Best portable chargers and power banks in 2023

A power bank, also commonly referred to as a portable charger, is an essential purchase for anyone who’s on the go with a phone, tablet, or a gaming handheld like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck. The power bank allows you to recharge your gadgets up to three times with a single USB cord.

The price of power banks depends on several factors, including: the size, ports, battery capacity (usually measured in mAh) and speed at which it recharges your device.

What is the best charger to use for your tablet and phone?

Today’s phones and tablets may differ in terms of their peak wired charging speeds, yet we’ve found some battery packs that should work well no matter what device you have. It’s true that some outliers, like Samsung’s Galaxy S23 phone, can recharge at 25 W or higher depending on the model, but many other Android phones and iPhones recharge via a wired connection at under 20 W — even less when you’re charging wirelessly.

You can choose from the power bank we have recommended below if you own a tablet. For reference, all iPads currently ship with 20 W power adapters, and so far, tablets from other manufacturers like Samsung and Amazon haven’t deviated far from that charging speed.

It’s always a good idea to have a few extra USB-C to USB-C cables. Amazon offers this 2-pack for just $15.99. Keep one at home while putting the other into a bag that you carry with you on travels.

Power bank Baseus 10000 mAh 30W

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

Included is a USB C to A cable. If you click the Amazon coupon, this battery will be 25% cheaper.

Russ Frushtick/Polygon

The best power banks for Switch

Nintendo Switch Console with Joy-Cons Detachable is capable of receiving a maximum 18 W via its USB-C Charging Port (the Switch-Lite has a lower requirement). The same power banks that we use to charge our phones and tablets will also work for your Switch.

Same note as before: We suggest buying more charging cables than you’ll immediately need (stow one permanently in the bag you frequently use). Amazon has this 2-pack of 100 USB-C to C cables that are W-ready for only $15.99.

Power bank Baseus 10000 mAh 30W

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

Included is a USB C to A cable. If you click the Amazon coupon, this battery will be 25% cheaper.

Chris Plante/Polygon

The best power bank for Steam Deck

Each Steam Deck console includes a 45 W USB-C wall adapter, so it’s a good idea to find a power bank that can meet that power level when you’re on the go. There are a few options that will do the job. It is important to remember that the only battery that supports the PD3.0 specification can charge the Steam Deck the fastest. This includes the options listed below.

Baseus 65 W 20,000 mAh battery

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

The model comes with a USB C-to C cable. You can get an extra 20% discount on this battery if you click the Coupon box at the Amazon landing pages.

Best portable charger for your laptop

As the number of laptops which can be recharged via USB-C increases, it is now possible to charge your laptop using the same charger as your smartphone or Nintendo Switch. For instance, Apple’s entire MacBook lineup allows it, as do several popular Windows laptops, like the Dell XPS 13, Razer’s Blade gaming laptop, and more. It’s important to note that each laptop has different requirements for power. Therefore, one powerbank may not fit all laptops.

If you have a 13-inch MacBook Air or Pro, or a similarly sized Windows laptop, the chances are very good that a 65 W power bank should be fast enough to recharge your laptop as you use it (check your power supply’s wattage to be sure). Keep in mind that if you’re trying to play games, or do other resource-intensive tasks, your battery may recharge slowly, or it may continue to discharge if your power bank isn’t powerful enough.

Baseus 65 W 20,000 mAh battery

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

The model comes with a USB C-to C cable. You can get an extra 20% discount on this battery if you click the Coupon box at the Amazon landing pages.

There are larger, stronger batteries that will match the more powerful laptops. These can provide up to 140W of charging power. That’s currently a top-of-the-line spec, costing significantly more than our other options, and you’ll even need a compatible USB-C-to-USB-C cable to reach the 140 W top speed, as well as a laptop that supports the PD 3.1 USB-C charging spec.

One of the chargers we recommend below can match the speed delivered by Apple’s 140 W wall charger that’s included with 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. On the Windows side of things, most laptops don’t go above 90 or 100 W at peak USB-C recharging speed, so you should be set with our picks.

Spending $100 or $150 for a powerbank to simply charge your laptop is difficult. I get it. However, it’s easier to justify getting one if you frequently travel with multiple power-guzzling devices that you’d like to recharge simultaneously, as these are but a few available that can manage multitasking.