Best Battery Banks and Portable Chargers [2019]

Batteries in phones are getting better and better, but they're still not always enough to last through an entire day of heavy usage. Older phones can't always keep up after their batteries have degraded, either, and overall there are just a ton of situations where you're going to want an extra portable battery in your pocket to squeeze some extra screen time out of your phone.

We've sifted through a ton of batteries to find your best options, covering all kinds of use cases. We've got high capacity batteries, utility batteries, wireless chargers, and more.

Top Pick: RAVPower USB C 26800mAh Battery

There are a ton of great batteries on the market, but if you're looking for something well-rounded without breaking the bank, RAVPower has your back. The $60 26800mAh USB C portable charger delivers a ton of features to cover all of your charging needs, including fast recharging of both the battery and your phone, a high-powered output to handle even tablets and small laptops, and of course that generous mAh capacity.

This battery has  USB C port to connect to more modern devices, plus two standard universal USB A ports and a microUSB port for recharging the battery itself. That microUSB is just one of two charging ports, however, since you can actually connect a charger via the microUSB and USB C port to cut your recharge time in half.

Plus, this battery's not too bulky to carry around, since it's just bigger than an iPhone 8 Plus. You can get it in white and black, too.

Buy it now: Amazon

Wireless Option: RAVPower Wireless Portable Charger

RAVPower manages to snag another spot on our list, but this time for offering stellar performance in a portable wireless charging package. Instead of just getting a typical wireless charger that will juice up your devices on the go, you can also slap a compatible phone on top of it and recharge without dealing with cables.

This is one of RAVPower's newer models, too, offering a fast recharge that clocks in at under 5.5 hours and an iSmart USB port for quickly charging your devices when you don't have time to wait for wireless charging. At 10,000mAh you've also got plenty of capacity to work with.

Our only complaint with this particular charger is the lack of a USB C port, but for $35 it's a pretty small nitpick.

Buy it now: Amazon

Massive Capacity: Aukey 30000mAh USB C Charger

Sometimes you don't care about portability, or fancy wireless charging, or any extra fluff features. You just want a huge capacity battery that you don't have to worry about recharging often, and Aukey has a solution for you.

This 30,000mAh (!!) battery is a behemoth of a battery, but with its insane capacity and ability to deliver Quick Charge 3.0 speeds you're guaranteed to be able to charge up anything from a phone to a tablet to a Nintendo Switch without even worrying about where the nearest wall outlet is. Aukey's AIPower charging tech keeps the battery from overcharging your devices, too.

Oh, and it has a built-in flashlight. If you're going camping or adventuring, or you just want a good option in an emergency kit, look no further.

Buy it now: Amazon

Most Portable: Anker Astro E1 5200mAh Battery

On the other hand, sometimes you do care about portability. Sometimes you need something small and convenient that'll fit in your pocket or bag, and you don't really need it to last for three months away from civilization.

Anker's Astro E1 battery is a nifty little option that still packs in a respectable 5200mAh capacity, but without the bulk of everything else on the list. It slims down to a single USB A port for output and a microUSB charging port, but for a single person or device, that's really all you need. It can still deliver up to a 2 amp charge, too, so don't worry about being hamstrung by slow speeds.

It's just $20 and comes with its own carrying case. If you don't already have a backup charger like this, you really can't beat this one.

Buy it now: Amazon

Convenience: iWalk 20000mAh battery with built-in cables

The worst part of carrying around extra batteries is definitely having to lug around different cables with it. If you mix and match devices you may not be able to use one cable for everything, and if your buddy with an iPhone needs a charge you better hope he has his own cable, too.

The iWalk portable battery attempts to solve that problem by taking a portable battery and affixing a USB C and Lightning cable right into the chassis, which means all you'll only need this device to charge most of your phones, no extra cable needed. It does still have a USB A port if you still need something with microUSB (or a second USB C device) but that convenience is unmatched, especially with its built in kickstand.

If you need a battery that's made for helping you watch Netflix at work on your lunch break, look no further.

Buy it now: Amazon