We’ve all been there. Your phone’s about to die, and there’s no charger in sight. Panic, scramble, rush home. Sound familiar? It might be time to upgrade to one of the best power banks or portable chargers to say goodbye to that dreaded feeling for good.
If you’re afraid of lugging around a heavy, bulky charger, today’s power banks have you covered. Gone are the days of those ugly brick-like models. The latest power banks are sleek, lightweight and crammed full of features, including ultra-fast charging for your laptop, tablet and phone.
Some even come with wireless charging, Bluetooth trackers to find them if they get lost and the added bonus of doubling up as Bluetooth speakers. Plus, high-capacity models now recharge in minutes, not hours. We’ve been testing the very best power banks and portable chargers, to find the ones that won’t leave you in the lurch.
How we tested
We put a bunch of power banks and portable chargers to the test, checking out how fast they could bring a dead phone, tablet and laptop back to life (spoiler: some are really fast, others... not so much). We also took a good look at how easy they are to carry. Were they light enough to slip into a pocket or better off tossed into a bag? And when it came to power, we measured the battery capacity (mAh) and how many full charges they could deliver before they needed a recharge themselves.
Design was key too. We wanted to know if they could survive being thrown around in our bag or if they'd fall apart at the first sign of a knock. Extras like built-in cables, wireless charging and digital displays were a big bonus. To make sure we were getting the full picture, we took these bad boys on holiday and relied on them as our only power source. While there are plenty of new brands popping up, we found the real winners still come from Anker and Belkin.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alex Lee is a senior tech critic at The Independent. He’s been reviewing gadgets since 2017, and has a particular interest in charging technology. Always tinkering with new fast-charging tech, he’s been reviewing the best power banks and portable chargers for IndyBest since 2021.
The best power banks for 2025 are:
Anker zolo power bank
It might not have the most exciting design or the jazziest features but the Anker zolo power bank is our favourite because it offers a huge 20,000mAh capacity and boasts a sturdy built-in USB-C cable, so you never need to remember to bring an extra one on your travels.
While it’s quite thick and chunky, it’s not that heavy. It features a second USB-C port, as well as a regular USB-A port, and its in-built USB-C cable can be used to charge the battery itself, as well as other devices, such as smartphones, tablets and even laptops. It does it really fast, too, thanks to its 30W charging speed. There’s also a handy trickle charging mode for low-power devices, including earbuds and smartwatches – something you activate by double clicking the power button.
We managed to eke out enough power for a week-long trip abroad, with this power bank charging up our iPhone 15 pro max and AirPods pro. If you want something you can pack into your backpack or handbag and take on trips, this is the device that will ensure you’ve always got power, no matter the scenario. The only snag is it takes a while to charge itself to full, so make sure you give yourself a few hours before you head out.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon.co.uk
Anker PowerCore 10K
If you’re after a budget-friendly power bank that actually works, the Anker PowerCore 10K is a no-frills gizmo that does what you need. It’s slim, portable and juiced up our phone in around 2 hours. We threw it in our bag and didn’t even notice it was there – it's that light and easy to carry. Whether you're commuting or just need a little backup power during the day, this does the job.
But, and here’s the catch – it takes forever to charge the power bank itself. We clocked it at about five hours to fully recharge, which means you'll want to make sure it's topped up the night before any big adventures. That said, for the price, it’s a great option that kept our phone charged, and it doesn’t break the bank.
It’s simple to use (literally plug and charge), and just works out of the box. Just don’t expect it to have all the fancy wireless charging or fast-charging smarts as other power banks on the list. This one nails the basics.
Buy now £14.98, Amazon.co.uk
Anker nano with built-in USB-C cable
If you think the Anker zolo is a little too big for your liking, the Anker nano is a more pocket-friendly device. With a slimline design, it fits more comfortably inside a handbag or your jacket and doesn’t weigh too much, either. It’s also more modern, featuring an LED display that tells you exactly how much battery it has left as a percentage (no more imprecise guessing with the four dots).
What we really love about the nano, however, is that it has a surprisingly durable in-built USB-C cable that doubles as a carry handle, so, we never needed to worry about forgetting to bring the extra cable to juice up our devices on the go. It also charges the power bank itself.
Thanks to the 30W fast charging, we never needed to plug in for an extended amount of time. The only issue is it’s only 10,000mAh, so, it was only really good for a couple of charges.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Anker prime 27,650mAh power bank
It’s weird to say this about power banks but, if they were smartphones, the Anker prime would be the equivalent of the iPhone 16 pro max or the Samsung Galaxy S25 ultra: big, powerful and brimming with features. It has a huge 27,000mAh capacity and charges devices super quickly, making it ideal for anyone travelling away from home.
We were able to simultaneously charge our phone, headphones and laptop, just using this one charging brick. The USB-C ports offer up to 100W of power, and our laptop was juiced up to full in less than an hour. Like the Anker nano with the built-in USB-C cable, the Anker prime has an LED display that shows you how much battery is left (in minutes), as well as how many minutes it’ll take before it’s fully charged.
Even better, and this might be overkill, it also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can link it up to the Anker Smart Control app and input your devices into the app, so you know how long they have left before running flat. You can also see stats and optimise your charge. The app can also ring your power bank, so you can hunt it down if it goes missing.
The thing we love most, though, is the fact you can buy a separate charging base (£45.99, Amazon.co.uk) that charges the power bank. If you’re anything like us, you always forget to charge the power bank itself but, with the base, you can plop the power bank directly on top of the base, and it’ll start charging up. Then, when you have to go back out, you just lift it off and go on your way. It has extra USB-C slots, too, so you can charge other devices.
The only downside is its heft and price. It’s about the size of a Coke can. While it’s great for work trips when you aren’t near any power outlets, it’s not so great for day trips.
Buy now £144.99, Amazon.co.uk
Anker 622 magnetic MagGo power bank
What’s neat about this power bank is it not only works like a handy little 5,000mAh power booster when connected to your iPhone via USB-C, it’s also one of the few power banks that can charge your gear wirelessly.
There are strong magnets on the inside, which kept our iPhone glued in place as it charged, and we loved that there was a fold-out kickstand on the rear, so we could prop it up and charge it at the same time. Yes, it’s not got a huge capacity – you won’t be using this for more than a single charge – but, even without the charging functionality, it still worked great as a stand.
Buy now £28.99, Amazon.co.uk
Belkin boostcharge pro power bank
If you’ve got the trifecta of Apple gadgets (iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods), this is the very best power bank for all your needs. With a hefty 10,000mAh battery capacity, it doesn’t just serve as a fast portable charger for your iPhone and other gadgets, it also has an in-built 15W MagSafe charger, which we used with our Apple Watch series 9.
Boasting super-fast 20W power delivery, the power bank took around 40 minutes to charge our Apple Watch from zero to full. It’s a great little portable charger for Apple devotees, and even boasts a handy kickstand, so you can charge while watching content at your desk. We also liked that the power bank can be plugged into the mains and used as a wireless charging pad, meaning it never eats into the power bank’s battery.
Buy now £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
JBL charge 5 wifi
This is one of the niftiest inventions we’ve ever laid eyes on – it’s a speaker that has both Bluetooth and wifi connectivity, which also happens to double up as a 7,500mAh power bank. That means we could charge our phone using the USB-A port while blasting our tunes in the garden.
It’s not the fastest power bank in the world but, as a speaker, it’s excellent. It works as an extra Alexa multi-room speaker, has Spotify Connect support, works with Chromecast and you can AirPlay your music from your iPhone. Sound is strong, the bass is good, and there’s no distortion when playing our favourite tracks. It sounds even better over wifi. Plus, you get 20 hours of battery on a single charge (not including the power bank battery).
Buy now £118.00, Amazon.co.uk
Anker nano 5K
Essentially a better version of Apple’s MagSafe power banks, the Anker nano 5K is your emergency power bank, with a large enough capacity to live in your car or your backpack, helping you boost your phone back to full health.
Instead of attaching to the back of your phone and charging it up using magnets (which takes a really long time (wireless charging is super slow), the Anker nano 5K has a little foldable USB-C port that sticks out of the side, slotting into the bottom of your phone. This means it charged our devices quickly, and the USB-C only added a tiny bit of extra depth.
This is a great dinky power bank that stays in place securely. You won’t be able to recharge it using the USB-C port, but Anker provides a USB-C cable in the box for that.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Power banks and portable chargers
The Anker zolo might not be the smartest power bank on this list but it will charge your smartphone fast. It has a huge 20,000mAh capacity, meaning we could juice up our iPhone several times while on holiday. For something smarter, you can’t go wrong with the Anker prime power bank, which has a huge 27k capacity and can be optimised using the Anker app. Apple user? You’ll get a lot of use out of Belkin’s boostcharge pro, which has a handy magnetic charger on the top.
Looking for a new handset, too? Read our round-up of the best mobile phones
