB Power Delivery (PD) 3 standard, which increases the maximum voltage and current to deliver up to 100W of power – enough to charge a lightweight laptop at a decent speed. Not all USB PD power banks can push out that much juice; you’ll often find them limited to 15W, 27W, 45W or the maximum 100W, but even 27W will cover you for fast charging on a wide range of smartphones and tablets.
We’re now also seeing the first power banks supporting the USB PD 3.1 spec, meaning they can deliver over 100W with compatible devices and cables. Right now, these don’t go over 28V at 5A for a maximum of 140W, but we may see power banks with 180W or 240W outputs in the future. That’s overkill for smartphones, but a potential game-changer for power-hungry laptops and tablets.
Beyond that, there are Qualcomm’s Quick Charge standards. The most common is Quick Charge 4, which pushes out a maximum 21V and 4.6A for 100W of output. It’s also compatible with USB PD, which is lucky, as Quick Charge 4 hasn’t had as much love from power bank manufacturers as the old Quick Charge 3 standard, with most standardising around USB PD. The same applies to the new Quick Charge 5, even though the latter can charge compatible phones to 50% within five minutes when using the right charger. It’s not hard to see why: USB PD is supported by Apple and Google’s recent devices and still delivers fast charging on Quick Charge 4 and Quick Charge 5 phones. More importantly, it’s an open standard without any licensing costs.
Is it worth paying extra for a fast-charging power bank?
Yes. There’s very little difference in terms of price these days, and even if your existing phone doesn’t support Quick Charge 4 or USB PD, there’s a good chance that your next one will. In fact, there’s an argument that the smartest thing to do is standardise around USB PD and ensure that your power banks, chargers, smartphones and tablets can all run under the same charging ecosystem, giving you fast charging whenever you need it.
What about charging wireless earbuds, Bluetooth headphones and other accessories?
Smaller accessories such as wireless earbuds, Bluetooth headphones, fitness trackers and smartwatches can cause problems for power banks because they’re designed to charge using a low-wattage trickle-charge, rather than the 10W to 25W used to fast-charge your typical smartphone. Either there’s a risk of damaging the accessory or its charging case, or the smarter power banks can even shut down due to the low demand. However, some power banks now include a trickle charge mode designed specifically to charge these devices safely. If you’re planning a long weekend (or longer) away where you’ll need a recharge, this is one feature worth looking out for.
What about wireless charging?
If you care more about convenience than speed, wireless charging is very much the way to go – and a growing number of power banks support it. Just place your smartphone on the integrated wireless pad, and you can recharge without connecting any cables. There will be a hit on charging speeds, so you’ll be limited to 7.5W or 10W, but that’s not a big issue if you don’t need to recharge in a flash. As a bonus, we’re now seeing Magsafe-friendly chargers that will clamp onto an iPhone or a ring inside an iPhone case, meaning you can recharge your iPhone even while you’re using it.
