Zendure’s A6PB cutting-edge power bank is equipped with USB-C and 3.0A USB outlet ports for rapid charging of two devices simultaneously. It has a generous 20,100mAh capacity, enough to fully charge an iPhone X 5½ times. We found that real-world performance matched the manufacturer’s claims. It also offers pass-through charging. Auto-detection means that devices start to charge as soon as they are plugged in. Adaptive charging automatically adjusts the output to charge your device at optimum speed. The A6PD also has in-built protection against short circuits, power surges, overheating and overcharging. It comes with a protective cloth pouch and USB cable. You need to use a true USB-C cable that has the oval USB-C connector on both ends. Your laptop charger might use a removable USB C cable, in which case you can simply move it over to the power bank when needed. USB-C PD cables are rated for 3A, but some are rated for 5A. If your charger and laptop both support charging at 5A then it is worth getting a compatible cable. In most cases however you’ll get 3A charging with a total power delivery of 30W from the typical power bank designed for laptop charging. Goal Zero updated its Sherpa line of portable chargers with better wireless charging capabilities: 15 watts, up from 5 watts in the previous model. I tested the Sherpa AC, which features two USB-C ports (60-watt and 100-watt), two USB-A ports, and a 100-watt AC port for those devices that need a pronged plug. It strikes a good balance between power storage (93 watt-hours in my drain test) and weight (2 pounds). It’s enough to charge up my Dell XPS 13 almost twice. The use of USB-C for the single input/output port is a little weird given the target market, and you’ll need a fast USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable to make the most of the device. What’s more, the wired charging isn’t super-speedy; our Android test smartphone only recovered by 11% from a 15-minute charge. But if you’re an iPhone user looking for a light and convenient portable charger, the Anker 622 is almost perfect for the role. Like all the power banks in this list, it comes with a 12V DC port. This is both an input and output port that can deliver up to 100W of power. This is more than enough to charge power-intensive devices such as laptops or CPAP machines.

If you’re going to get to a place where you can recharge your power bank before you’re out of options, then it’s generally better to always use the high-amperage port. Especially if you want to actively use the phone for power hungry applications such as GPS navigation. Cons: It’s the heaviest power bank in this round-up, and also the most expensive. If you really want to get the best out of the product you’ll need to read the instruction manual. That explains how to initiate the smart charge sequence whenever you plug in a device for the first time.Many years ago, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 gained notoriety when its batteries caught fire in a series of incidents. There's been a steady stream of similar, though isolated, incidents ever since. However, despite the high-profile coverage of batteries gone wrong, the vast majority of Li-ion batteries are safe.

To see how this makes a difference we need yet another unit, the watt hour (Wh). This is the unit your electric bill is measured in and indicates the actual energy used. Capacity:Think of capacity as the energy reservoir of your power bank. The higher the mAh (milliampere-hour), the more power it can store. So, choose a power bank with a capacity that suits your charging needs and can juice up multiple devices. There are so many portable chargers out there. Here are a few more we like that just missed out on a place above for one reason or another. Step up from the budget power banks to the mighty Juice Powerbank Max and you get a much more capable mobile charger, with a 20,000mAh capacity and a 20W USB PD output over USB-C. We measured the USB-A output at nearly 15W in our tests, which recharged our smartphone by 18% in 15 minutes. With USB-C, that output rose to just over 19W, which was good for a 22% recharge in 15 minutes. That’s not bad at all for an affordable power bank, and we also found it usable for charging tablets and even a Chromebook laptop, albeit at a slower-than-usual speed.The Working of this battery bank circuit is pretty simple. Ajumper wire is used to connect the negative terminal of the first battery to the positive terminal of the second battery while another set of wires is used to connect the open positive and negative terminals to any external DC device. With a power bank, though, you can always get a recharge – even when you’re far from home. In fact, with bigger power banks, you can get away for a weekend or go camping and still keep your phone juiced up. And it’s not only smartphones that can benefit. Tablets, digital cameras and Bluetooth speakers can often do with a top-up, and a decent power bank is a must-have accessory if you love playing on a Nintendo Switch.

With USB-C and twin 2.4A USB outputs, the GP Batteries M-series power bank supports the latest devices and offers speedy charging. You can charge up to three devices simultaneously. The 15,000mAh capacity gives a real-world performance of about four to five smartphone charges (though the manufacturer quotes six). It’s very simple and easy to use – a single button with four LED indicator lights and device auto-detection means you can just plug in and go. It is supplied with a 2-in-1 micro-USB and USB-C cable. Cons: Inevitably, this power bank is fairly heavy. We also wish it had a USB-C port – though the latest 26800mAh Ravpower model (the PB058) has added this feature. Our only other negative is that this power bank isn’t IP-rated, so it isn’t as tough as some. Real world performance was very good. The large 20,100mAh capacity gives five to seven smartphone charges, depending on the model. The Powercore 20100 also has built-in protection from power surges and short circuits. It comes with a micro USB cable and a travel pouch. Additionally, the TalentCell’s power bank’s input capability supports a maximum of 12.6V/3A. In contrast to the DC port, which can be used to power up gadgets such as routers, LED strip lights and IP cameras, the USB-A port with the 5V/2A output is better suited for charging devices with lower power consumption, such as phones. Cons: Though the case features anti-slip rubber coated edges that may help to absorb minor impacts, the power bank does not carry an IP rating. Nor is it supplied with a protective pouch.Cons: While the 2.4A USB output is speedy, the slower 1.0A port is sluggish compared to the multiple high-speed charging options of other power banks here. To help you out, note that it typically takes 2,500 to 3,500mAh to charge a modern smartphone (though many factors can affect power consumption). Charging a GPS unit or digital camera is likely to consume a similar amount of power, while charging a head torch, smartwatch or GoPro will consume much less. High-powered devices like tablets and laptops are the biggest drain on battery capacity. This video shows all the details required to build an external battery power bank of your own. As you can see, it is a very simple project and gives a very usable result. You'll be using scrap laptop batteries to make this power bank. It's a lightweight power bank, and very easy to make. This homemade power bank uses a boost converter, Li-ion battery, switch, charging module, solder tabs and other basic materials - nothing too expensive. This power bank is just designed for charging Android phones. Follow these instructions to make your own. There is a downside to this though. Faster discharging causes increased heat in the battery. The hotter the battery gets, the less efficient it is. So using the faster port could have a noticeable impact on how much charge you get out at the end of the day.