Best Portable Chargers and Power Banks to Buy for Android in 2024
Keep your Android devices charged and ready to go with one of the best portable Android chargers around.
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What is the best portable charger for Android overall?
Most of us spend entirely too much time on our phones these days on social media, news, productivity, connecting with loved ones and the seemingly unavoidable doomscrolling. All this activity can lead to a quickly dwindling battery. While many Android devices have better battery life than iPhones, they still need a little help on occasion.
If you rely on a battery case to keep your phone running, you're not alone. Battery cases are convenient, but they have some drawbacks: Some are bulky and heavy, and they can negatively affect wireless reception at times. That's why nothing beats a dedicated portable charger or power bank that you can store easily and only take out when you need it. With both wired and wireless models, there's a slew of options when it comes to keeping your Android device going.
To that end, I've rounded up top picks for the best portable charger for Android devices. Although they cost more, I like batteries that have an integrated USB-C output built into them so I don't have to worry about carrying around a charging cable for enough power for my devices. (The models with built-in USB-C cables should also work for iPad Pro devices.) I've also included some budget picks for those who don't want to shell out as much for portable power and their charging needs. While we have a separate power bank roundup for iPhones, anything here without an integrated USB-C cable will work perfectly well with an iPhone (and non-Pro iPad models), so long as you provide the Lightning cable.
Read more: Best Wireless Car Chargers and Mounts for 2024
Best portable chargers and power banks for Android of 2024
Infinity Lab is Samsung-owned Harman Kardon's new accessories subsidiary and I like its InstantGo 5000 and InstantGo 10000 power banks, which come with an integrated USB-C cable for easy charging for iPhones. The larger 10,000-mAh model costs a bit more and is heavier and bulkier, but it can charge most Android smartphones twice. Although the white model is currently unavailable, the black one is in stock.
Best dual iPhone and Android portable charger
myCharge Hub 4400 (no longer available new)
MyCharge's Hub portable chargers come in a few different sizes and not only have an integrated foldable wall plug but integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, so you can charge both Apple and Android devices. It's a little bulky, but with a 4,400-mAh battery, it should be able to almost fully charge your smartphone, depending on its size.
Slim high-capacity battery with USB-C fast charging
Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD
The Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD is impressively slim for a 10,000-mAh portable phone charger and has a fast 20-watt USB-C out charging port (it's also a USB-C input to charge its battery), plus a 12-watt USB-A out port. While the Anker 313 PowerCore Slim 10K is cheaper, the fast USB-C out charging makes spending the extra dough worth it if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Most versatile portable battery
Anker PowerCore III 10K Portable Charger
The Anker PowerCore III 10K portable charger has fast USB-C out charging (18 watts) as well as a USB-A port and up to 10-watt wireless charging. It's not magnetic, so your phone won't stick to it but it will wirelessly charge any Qi-enabled devices.
Compact powerbank with fast charging
Mophie Power Station Mini (2022)
If you're looking for a compact external battery pack for your Android smartphone (or iPhone), Mophie's pocketable Power Station Mini features a 5,000-mAh internal battery and 20-watt USB-C PD fast charging.
For a little more, you can pick up the 10,000-mAh version with dual USB-C ports -- both come in black or blue colors. Also, note that Zagg, Mophie's parent company, offers a 20% discount on your first purchase.
Best power bank that's also a 65W charger
Anker 733 Power Bank
Thanks to gallium nitride technology, chargers have been getting more powerful while shrinking at the same time. The latest example of that trend is Anker's line of GaNPrime chargers with next-generation GaN 3 technology that the company says is even more energy-efficient. The Anker Power Bank 733, which combines a 65-watt charger with a 10,000-mAh portable battery, is part of the GaNPrime line. It's pretty compact for what it is and offers two fast-charging USB-C ports and one fast-charging USB-A port. You can charge up to three devices at once, but note that to get a full 65-watt charge for a laptop, you'll have to plug in just the laptop.
Best value wall charger with built-in battery
Anker PowerCore Fusion Portable Charger
This Anker model is effectively an oversized wall charger with a built-in 5,000-mAh battery. It's got two standard USB charging ports for simultaneously juicing up your phone and a secondary gadget (or two phones). A little LED indicator on the side lets you check the charge level at the press of a button.
Best magnetic power bank with integrated stand
Anker 622 MagGo magnetic battery
What's cool about Anker's 622 magnetic battery is that it's a wireless battery that has an integrated magnetic flap that converts into a stand. You won't get fast wireless charging from this 5,000-mAh battery (it charges at up to 7.5 watts) but it's slim and easy to carry around.
It charges via USB-C and if you use a USB-C to USB-C to charge your Android device (or iPhone), it will charge at a faster rate of 12 watts. That's not as fast as a 20-watt USB-C power adapter, but it's faster than the usual 7.5 watts.
Mophie Snap Plus Juice Pack Mini
Mophie's magnetic power bank is similar to Anker's but is slightly slimmer (it's svelte for a 5,000-mAh battery) and doesn't have an integrated flap that converts into a stand. While it's designed to adhere to the back of MagSafe-enabled iPhone or MagSafe cases, it comes with a "snap adapter" ring to stick onto the back of Android devices so they'll be magnet-friendly.
Wireless charging speeds appear to be limited to 7.5 watts, but if you need a faster charge, you can connect a USB-C to USB-C cable to bump the speed up to 12 watts.
Power bank that converts into wireless charging stand
Otterbox Folding Wireless Power Bank (Update: Discontinued)
Otterbox gears its Folding Wireless Power Bank toward those who like to watch movies on their phones or play games with a controller. It has a built-in stand that folds down when you take it on the go. It also has USB-C and USB-A ports that are capable of fast-charging your phone at up to 18 watts. The wireless charging is up to 7.5 watts with the iPhone and 10 watts for Android devices.
Factors to consider when buying a portable charger or power bank for Android
Budget
Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on a portable charger or power bank. Value-priced chargers continue to improve, so you can find a decent wireless charger for less than $40. But if you're looking for a more premium model, you'll likely have to pay more than $50 and even more for Qi-enabled chargers.
Power capacity vs. weight
Most baseline power banks now start at a 5,000-mAh capacity, which should give you at least one full charge for an Android phone. Chargers with 10,000-mAh or more are available, but they weigh more. That's of particular note if you plan on traveling with the charger in a purse, backpack or pocket.
Wireless or corded charging?
Most Android phones since the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models introduced in 2015 offer inductive wireless charging. Android's standard for these phones is called Qi, and power banks that are fully Qi compatible offer faster charging speeds for Android devices with speeds capped at around 7.5 watts for iPhones. In all cases, you'll need to make sure your phone case is thin enough to allow inductive charging through the back of the phone.
How we test power banks and portable chargers for Android
At the current time, we do anecdotal testing on these models. Each is fully charged and used on a recent Android model for at least a week in real-world conditions. We verify that charging speeds and recharge times are within expected parameters and -- for models with integrated stands or cables -- confirm that the connections and build quality are sturdy and free of any notable annoyances or caveats.
Other Android power banks we've tested
Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K: The Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K has a 6,600-mAh battery that can fully charge most iPhones one time. It's Qi2-certified, which means it offers 15-watt fast charging capabilities and is fully MagSafe compatible, offering twice the speed of standard 7.5-watt wireless chargers for MagSafe-enabled iPhone 13, 14 and 15 models and Android smartphones that support 15-watt wireless charging.
Anker Nano Power Bank (USB-C): This 5,000mAh power bank weighs in at 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams. It features 22.5 watts of fast charging power with the option to charge two devices at the same time if you plug a cable into the power bank's USB-C in/out charging port. (Charging two devices simultaneously divides the charging power in half, delivering 11.25 watts to each device.)
myCharge Hub 6700: MyCharge's Hub portable chargers come in a few different sizes and not only have an integrated foldable wall plug but integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, so you can charge both Apple and Android devices. It's a little bulky, but with a 6,700-mAh battery, it should be able to almost fully charge your smartphone, depending on its size. The step-up 10,050-mAh model is about $25 more.
Nimble Champ: Nimble's updated Champ portable charger uses recycled plastic in its construction. You have to pay a bit more for going green, but it's a nice, compact 10,000-mAh charger that features 20-watt PD fast-charging with dual USB-C ports (one on either side of the power bank) that allow you to charge two devices at the same time. If you are charging two devices, your charging speeds will be limited to 10 watts per device.