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The best portable chargers keep your electronic devices powered up while you’re on the go. They are able to charge a variety of electronics including phones, tablets, e-readers and even laptops. Since you’ll inevitably be out and about with low battery life, you’ll need a reliable portable charger to keep your electronics going. Not having one can prove very inconvenient.
Update Best Portable Chargers 2021 Review
We did a battery (pun intended) test to test some of the best and highest rated portable chargers on the market. To do this, we drew from major brands and popular competitors. Our test includes seeing how fast devices charge and how many phone chargers each power bank stores. While these particular portable chargers regularly appear on bestseller lists, they all differ in several important ways.
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We’ve got these best portable chargers in the order we bought them, with posts on the best portable charger, our favorite compact charger, and the best USB-C portable charger.
Why you can trust Tom’s guide? Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services and apps to help you find what’s best for you. Learn more about how we test, analyze and score.
A shocking upset for the flagship, Anker (the standard bearer) loses out to INIU’s 10000mAh charger. This brick is one of the best portable chargers. Not only were its charging times and speeds near the top of the charts, but it has 2 USB-A ports on the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000’s only USB-A charging port. And since that second port can be the difference between powering a secondary device while you’re charging your phone (or helping out a friend when they need it), we give the INIU the overall nod.
For a brand we’re not that familiar with, this INIU charger lasted 15 minutes and an hour of scheduled charging (at 22%, 78%), with times that were 1-2 percentage points ahead of the PowerCore Slim’s times. It fell short of beating Anker only to charge an entire phone once, posting a time of two hours, four minutes behind Anker. Both chargers refilled about 2.2-2.25 iPhone 12s, so it’s essentially a tie. INIU also has a longer warranty: its three-year plan is twice as long as Anker’s 18-month window.
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This charger has been reviewed by over 9,000 customers on Amazon and is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars. One reviewer who gave it 5 stars said:
“I love this portable charger! I didn’t think it would be a good idea because usually your portable chargers die on the first charge. I’ve charged my phone over 4 times and never had to charge it! That includes just leaving it in my bag for weeks until I need it again. It won’t disappoint! I love it!”
Our #2 pick (still one of the best portable chargers) is the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000, which is a bit heavier than the INIU 10000 pack (7.3 ounces to 6.9 ounces). But it would take the top slot if it had a second USB-A output port. That’s because its charging times were so close to the white INIU (21% in 15 minutes, 76% in an hour), and the total charging time of an iPhone 12 was 4 minutes, 1 hour and 56 minutes less.
But it is so close to INIU that we have to keep it as a mobile charger in second place. These bricks are so close, almost to trial error. If you only need to charge one device at a time and the sale price makes the Slim 10000 much cheaper than the INIU, go for it.
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This product has been reviewed by nearly 50,000 customers on Amazon and is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. One reviewer who rated it 5 stars said:
“I love the sturdy, sleek build. It fits easily in my pocket. Most importantly, it works! Fast charging, enough capacity to charge my phone multiple times over several days, and it holds up well to being dropped and pulled awkwardly and accidentally.”
Not everyone needs a full brick that can fully charge their phone. Sometimes you just want the convenience of a little juice roll. And (again) the numbers between the Poweradd Slim 2 and the competing Anker 5000mAh stick are close. Poweradd won in the one-hour charge (67% to 62%) and lost in the 15-minute window (16% to 19%).
In terms of internal efficiency, Powerade didn’t beat Hanker, but it was within striking distance, at 97% to 105%. And this difference is not worth considering. So how did the Poweradd stick make it to the top of our list of the best portable chargers? It’s often the cheapest on this list, usually around $10.99 (that’s almost more than half of similar chargers). And at 4.4 ounces, it’s lighter than the 4.7-ounce Anker PowerCore 5000.
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The updated Poweradd Slim 2 model has now been tested over 500 times and is rated 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon. “It’s significantly larger, but with 4x the charging capacity of regular small cylinders. Will charge a Kindle and a smartphone. No complaints,” said one customer who rated it 5 out of 5 stars.
USB-C is no longer the port of the future, it’s the port of today. And while the INIU’s 20-watt charger is a bit on the heavy side (the second heaviest on this list), its dual USB-C ports make it a clear favorite for one of the best portable chargers for those who charge with the reversible port. That way, you can charge it and charge other devices with the same USB-C cables, while also having two other USB-A ports for recharging other devices.
Additionally, it performed better in the one-hour charging window, bringing the dead iPhone 12 to 81% of its charge. And its 1 hour and 57 minutes to fully charge the iPhone is the second best in the pack, just one minute behind the PowerCore Slim 10000. Its high capacity of 20,000 mAh also means it will power an iPhone larger than most of these chargers, with a 4.78 iPhone 12 charge.
This product has been reviewed by nearly 4,500 customers on Amazon and has received 4.6 out of 5 stars. One reviewer who rated it 5 stars said: “For 5 days on vacation I used it to charge my phone and GoPro and the battery still had 44% of life left!”
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Like a 10,000 mAh battery – it’s small enough to be mistaken for a 5,000 mAh charger. But it packs about two full iPhone 12 charges into its case, making it a surprisingly durable power bank and one of the best portable chargers overall.
Don’t let that size worry you. The 15 minute and 1 hour charge ratings (20% and 71%) are on the right side of the rating range. The only slight disappointment is that it only has one USB-A port, but that makes sense given its small size. However, this portability is one of its biggest advantages, because your whole crew won’t expect you to be able to help their phones stay charged if you don’t have a portable charger.
This product has been reviewed by nearly 200 customers on Amazon and has received 4.4 out of 5 stars. “This is a great little power bank and a great size for travel,” said one reviewer who rated it 5 stars.
Anker’s 20,000mAh brick is lighter than similar bricks by a few ounces, but its charge ratings are consistently 3 to 4 percent behind. Its other win is seen in the USB-C input for faster brick charging, but since it only has a USB-A port, you’ll be charging at a slower rate than you’d like. It also has one less USB-A output than the competition.
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All that said, though, we could see a person finding this to be the right charger for their needs. Anyone who primarily wants to charge their phone and wants a high-capacity pack so they need to refill less often will appreciate the more portable weight. All you need is a pocket big enough to hold it and you’ll have juice for days.
This product has been reviewed by over 50,000 customers on Amazon and is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars. “The Anker product is amazing and I highly recommend it,” said one reviewer who rated it 5 stars.
Compared to the top 5,000mAh charger on our list (Poweradd Slim 2), the Anker PowerCore 5000 falls short in speeds. It will only charge 62% of the iPhone 12 in the first hour of charging, which is the second lowest rating on the list.
The best aspect of PowerCore 5000 is that it reached 19% after that
Hetp Power Bank, Portable Charger 25800mah [newest Black Red Design] High Capacity Power Banks With 2 Usb Ports External Battery Pack With 4 Led Lights For Smart Phones,tablet And Other Devices
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