Most people buy a power bank on one number: capacity. Bigger mAh, better bank, job done. It’s the wrong instinct. The number that decides whether a portable charger is any good for you is output wattage, and it barely gets a mention on the box. That’s the lens behind our best power banks 2026 list: we ranked them by the job, not the hype.

The short version: a 20,000mAh bank that pushes 18W won’t charge a MacBook. One that pushes 87W will.

Capacity tells you how much energy it holds. Wattage tells you how fast it comes back out, and whether it comes out fast enough for the thing you’re charging.

For most people, 20,000mAh in the 80W-plus range is the sweet spot: enough to refill a phone several times or top up a laptop, without turning your bag into a brick.

Two facts worth knowing before you shop. Power banks lose roughly 10 to 20% of their rated capacity to heat and conversion on the way out, so a 20,000mAh bank never hands your phone a full 20,000mAh.

If you fly, most airlines follow the IATA guidance that caps power banks at 100Wh in carry-on, so it’s the watt-hours you watch, not the mAh.

Our mAh to Wh calculator does that conversion for you.

We picked eight, one for each job. Whether you want the smallest thing that fits a pocket, the lightest thing for a long-haul flight, or the one bank that keeps a laptop, a tablet and a phone alive at once, there’s a use case below that matches yours. A note on terms: power bank, portable charger, portable phone charger and battery charger for a phone all mean the same thing, and we use them interchangeably.

🔋 How we pick: our verdicts combine hands-on testing by the SGK team with trusted independent lab data. See how we test and score, or read who we are and how we are funded.

Start with the job, not the number. Write down what you charge in a normal day. A phone and earbuds? 10,000mAh covers a full day. Add a tablet or a laptop and 20,000mAh is the right target.

Want the full method? Our guide to choosing a power bank walks through the four numbers that decide it: capacity, speed, power-to-weight and the 100Wh airline ceiling.

Mind the efficiency loss. Every bank loses 10 to 20% to heat and conversion, so a 10,000mAh bank gives your phone roughly two full charges, not the three the maths suggests.

Match the wattage to the device. A phone is happy at 20 to 45W. A 13-inch laptop wants 30 to 65W to charge while you use it. A 15 or 16-inch machine wants 65 to 100W.

Built-in cables are convenient until they break. They save you fumbling for a lead, but a damaged built-in cable can’t be swapped out. A bank with a built-in cable and a spare port is the safe middle ground.

Magnetic is convenient, not fast. Qi2 at 25W is great for topping up while you scroll. When you need speed, plug in.

If you want one bank that does almost everything, get the Anker 87W 20K. It’s our Best Overall because 20,000mAh at 87W covers phones, tablets and a 13-inch laptop without a second cable in the bag.

From there, pick by the job. Smallest pocket carry is the INIU Pocket Rocket P50. Lightest for travel is the NITEBEAM SSB10K. Real laptop power is the Anker A1695. Cable-free iPhone charging is the UGREEN MagFlow. Best money for most people is the INIU P41L. And if you want the most output there is, it’s the Anker Prime 26K 300W.

Every pick here sits within the usual 100Wh airline carry-on limit, though you should always check your own airline before you fly.