The Best Portable Chargers for Travel and Daily Use

Our Top Pick: Anker 737 PowerCore 24K

Running out of battery during a travel day or a long work session away from an outlet is one of those problems that should not exist anymore. After testing portable chargers across dozens of flights, road trips, and daily commutes, the Anker 737 PowerCore 24K is the power bank we recommend for most people. Its 140W output charges a MacBook Pro at full speed, the 24,000mAh capacity holds enough juice for multiple devices across a full day, and the digital display shows exact remaining watt-hours instead of vague LED dots.

For everyday pocket carry where you just need to top off a phone, the Anker 525 is slimmer and lighter at half the price. And ultralight travelers should look at the Nitecore NB10000, which weighs just 150 grams.

What to Look For in a Portable Charger

Output wattage determines what you can charge and how fast. Phones need 20-30W for fast charging. Tablets need 30-45W. Laptops need 60-140W depending on the model. If you only charge phones, a 20W bank is fine. If you carry a laptop, you need at least 65W output.

Capacity (mAh/Wh) tells you how many charges you get. A 10,000mAh bank holds about 2 full phone charges (accounting for conversion losses). A 20,000mAh bank holds about 4. For laptops, think in watt-hours: a 87Wh bank will give a MacBook Air about 1.5 full charges.

Size and weight matter because a power bank you leave at home is useless. There is always a trade-off between capacity and portability. The Anker 737 is heavy at 1.4 pounds but charges everything. The Nitecore NB10000 is featherlight but only does phones.

Port configuration should match your devices. At minimum you want one USB-C port with Power Delivery. Two ports let you charge a phone and tablet simultaneously. The Anker 737 has two USB-C and one USB-A, covering every scenario.

Airline compliance is a real consideration. Most airlines restrict batteries to 100Wh (about 27,000mAh at 3.7V). All four of our picks are under this limit and TSA-approved for carry-on luggage.

How We Tested

Each power bank was charged to 100%, then used to charge the same devices under identical conditions: an iPhone 15 Pro from 10% to 80%, a MacBook Air M2 from 20% to 80%, and an iPad Air from 30% to 80%. We recorded charge times, measured actual delivered watt-hours versus rated capacity, and tracked how many complete phone charges each bank provided in real-world use. We repeated this cycle weekly for three months to check for capacity degradation.

Comparison Table

Detailed Breakdown

The Anker 737 PowerCore 24K is our top pick because it does everything. The 140W USB-C output charges a MacBook Pro 14-inch at full wall-charger speed, which no other portable bank in this price range can match. The smart digital display shows remaining capacity in watt-hours, current input/output wattage, and estimated time to empty or full. It recharges itself from zero to full in about 55 minutes with a 140W charger. The downside is weight: at 635 grams, you feel it in a bag. But for a travel day where you need your laptop, phone, and earbuds to survive without an outlet, nothing else comes close.

The Anker 525 PowerCore 20K is the everyday carry choice. It slides into a jacket pocket, weighs about the same as a large phone, and delivers 4+ full iPhone charges. The 20W output will not fast-charge flagship Androids at max speed, but it keeps phones alive all day. Four ports (2 USB-C, 2 USB-A) mean you can lend a cable to a friend without sacrificing your own charge. At $50, the value is hard to beat.

The Baseus Blade 100W solves a specific problem: laptop charging in a slim form factor. At just 18mm thick, it is the thinnest power bank we tested that delivers 100W, enough to charge most USB-C laptops. It looks like a small tablet and slips into laptop sleeve pockets that no other high-wattage bank would fit. The trade-off is that 100W (vs 140W) means slightly slower charging on power-hungry laptops like the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The Nitecore NB10000 is built for people who count grams. The carbon fiber and aluminum construction weighs just 150 grams (lighter than most phones) while holding 10,000mAh. It is specifically designed for hikers, ultralight backpackers, and minimalist travelers who need 2 phone charges without carrying a brick. The 18W output is sufficient for phones but will not meaningfully charge tablets or laptops.

Durability and Longevity

Lithium-polymer batteries degrade over charge cycles. After 500 cycles, expect about 80% of original capacity. All four of our picks use high-quality cells that should maintain useful performance for 2-3 years of daily use. Avoid leaving any power bank in a hot car or fully discharged for extended periods.

The Anker models carry an 18-month warranty. The Nitecore has a 12-month warranty. The Baseus offers 18 months. All four survived being dropped from desk height onto hardwood without issues during our testing, though the Nitecore's aluminum body showed the most scratch resistance.

Who Should Buy a Portable Charger

Anyone who regularly ends their day with a phone below 20%, travels for work, commutes without outlet access, or spends time at events and conferences where charging stations are crowded. A reliable power bank removes battery anxiety completely.

Who Should Skip

If you work from home, rarely leave the house, or always have outlet access at your destination, a power bank just adds weight to your bag. Also, if you only need a single emergency phone charge, the small 5,000mAh banks built into phone cases might be a better form factor for you.

The Bottom Line

The Anker 737 PowerCore 24K is the power bank that can genuinely replace wall charger access for an entire travel day. It charges everything from earbuds to laptops at full speed, tells you exactly how much power remains, and refills itself in under an hour. For most travelers and power users, it is the only portable charger you need.