Portable Chargers Aka Power Banks A Beginner''s Guide.

Why should you buy a portable power bank?

Whether you need to charge your phone, tablet, or laptop, these portable power banks will help keep you connected wherever your travels take you.

Which power bank should I buy?

The Nimble Champ is our top recommendation for most folks, but we have all sorts of alternatives here. Read our Best MagSafe Power Banks guide for Apple-specific portable chargers, and our Best Portable Power Stations guide if you need more power. Updated June 2025: We've added power banks from Redmagic and Statik, and added a new FAQ.

Do I need a power bank?

If you are charging a small smartphone, a simple power bank will suffice. If you plan on charging a laptop occasionally as well, or many devices at once, you'll want a power bank with more power and more features.

What is a power bank & how does it work?

An integrated metal stand provides support for the power bank so you can use your phone in Standby mode while it's charging. The power bank's most distinctive feature is its smart display, which uses emoji faces to indicate battery levels. These animated expressions can easily be disabled if you're not in the mood.

Do you have a power bank for your iPhone?

We've got power banks for power users that give you detailed information about the devices you're charging, or simple magnetic power banks that smile while your iPhone charges. You can find power banks large and small, premium and inexpensive. We've even got a power bank that doubles as a water bottle - with wireless charging, of course.

How efficient is a power bank?

Power banks are about 60-70% efficient, depending on the phone's technology, so in our tests this power bank could charge an iPhone 15 to nearly full, but that big Ultra only got about 65% charge. That's just fine, because this power bank was the perfect pocket companion to keep us going through a busy day.