Thursday, April 25, 2024

The best USB-C battery packs you can buy

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The Power Delivery standard has paved the way for a new wave of the best USB-C battery packs that are both powerful and portable. While there are some massive power banks aimed more at charging laptops or powering devices through long camping trips, I much prefer the lighter chargers that can quickly charge a phone while sitting down for lunch or in my pocket during long days out and about. Whether you prefer your power banks big or small, these are the best ones around!

Charge your way

Aukey Wireless Power Bank with 18W PD (10,000mAh)

Staff pick

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Not only does this power bank have 18W Power Delivery charging through its USB-C port, it still has a USB-A port and a Qi wireless charging coil so that you can charge however you like.

$34 at Amazon

Small and swift

RAVPower 10,000mAh Power Bank

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This candy bar-sized power bank is powerful enough to charge most phones from dead to full twice or more. Available in black or white, this charger comes with a USB-C cable and a travel pouch.

From $27 at Amazon
$54 at Walmart

Charge everything you own

Anker PowerCore III Elite 25,600mAh 60W Portable Charger Bundle

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This beefy portable charger can charge most laptops at a decent speed — or at top speed — and it comes with a 65W Power Deliver wall charger to top it back up in three hours.

$160 at Amazon

Tiny mighty charger

Zendure SuperMini (10,000mAh)

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The SuperMini is the size of a credit card and rugged as all get-out, but it can also charge your phone at 18W whether you use USB-C or USB-A. It comes in black and silver, but also metallic blue with a nice gradient.

From $40 at Amazon

Big power for less

RAVPower 60W PD Pioneer Power Bank (20,000mAh)

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This case isn’t much bigger than a Note 20 Ultra with an OtterBox on, yet it’ll charge a phone four times over. It can also charge your laptop thanks to the ability to output 60W through Power Delivery.

$45 at Amazon

Mini-purse power

Xcentz USB-C Power Bank 5000 PD

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Your power bank doesn’t do you any good if you left it at home, but this bank is about the size of a fun-size Halloween candy, so you can carry it every day! Its 5,000mAh capacity still means it can recharge your phone fully.

From $20 at Amazon

Colorful chargers

Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000mAh PD

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Anker’s phone-sized power bank now comes in six colors and I for one am thrilled. The Terracotta Rose might not be for everyone, but the Deep-Sea Indigo and Dark Olive are universal and understated.

$30 at Amazon
$50 at Walmart

Best for Galaxy

Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery (10,000mAh)

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While most recent Galaxy phones don’t actually get 18W charging with most portable charges despite supporting PD, this one will charge Samsung phones at 25W using “Super Fast Charge.”

$80 at Amazon
$80 at Best Buy

Great for travel

Aukey USB-C Power Bank 26,800mAh

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While sporting the same capacity as the Anker, the Sprint Ultra bank has two USB-C ports instead of one, meaning you can fast charge a phone and laptop at the same time and still have a USB-A port free.

$80 at Amazon

Small and sturdy makes for the best USB-C portable charger

Again, I far prefer smaller portable batteries that actually live up to the name “portable,” which is why the phone-sized Aukey 10,000mAh Battery Pack and the credit-card sized Zendure SuperMini are two of our favorites. They’re easy to fit in a pocket or purse, and they’ll give your phone another 10-20 hours. The Aukey is more affordable and its shape makes it easier to accommodate, but some prefer the smaller, thicker size of the Zendure.

Turning to more beefy models, while Anker’s bundle is of the highest quality, it’s also of the highest price, so unless you already lack a USB-C wall charger, you’re probably better off buying the RAVPower 60W PD Pioneer Power Bank, which is less than half the price but charges just as fast. Aukey’s 26,800mAh Power Bank is also a nice balance of ports and pricing.

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