How to choose the best portable charger in 2021

If your smartphone is regularly running on empty it could be the perfect time to pick up a new portable charger. Here’s what you need to know.

By Jason Murdock

Published: Wednesday, 11 August 2021 at 12:00 am

There’s nothing fun about reaching for your phone and finding out that its battery is totally drained. So if you regularly discover your devices running on empty – it could be the perfect time to invest in a portable power bank charger.

While many smartphone batteries are better than ever these days – many offering up to two days of charge – a lot of handsets remain power-hungry thanks to large high-res screens, 5G chips, Bluetooth add-ons and heavy internet use.

After an entire day of scrolling social media, checking notifications and listening to Spotify, though, even the most flagship smartphones will benefit from a top-up – and that’s not ideal if you’re travelling, slogging through a commute home from work or end up on a night out with friends that goes on slightly longer than planned.

That’s where the power bank comes in. Should your battery run out, they can have you back online and tweeting again in seconds. But like most tech, there are so many types that browsing for the right one can quickly become overwhelming.

Do you want fast-charging? Do you prefer portability over capacity? What ports do you need, and how many? Is budget your priority? Do you want it to also be able to charge your new OLED Nintendo Switch or tablet during a lengthy flight? Sure, it can be a tad confusing at first – but we are here to help you narrow down your options.

How to choose the best portable charger

Size & weight

One of the first big considerations is the size of the charger – will it fit comfortably in your bag? – and how much it will weigh you down. As a general rule, the smaller chargers will have smaller capacities, and the large bulkier models will be able to power your devices for longer and with better overall capacity. Some chargers will be as big as your smartphone, while others won’t be bigger than a lipstick case.

Do you want a charger to subtly pop in your bag and just provide short bursts of charge to your phone on nights out, then an ultra-compact like the Bonai Portable Charger will be a solid option. But if you are putting it in a backpack and need more juice, you may as well compromise on the size in favour of power. A charger like the Anker PowerCore Essential is a fine choice if you don’t mind more size and weight. Ultimately, this will always come down to personal choice and use cases.

Capacity

The capacity of a portable charger is measured in mAh (milliamp hours). Broadly, the compact lipstick-style models will be 5,000mAh or under, medium-capacity models will be closer to 10,000mAh, and larger models that can power up a smartphone multiple times using a single reserve will be more than 20,000mAh.

Compact chargers are perfect if you need small bursts of power, but generally, we could advise targeting the 10,000mAh range if possible. If you can compromise on the slightly bigger size, these offer great value for money – and often some in slim casings, have a better selection of ports and more robust build quality.

Another factor to consider is how long the charger takes to fill. Some of the larger models can take many hours, while smaller models take significantly less. In general, the bigger the charger, the longer it will take to reach capacity. That won’t always be a dealbreaker – as it can be charged overnight – but still worth mentioning.

Some models may have fast-charging protocols, such as USB Power Delivery (PD) and Quick Charge. PD. Essentially, they make the process of charging faster and more efficient between the power bank and device. Another category altogether is wireless chargers, which cut down on link cables between charger and phone and work by placing your device onto a round pad, for example, the Apple MagSafe charger.

Budget

You can’t buy what you can’t afford, of course. Luckily, there are a wide variety of solid portable chargers available for every price point. While the rule applies that more power = more money, it’s now easy to find a portable charger that strikes a balance between capacity and cost. You can expect to pick up a compact portable charger for under £20, while the larger 20,000mAh models can often reach £50-plus.

Compatibility

Luckily, the majority of portable chargers will work with most smartphones – as long as you have the correct cable. Just make sure to check the item listing, which will always state if the charger is compatible with your cable, be it a USB-Type C or Apple Lightning. For each model, the input port is used to charge the model itself – that will often be micro-USB or USB-C – via a wall adapter or laptop. Output ports are used to transfer power from the charger to your device. You will often be able to use the cable that came with your phone, plugged directly into one charger port.

Which portable charger should you buy?

So now that we know some of the key factors to look out for when browsing for a portable charger, the question remains: what’s the best model for you? Here are some solid options that we have found on Amazon at a range of price points.

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Great all-rounder: Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 PD

Price: £49.99 | Buy now on Amazon

This 20,000mAh power bank from Anker is a fantastic all-rounder, priced at just under £50 and offering a large capacity that carries enough juice to fully charge an iPhone 12 five times and an iPad Mini 5 more than two times on a single reserve. The LED indicator is a neat touch, and pairing it with an 18W USB-C PD charger (not included) can fully recharge the PowerCore’s internal battery in 6.8 hours (up to 20 hours without). Yes, it’s bigger and heavier than some of the other models on this list, but if you’re willing to compromise on size and weight, then this charger – which supports both the Power Delivery and Quick Charge protocols – is a dependable option.