Kit 2000 mAh Essentials Range Universal Portable Power Bank Emergency Battery Charger for Apple and Android Smartphone Devices - Black

Product Information

There are plenty of combination power bank and some other device, but the Tylt Bottle 2 actually makes sense because we're usually carrying an insulated water bottle anyway, so we might as well screw a battery onto the bottom. With a 5,700mAh capacity, the Tylt Bottle 2 is just enough to get us through a very busy day, or keep the phone powered while we play games at the cafe. We wish there wasn't such an easy answer to this question, because competition is better for everybody, but Anker is making the best power banks right now by far. It offers the best power-to-weight ratio, the fastest charging, and the most useful features. 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. You only want to charge a phone: If you don't need to charge a laptop occasionally, or you only carry a phone with no accessories, the Anker 733 is more than you need.

You want a more portable option: Because of its combo nature, the Anker 733 is a bit bulky and cumbersome, but if you use it both ways, it's worth the trade-off in size to have such a useful device.You're trying to keep it simple: The Baseus Airpow doesn't have any built in wires or wireless charging, so you'll need to carry extras when it's time to power up. Anker batteries also look great and are built with high quality parts. The display on our best battery for power users is bright and sharp OLED display, totally unnecessary for a power bank, but that's what makes Anker the best. It far exceeds our expectations of what's necessary to make power banks that are great. You can also charge the Anker Prime using both USB-C ports at the same time, for a combined recharging rate up to 170W. That means you can completely refill this whopping 27K mAh battery in under 40 minutes. I thankfully had an Anker 737 GaN Prime charger that was up to the task, and it's fun to see the percentage climb. Solar chargers – These take the same basic idea of a solar generator but shrink the solar panel array to make it more portable. They charge your devices directly or through a separate USB power bank. Two Ways to Recharge: Enjoy the convenience of wireless recharge on the charging base at 100W or fast recharge using the USB-C cable at 140W.

Of course, to charge it up you’ll need at least one of Anker’s 531 solar panels. Anker sells the PowerHouse 767 in bundles with one or two, and you can use up to four simultaneously if you buy them separately. On a particularly sunny March day, we were able to get around 170W to 197W per panel, at least when the clouds were out of the way. This is enough to charge up the generator in around 13 hours with one panel or seven hours with two.

Whether you’re looking for a solar portable charger or generator, our pick of the best models will ensure you’re never running on empty

Solar power banks – Combining an even smaller solar array with a USB power bank in one neat unit, keeping a solar power bank charging during the day will enable you to recharge your smartphone or tablet overnight. The big solar generators are the most effective, but they’re expensive and only really portable if you have a car in which to transport them. The generator unit alone can weigh anywhere between 6kg and 20kg, while the solar panels may be around 50 x 50cm when folded and weigh upwards of another 6kg. You probably won’t want that while you’re hiking.

You don't need all those extras: The Anker Prime power bank is pricey, and if you don't care about monitoring charge Wattage or days of battery life, find another option. The Anker Nano is only 5,000mAh, but that doesn't mean it can fully charge a 5,000mAh phone battery like you'll find in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Power banks are about 60-70% efficient, depending on the phone's technology, so this power bank is good for charging an iPhone 15 to nearly full, but that big Ultra will only get about 65% charge. Our favorite power bank has a 10,000mAh battery, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, so the math should be simple, right? It charges twice. Except that's not how it works. Power banks are not 100% efficient, and even though you start with plenty of power, a lot of it is lost in the charging process. EnergyCell’s portable charger is as basic as power banks get, with just a micro-USB input, a USB-A output and no support for any fast-charging standards. What’s more, it’s slow. The USB-A output is specified as 10W, but in our tests we measured the output at between 7W and 9W depending on the phone. A 15-minute charge only raised the level on our test smartphone by 7%.

The best power banks you can buy in 2023

You need fast power: This is a very slow charger, whether wired or wireless, so it's better for casual charging while you sip your water and read a book.