There are hundreds of similarly priced portable chargers on the market nowadays, all claiming to be the perfect product for you, but in reality, choosing the right portable charger isn’t so simple. In this article, we break down the top three portable chargers, taking a look at price versus performance, capacity, portability, and situations they’ll be used in. So if you’re interested in finding out which portable charger will be best for you, stay tuned.
First up is the Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000, our pick for the best portable charger for the money. The Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000 gives you all the essentials you’re looking for in a power bank. It offers a large battery capacity of 10,000 mA, so you can recharge one of the ones without issue, and it recharges pretty quickly too. This power bank is incredibly small and light for its large capacity. It can provide 2.6-fold charges for an iPhone XS, 1.8-fold charges for a Galaxy S10, and 1.3-fold charges for an iPad Mini 5. Weighing just half a pound, it’s only slightly heavier than a baseball and is designed to fit comfortably in a bag or pocket. No matter which smartphone you have, it’s likely that its battery won’t last the entire day, especially if you’re making a lot of calls. But with a decent power bank handy, you could top up your phone whenever needed. It doesn’t stop with smartphones either. You can use it to charge any of your mobile gadgets with a USB port. Now, if you’d like a charger with double the capacity, stick around for the Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 mAh coming up later in the video.
The PowerCore Slim 10,000 also makes use of Anker’s patented Multi-Protect system, which combines surge and short-circuit protection to ensure the safety of your devices. The input and output charging ports are located on the bottom edge of the device, while the power button lies along the side. There are four LED indicators on the face of the power bank that tell you how much charge remains. And as far as charging speeds go, the PowerCore Slim 10,000’s high output charging speed ensures that your device charges up at the same speed as it would if it were plugged into an outlet, so you won’t have to wait long for a full charge. If you find yourself running low on battery power during the day and charging facilities aren’t readily available, and you want something that is relatively affordable and offers plenty of battery life for the money, the Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000 is the perfect portable charger for you. It’s small and light, and it won’t weigh you down or get in the way. It’s perfect for day-to-day use and is the ideal travel companion. Next up is the Focu Wireless Portable Charger, our pick for the best wireless portable charger. The Focu Wireless Portable Charger lets you charge up to three devices via USB and will also wirelessly charge an additional QI-certified device. There’s also built-in protection against overcharge, short circuits, overheating, and more.
This 30,800 mAh portable battery charger offers two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and a micro USB port. Despite its small size, it has the capacity to recharge an iPhone 12 eight times, an iPhone 12 Pro Max six times, and can even handle several devices simultaneously. The wireless charging pad supports wireless fast charging of your QI-certified devices from 5 to 15 watts without the need for a cable. And like the Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000, the Focu keeps you informed of how much power you have stored, but in this case, it has a full-fledged numerical LED display that gives you the exact percentage of how much power remains, completely removing any guesswork. In addition to the wireless charging pad, this charger has two USB ports that can deliver up to 22.5 watts of fast charging. If your device doesn’t support fast charging, the Focus will detect it and step down to accommodate the device. The bi-directional 25-watt USB-C port means that you can fast charge your iPhone 13 Pro Max, Galaxy S21, and any other compatible USB-C devices up to five times faster than regular charging. In addition to its ability to quickly charge your devices, the Fochu can also withstand a high number of charge cycles. This is the process of the battery going from empty to 100% and back again, which tends to lower the capacity of the battery over time. This is one of the rare portable chargers with wireless charging support at a similar price point to non-wireless portable chargers, while having similar performance on all other metrics.
If you’re interested in a wireless portable charger, the Focu Wireless Portable Charger is likely going to be the one for you. This high-capacity charger also supports fast charging for compatible devices and has a handy numerical display to show you exactly how much power you have to work with. Last but not least, the Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 mAh is our pick for the best overall portable charger. The Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 mAh delivers high-capacity power storage and is essential for keeping your phones, tablets, and other mobile devices powered up when a power outlet isn’t available. Overall, this is the best balance of high-end performance at a reasonable price tag. It’s no wonder it’s one of the best-selling portable chargers out right now. One of the biggest complaints about high-capacity chargers has been their tendency to be bulky and rather heavy. Anker claims to have eliminated this with the Powercore Essential 20,000 by making it about 30% smaller and 27% lighter than its comparable rivals. Rounded corners and a tough plastic shell make this portable charger feel sufficiently rugged for throwing into a bag and taking on the road, and its minimalistic black casing helps it slip away without drawing too much unwanted attention. Anker also supplies a mesh carry case, which lets you keep both the power bank and cable ready for when you need them.
With so many portable devices in our lives now, there’s always a need for power, and a portable charger like the PowerCore Essential 20,000 can step in to save the day when a power outlet isn’t available. It will keep your kids tablets going during long road trips and keep your phone charged over a several-day camping trip. Four LEDs are in place to help you keep tabs on how much power you have in reserve. By pressing a button on the side, these LEDs will illuminate, with each LED roughly representing 25% of the total capacity. One of the PowerCore Essential 20,000’s two USB ports also supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0, which can charge compatible devices like the HTC 10, Xiaomi Mi 5, and LG G5 up to four times faster than a standard phone charger. and it’s backwards compatible with older quick charge protocols. When it’s time to recharge the PowerCore Essential 20,000, the process is quick thanks to a 2-amp, 10-watt micro USB input. If you’re looking for a high-capacity portable charger that will top up your devices several times over and ensure you’re going to be covered with just about anything you can throw at it, the Anker PowerCore Essential 20,000 milliamp is an excellent choice and is the best all-around portable charger you can buy.
