Why should you buy a portable power bank?

Whether you need to charge your phone, tablet, or laptop, these portable power banks will help keep you connected wherever your travels take you.

Can a power bank charge a phone?

While most power banks provide ports, some also offer built-in charging cables for commonly used devices so you won’t have to carry separate charging cables. You can also find portable phone chargers that attach directly to your smartphone to automatically extend your phone’s battery life.

Which power bank should I buy?

The Nimble Champ is our top recommendation for most folks, but we have all sorts of alternatives here. Read our Best MagSafe Power Banks guide for Apple-specific portable chargers, and our Best Portable Power Stations guide if you need more power. Updated June 2025: We've added power banks from Redmagic and Statik, and added a new FAQ.

How much power does a power bank give a phone?

Our testing shows that a power bank can offer your phone about 70% of the power it contains. It loses the rest due to the inefficiency of the power transfer. That means a 5,000 mAh battery can fully charge a phone with a 3,500 mAh battery, like an iPhone 16.

Is mycharge a good portable power bank?

The charging cord is shorter than other models. This portable power bank from myCharge earned the top slot in our test for its portability, battery life, and ability to accommodate both iPhone and Android models. Thanks to the USB port, type C, and lightning cable adapters included, you don’t have to bring your own cables.

Do you need a portable battery or power bank?

Watching your phone or tablet steadily run out of power when you're nowhere near an outlet is stressful. But there's an easy solution: a portable battery or power bank. They are available in many sizes and capacities and can include handy features like fast charging and multiple ports.