Anker Portable Chargers: Things To Know Before Buying

294 thoughts on “Anker Portable Chargers: Things To Know Before Buying”

1. When I checked Anker out in Amazon and their website I was surprised a lot of the powerbank models I used to see are unavailable like my Powercore 15000 Redux. Are they actually discontinued?

   Reply

   1. Yes, Anker regularly launches new models and discontinues old or even new models that fail to gain popularity. PowerCore 15000 Redux and all other models of the Redux series except PowerCore 10000 PD Redux have been discontinued.

      Reply

2. I’m looking at getting an Anker high-capacity power charger for the following devices: iPhone 12/11/XS max/8, and iPad Air 2. I’m debating between getting the Powercore Speed 20000 PD or the Powercore Essential 20000 PD. Would appreciate thoughts on which might be better and why.

   Thanks in advance.

   Reply

   1. Powercore Speed 20000 PD is a better choice, especially if you plan to buy a USB-C charger. It supports faster 30-watt input (vs 18-watt) and hence gets charged in nearly half the time (4 hours vs 7 hrs) of Essential 20000 PD. It also supports 24 watt max output and can therefore charge iPhone 12 at its max-supported 20-watt, as compared to 18-watt max of Essential PD. Also with the included 30-watt PD charger it is a better deal than buying a separate charger with Essential PD, unless you are getting a huge discount or deal on Essential PD.
      Thanks!

      Reply

3. Hello,
   I am from Lithuania and going on an expedition to very remote areas and looking for an additional power bank at least 20 000mAh.
   Looking for a USB-C wall charger, 4-5 ports, fast charging also.

   During the expedition, I will use my RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD.
   Samsung Galaxy S20
   Ipad 9.7″ 6th Gen.
   Portable solar charging pack. Anker PowerPort 21W

   Waiting for an answer.

   Reply

   1. Hi Danas, We will recommend the EasyAcc 20000 USB-C if you can get it in Lithuania. It has excellent solar charging compatibility, 4 charging ports, and offer lots of flexibility in charging the power bank and charging multiple devices from the powerbank. While in remote areas, we recommend to not use USB-C charging for your S20 as it will waste battery. Instead, use a USB to USB-C cable to charge the S20 at normal speeds.

      If you can’t find the EasyAcc, our next pick is ZMI Aura 20000. An excellent power bank with 3 ports and flexible charging input/output options. If you can’t get this also, then best picks are good old RAVPower 20000 or Aukey 20000.

      Of all these, ZMI Aura 20000 & RAVPower 20000 have tested compatibility with solar charging while the other two we have not tested on our own but should charge with solar panels due to simpler charging interfaces.

      Reply

4. I have owned the 20100 in the past and it is a warrior. I just never liked that it was slightly longer than my iPhone XS Max. https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Charger-Anker-PowerCore-20100mAh/dp/B00X5RV14Y/ref=sr_1_3?crid=T2B1TC3FXB7M&dchild=1&keywords=anker%2Bpower%2Bbank&qid=1598149310&sprefix=anker%2Bpo%2Caps%2C-1&sr=8-3&th=1

   I recently discovered the 20000 Essential and it seems to be almost exactly the size as my phone and lighter. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S829LBX/ref=emc_b_5_t?th=1

   However after doing further research, it seems as though the 20000 gives slightly less output wattage. The 20000 was released in 2019 and 20100 was released in 2015. Amazon marks the 20100 3rd place and 20000 5th place.

   Here are the manuals with the specs- https://d2211byn0pk9fi.cloudfront.net/spree/accessories/attachments/70675/89A47F189D33E56_3098FA653E2309D_A1271_manual_V1.1_20150802_outline.pdf?1533027962

   https://d2211byn0pk9fi.cloudfront.net/spree/accessories/attachments/81694/51005001987_A1268_Manual.pdf?1583726684

   Which one should I get from your experiences?

   Reply

   1. Hi Maggie, Between the two, we suggest you get either the Essential 20000. It has improved and more efficient circuitry.
      Also, if you want to fast charge your XS Max twice as fast as possible by Essential 20000, consider its USB-C PD version – PowerCore Essential 20000 PD for similar price. It will also get charged twice as fast. You will need a USB-C PD charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable to make full use of it. Still, it is a worthwhile investment as it will reduce charging time for XS Max to half as you can also charge the phone also twice as fast with the PD adapter.

      Reply

5. Hi, I am wanting to know which power bank may be suitable to be charged/topped up by a portable solar panel used for hiking (Nekteck 21W Portable Solar Panel Charger). What do you recommend?

   thanks

   Reply

   1. Hi Craig, Solar charging is a quite different than regular use and many good regular powerbanks do not get charged well with solar panels. I have personally have had very good experience with Easyacc portable chargers when charging with solar panels and that is what we recommend for solar charging with Nekteck/anker/Big Blue type solar panels. If you want to go high-end, the Omnicharge Omni 20+ also handles all types of solar panels fine.

      Reply

6. Hi,
   I’m looking for a reasonably priced battery pack for my MacBook Air 2013, but am finding it hard to understand which would be compatible.

   Can you advise?
   Many thanks,
   Emily

   Reply

   1. Hi Emily, The most reasonably priced powerbank that we will recommend for charging Macbook Air 2013 is Omnicharge Omni Mobile 25600 with a DC to Magsafe 2 cable or a USB-C to Magsafe 2 cable. Macbook Air 2013 is a bit old and does not support widely available USB-C to USB-C cables (PD charging) supported by recent Macbooks.

      Reply

      1. Hi, thanks so much. I thought the fact that it’s old might be an issue. I’ll look into your suggestion though – thanks again!

         Reply

7. Hello,

   I purchased the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD, 10000mAh Portable Charger USB-C Power Delivery (18W) Power Bank last year. I’m looking for a fast way to charge this power bank and noticed that Anker has two dual-port USB-C wall chargers: PowerPort Atom PD 2 (https://www.anker.com/store/powerport-atom-pd-2/A2029111) and PowerPort III 2-Port 60W (https://www.anker.com/store/powerport-iii-2port-60w/A2629121). Can you tell me what the difference is between these two and which one is better? Like I mentioned, I want to use it to charge my Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD power bank as well as my Samsung S10 / iPhone / iPad.

   Also, are you aware of a combo pack for either of the above wall chargers with the USB-C to C cable? I see on the product pages that the cable is not provided.

   Thanks!

   Reply

   1. Hi, Anker actually has three dual PD port chargers. In addition to the two you mentioned, there is PowerPort III duo 36-watt. We recommend this charger – PowerPort III duo 36-watt – as your devices use 18-watt max charging and also as it is almost half the price (can be even lower) of the other two. The three are –
      PowerPort III duo 36-watt – can output 18w + 18w at the same time from both ports. It can output maximum 18-watt PD from any port if one port is used. This suits you best as your S10/powerCore Slim are all max 18-watt.
      PowerPort Atom PD 2 – outputs 30w + 30w at the same time from both ports, as well as variable 45w+15w etc. It can output maximum 60-watt PD from a port if one port is used. Best for users who plan to charge laptops or high-capacity powerbanks that can benefit from 60-watt PD charging.
      PowerPort III 2-Port 60W – can output variable 30w + 30w/45w+15w etc. at the same time from both ports. It can output maximum 60-watt PD from a port if one port is used. Best for users who plan to charge Macbooks or high-capacity powerbanks that can benefit from 60-watt PD charging. Key difference is more wider range of flexible allocation of power between two ports. Comes with interchangeable international plugs. Has compatibility issues with S10.

      Another great alternative is Aukey 36-watt dual PD charger (18w + 18w at same time, Max 30w from one). Aukey USB-C/USB-C cables are also a good choice and you can get excellent Aukey long-life braided USB-C/USB-C cables at a good price. No combo pack available but you can get both – a 36-watt dual PD charger and two-pack of USB-C/USb-C cables – at half the price of the chargers you mentioned! 🙂

      Reply

8. Hey all,

   Wanted to say I loved the write up between all of the chargers. This branding is virtually impossible to follow and honestly excessive. So thanks for taking the time to clear things up! But anyway, let’s get into my question…

   I currently own a PowerCore 13000 which has been serving me well for long flights for my tablet and phone (Galaxy S10), and for weekend backpacking trips when I only bring my S10 with me.

   I see a Nintendo switch in my future, and I think combining that with my S10 I would be looking in the 20000mah space for a weekend trip. I have narrowed my search between the PowerCore Speed 20000 Pd and the PowerCore Essential 20000 PD.

   Now, I see that the PowerCore Essential 20000 PD is the newer model, that charges 18W from the USB C port and 18W from the USB A port. Meanwhile, the older PowerCore Speed 20000 Pd charges 10W from the USB A port and 22W from the USB-C port.

   Since the PowerCore Essential has released, it seems that most of your recommendations have gone to this power bank in the 20000mah space rather than the PowerCore Speed. I wanted to ask why that is, and if the Essential would be the better choice to me?

   With the way phones are heading, it seems that almost all flagships will be shifting from USB A quickcharge to USB C PD. I will be looking into a new galaxy S20 in the future which I see ships with a 25W PD charger, so wouldn’t the 22W PD PowerCore Speed be the better choice for me?

   Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any other recommendations for me.

   Thanks a bunch!

   -Ryan

   Reply

   1. Hi Ryan, Thanks for the appreciative words! PowerCore Speed 20000 PD has clear output (24w) & input speed (30w) advantage. However, we switched our recommendations in 20000 mah category powerbanks for phones/iPads to PowerCore Essential 20000 PD (18w/18w output/input)because of the HUGE price difference that existed between it and PowerCore Speed 20000 PD for nearly the same performance in most use cases. All Pixels, all Samsung phones before Note 10/S20 series & all new iPhones/iPads still use only till 18-watt USB-C PD max and we felt that minor 6-watt performance gain for handful few exceptions did not justify paying almost double price. However, since mid-June 2020, the price landscape has again changed and with the newly available discount, we now recommend PowerCore Speed 20000 PD if you are looking for a 20000maH USB-C PD power bank with a bundled PD power adapter.

      For your specific use case (S20 + Switch), PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is clearly the better suited power bank. Speed 20000 PD also has way higher input speed (30-watt vs 18-watt) and gets charged full 2 hours faster with bundled charger compared to PowerCore Essential 20000 PD.

      Thanks!

      PS. Recent versions of PowerCore Speed 20000 PD can output 24-watt PD max compared to 22 watt PD max of older versions.

      Reply

      1. Hey again,

         Thanks for the detailed write-up and for confirming my suspicions. I think the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is at a much more reasonable price now, also considering it is bundled with the charger. That will be what I go with then!

         Thanks for the tip on the 24-watt. I have some a considerable amount of research and never noticed any differences, so I will pay extra close attention.

         Until next time,
         Ryan

         Reply

9. I have an old Samsung Galaxy J3 6 I am about to go bikepacking for a month and will often be away from a power source. Which is the best power bank for this phone?
   Prompt reply would really be appreciated, as I only have a few days to have it delivered before I depart.
   Many thanks
   M

   Reply

   1. Hi Malcolm, We recommend a robust good 20000 maH power bank. Our top minimum recommendation, specifically for your Samsung J3 6, and maximum battery backup is EasyAcc 20000. It has adequate capacity to charge the J3 6 fully five times, which should be enough even for long stretches on the road without power. If you want an Anker power bank, we recommend PowerCore 20100. Also, it is a good idea to get a dual-port charger (UK type plug link) US type plug Link to charge the phone and powerbank at same time whenever you are near power source.

      If you want to go a step up and charge the powerbank as fast as possible (at 18-watt or 50% faster than the previous option) during rest-stops, we recommend PowerCore II 20000 or RAVPower 20100. with Anker dual-port QC 3.0 charger – (UK link with UK type plug )

      If you want a future-proof fastest charging/recharging powerbank for when you upgrade your phone, we recommend PowerCore Essential 20000 PD with Anker 30-watt dual port charger.

      Brief explanation – As you will be on bike, a slightly heavier but robust 20000 is better choice than lighter 10000 mah or expensive 50 gram lighter 20K. 20K also gives you bigger reserve power and you can plugin for longer to store lots of power compared to 10K. Quickcharging phone from powerbank is not that important when out for extended times backpacking/camping as it wastes power. However, QuickCharging as fast as possible for powerbank itself from AC during rest-stops is important. J3 6 is micro-USB with 15-watt max charging speed with small 2600 mah battery. Hence, USB-C is not required. An expensive 15/18-watt powerbank also is not required as difference between 12 watt & 15-watt charging for J3 6 is very small.
      Thanks

      Reply

10. I’m in a time constraint and somewhat over my head with this. Will be backpacking 3 plus weeks with only 3 stops for 1-2 hours in which may recharge via wall outlet
    I have
    * iphone7 BUT in a few months will be getting iPhone 11.
    *solar panel renogy eflex 2 amp 10W two panel. USB port 5V 1.92A (peak) that will go to power core
    while hiking
    *perhaps a black diamond rehargable head lamp (but can instead take one using AAA batteries)
    ** What is fastest and lightest 1000 power core that I can use for both 7 and 11 (and hopefully the
    headlamp? (or the best for me however you figure that out)
    ** What cords/plugs will I need to purchase for fastest ability? (already have iPhone cord for USB and wall outlet connection.
    Thanks so much. If you can respond today, I hope to order and receive products in less than a week.

    Reply

    1. I meant a 10000 power core is what I want to purchase.

       Reply

    2. Hi Alice, Apologies for replying a day late. For your specific requirements, we recommend the PowerCore Slim 10000 PD. For fastest charging, we recommend the Anker PowerPort 2 30-watt PD charger . The charger can fully charge your PowerCore Slim 10000 PD power bank in just 4 hours and also give very fast top-ups during breaks.The Anker PowerPort Speed Duo 30-watt PD charger has two ports and the second port will simultaneously charge your iPhone 7 twice as fast as the Apple iPhone 7 charger (which is the fastest the iPhone 7 can be charged). You will not need any new cable at the moment for iPhone 7. The PowerCore Slim 10000 PD comes with an included USB-C/USB-C cable that is required to fast-charge it.

       When you get the iPhone 11, you can get a good braided USB-C to Lightning cable to charge it quickly with either your PowerCore Slim 10000 PD or the PowerPort Speed Duo PD charger .

       Thanks!

       Reply

11. Great and much appreciated reviews. Any comments on how the PowerCore III Sense 10K fits in? Any advantages of this over the PowerCore Slim 10000 PD? And could you please tell me what ” [upgraded]” means? I find it preceeding some of the Anker products on Amazon linked from their (and your) website, but not always. Does that have anything to do with why the same product is listed from them on their site in different places at different prices (for instance in one place the Powercore Slim 10000 PD is listed at $41.99 and just above that in a different place it clicks on at $29.99)?
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Ross, PowerCore III Sense 10K, PowerCore Slim 10000 PD, PowerCore Metro 10000 PD, and PowerCore+10000 with in-built USB-C cable are all basically same power bank with cosmetic or minor design differences. “Newer Version” and “Upgraded” are just overused words in product title. At this moment, of all these, we recommend – PowerCore Slim 1000 PD . It is also the lowest priced as well at the moment thanks to a huge discount. Ignore the “Upgraded” on other listing. To summarize –

       • #1 PowerCore Slim 10000 PD (Newer Listing) – Great buy for both iPhones and Samsung/LG/Pixels 18-watt PD Input/output charging
       • PowerCore Slim 10000 PD (Older Listing) – Same power bank but older listing! 🙂 Ignore “Upgraded”.
       • PowerCore III Sense 10K – Fancy Fabric finish at fanciest price Same 18-watt PD Input/output charging. If you really want a fabric finish PD powerbank a much better option is ZMI Powerpack 10K
       • PowerCore Metro Slim 10000 PD – Same fancy fabric finish at fancy price, looks exactly same as Sense III Same 18-watt PD Input/output charging
       • PowerCore+ 10000 with in-built USB-C cable – Essentially #1 with an in-built USB-C cable. Handy if you have a Samsung/Pixel/LG/Moto/Mi phone. Does NOT come with USB-C/USB-C cable that is shipped with all above power banks

       Also, there is a PowerCore+ Metro 10000 with inbuilt Lightning cable and eye-watering price! We DO NOT recommend buying it. The price may seem to indicate it has some hidden sauce but, in fact, it CANNOT fast-charge new iPhones 11/11 Pro/XR/XS/8/8+ etc. Instead, if you have any iPhone, get the much better PowerCore Slim 1000 PD and a much much better deal is getting good longer life braided USB-C to Lightning cable separately.

       Reply

       1. Very helpful. Thank you very much. For backpacking, I am going with a PowerCore Slim 10000 PD with included USBC to USBC cable and a PowerPort III Nano USBC wall charger for battery charging, an ESR USBC to Lightning cable to charge my iPhone XR (the only one I could find in a short 6 in length), and a JXMOX USBC to MicroUSB adapter to charge my Garmin device and my headlamp. Any other suggestions?
          Ross

          Reply

          1. Hi Ross, These are good choices. Given the number of your devices, you can get a multi-port charger instead of Nano to charge 2 devices at same time. For example, Powerport III Duo 36-watt, will fast charge both the XR and the Slim 10000 PD at 18-watt each at the same time. This will give you enough back-up power to last whole day in just 1 hour (such as during rest-stops or in mornings).This is very handy in situations where you forget to charge your powerbank/phone etc. overnight and also reduces clutter.

             Reply

             1. Great suggestion. So glad I found you. Thanks again.

12. Hello I just came across your excellent site, I’ve been researching power banks for a couple of hours and have narrowed it down to Anker but I’m still a bit confused – mainly about which charger to go for.

    I have an iphone 5s and want a power bank for walking long distances (weeks at a time) where I will only get a chance to charge it every few days in a pub or something so the bank needs to charge quickly – so I’m looking at the Powercore II series, right?

    Would you be able to recommend a charger (and cable?) that will charge the bank most quickly, or a bundle of these I can buy? I’m in the UK by the way.

    Many thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Richey, We no longer recommend PowerCore II series. This is because you can get much newer, better and future-proof Anker power-banks at same or lower price. We recommend PowerCore Essential 2000 PD as it will give you almost 10 full charges for the iPhone 5s and also get charged very fast (6 hrs). To go with this powerbank, we recommend Anker Powerport 30-watt PD charger (Amazon UK Link for UK-style version of Anker Powerport 30-watt PD adapter) . PowerCore Essential 2000 PD comes with an included USB-C/USB-C cable for fast-charging the power-bank. You will not need any separate special cable for iPhone 5s and your normal USB-A to Lightning cable will work fine. However, you can get a good right-angle braided Lightning cable for charging and using the phone while walking. The right-angle connecter will keep the cable plugged in more securely while charging on the move and braided design will offer much greater life-span under heavy use and repeated flexing.

       Thanks!

       PS. We have recommended a dual-port 30-watt PD+USB wall charger as it will charge BOTH your powerbank and your iPhone 5s at same time. In future, if/when you upgrade from iPhone 5s to any newer iPhone, the same powerbank/wall-adapter combination will fast-charge your new big-screen iPhones (or SE2) from zero to 50% in 30 minutes. The only thing you will need for that is a USB-C to Lightning cable for connecting new iPhones to the USB-C port on your PD powerbank/adapter.

       Reply

    2. Thank you so much!

       Reply

13. Hey there! I own an iPad Pro 11 2020, a iPhone 11 Pro Max and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. Is it a wise choice if I get the Powercore+ 26800 PD (30W/45W) for travelling purposes and a Powercore 10000 PD for casual use? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    1. Hi Dylan, Anker PowerCore 26800PD 30-watt will be well suited (also costs way less than 45-watt version) for your travelling requirements as you will not use 45-watt PD output.

       PowerCore 10000 PD is a good casual use choice. Both your phones (4000mah+) and your iPad Pro have rather large batteries and PowerCore 10000 PD will give you two charges (from 20% to 100%) for either of your phones. If that seems inadequate, you can also go the middle route and instead of buying one big and one small power-bank, you can get a single middle-capacity PowerCore Essential 20000 PD . It will fast-charge all your 3-devices, have plenty of battery for travelling, and also weigh much lower than PowerCore 26800PD 30-watt.

       Reply

14. Hi, yesterday i bought the Anker Power Bank 20000mAh PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER 18W 2x USB PowerIQ FAST CHARGE from eBay. Basically i want to use it for my nintendo switch. also my phone is a Huawei P30 and after some research i can see it is compatibale for my phone. But i am unsure about the switch and i really don’t want to brick my switch. i messaged the seller and he said it is compatible and it will work for the switch. i would appreciate if you could verify this.

    Great site by the way.

    Thanks.

    Reply

    1. Hi Brian, The Anker power bank you bought (PowerCore II 20000) is compatible with Switch but it will charge it slowly as it does not have USB-C PD to fast charge the Switch. For almost same or lower price, you can get an Anker Powercore Essential 20000 PD that will fast-charge the Nintendo Switch over USB-C PD.

       Reply

       1. Thank you for you’re reply and advice. i will most certainly look into this.

          Kind Regards, Brian.

          Reply

15. Hi,
    can you suggest a power bank that can charge the load while being charged itself?

    The actual need in fact is not to charge the load, but to ensure 5V 1A uninterrupted power supply to the load. The load is a microcomputer, that should be powered at all times (during and between power bank charging).

    The power pack output should be available at all times without interruptions on input power loss/restore. If the power pack becomes empty, the outputs should be restored automatically after the input power has been restored (possibly after some initial delay).

    Reply

16. Hi there, Im planning a long 3 mnth trip to the Philippines where there are frequent power outages. Im looking for something in the 20k range (anker 26000 was bought but to heavy). I would like fast charge for iphone x, ipad pro, sony sony wireless earbuds (usb type c) and go pro 8. They dont all need to charge at once a couple at a time will do. Any suggestions??

    Reply

    1. Hi Jenn, Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD is a good choice for your specific requirements. It is currently the lightest 20K mah PD power bank that you can buy (12.2 oz/340 grams). It will fast-charge each of your iPhone X/iPad pro/Sony earbuds and GoPro 8

       Reply

       1. Thanks for the info! Can you tell me why powercore essential 20k usbc pd is better for my needs vs powercore speed 20k usbc pd. It is all very confusing. Also, do these require specific Wall chargers/cables To be most effective.

          Reply

          1. Hi Jenn,
             Essential 200000 PD is a much newer model and is better as it costs less and is lighter/slimmer than Powercore Speed 20000 PD. You will need a good 18-watt or higher PD charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable to fast-charge your iPhone X and to fast-charge your power bank.

             Reply

17. Hello,

    This is an amazingly thorough punch of information. I’m self-taught on the topic so I understood some, but I’m 75% lost, and now after purchasing an Anker PowerCore Metro Essential 20,000, more lost than ever. I feel like I’m afraid it’s just maybe maybe too big in size and I worry that I’m buying a product that I won’t have need for after my travels, which has sparked the need for a portable charger. After my meticulous research, I most definitely want one and I came to reason that I wanted PD and USB-C (this ice come to learn in terms of charging speed). At home in Milwaukee, I’m usually never too far away from a charger and do have a 3750 mAH charger already that I love to use and love the size of. But, I’m traveling to Costa Rica. I’m very lucky. I’m preparing for two days of traveling where there’s no guarantee of getting a charge that whole time and my phone will be my entire source of (Music) entertainment and distraction from physical pain. I really think I can handle the 20000 size because I like it’s capacity, but I see the Anker 10000 and uhhh and then I’m pulled towards a 3000 and then RAVPower 6750 and Jackery Bolt. But I’m fixated on the UsB-C. I think I’d do better with my 20000 if it were thinner but again I think I could handle it. My inquiry isn’t just luxury-based, first-world oriented. I think long and hard ahead of time about my safety and scenarios of getting stranded alone at a shady beach. I need the reassurance that I’ll catch a charge even if I haven’t charged it all day and used it twice already. I’m honestly kind of scared. We may do 8-hour ventures too. Andddd…Or, what if there’s a race for the outlets that work and I’m left to rely much on my device. I don’t feel right in my gut necessarily buying something that I may most and only use for traveling. Or is that ok? Do people do that? I’d like to think of myself using it again but that’s not thee most important factor. There’s just something about the bulkiness…. but please don’t base your recommendations (presumptive, sorry) off that alone. I don’t know if I’ve adequately described all of this but my post looks long so I should stop. I really will be grateful to hear from you. I need help with this.

    I’m so relieved to get this off my chest and ask for help. I’m not the best at making final choices but I like to know if my best smartest considerations.

    Sincerely,
    Em

    Reply

    1. Or pulled towards a 12k-13k size, but I worry that’s my minimum. But maybe not, maybe I’m overthinking all this and I could be at10. I don’t think it would give me through minimum ten hours of travel days though. Ahh idk I’m sorry

       Reply

       1. I’m so sorry. I also would like pass-through technology and the ability to charge my earbuds/ AirPods

          I’ll try to be done now. Can’t you tell this is eating me up?! I hope you are still available to help…

          Reply

          1. Hi Emily,
             Considering your requirements, a 20000 mah is minimum adequate capacity for you and the power bank that you have purchased (Anker PowerCore Metro 20000 PD or Essential 20000 PD) is a good choice. It will get charged quickly and also charge your phones (iPhones or most latest Android phones) quickly as well. Just make sure that you also purchase a good 18-watt USB-C charger such as Anker Powerport III Nano charger to charge your powerbank quickly. You have not specified which phones you plan to charge with the power bank. We will be able to better help you if you can tell us what phones and other devices you plan to charge during your trip. Metro Essential 20000 PD will also charge your airpods as well. However, please note that Anker Essential/Metro Essential 20000 PD (as well as any other Anker power bank) do not support pass-through charging.

             If you absolutely need pass-through charging, then the best pass-through capable portable USB-C PD power bank currently is the ZMI Powerpack Ambi 10k. This can get charged via one USB-C port and at same time fast-charge a phone through its second USB-C port. No portable small size power bank (none by Anker/RAVPower/Aukey etc.) can do this.

             Thanks

             Reply

             1. Pass-through technology is not make it or break it.

                I really wanted to utilize usb c charging with my iPhone though to get an even faster charge since that’s the direction iPhone is going. I have an iPhone X. I’ll charge that, my over the ear headphones, and AirPods, and mini approximately 3000 mah.

                So, you don’t think there’s a smaller mah I can get, like a 16,750 or what not? And then supplement with my small Mah.

                I like the idea of this being more portable is the problem. And I want the PD usb-c technology. I can’t charge my phone with usb c with the current power bank I have.

                I guess I was hoping for other suggestions.

                But I really appreciate your time and your response. Any additional suggestions that you can provide are deeply appreciated as I’ve been trying to figure this all out on my own,

             2. Hi Emily, It seems you have bought Anker Metro 20000 and not the Metro/Essential 20000 PD (note the “PD” in the name). We recommend you return the Metro 20000 and instead get an Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD (with PD in the name). Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 PD will fast-charge your iPhone X via USB-C PD and also get fast-charged via USB-C PD. Yes, 20000 mah is a better size for power banks if extended backup is required and also as fast-charging drains batteries slightly more than regular charging. With 16750 or 13000 mah capacities you will not get USB-C PD from any good power bank manufacturer and also not save any significant weight.

                Also, please note that Anker sells three different 20000 mah PowerCore USB-C PD power banks –
                – PowerCore Essential 20000 PD – This is the version without bundled charger and 18-watt USB-C PD available on Amazon.
                – PowerCore Metro 20000 PD – Metro 2000 PD is sold on Walmart/Best Buy. It also offers 18-watt USB-C PD and has a soft upper surface.
                – PowerCore Speed 20000 PD – This comes with bundled PD wall charger and offers 24-watt USB-C PD charging. For iPhones, it also offers 18-watt PD charging.

                Thanks and please feel free to send any further queries.

18. Hi,

    I’ve been reading your guides, in an attempt to choose a powerbank from Anker. I did learn much more than I expected but I’m still ambivalent regarding what model to choose for my specific case. Would it be ok to ask for some help trough here?
    I’m considering either 10000 mAH or 20000 mAH. Right now I own an iPhone 7, an iPad Air and a MacBook Air (made-2012). My wife will be getting either an iPhone 7 or a Google Pixel 3a or Nokia 6.2 in the next weeks, but the powerbank is mainly for my devices. Next year I’ll definitely switch to whatever iPhone replaces the current iPhone 11 Pro Max, and this is the main reason for my indecision regarding the powerbank. What would be your advice?
    Thank you so much for listening!

    Best regards
    Pedro Lourenço

    Reply

    1. Hi Pedro,
       The best power banks for you will be PowerCore Slim 10000 PD or PowerCore Essential 20000 PD if you opt for 20000mah. Both of these will charge your current and future planned phones (Pixel 3a, iPhone 7, Nokia 6.2, or 11 Pro Max successor) at optimum speed.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much for your input!!
          I’ll definitely buy one of those two.

          Regards

          Reply

19. I am choosing between Anker PowerCore 10000mAh PD USB-C 18W and PowerCore II 10000mAh.

    Actually, I need extra power supply for 2 devices: smartphone Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S TM-700.
    Which one is more suitable for me?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Dan,
       Anker PowerCore 10000 PD is better for charging your two devices (S9 & Tab SM-T700) as it can be charged directly via USB-C port/Samsung s9 charger. Also, Anker PowerCore 10000 PD Slim/Redux has two charging ports and can charge two devices simultaneously while PowerCore II 10000 can charge only one.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you for your assistance! I have purchased Anker PowerCore 10000 PD+
          Now I have another question: Which charger would you recommend for this power bank?

          Thank you!

          Reply

          1. Hi Dan,

             Anker Powerport III Nano is currently our top recommended 18-watt PD charger for PD power banks and PD phones. It is extremely compact and light and costs same as other bigger chargers. If you have a PD power bank such as PowerCore Slim 10000 PD, then the Anker PowerPort III Duo -a dual PD charger is a very good choice if you want to fast-charge two your PD phone and PD power bank at same time. Huge discounts are available during holiday season and if the price difference between the two is less than a dual PD charger is definitely the way to go.
             Thanks!

             Reply

20. Hi.

    Need to get a Power Bank to have in case of an emergency.
    Our four devices are iPhone 8; iPhone 8 plus; iPad mini (5th generation) and a regular iPad.
    Please advise, as all of your great information is confusing to a non-techie like myself.

    Thanks, Miriam

    Reply

    1. Hi Miriam,
       If you want a very light power bank, then we recommend Anker PowerCore 10000 PD and a USB-C/Lightning cable for your specific requirements (iPhone8 + iPhone 8 plus + iPad mini 5 + iPad). It will charge your both iPhones and iPad mini at fast speeds and also charge two devices at a time. On a single charge, Anker PowerCore 10000 PD will charge your iPhone 8 twice + also charge your 8+ once.

       If you are ok with about 14oz weight, then a bigger powerbank will give you twice the capacity. We recommend Anker PowerCore 20000 PD, Aukey 20000 PD or RAVPower 20000 PD and a a USB-C/Lightning cable . All these will give enough backup to charge (iPhone 8 twice + iPhone 8 plus twice + iPad mini 5 one time.

       Please feel free to send any further queries or to seek any clarification.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thanks very much for your timely response.

          Your guidance and help is most appreciated.

          Reply

21. Hi,

    Very informative and helpful article!

    I have a couple of questions before I decide which Powerbank to purchase.

    I currently have an iPhone 7 but will be upgrading later in the year. I am looking at either the Anker 10000 USB-C PD or PowerCore II Slim 10000.

    As the iPhones do not support QuickCharge, will the USB-A charge the phone to 40-50% battery charge in 45mins to 1 hour?

    When I do upgrade my phone to another iPhone, I can then charge my phone using the USB-C PD charge option, from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes? I can’t charge my iPhone 7 using USB-C PD charge option?

    What comes in the box? I couldn’t find any information on the Anker website that states this?
    Do you know much on the Anker Car Chargers?

    Is there any other products I need to buy with the Powerbank i.e. cable, plug etc? I don’t want to upgrade the Powerbank if I can use it with my iPhone 7 and another device and take full advantage of what it offers.

    I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your help in advance.

    Andrew

    Reply

    1. Hi Andrew, answering your queries one by one –

       Yes, the USB-A port of both PowerCore 10000 PD or the PowerCore Slim will charge your iPhone 7 to 50% in about 35 minutes (much faster than your stock 1-amp Apple charger). This is because iPhone 7 supports 2 amp charging which the USB-A port of both these power banks can provide.

       The best option for you will be PowerCore 10000 PD. It has both PD and USB-A ports. You can charge your upgraded phone to 50% in 30 mins with the PD port in future. Also, until you upgrade, you can charge your iPhone 7 to 50% in about 35 minutes with its USB-A port.

       In the box of PowerCore 10000 PD, you get the powerbank + a soft carry pouch + a user manual + a USB-C to USB-C cable. With Powercore 10000 slim, you will get a micro-USB cable instead, rest all is same.

       Anker offers a range of good dual port PD + USB-A car chargers. The most suitable for your use case is PowerDrive PD 2 30 watt car charger. It has a PD port for fast-charging any future upgrade iPhone and a 2.4 amp port for fast-charging your existing iPhone 7 to 50% in under 35 mins. Also both ports can be used at once.

       For PowerCore 10000 PD, you will need to buy a PD charger to charge powerbank in 3.5 hours. The good think is that the same PD charger can also fast-charge your iPhone X/XS/XR/8/8+ (or any iPhone coming in near future) directly from zero to 50% in 30 mins. This is needed as Apple does not give any fast charging chargers even with its new PD -compatible phones.

       For charging the iPhone 7, you will not need any new cable and you can use your iPhone charger’s USB-A/Lightning cable or get an extra good low-cost USB-A/Lightning cable for more convenience. When you upgrade, you will need a USB-C to Lightning cable to charge your new iPhone XR/XS/Max/8/8+ etc.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Hi,

          Thank you very much for your response. Very helpful and definitely what I needed to know.

          Just one quick question, I am correct in saying that for me to charge the Powerbank, I need to purchase a PD Charger as well? Am I not able to charge the Powerbank at all using a USB-C to USB-A cable?

          I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your help in advance.

          Andrew

          Reply

          1. Hi Andrew, You can charge the PowerCore 10000 PD with a regular non-PD charger as well using a USB-A to USB-C cable. However, the charging speed with a non-PD charger is significantly lower (9 hours vs 3.5 hrs charging time) compared to a PD charger. The Apple charger takes around 16 hours to charge the PowerCore 10000 PD.
             Thanks!

             Reply

22. Hi there, would appreciate it if you could give me some guidance on the best powerbank for me to buy for my student son to take with him travelling and to festivals this summer. He has an iPhone 7, and no plans to upgrade to a newer model currently. He wants to be able to recharge his phone several times before recharging the powerbank, in case he is away from mains electricity for several days. I thought the 15000 Redux looked suitable, especially as it appears a bit more rugged (his phones have been dropped and broken or drowned several times!). I have also been looking at other makes which have a selection of input and output ports on board, but don’t know if those would be useful or unnecessary for him (I’m an Android user 😉 )
    If I buy him an Anker model, would the PowerLine II 3-in-1 cable be a useful addition or would he be fine without it?

    Reply

    1. Hi Patricia, Considering your specific charging requirements, PowerCore 15000 Redux is an apt and sturdy choice and will fully charge the iPhone 7 five times (six times 20% to 100%) at its fastest possible charging speed.

       A robust, ideally 1-feet-or-less, USB to Lightning cable (such as PowerLine II or PowerLine II 3-in-1) will be a good addition to the PowerCore 15000 Redux for charging the iPhone 7. The extra robust PowerLine II cable can withstand rough use and will allow charging of the phone without the hassle of swapping the cable from the iPhone charger. One addition that we will definitely recommend is a dual 2.4 amp charger such as the Anker Powerport Elite dual-charger. This low-cost-high-quality charger can charge both the the iPhone 7 and PowerCore 15000 Redux simultaneously at their maximum possible 2.4 amps charging speeds, which is more than twice as fast as fast as the Apple iPhone 7 one-amp charger.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Hi, thanks for your comprehensive reply. Glad the 15000 Redux is a good choice.
          I had a look and couldn’t find the Powerport Elite dual charger. I think that’s probably because I am in the UK, using amazon.co.uk . They do however have the 4-port PowerPort Lite USB Plug Charger at £10.99 (or the USB C PowerPort Speed+ at £23.99), would this be able to charge the powerbank and phone simultaneously too?

          Thanks again!

          Reply

          1. Hi Patricia, In the UK, Anker Powerport Elite is available in the UK-plug version as Anker USB Charger 4.8A/24W 2-Port USB Wall Charger.
             Thanks!

             Reply

             1. Thanks for that info. I had to order what I needed before I got your reply, as I need them by the start of next week, so I bought the one I mentioned
                ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Anker-4-Port-PowerPort-Interchangeable-White/dp/B01MXXOQTE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=anker+usb+plug&qid=1559836269&s=electronics&smid=A2PGPJL0BBLHLX&sr=1-3 )
                Hopefully it will work. It seems a good choice also as my son is going on holiday in mainland Europe next week, so a charger with a 2pin plug designed for it is a good idea. If it doesn’t, I’ll just have to get the one you mention later!
                Thanks 🙂

23. I am about to buy a portable battery, I am among three batteries, which do you recommend me? I have an iPhone XS, an iPad air 2019 and a macbook air. It would be to use it with these devices.

    PowerCore 10000 Slim
    PowerCore 10000 PD
    PowerCore 20100

    Reply

    1. Hi Angela,
       We would recommend #2 choice Anker PowerCore 10000 PD as it is the only one that will allow you to fast charge your iPhone XS (zero to 50% in 30 mins), and iPad Air 2019. You will get one full charge for the XS + half charge for iPad air with it.It weighs just 7oz and will also get fast-charged in 3.5 hrs with your Macbook Air charger. All you will need is a USB-C to Lightning cable.

       If you need much more battery backup (one full charge for iPad air 2019 + 2 full charges for XS), we recommend RAVPower 20100 45-watt PD, which can also charge your Macbook Air quite fast and charge it nearly once.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much for your help!

          Reply

24. Fantastic information…although many more iPhone requests over Pixel users ; )

    That being said, would you mind providing your recommendation for an Anker powerbank (10k) for the original Pixel XL? I’m hoping it could double for use with my wife’s iPhone 7+ as well. Many thanks and keep up the great info.

    Reply

    1. Hi Drew, For Pixel XL & iPhone 7+, the best Anker compact powerbank will be PowerCore 10000 PD. This powerbank will get fast-charged by your Pixel XL charger in 3 hours and fast-charge your Pixel XL at its fastest supported speed. Also, it will charge the iPhone 7+ through its regular USB port at twice the speed of Apple iPhone stock charger. What is more, you can fast charge both your Pixel XL (18w) and iPhone 7+ (10w) simultaneously at the same time as PowerCore 10000 PD can handle maximum 28 watt output.
       You will get one full charge (zero to 100%) for Pixel Xl AND one full charge for iphone 7+ with the PowerCore 10000 PD.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thanks for the recommendation! Hope you don’t mind my going one further. How do you think the PD compares/fares against the Powercore II? I thought the Powercore II had the newer technology?
          Thanks again and hope you have a great weekend.

          Reply

          1. Hi Drew, PowerCore PD has the more superior (also more versatile as well as newer) technology than Quickcharge 2.0 based PowerCore II. PowerCore II is more tailored for Samsung phones and fast charges all Samsung phones launched so far (as well as older iPhones 7+ and older) perfectly well. Also, PowerCore II will not fast-charge Pixels or latest iPhones at all. PowerCore 10000 PD, on the other hand will charge Samsungs + all new iPhones + many QC 3.0 devices as well as USB PD devices such as Pixels. Glad to be of help and a great weekend to you too!

             Reply

          2. I have an old iphone 6Splus but will probably get a newer on at some point. Also have an ipad pro 11″ . I don’t want to have to buy another power bank. Which one will support what I have now and in the future. Thank you.

             Reply

             1. Hi Drew,

                For your specific requirements, Anker PowerCore 10000 PD is the best choice at the moment. It will charge both your iPhone 6s Plus and the iPad Pro 11″ at fastest possible speeds and also charge latest/upcoming iPhones/iPads at fastest supported speeds. Till you upgrade, the power bank will charge both your 6s Plus/iPad Pro 11 at more than twice the speed of your Apple 6s+ and iPad Pro chargers!

                You will however need to make a one-time investment in a USB-C to Lightning cable and a PD charger and you will be set for years to come.

                Thanks!

25. Thank you so much for these pointers on Anker products. I was definitely not clear on the functional differences between like size capacity chargers.

    Reply

26. This site is great! I’ve been debating what kind of powerbank. I am going to Greece in a few weeks and want to be able to charge my ipad pro (10.6#) and iphone 8 but don’t want a lot of weight, as I’ll be carrying the charger in my bag. Your pick?

    Jeanne

    Reply

    1. Hi Jeanne, We will recommend the Anker PowerCore 10000 PD . It is perhaps the lightest PD powerbank available at 6.8oz (190gm) and supports fastest charging (empty to fifty in 30 mins) for iPhone 8 at nearly three times faster speeds than the Apple iPhone 8 charger, making it ideal for quick top-ups during travel. On a single charge, it will charge your iPhone 8 nearly four times OR it will charge your iPhone once + also charge your iPad Pro 10.5 from zero to 50%. This makes it sufficient for a day of travel. It is best combined with PowerPort PD 2 wall charger for fast-charging the powerbank fully in 3 hrs. PowerPort PD 2 wall charger will also charge the iPhone 8 super-fast (ZeroTo50 in 30min) as well. Also both the PowerCore 10000 PD and the charger have two ports and can charge BOTH your iPad Pro AND and the iPhone 8 at max speeds simultaneously! Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you!!!

          Reply

       2. I was just looking at it on Amazon. There are two different sized outports–do I need to buy a special cable for the smaller 18Watt port? The other is just USB. Very basic question, I’m sure, but help!

          Reply

          1. Hi Jeanne, Yes, All the Apple’s new iPhones/iPads that get fast-charged over USB PD require a USB-C to Lightning cable to connect the USB-C charger/powerbank to the iPhone/iPad. Anker and Apple cables are the best quality with Anker USB-C to Lightning cable being our recommendation.
             Thanks & glad to be of help!

             Reply

             1. Thanks so much!

27. Hi there,
    Just wondering if you can advise on the best Anker Power bank for my needs. My partner and I will be travelling in Europe for 6 weeks and will have with us 2 x Samsung S5 phones, 1 Galaxy Tablet Note 8 and a Galaxy Tab A 10.1″. I live in Australia so the range of models available here is probably not as good as in the US. I’m thinking a 20,000 mAh will be best, given the size of the battery in the Tab A. I have found a PowerCore Speed 20,000 PD from one Australian supplier for a reasonable price but I don’t know if my devices will work in the USB-C port. If not, would I be better off wth one of the other 20,000 mAh models. The info I have read seems to suggest the PowerCore 11 is the better alternative but I am having trouble sourcing it in Australia. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Lynda

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynda,
       As you are in Australia, We will only recommend a power bank available from genuine seller on Amazon Australia – Anker PowerCore 20000 (from seller AnkerDirect AU) is our top recommendation. It will get charged in 12 hours with S5/Note/tab chargers and charge any two of your 4 devices at once at their maximum charging speed. It has adequate capacity to charge both your tablets once each + your S5 once. Or you can charge your S5 five times with it.

       PowerCore Speed 20,000 PD is a good power bank but as you need two ports at a time and none of your devices will be able to get charged from USB-C port, we are not recommending it.

       Thanks!

       Reply

28. Hello. This is THE most informative site that I have found, so thanks.
    After reading I am trying to decide which lightweight PowerCore would be best to keep my Samsung A5 going while I trek for 4 days in Peru. The Anker PowerCore 13000, the Anker PowerCore 15000Redux or the Ravpower 16750? If the Anker 13000 would there be any advantage in the type C please? I expect to use the phone as a camera rather than as a phone while trekking. Weight is quite important.
    Thank you very much for any help.

    Reply

    1. Hi Judith, Among the powerbanks that you have mentioned, Anker PowerCore 15000 Redux is offers the maximum battery capacity for minimum weight. However, the advantage of Anker 13000 with USB-C Input is that you will be able to directly plug-in your Samsung A5 phone’s charger with its USB-C cable into your powerbank to charge it. This is convenient while travelling, as otherwise you will have to switch cables everytime you want to charge the powerbank/phone.

       All things considered, we think Anker 13000 with USB-C Input will be the best choice for your Samsung A5 both weight-wise and convenience wise.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you.
          Do you consider the power banks I mentioned the best for power/weight ratio or should I consider anything else?
          Thanks again
          Judith

          Reply

          1. Hi Judith, The powerbanks listed by you are excellent weight/capacity wise and offer good balance of good capacity at manageable weight. However, their only drawback is that they take ages (about 11-13 hours minimum) to recharge.

             We will therefore recommend considering an ultra-light fast-charging powerbank such as Anker PowerCore II 10000 (6.9 oz) while travelling. It will give you more than two full recharges for the Samsung A5 and will allow you to quickly fully-charge the powerbank in under 4 hours and to also quickly top-up the phone (or the power bank) during rest-stops while travelling. PowerCore II 10000 charges your Samsung A5 as fast as the wall-charger and this is very handy during travel.
             Thanks!

             Reply

             1. Sounds good, I’ll take a look at that.
                Thank you so much for your guidance 🙂

29. I bought a Power Core 20100 on December 25, 2018. I needed it for charging my Panasonic Lumix G9 camera while on a shoot. It does a great job when the camera is turned off. But I bought this power core because I was needing it to charge the camera WHILE I am shooting. Why won’t it do this? And if it won’t, what charger do you know of that will? And can I exchange this model for that model?

    Reply

    1. Hi Cia, The limitation here is NOT in the powerbank but in your camera’s battery-charging system. Cameras have very high current draw (can be as high as 10-20 amps! for flash) while shooting and hence for safety reasons and to extend battery life, most manufacturers disable charging of the battery while the camera is being used.

       A good solution is to buy an extra battery pack for the Lumix G9 along with the Panasonic Lumix battery charger. This charger has micro-USB input and will enable you to charge the extra battery with your PowerCore 20100 while out in the field.

       Thanks!

       Reply

30. So i’m choosing a power bank for my iPhone X and im stuck between the powercore II Slim 10000 and the powercore II 10000. Is the only difference between those two the shape of the powerbank?
    and are they the best option for me?
    I’m not looking for fast charging so I dont want the new PD powerbank.

    Reply

    1. Hi Bashar, Besides shape and minor difference in weight, the other big difference is that PowerCore II Slim 10000 uses Li-Po internal batteries while PowerCore II 10000 uses Li-ion batteries. The real-world differences between the two are minor. Overall, you can say that PowerCore II Slim 10000 is slightly more robust but heavier than PowerCore II 10000. For iPhone X, you can choose any of the two and get similar performance.
       If you want robustness and pocketability, you can choose choose PowerCore II Slim 10000 for its slightly better robustness and ergonomics. However, if you want lighter weight and convenience of 10-point battery-status indicator and do not mind the squarish chunky shape, then PowerCore II 10000 is a good choice.
       Thanks!

       Reply

31. Hello I am looking for a the best portable charger that is capable with the Samsung galaxy note 9 and Iphone X, with two usb ports? If possible one that has 3 usb ports and a good anker wall charger? Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Annie, Anker PowerCore 10000 PD has two USB output ports and will fast-charge both Samsung Note 9 and iPhone X. It can also charge both iPhone X and Samsung Note 9 simultaneously as well. We recommend Anker PowerPort II 49.5Watt wall charger for your Note 9+iPhoneX+ PowerCore 10000 PD combination due to its high output that can handle two devices at max charging speeds at once. This wall charger will also charge powerbank fully in 3.5 hrs and also fast-charge iPhone X zero to 50% in 30 mins when required.

       If you require 3 charging ports, the best Anker powerbank for your device combination is PowerCore 26800 PD. It is a bit heavy at 1lb but is the best solution with 3 ports and also comes with a bundled PD wall charger.

       Not Anker, but an even better 3-charging port portable charger will be RAVPower 26800 PD + Anker PowerPort II 49.5Watt wall charger.

       Anker PowerCore 10000 PD will charge your Note9 & iPhone X once each while 26800 mah powerbanks will fully charge Note 9 two times + iPhone X three times.

       Thanks and please feel free to send any further queries …

       Reply

32. how fast does anker powercore ii charge an iphone from 0 to 50

    Reply

33. Hi!! Very informative site!
    May I know what power bank I should purchase? I have an iPhone X and an Air Pad 2 which I will be bringing and using extensively while traveling in the next couple of weeks. I have been considering buying the Anker Power Core Speed 20000 PD based on your recommendations which I have read here. Is this the best option for me? This unit comes with a wall charger. Can this charger also be used to charge my iPhone X and iPad Air 2? Do I understand it correctly that I will need to use the lightning cables of my iPhone X and iPad Air 2 to connect to the Power Bank? And lastly, will the airlines allow me to bring this Power Bank inside the plane?
    Please let me know if you are recommending another model/brand of Power Bank for me to consider.
    Thank you very much for assisting this non-techie in my decision on which Power Bank to purchase.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rae, To answer your queries one by one –
       – Yes, PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is the best option considering your device-mix.
       – Yes, the included wall charger will fast-charge both your iPhone X and your iPad Air
       – You will need to buy an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable to charge your iPhone X with the wall charger/powerbank.
       – Yes, It will be allowed on all airlines worldwide including US/European airlines as 20000mAH = about 72wh and this falls well under the maximum 100WH limit specified by the TSA for powerbanks in the carry-on/cabin luggage .

       Please feel free to ask any further queries, howsoever mundane. It is always a pleasure to be of any genuine help to our readers. Thanks

       Reply

34. Hi guys, I’m about to do some travelling and I own a Huawei Mate 20 Pro and I’m either thinking about bringing my Nintendo switch or iPad (2018)

    Which one of the power banks would be best for my needs?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lee, Both Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Nintendo Switch support USB-C PD fast charging, so the best option will be a USB-C PD powerbank. Anker has 3 USB-C PD powerbanks – PowerCore 10000 PD, PowerCore 20000 PD, and PowerCore 26800 PD. As you will be carrying at least two large battery devices, we recommend eithr the PowerCore 20000 PD (13.5 oz) or the PowerCore 26800 PD (1lb). Thanks!

       Reply

35. Going on a Holiday to Ireland for 10 days and need a power bank for this and future travel. I am not tech savvy at all. The wife and I have new iPhone Xs each. Should I get a power bank for each of us or just one? I don’t suspect we will ever be away from wall power for more than a day at a time. We have new MacBooks as well but don’t anticipate ever charging them this way. Possibility of charging an iPad on a bus or plane. Looking for best combination of size, weight, speed, etc. that I can find. I have researched until my head hurts. Suggestions? Also, I have a Samsung S8 wall charger and cord that came with another phone we had temporarily. Is that one of these quick chargers that is being discussed?

    Thanks so much

    Reply

    1. Hi Mark, We think that one 20000 mAh capacity powerbank will be adequate for your charging requirements. As you already have new Macbooks that come with USB-C PD wall chargers and iPhone XS supports USB-C PD charging, we think that a USB-C PD powerbank will be an excellent future-proof choice as it will offer full compatibility with all your devices and also offer fastest possible charging.

       Our top recommendations for your specific charging requirements are however not from Anker. We recommend Zendure A6PD 20100 or RAVPower 20100 PD 45 watt powerbanks. Out of these these two, we prefer the Zendure A6PD 20100 (13.5 oz) as it is about 1 oz lighter and more compact. Both these powerbanks will get charged in just 3.5 hours using your Macbook charger (one no longer need to pack a separate charger for powerbank). With any of these two powerbanks, you will be able to take advantage of the fast-charging feature of iPhone Xs which lets you charge iPhone Xs from zero to 50% in 30 minutes.

       Either Zendure A6PD 20100 or RAVPower 20100 PD 45 watt will charge iPhone Xs about 5 times which gives adequate margin for peace of mind while travelling.

       To charge the iPhone Xs from USB-C PD powerbanks that we have recommended, all you need is a Anker USB-C to Lightning cable or the Apple USB-C to Lightning cable. Another great benefit of buying USB-C to Lightning cables is that you can use them to fast-charge (0 to 50% in 30 min) your iPhone Xs from your Macbook chargers.

       We are not recommending Anker’s excellent PowerCore 20000 PD powerbank as it comes bundled with a wall-charger, which you do not require as you already have two Macbooks chargers. Please feel free to send us any further queries or if you seek any clarification regarding our recommendations.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. If I never plan to charge the Macbooks do you still feel the same way?

          Thank you so much for the reply

          Reply

          1. Yes, Even if you do not charge the Macbooks, USB-C PD powerbanks are a much better choice for your device mix. With a USB-C PD powerbank, you can charge the iPhone Xs in half the time taken by regular powerbanks and carry along one less charger with you. Also, the powerbank gets charged much faster (3.5 hrs as compared to minimum 6 hrs). The next best alternative after a USB-C powerbank is Anker PowerCore II 20000 . This weighs (14 oz) and costs same as a USB-C PD powerbank, will get charged in 6 hours using the S8 charger, and charge iPhone Xs 0 to 60% in about one hour. It will also provide 5 full charges for iPhone Xs.

             Also, the reason we have not suggested any 10000 mAh USB-C PD powerbank (such as Anker’s new PowerCore 10000 PD which also gets charged with Macbook chargers) is that you have two large battery phones and an iPad, and while travelling, a 10000 mAh powerbank will only charge the iPhone Xs once each (2.5 times in all) leaving no margin in case you get stuck somewhere or forget to recharge your powerbank.
             Thanks!

             Reply

             1. I took your advice and purchased the Zendure unit. Hopefully you can answer a question as Zendure has been quiet. Should’t any USB-C cable work? I have a brand new 2018 Mac Air and I used the plug and cable from that to try and charge the power bank for the first time and nothing happened. I switched to the cable included with the unit and it charged. Am I missing something? I thought part of the idea of USB-C was to eliminate some cables. Please help.

                Also, I got one of the new Anker 10000 USB-C PD units to carry in my backpack every day for work and love it! Would not have known about it if not for your article. Thanks!!!

             2. Hi Mark, In theory, all USB-C cables are supposed to be replaceable with each other, however in practice this is not always the case. For example, Samsung S9/S9+ are very picky and often get fast-charged only with their own USB-C cables! Apple cables especially do not always play well with other devices and this seems to be the situation in your case. The implementation of the USB-C standard is not uniform among even the most reputed manufacturers at present…though things are improving gradually!

36. I have these devices to charge:

    2 Samsung smart phones:
    Galaxy S7 Edge
    Galaxy J3 Star

    2 Samsung tablets, both:
    Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, SM T337A, Android version 5.1.1, battery capacity 2600 mAh

    Could you suggest the best powerbank. Also what kind of wall charger do I need to charge the powerbank?

    Reply

    1. Hi Patricia,
       For charging these 4 devices, we recommend a minimum 20,000 mAH powerbank. We suggest Anker PowerCore II 20000 as it will charge your both phones (Galaxy S7 Edge, J3 Star) and the tablets at fastest possible speeds. The powerbank can also be recharged very quickly in just 5 hours. We recommend Anker Powerport 2 Dual port wall charger for charging the powerbank. PowerCore II 20000 will charge all your four devices from 15% to 100% once each.

       If you need more capacity and are OK with 3 oz more weight and much larger size, then Anker PowerCore+ 26800 is the next suggestion. It comes bundled with its own fast-charger and will give you 35% more battery capacity at same price – one extra charge (15% to 100%) each for your S7 Edge and J3. Thanks!

       P.S. The two Galaxy Tab 4s T337A have quite large batteries (4450 mah + 4450 mah) while the phones are 3600 mah (S7) & 2600 mah (J3).

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much for this information. You have taken away so much guesswork and worry about possibly harming one of my devices.

          Reply

37. Does the Powercore II 10000 also have the 2.4 amp rapid charge of the same spec as the Powercore 10000. The 0 to 50% in about 30min?

    Reply

    1. Hi Sean, Powercore II 10000 has much faster recharge capability than PowerCore 10000. By using a Quickcharge wall charger or wall chargers that come with Samsung Galaxy/Note/A/J phones, PowerCore II 10000 powerbank can be recharged in just 5 hours. If you only have a 2.4 amp wall charger the PowerCore II 10000 will get recharged at same speed as PowerCore 10000 (8-9 hrs).

       PowerCore 10000/10000 Lite/10000 Redux will charge most phones (both Androids and iPhones) 0 to 50% in 50 mins
       PowerCore II 10000 will charge Android phones from 0 to 50% in about 30 mins and iPhones from 0 to 50% in about 40-50 minutes

       Reply

38. Hello, I am looking for the best Anker Power Bank to charge my Samsung Galaxy S9+ as fast as possible with a minimum of 20,000 mah and a maximum of $100. Thank you in advance

    Reply

    1. Hi Edison, For your specific charging requirements and budget, we recommend Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD. This will give you a terrific future proof USB-C PD powerbank that can fast-charge S9+ and get charged in just 4 hours.

       Reply

39. Hi just came across you’re article, very informative and helpful. I was just about to pull the trigger on the Powercore II 10,000 for my Galaxy S7 when I noticed the new redux model. So now the confusion has set in, hoping you can help me decide since I am not to savvy with the output and input ratings. I am looking for the lightest model, where the Redux wins at 6.4oz whereas the Powercore II is 6.9oz. However since the difference is minimal which one charges itself up faster and which one tops up your phone faster? Hope that makes sense. Also will I need a quick charge charger to maximize features, if so which one do you recommend? Thanks for your time and posting this informative article

    Reply

    1. Hi Mark,
       We will recommend avoiding the Anker 10000 Redux powerbank. Instead, for the Galaxy S7 (or S8/S9 or any other phones), PowerCore II 10000 Slim is a much better powerbank. PowerCore II 10000 Slim charges S7/S8/S9 almost twice as quickly and also gets charged much faster than the Redux 10000. As you mentioned, the half oz weight advantage of Redux is very minor and not worth its way slower charging/recharging speeds.

       Regarding wall charger, we will recommend the Anker Powerport Speed II. It can fast-charge both the PowerCore II 10000 and S7/S8/S9 at fastest speeds simultaneously and has an excellent build quality and power output characteristics.

       Thanks!!

       Reply

       1. Awesome, thanks for your time.

          Reply

40. Hi!
    I am looking for an Anker branded charger for the nintendo switch specifically and was wondering out of all high-capacity (20000+) Anker chargers available, which is currently the absolute best for the nintendo switch? Also, i don’t believe AnkerDirectAU sell the bundles that come with the wall chargers as seen here: Anker-PowerCore-26800mAh so keep that in mind when giving your reccomendation. Weight is not an issue, just the charging speed of the powercore itself and the switch either when not being used or playing while charging. Fantastic comparison between chargers nonetheless! Keep it up power experts!
    Thanks, Andre

    Reply

    1. Hi Andre, For charging the Nintendo Switch while playing(as well as for fast-charging latest iPhones Xs/Max/8 and latest Androids etc.), we will highly recommend Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD. It is currently available at a huge discount on its regular price due to the festival season. Besides charging the Switch, it is also an excellent all-rounder powerbank that gets charged in just 4 hours offers best-in-class battery/weight-size ratio.

       AnkerDirect Australia (AnkerDirectAU) does not currently sell powerbank+wall-charger bundles at present. Also, PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is not available in Australia. For buyers in Australia, our best picks in USB-PD powerbanks (for Switch/new iPhones and latest Androids) currently are the RAVPower 26800 PD and Zendure A6PD 20000 mAH powerbanks.
       Thanks!

       Reply

41. Hi, there – Love the info!

    I’m looking for a portable charger for my nintendo switch, and other things on the go.
    Can you please help me out?

    I’ve heard the Anker Powercore + PD 26800 is the best bang for my buck.

    May I have your thoughts on this? Or, any other suggestions?
    I’ve bought 3 chargers so far – and everytime I do, I see something better…

    Reply

    1. Hi Kaz, Powercore+ PD 26800 is a great powerbank and is available during the festival season at a very decent price. If you are willing to look beyond Anker, then you can get similar battery capacity/weight/quality at a slightly lower price as well. We think RAVPower 26800 PD gives the most bang for your bucks (battery capacity per dollar)! It can be combined with Anker’s newly released excellent PowerPort II 49.5-watt PD wall charger for charging the powerbank in 4 hrs. This combo gives you an extra port on wall charger for fast-charging any modern smartphone as well.

       If you already have a PD wall-charger, then ZMI 20000 PD and Zendure 20000 PD are other two excellent quality value-for-money PD powerbanks for the Nintendo Switch.

       However, if you need to buy a PD wall charger as well, then Anker’s PowerCore Speed 20000 is available in December 2018 till Xmas at an excellent price and is currently the best powerbank + wallcharger deal in medium/high capacity USB-C PD powerbanks.
       Thanks!

       Reply

42. Hi I would like a suggestion on the most suitable anker power bank for a mate 10 pro. I am looking for either 20000 mah or 26800 mah for travel with the quickest charge speed and then lightness, efficiency and price after that as other factors. Finding it hard to understand which models are best for Huawei mate 10 pro.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jordan, Huawei Mate 10 pro uses Huawei’s proprietary SuperCharge charging technology. Good news is that SuperCharge is fully compatible with both QuickCharge and USB PD. This means you can use either Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 (Quickcharge 3.0) or Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD (USB-C PD) as fast-charging and light powerbanks with high efficiency for your Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

       Reply

43. Hi, You have a amazing site!

    Would you please help me to choose what would be the best for us! We will be trekking in Zanskar (my wife and our 3 teenagers) and I would like to buy a solar panel and a power bank. We will need to charge 2-3 batteries (Camera… Olympus BLH-1 and Panasonic G80) each day for a total of 6 to 7000 mAh.
    Initially, I thought to buy the powerport solar Lite 2 and 2 power core II 10000 …After reading all the reviews … I hesitate to buy the powerport solar 2 and power core II 20000. What is the best solution? Thank you in advance for your answer

    Reply

    1. Hi Laurent, Thanks for the appreciative words!. Charging with portable solar panels is very different from regular powerbank charging/recharging. Our tried and tested go-to recommendation for charging with portable solar panels is Easyacc dual-input powerbanks. We highly recommend EasyAcc 20000 or EasyAcc 26000 for charging with a portable solar charger such as Anker Powerport Solar Lite. Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you very much
          Well… I am really concern about weight…!
          EasyAcc 2000 is about 16 oz… and the power core II 20000 is about 11,5 oz.
          Is there a so big difference between the 2 that I carry 5 oz more for days… multiply by 10 little things… at the end of the day it can make a big difference… but in other way if the power bank does not the job… (I will be using powertport solar 2 (21w)).
          I would like to buy the “best power bank” to use with the Anker Powertport Solar 2 but the lightest possible !!

          Reply

          1. Hi Laurent, The weight difference between the two is not that much as weight listed on the Amazon Product Info section of Powercore II 20000 listing is incorrect – PowerCore II 20000 weighs about 13.2 oz in real. We will absolutely recommend PowerCore II 20000 over Easyacc 20000 if solar charging was not a factor. However, the reliability of Easyacc 20000 for solar charging is what makes us recommend it over PowerCore II 20000 for your specific charging requirements. Thanks!.

             Reply

             1. Hi,
                Thank you very much for your recommandation !!
                I will get the Easyacc !
                I will buy the 26000 Easyacc because his weight is the same then the 20000 !! Thanks

             2. Sorry… One more question!
                If I want a second power bank… in case one would have a problem… do you recommend EasyAcc 10000?
                Thanks

             3. Hi Laurent, EasyAcc Slim 10000 is a good and light powerbank but we have never tested it ourselves with solar panels. Hence, we are more confident about recommending either PowerCore II 10000 or PowerCore 10000 as good alternate choices. Both offer incredible power/weight ratio and are well compatible with portable solar panels. The only significant advantage of PowerCore II 10000 is that it will take about half the time (4 hours) to fully recharge via a Quickcharge wall charger whenever a wall outlet becomes available. Thanks!

44. Hi, Amazingly informative page. Just one small question to make sure!
    I am looking to charge just my iPhone X throughout the day but want it to charge as quick as possible, 50% in 30 minutes ideally. And I would like for the power bar itself to charge relatively quickly, which one would you recommend? Doesn’t have to have a massive capacity, Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Rio,
       Here are six best powerbanks in the market that can charge iPhone Xs/Xs Max/X/Xr/8/+ fastest (50% in 30 mins) and also get charged in minimum time possible.
       Best for iPhone + Occasional Macbook charging Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD – Pros – Gets charged in 4 hrs, Solid quality, 24-watt Macbook charging, bundled PD wall charger, Lowest priced Anker powerbank that can fast-charge iPhone Xs/X -Cons– Costly, 14 oz weight

       Best for iPhone + Frequent Macbook charging Zendure 20000 PD – Pros – Gets charged in 4 hrs, Best-in-class 45-watt fast charging for Macbooks, Full Quickcharge 3.0 support for Samsungs/Android, Excellent quality, -Cons– Pricey. To charge it fastest, you have to buy a fast PD wall charger separately or use Macbook USB-C wall charger.

       Best Premium & Slim for iPhones Zendure Slim 10000 PD – Pros – Gets charged in 4 hrs, Full Quickcharge 3.0 support for Samsungs/Android, Excellent quality, Very Slim and light @ 4.5 oz Lowest priced premium powerbank to fast-charge iPhone Xs/X/8 -Cons– To charge it fastest, you have to buy a fast PD wall charger separately or use Macbook USB-C wall charger

       Best Value for Money For iPhones Aukey 10000 Slim PD – Pros Gets charged in 4 hrs, Full Quickcharge 3.0 support for Samsungs/Android, Very low price, slim, Lowest priced iPhone Xs/X charging powerbank with acceptable quality -Cons– Build quality is not on par with Anker/Zendure/RAVPower. PD Wall charger to be bought separately or charge with Macbook USB-C wall charger

       Best High Capacity for iPhones + Macbooks RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD – Pros Huge capacity, great quality, Good price, 4.5 hrs to charge, 30 watt Macbook charging -Cons– 1 lb weight. To charge it fastest, PD Wall charger to be bought separately or charge with Macbook USB-C wall charger

       #2 Best High Capacity for iPhones + Macbooks Anker PowerCore 26800 PD – Pros – Gets charged in 4.5 hrs, Great quality, bundled PD wall charger, 30-watt Macbook charging. Huge capacity -Cons– Costly, Almost 1 lb/450 gm weight

       Reply

       1. Thank you! Really helpful, think I’ll go with the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD as it seems to suit exactly what I need. Thanks again!

          Reply

45. Hi,

    You have a amazing site!
    Would you please help me to choose between Anker Power core 20.000 PD, and Anker Power core II Slim 10.000? Amazon does not send the first one to The Netherlands. A friend of mine stays currently in the US and he can carry it in his hand baggage. It will be used for charging a Samsung S8+ and maybe a Surface.

    Thank you in advance,
    Anne.

    Reply

    1. Hi Anne, Thanks for the kind words! For primarily charging the Samsung S8+. we will recommend the Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000. You will get two full recharges for S8+ at fastest possible speed and have a very handy, slim, and lightweight powerbank that gets charged very fast as well.

       While PowerCore 20000 PD is a great charger, its size/weight/price/PD capability is justified only if you have one of the newer iPhones (XS Max, Xs, Xr, X/8/8+) or you need to also charge a Macbook occasionally.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much for this information.
          I’m sorry to bother you again, but I have more questions! I suspect from the picture that it doesn’t come with a cable. Am I right? Which kind of cable do you advice to add to my order? I only see USB cables and no cable to charge the power bank from the wall. Is that not necessary? Or am I supposed to use my mobile’s cable? Do I need a travel shell too? Which one do you recommend?
          Thank you in advice for replying my questions.
          Anne.

          Reply

          1. Hi Anne, You need not buy a second wall charger for the powerbank. The PowerCore Slim 10000 powerbank comes with a micro-USB cable in the package. You can connect this micro-USB cable with the wall charger of your Samsung S8+ and charge your powerbank quickly using it in 5 hours.

             If you prefer, then you can buy a dual-port quickcharge wall charger such as Anker QuickCharge Dual wall charger and use it to fast charge both your S8+ and the PowerCore Slim 10000 simultaneously from the same wall charger.

             You do not really need a shell for the powerbank keeping it safe. However, if you want to buy a shell to keep your powerbank/cables organized, then Hermitshell Hard EVA case for PowerCore Slim 10000 is the best one available.

             Thanks and please feel free to ask further queries in case there is any confusion.

             Reply

             1. Thank you so much for this information. Are you sure this wall charger does work here in Europe?
                Kind regards,
                Anne.

             2. Hi Anne,
                Anker wall chargers bought from US work fine with European voltages (220-240V/50 Hz) but require a European wall-plug adapter to use.

                For use in Europe, it is better to buy a wall-charger with European-style pins. A good recommended wall charger is UGreen Dual Wall charger. This is available on Amazon Germany and also ships to the Netherlands as well.
                In fact, you can also buy PowerCore Slim 10000 from Amazon Germany , which is also available for shipping to the Netherlands.

                Thanks!

46. Hello! I’m going to buy some light powerbank for my new Iphone XR. Seems like i can get near 1.3 charges from Anker PowerCore II 6700 with only 150g weight. Is it the best option for me? Or would you advice something else better? In case if power bank will be heavier but better for my phone, i would buy it better

    Reply

    1. Hi Elena, PowerCore II 6700 is a good lightweight powerbank for iPhone XR and offers reasonably fast 2amp charging. Most other lightweight powerbanks will not offer any significant charging time advantage for the iPhone XR.

       However, if you are interested in fast-charging the XR from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes then you can consider the Zendure Ultra-Slim 10000 PD. It does cost a bit higher but offers 2X full charges for the iPhone XR, almost twice as fast charging for XR compared to PowerCore II 6700, and weighs about same as PowerCore II 6700.

       Thanks!

       Reply

47. Hi,
    I’m using an iPhone SE and looking for an Anker powerbank suitable for my phone. I’d like to charge both my phone and the powerbank as fast as possible. Besides that, as I travel quite often, I prefer a lightweight powerbank.
    Which Anker powerbank would you suggest?
    Also, I’m living in Finland, where the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50Hz. Do I need to purchase an additional adapter to use with the Anker powerbank?
    As in Finland there are no authorized sellers of Anker powerbanks, and AnkerDirect on Amazon does not ship the products to Finland as well, can I purchase Anker powerbanks on eBay instead? Or could you please suggest me any website that I can purchase genuine Anker powerbanks to ship it to Finland?
    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    1. Hi,
       Most modern wall chargers, including all Anker wall chargers, can handle 230 volts fine and you do not need any other power adapter to charge Anker powerbanks. As an example, Anker PowerPort+1 wall charger can accept 100 – 240 volts and 50-60 HZ AC.

       Shipping to Finland is a bit of problem even from marketplaces in the EU. While there are many good Anker powerbanks that meet your criteria, we are only going to recommend a powerbank that is available from the official seller on Ebay as you requested. You can buy Anker PowerCore 1000 Speed on Ebay from the official seller AnkerDirect . This portable charger gets charged very fast and charges iPhone SE at maximum speed .

       Using a QC 3.0 wall charger such as Anker 31.5W Dual USB Wall Charger PowerPort 2 with Quick Charge 3.0 (also available on Ebay from ankerdirect), you can charge the PowerCore 10000 Speed in about 4.5 hrs.

       Thanks

       Reply

       1. Hi,

          Thanks so much for your suggestion! I’m considering between Anker Powercore II 10000 mAh Slim and the model that you suggested. I love the design of Anker Powercore II 10000 Slim, but I don’t know which model better suits my iPhone SE? Please advise. Thanks in advance!

          Reply

          1. Hi,
             PowerCore II 10000 Slim perfectly suits iPhone SE as it supports the fastest charging mode (2.1 amps) of iPhone SE and will give you almost 4 full recharges for your iPhone SE. Thanks!

             Reply

48. Hello! Very useful information, thank you!!
    I am from Lithuania and going to remotest parts of Africa: CAR, Congo jungles etc. I will stay very often without electricity for a week or longer and want to make a lot of video with my phone.
    On my trip I will need to charge Galaxy Note 9 (or iPhone xs), iPad 6th gen., DJI Osmo Mobile-2 stabilizer.
    I am thinking to buy Anker PowerPort 21W (?) and 2 power banks: Anker PowerCore II 20000 (?) and one with bigger capacity, maybe 26800. One of the power banks could be with USB-C for future trips. For a wall charger, I am thinking about Anker PowerPort II PD dual port.

    Maybe you could suggest me what to buy for such type of journey? Weight and power bank max capacity, speed are very important.

    Reply

    1. Hi Danas,
       For a long trip to remote Africa, we recommend the following to suit your specific charging requirements-

       • A light portable solar charging pack. Anker PowerPort 21W or Anker PowerPort Lite 15W are good choices. If they are not available (or are priced too high), then Aukey 21 Watt solar charger or Nekteck 21 W are good (but slightly heavier) alternatives.
       • Two solar charging compatible high-capacity powerbanks. We recommend RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD , EasyAcc 26000, or Anker PowerCore II 20000 – > all of these are good solar charging compatible recommended powerbanks. RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD is more versatile and future proof as it offers USB-C PD charging.
         EasyAcc 26000 is the plain vanilla no-frills option with excellent solar charging compatibility. Anker PowerCore II 20000 is a good (and lighter) option which will allow fast charging feature for your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and rapid recharge of powerbank when power is available.

       Important Note #1: Anker’s PD powerbanks – PowerCore 20000 Speed PD and PowerCore 26800 PD give unusually slow charging speeds on solar charging. Similarly, Anker PowerCore 26800 (non-PD version) has a hit and miss solar charging compatibility.

       Important Note #2 : When in a remote area, avoid fast-charging your phones (i.e. charge only using non-fast charging ports only) from the powerbank to maximize the battery capacity of your powerbanks. Fast charging uses higher voltages and wastes powerbank capacity.

       • Anker PowerPort II PD is an excellent choice as a wall charger with its combaination of 1 USB-C PD port + one Quickcharge 3.0 port . It will fast charge any of the three recommended powerbanks as well as your Note 9, iPhone Xs, or iPad 6 gen.

       Thanks and feel free to ask further queries! 🙂

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much for the information!!

          Can’t understand this is RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD or similar model?

          https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07797XC2L/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2X2NO3429IQ5W&psc=1

          Reply

          1. Hi Danas, The link you sent IS NOT the RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD. It is the non-PD 26800 mAH USB-C powerbank from RAVPower.

             Here is the link to RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD portable charger that we recommend. Here is the Amazon Germany link to RAVPower 26800 USB-C PD powerbank.

             Thanks!

             Reply

49. Fantastic information thanks. We are just getting new phones, iPhone 8 and HTC u11. I was looking at an Anker Powercore 20000 PD but then read on one site ‘not compatible with HTC 10’. I can’t find anything about the HTC 11. Also appreciate your info about alternatives in Australia (where we live) and Nepal (where we’re going)!

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie,

       Thanks for the appreciative words! 🙂 HTC U11 supports USB Power Delivery and Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD will fast-charge both the HTC U11 and the iPhone 8 fine.

       For Australia, Zendure A6PD 20000 mAH is an excellent alternative to Anker PowerCore 20000 PD. High-end PD powerbanks are not easily available in Nepal (or India) and the ones that are available are priced way higher than their original price in US/Europe/Australia. Hence, it is better to buy a PD powerbank before travelling to the region.

       The best powerbanks you can find at reasonable price in Nepal/India are Xiaomi powerbanks. Mi Powerbank 20000 mAH will fast-charge the HTC U11 (but not the iPhone 8).

       Thanks!

       Reply

50. Hello, Great reviews of the Anker power banks! I currently have a Macbook Air, an iPhone 7+ and an iPad Air 2. I’m buying the new 13 inch Macbook Pro soon and I’m having some difficulties in choosing a good power bank. I usually charge my devices during the night and I want a power bank which is atleast 20000mAh and that charges my devices fast. What do you suggest?

    According to reviews, I’m leaning towards the Powercore II 20000 or the PowerCore+ 26800 PD. What’s the difference between the two?

    And lastly, what’s the best wall charger to use with them? And how do they compare with let’s say an iphone charger.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Preeshant,

       Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD is the better choice as it has 30 watt USB PD output. You will require the USB C PD output to charge Macbook Pro 13 at decent speed. PowerCore II 20000 does not have PD output and will not be a good choice for charging Macbooks. Another benefit of PD output is that you will be able to fast-charge new iPhone XS,XR/XS Max/X/8/8+ from 0 to 50% in 30 mins.

       Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD comes bundled with its own PD wall charger which will charge it in 4 hrs and you do not need to buy require any other wall charger.

       Thanks

       Reply

       1. Hello,

          I have an iphone 7 plus and a macbook air and I’m looking for a power bank. Do you suggest the Powercore II 20000 or the Powercore+ 26800 or other suggestions? Thanks

          Reply

          1. Hi Victoria,

             If you have require occasional power backup for your Macbook Air, then a PD powerbank such as Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is a better choice. It can fully recharge Macbook Air battery almost once at a pretty decent charging speed. Besides this, it can also fast-charge all latest and upcoming iPhones (8/8 Plus,X, Xs,Xr,Xs Max) 50% in 30 mins. Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD also gets recharged in just 4 hrs with the included wall charger.

             Anker Powercore II 20000 or the Powercore+ 26800 portable chargers are best suited to Samsung Galaxy series (S9/S8/S7/S6 and Note 9/8) phones or other Android phones as they can fast-charge these phones. For Apple iPhones/iPads, Powercore II 20000 or the Powercore+ 26800 will not give you any useful feature for charging Macbook Air or iPhones. The only benefit of Powercore II 20000 or the Powercore+ 26800 (for iPhones) is that the powerbanks get charged in about 6-7 hours with a Quickcharge 3.0 wall charger.

             Thanks!

             Reply

51. Which is faster charging for for iPhone X, XR, and 8. Anker Powercore II 10000 or Anker Powercore 13000
    Which would be better? How long will each charge in a 1 amp charger?

    Reply

    1. Hi,
       Both PowerCore II 10000 and PowerCore 13000 will charge iPhone XR, X, 8, Xs, XS Max etc at the same speed. Neither of these two powerbanks supports the fast charging mode (18w PD) supported by Apple iPhone XS 8, 8 X, Xr etc. The only Anker powerbanks that can fast charge new Apple iPhones Xs/8 etc. are Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD or PowerCore 26800 PD.

       The lowest priced good fast-charging powerbank that we will recommend for fast-charging new iPhones is Zendure UltraSlim 10000 PD/QC3.0 ppowerbank

       Using a 1 amp charger, it will take about 11-12 hours to charge Anker II 10000 and about 14 hours to charge PowerCore 13000. Hence, it is best to use a QC wall charger for Powercore II 10000 (4 hours) and a good 2.4 Amp USB wall charger for PowerCore 13000 (6 hours charging).

       Thanks

       Reply

       1. Thanks for helping. Well i want to stay under $40…and I am fine with a USB so which should I get? Has to have at least 12w or 2.4 amps.

          Reply

          1. For iPhones, Anker PowerCore 13000 is the better option if the total budget for powerbank + wall charger is limited to under $50. A top-end dual 2.4 amp wall charger such as Anker Elite dual Port 24W for PowerCore 13000 will cost you almost $20 less than a dual QC3.0 wall charger. This makes the overall powerbank + wall charger package much better value when compared to PowerCore II 10000. The only benefit of PowerCore II 10000 while charging iPhones is 4 hrs recharging time and 1 oz less weight.

             Anker PowerCore 13000 will get charged in 6+ hrs from the 2.4 amp dual port wall charger, which is still pretty good charging time. PowerCore 13000 also gives you 30% extra capacity than PowerCore II 10000 (one full charge for iPhone 7) + an extra port while costing almost same and weighing just slightly more (less than 1 oz/30gm extra).

             Reply

52. Hi Great site. Very impressive.
    Looking to get a battery probably the Power Core II 20000 as have previously run out of battery with the 13500 before. Need the battery to charge quickly, as in town sometimes for limited time before back on trail and probably need to charge 2 phones and perhaps a camera battery as well as power core when in town. So looking to see what would be the best wall charger to go with the battery. The weight is a consideration. Thanks for considering the request.

    Mike

    Reply

    1. Hi Mike,

       A good dual-port wall charger with atleast one QC 3.0 port is the minimum lightest weight suggestion for your charging requirements. We recommend Anker Powerport Speed 2 dual wall charger (4.6 oz/130 gm)). It will charge PowerCore II 20000 in fastest time and also fast charge any Android phone from the other port.

       For 1.2 oz extra weight (5.8 oz or 160 gm), you will get one more charging port (3 ports in all) with the 42 watt Powerport wall charger for charging three devices at once.

       Thanks.

       Reply

53. Hi,

    Great site and very useful information you have compiled. I do have several questions and am having trouble narrowing down which powerbank to choose. I will be hiking for several days and typically use my phone (Galaxy S6) as my camera and the battery itself isn’t very good. I’m hoping to upgrade when the new Galaxy 10 comes out next year. Anyways I’m looking for a 20000+ powerbank that has a quick charge for the S6 and an Iphone X. What wall charger would provide a quick charge for the powerbank and while it’s charging from the wall can I use the powerbank to charge the phones simultaneously? Of course I’d like something on the lighter side as I’ll be carrying everything I need for the hike.

    How often do new Anker powerbanks come out?

    Thank you for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hi Andrea,

       For your specific requirements, we recommend Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD. It is the lightest (13.5 oz/360gm) good quality 20000 mAh+ PD powerbank in the market capable of fast charging both latest Samsung phones (S9/S8/S7/S6 and S10 in future as well) and the latest iPhones including XS Max, XS, X etc.

       Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD comes bundled with a PD fast-charging wall charger for 4-hour powerbank charging. The bundled wall charger will also quickcharge latest Samsung phones and fast-charge iPhone XS, XS Max etc. If you still need a standalone wall charger, we will recommend Anker PowerPort II PD dual port wall charger. Powerport II PD will charge the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD at the fastest speed in 4 hours and also has a spare port to Quickcharge the Samsung S6/S7/S8/S9 at the same time.

       Most powerbanks including Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD do not support charging devices from the powerbank when the powerbank itself is charging (called pass-through charging) as it can seriously degrade battery life. Instead, using a dual port wall charger will allow you to fast-charge both phone and powerbank from a single AC outlet.

       In case you absolutely need pass-through charging, then we will recommend the Zendure A6 USB PD 20000 mAH powerbank. It has all the quickcharging features of Anker 20000 PD for Samsung S9/S8/S7/S6 and iPhone XS Max, X etc. and also supports pass-through charging. Zendure service and build-quality is very well comparable to Anker and RAVPower.

       To answer your last query, Anker usually releases new powerbank models in summer/fall. Newly released models are not always superior to existing models. For example, the new 2018 released launches, in fact, do not support Quickcharge or Apple fast-charge or fast powerbank charging at all.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you very much for that response! I purchased the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD w/ wall charger based on your recommendation.

          Reply

54. Please help. Lot’s of great info and I’m on the fence – I’m trekking to Mt. Everest Base camp. Power is unreliable in the tea houses and I plan to solar charging panels. The devices I will want to charge daily – iPad Pro and apple watch. As needed my iPhone X. I need the lightest weight and still effective portable charger. What do you recommend and do I purchase from this link?

    Thank you for any direction you can provide.

    Reply

    1. Hi Tawnya,

       We will recommend RAVPower 26800 PD powerbank (1 pound/450gm) with Anker Powerport 2 PD wall charger for charging (iPad Pro and iPhone X) at teahouses and charging using a solar charger for the Everest Base Camp trek.

       RAVPower 26800 PD powerbank will charge your iPad Pro 20% to 100% twice + fully charge your iPhone X once on a single charge. Apple Watch requires very less power to charge and hence we are ignoring it.

       If RAVPower 26800 at 1 pound/450 gm weight seems too heavy, then provided that you use devices sparingly, a much lighter alternative is Anker Powercore II 10000 (6.5 ounces/195 gm)with Anker Powerport 2 PD wall charger.

       Anker Powercore II 10000 will charge an iPad Pro 10.5 from 0 to 50% once + fully charge an iPhone X once (or it will charge your iPhone X twice).

       Reasons for recommending the particular powerbanks and wall charger

       iPad Pros have quite large batteries (~8000 mAh to 11000 mah depending on display size and model year). To charge, both iPad Pro and iPhone X (2700 mah+) regularly for Everest Base Camp trek, we will recommend a 26800 mAH battery. It does weigh a bit (1 pound/450 gm) but it will give you charging flexibility and much needed spare capacity, if required.

       The electricity supply in teahouses on the Everest base-camp trek is very erratic and at many places you can be in fact charged $3-5 per-hour for access to a AC power outlet. So we will need a powerbank that fulfils these criteria –

       # The powerbank should be able to get extract maximum battery capacity in lowest time as you may have to sometimes pay by hour and the electricity availability is not assured at all.

       # The powerbank should be compatible with portable solar chargers. All powerbanks sadly do not go well with solar chargers and hence we recommend only tried/tested powerbanks for solar charging.

       # It should have some spare capacity in case you cannot get electricity/or adequate sunlight for a day or two.

       Both RAVPower 26800 PD powerbank and Anker Powercore II 10000 fulfil all these conditions with Anker PowerCore II suited for sparing use and RAVPower 26800 suited for regular use. Yes, you can buy from the given links.

       Some tips for Everest Base Camp (or any other remote area) powerbank charging-

       # Use the regular USB port (not the USB-C port) to charge iPhone X from a powerbank to extract maximum battery capacity from the powerbank. The reason for this is that USB-C PD charging charges at higher voltage and gives much lower powerbank battery charging efficiency.

       # Do carry a travel wall charger adapter for Nepal/India AC outlet sockets.
       # Use as small cables as possible when charging from powerbank

       # Use dual port wall charger to such as Anker Powerport 2 PD wall charger to charge two devices at once from the AC outlet as AC outlets are in short supply at Everest Base Camp trek teahouses. Anker Powerport 2 PD wall charger charges RAVPower 26800 PD fully in 4 hours from the PD port. It also charges the Anker PowerCore II 10000 in 4 hrs with its fast charging the USB port. Besides this, it will also fast-charge both iPhone X (0 to 50% in 30 mins).

       # If charging from an AC outlet in a hurry, for the USB-C PD port in RAVPower 26800 PD, set the charging priority as Powerbank followed by iPAd Pro followed by IPhone X. The reason for this is that the bigger battery (powerbank) gets charged at a much faster initial rate than a smaller battery. For example, 30 minutes of charging from PD wall charger will charge your empty battery iPhone X about 50% but same 30 minutes of PD charging will charge your powerbank enough to more than fully charge your iPhone X later.

       # Again when short on time, charge empty or more discharged batteries first when charging from a wall charger. This is because more deeply discharged batteries get charged at a much faster rate than a battery charged 70-80% or higher. Once phone or powerbank’s batteries reach 70-75% charge, the charging rate drops sharply (about 2x – 3x slower than initial charging rate). For Apple iPhone XS, X, XS Max, iPad Pros charging rate reduces to a trickle after battery reaches 80%.

       Thanks!

       Reply

55. I typically travel with a iPhone X and a new iPad air with retinal display. I would like to be able to fast charge these with a power pack during plane flights (mostly the iPad). I occasionally travel where I might need to charge my phone and iPad and a panasonic camera battery @ least once. Weight is a concern so the lightest solution would be great. I would like to be able to fast charge the power bank also. What would be your suggestion for me?

    Reply

    1. Hi Lynn,

       Both iPhone X and iPad Air have quite large batteries and inorder to charge your iPhone X, iPad Air, and a Panasonic camera once (most Panasonic camera batteries fall in the 1000-2000 MAh capacity range) you will require a minimum 20,000 mAH battery. Our top recommendation to meet all your specified requirements is Anker PowerCore 20000 PD portable charger.

       Anker PowerCore 20000 PD will fast charge bothe your iPhone X and iPad Air and is also future proof enough to fast-charge upcoming iPhone XS and iPad versions as well. It will also itself get fast-charged in just 4 hours with its included wall charger. It is also the lightest 20,000 mAH range PD wall charger (13.6 oz/360gm) as well.

       Thanks!

       Reply

56. Hi there,

    So glad I found this guide but I’m still a little unsure on what the best product for me is. And also where to buy from.

    I’m from Australia and will be travelling to NY for 3-4 weeks at the end of the year with my partner. I have an iPhone X and he will be purchasing the next released iPhone soon. We’d prefer one bank that can charge two phones but one for each phone works too.

    Thank you for your help

    Reply

    1. Hi Linda,

       For Australian readers looking for a powerbank that can fast-charge iPhone X and upcoming Iphone XS, we recommend Zendure A6PD 20000 mAh powerbank (400 grams and 4 full charges for iPhone X) and the RAVPower 26800 PD powerbank (460 grams and 5+ full charges for iPhone X). Both these are available via Amazon Australia.

       Both these powerbanks can charge two phones at once – one phone at fast-charging speed using USB-C ports and one at regular charging speed using regular USB port.

       Links for US/UK/Canada/Ger/Fra/Italy/Spain readers: RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD USB-C powerbank
       Zendure A6PD 20000 mAh USB-C PD powerbank

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much! I have purchased the RAVPower 26800 PD powerbank 🙂

          Reply

57. Can you recommend a charger to bring to Disneyland to support an iPhone 8+ and iPhone SE? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jen,

       A visit to Disneyland usually involves frequent use of camera and the Disneyland app. The powerbank must also be comfy and handy enough for charging on the go. For iPhone 8+ and iPhone SE, we will suggest a minimum 10,000 mAH powerbank.

       – For charging one phone at a time at good speed, we recommend the newly released Anker PowerCore 10000 Lite portable charger. This is a slim, light (7.4oz) and handy powerbank. Once charged, the Anker PowerCore 10000 Lite will charge your iPhone 8+ twice + your iphone SE once. its biggest drawback is that it has only one charging port. however, it is an excellent powerbank for holding in the hand with phone for charging on the go while walking around.

       – For charging both the phones simultaneously, we recommend Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact. This costs almost same as Powercore and also weighs almost the same (8.4 oz). It has the added benefit of 2 charging ports, and will thus allow you to charge both phones simultaneously. It will charge both your iPhone 8+ and iPhone SE twice each. Its drawback is that it is not as slim and handy to hold in hand while charging on the go.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you so much! Would you recommend those you mentioned over the PowerCore+ 10050 or the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD?

          Reply

          1. Hi Jen,

             Anker PowerCore+ 10050 is an older, pricier, and heavier (8.4 oz) portable charger model and does not really offer any benefit when compared to PowerCore 10000 Lite or PowerCore 13000 while charging iPhone SE or iPhone 8+. The only benefit of Powercore+ 10050 is that it can be charged in just 4 hrs using a Quickcharge wallcharger while PowerCore 10000 Lite will take about 8 hrs to charge using a 2 Amp wall charger. If you will prefer 4 hr quick charging for your powerbank, then the newer Powercore II 10000 is a far better option offering better gripy design, lower price and lighter weight (6.9 oz).

             If you are OK with the 13.5 oz (360 gm) weight, then the Anker PowerCore 20000 PD is perhaps the best charger of all for iPhone 8+ & iPhone SE combo. The only reason we did not recommend it was that due to its higher weight and larger size, you may find it inconvenient to carry it around with you all day. If its weight and bulk is not a problem, then PowerCore PD 20000 offers the following advantages over any other Anker charger we have discussed –

             – PowerCore 20000 PD can fast-charge the iPhone 8+ (50% charge in 30 minutes). This will allow you to quickly top-up the iPhone 8 to during rest/lunch breaks.
             – PowerCore 20000 PD will fast-charge the iPhone 8+ via USB-C port and also simultaneously charge the iPhone SE at fast-speed (about 50% in 50 minutes) via its regular USB port (it has two charging ports).
             – PowerCore 20000 PD can be recharged in just 4 hours with its included wall charger.
             – PowerCore 20000 PD is a future-proof portable charger that will offer fastest charge for upcoming near-future iPhones and Android phones.
             – It can also charge Macbook Air/Pro etc. as well at pretty decent charging speeds.
             – The included wall charger of PowerCore 20000 PD can be used as a fast-charger for iPhone 8+, allowing you to charge it to 50% in 30 mins. This is useful as buying a good quality separate fast charging Apple wall charger for iPhone 8+ will cost you minimum $30 (Apple sells the fast wall charger for $49).

             Thanks again for the appreciation and please feel free to send us any further queries!

             Reply

58. Hi!
    I am struggling to match the US available and AUS available Anker products. Unfortunately through the AU website we don’t have access to all the recent powerbanks.
    I am travelling through Europe and will need to charge a Samsung S6 and iPhone 6.
    We are after something light weight, slim and fast charging.
    Could you recommend a product that’s available through Anker AU? They’re all around the $129-159 mark…very confusing.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Nina,

       The prices for Anker products in Australia are unusually high and the available product range is also quite outdated. If you have to absolutely buy Anker only, we recommend the Anker PowerCore 10050 for charging the Samsung S6 and iPhone 6. It gets charged in 4 hours using S6 wall charger and will fast charge both the Samsung S6 and iPhone 6 at maximum supported speeds. Its biggest drawback is that it is not slim (23mm).

       Fo Australian readers, we highly recommend the slim (14 mm), light, and fast-charging Xiaomi Mi Powerbank2 10000 . Xiaomi is the 3rd largest phone maker in the world and the Mi powerbanks provide excellent quality and value for money. Xiaomi Mi Powerbank2 10000 is pocketable and priced far more reasonably then equivalent Anker powerbanks available in Australia and offers same 4 hour fast charging of the powerbank and fastest speed charging support for Samsung S9, S8, S7, S6 and iPhones. However, please note that we could not find any authorized seller for it on Amazon AU and it is best bought online form Xiaomi Australia/Ausmall – the only authorized seller for Xiamomi in Australia.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you!

          Reply

59. Excellent write up, very knowledgeable!

    The mother in law is going to Europe and needs something to charge her phone on the go. She has a iphone 6s and wants something she can have on her person, not necessarily in a backpack.

    I was thinking maybe a 5000 series or the 6700, or maybe one of the 10000 if its light and small.

    Any thoughts or suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hi Daniel,

       Thanks for the appreciation! 🙂

       We will recommend the Anker PowerCore II 6700 (5.1oz or 142 gm) or the newly released Anker PowerCore 10000 Lite (7.44oz or 211gm). Powercore II 6700 will give minimum 2+ full charges to the iPhone 6s at the maximum supported charging speed. PowerCore 10000 Lite will give minimum 3+ full charges to the iPhone 6s at its maximum supported charging speed.

       Considering your specific use case , any 5000 mAh powerbank is not recommended as the weight/battery capacity/price difference advantages when compared to a 6700 mAh powerbank are negligible. We are also not recommending any of the chunky/fast-charging versions of PowerCore/PowerCore II/PowerCore+ 5000/10000 as these are either cumbersome to handle or have features that are of no use for iPhone 6S.

       Either PowerCore 10000 Lite or Powercore II 6700 will be a better choice for charging on the go due to their slim & grippy design, light weight, and capability for charging the iPhone 6S from 15% to 100% nearly 3 times (for 6700) or 4 times (for 10000).

       While travelling, it is not always possible to charge the phone or powerbank every night, and another full day of phone use for extra 60 or so grams (2.2 oz) can be very handy.

       Thanks again!

       Reply

60. Hi,

    I’m after some advice please as I’m very confused as to what power bank I should buy!

    I’m off to New Zealand (from the UK) for six months. During this time my partner and I will be running the length of the two islands – 3,000km in total! We’ll be carrying all our kit so weight is a really important consideration. We need to charge our phones – Apple iPhone SE and a Samsung Galaxy A6. I want to be able to charge both at the same time. At points in the journey we’ll be away from civilization, and therefore the ability to recharge the power bank, for four or five days. So, I need a power bank with a reasonably large capacity without it weighing a ton. What would you recommend please?

    Reply

    1. Hi Clare,

       For your specific requirements, 20000 mAH is the absolute minimum ideal capacity for the powerbank. We recommend the Anker Powercore II 20000 for a number of reasons –

       # It will charge your iPhone SE/Galaxy A6 three times each. This is sufficient for 4-5 days of low-use and using power-saving modes on the phones.

       # Anker Powercore II 20000 can be fully fast charged in about 5 hours using the standard Samsung Galaxy A6 wall charger. Regular 20000mAh powerbanks will take about 10-12 hrs to charge. The ability to charge and top-up the powerbank is handy while charging in situations such as at the airports or rest-stops while travelling, where you will want to top-up the powerbank with as much power as possible in very short amounts of time.

       # PowerCore II 20000 weighs just 370 grams (13 oz). This makes it one of the lightest 20000mAH powerbanks around.

       # Two ports and adequate output capacity means you can charge both devices, even in fast charging mode, at once.

       Few tips for extracting maximum possible battery capacity from your powerbank and extend the battery life of the phones when away from civilization –

       # While charging from the powerbank, switch off the fast-charging mode in Samsung Galaxy A6. To do this, go to Settings > Battery > and turn off “Fast cable charging” option. Fast charging uses high voltages and wastes a lot of power. This may be acceptable in the city where a wall outlet is just hours away but absolutely not needed when away on the trail.

       # Use short and high quality charging cables while charging from the powerbank (max 1 feet long). Long cables will waste precious battery capacity of the powerbank.

       # Use the Power Saving mode (in “Max” setting) of Samsung Galaxy A6. Galaxy A6 has an AMOLED screen and in max Power Saving mode, the battery life of A6 increases dramatically. This is because the “unused”/dark sections of the screen are switched off in the AMOLED display in the max power saving mode.

       Thanks & happy exploring!

       Reply

61. Incredible site, jam packed with information.

    Had a question regarding fast charging for iPhone X. I see that the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD has the fastest charging capabilities and generally is the best for my device. However, it can be quite price at about $100.

    What alternative is there, or next best option is there to fastest charge the iPhone X, at a price around or under $50?

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Ahmed,

       Thanks for the appreciative words! 🙂

       Aukey has recently released the Aukey 10000 18-watt USB PD powerbank . As of now, this the lowest cost decent fast-charging powerbank for the iPhone X (or iPhone 8/8+) in the market and it will fast charge (50% in 30 mins) your iPhone X (or iPhone 8/8+) twice.

       If you also require a fast charging wall charger, you can club it with the excellent Anker Powerport II 49.5 watt dual port Wallcharger. This wall charger will enable you to fast charge the Aukey 10000 18-watt USB PD powerbank in about 4 hours. It will also fast charge the iPhone X/8/8+ as well.

       Thanks!

       Reply

62. Thank you for this article; it was clearly written and even I could understand most of it! However, I like to be safe and so ask for your recommendation for me. I am looking for a power bank I can carry in a light backpack for day trips, to charge an iPad Pro (the 10″) and an iPhone 8 Plus. it needs to be lightweight and capable of charging quickly, please. Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sue,

       Thanks for the appreciative words! 🙂 For your specific charging requirements, we will highly recommend the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD powerbank. This powerbank will fully charge (0 to 100%) your 10″ iPad Pro once and also fully charge your iPhone 8 Plus twice. Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD also supports fast charging for iPhone 8 Plus (50% charge in 30 mins).

       Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD will get fully charged in 4 hours with its bundled wall charger. It is also fairly light at 13 oz (360 grams).

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you for your prompt reply. One quick question: the Anker site says to buy from Anker because there are fakes on the Amazon site, but when you click on the product, it takes you to Amazon. it does say that it’s provided by Anker, but I thought that was a bit strange.

          Reply

          1. Hi Sue,
             The only authorized seller for Anker products on Amazon is AnkerDirect (which is basically Anker itself selling via Amazon). The links from Anker site as well as all the Amazon links to Anker products from our site take you to only the genuine Anker products sold by AnkerDirect.

             Reply

63. Hello there.. this was undoubtedly a well informed article.

    I had a query. I’m using Samsung Note 8 which uses QC 2 to charge itself.
    Recently i bought a anker powercore.ii 20,000.
    Will my anker fast charge itself using the charging adapter of note 8!
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Zubayer, Yes, The Anker PowerCore II 20000 will get fast charged with the stock Samsung Note 8 wall charger. A good choice for Note 8!

       Reply

64. Waaay too much information for me to understand. Can you help me? We have an iPhone 6Plus and an iPhone X, and an iPad Pro. Which would you recommend? When we’re traveling it’s difficult to keep everything charged.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jeanne,

       For your specific requirements, we recommend either the Anker PowerCore 26800 PD or the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD powerbanks.

       – PowerCore Speed 20000 PD will recharge your iPad Pro, iPhone 6Plus and iPhone X once each at the fastest possible speeds. It also comes with a bundled fast charger which will recharge the powerbank in 4 hrs

       – Anker PowerCore 26800 PD will recharge your iPad Pro once and recharge your iPhone 6Plus and the iPhone X twice each at the fastest possible speeds. It comes with a bundled fast charger which will quickly recharge the powerbank in 4.5 hrs.

       Considering the fact that you have 3 devices, Anker PowerCore 26800 PD seems like a better choice as it has extra battery capacity and one extra charging port.

       Thanks!

       Reply

65. Hi,
    Thanks for a great site. Very informative. I’m looking for a power bank with certain features for critical usage. Are there any power banks with:

    – 10000mah+
    – 2 or more usb outlets (one high output and the other not so high. 3 outs would be better)
    – an on/off switch
    – always on mode (no auto off)
    – a power level read out
    – ability to recharge and use at the same time
    – 9v in for recharging?

    Your site showed lots of power banks with the features above but I’m having trouble finding one specifying an always on mode.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Michael, The only power bank in the market that I can think of which satisfies ALL your requirements is the Omnicharge Omni 20 powerbank. It comes with a default auto shut-off feature that switches off the powerbank after 5 minutes if the output current drops below 30mA (.03 Amperes). However, this feature can be turned off in its settings, thereby making it an Always On power bank, useful for charging in various niche applications such as sensor systems, Raspberry Pi, or remote monitoring camera systems etc. The powerbank satisfies all your criteria as –
       ✔ It has a 20000 mAH capacity as required by you.
       ✔ It has 2 USB outlets + an adjustable voltage DC barrel port + 120V or 230V (European version) AC output port that can also be used to output 150v or 300v HVDC (European version).
       ✔ An on/off switch
       ✔ An accurate power level read out
       ✔ Ability to recharge the powerbank while using
       ✔ 9 volt in for charging. In fact, you can set output voltage to anything from 1 volt to 24 volt.
       ✔ And of-course the capability to be on always on mode if you turn off the 5 minute auto-shut off.

       If the Omnicharge seems too pricey and all you need is plain 5V output, then another honorable mention featuring the always-on mode is the Voltaic Systems V44 Always-On 12,000 mAH External battery charger with 2-USB ports. It comes with a default/factory 20-minute auto shut-off feature that can be disabled by pressing the power button for 5 seconds. On doing this the, portable charger’s LEDs will blink 3 times to indicate that it has now entered the Always On mode. The Voltaic Systems V44 Always-On portable charger also features pass-through charging (charge the powerbank while it charges devices) as well.

       Thanks!

       Reply

66. Hi there

    I have a HP Spectre x360 13’ late 2017 version, MacBook Air 2013 version, an OnePlus 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus.

    I’m struggling very much which Anker powerbank(s) and cables(Type A/C 2/3/3.1 Gen1/2) would work for these devices I have individually or together…..there are so many many versions of power banks and cables that are so extremely confusing especially I’m using both Mac OS and Windows and both iOS and Android.

    Could you please kindly suggest me which ones to buy? I’m a student and I especially need a powerbank to charge my HP Spectre x360 13’ If/when power outlet isn’t available at certain places.

    I don’t live in the US, so those two pin wall chargers won’t work for me. Anker doesn’t seem to sell any UK or Europe adaptor right?

    I would also like to understand why some powerbanks won’t work on laptops or certain laptops or phones? Does it have to do with Power Delivery? Or those devices like HP laptops are a bit special? Sometimes I read great reviews on certain products but at the bottom it has small prints stating it doesn’t work on HP Spectre or Google Pixel etc.

    Why some work some don’t?

    It would be of great help. Thanks so much!

    Reply

67. Hi All,

    Could you please explain why Power Core 13000 is recommended over 13000 C? As far as I know, this is the exact same model except the type-C input.
    Is there any other difference between these two power banks?
    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    1. Hi,
       Our recommendation is based on the (usually) lower price of PowerCore 13000. Until very recently 13000 C was priced about $5-6 higher. Given that all other features (size, weight, output currents) are the same – even the recharging rate of the two powerbanks is same – USB-C doesn’t offer any advantage other than convenience if you already have a USB-C device.

       If the two devices are priced same (as they are currently late May 2018) then either of the two portable chargers is as good as another depending on your preference for micro-USB/USB-C input.

       Thanks!

       Reply

68. Many thanks for the reply. So I have settled on the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD with the bundled charger and the Anker 21W Dual USB Solar Charger.
    Oddly Anker Drect via amazon says it can ship the solar charger to australia but not the 20000PD.
    Weird eh?
    Please can you tell me if there is a way round this ?
    cheers
    jono

    Reply

69. HI there – firstly what a VERY useful and informative page – thank you!
    Ok so for high altitude trekking I am hoping to avoid some of those recharger fees.
    However I want to charge Olympus bln-1 camera batteries as well as Galaxy s8.
    …and weight matters more than cost I think!
    So far in this PB maze I am thinking of Anker powercore speed PD 20000 with wall charger
    plus 21w solar dual usb. or maybe Anker elite 20000 because of the 3A output?
    (I think i need the largest single Amps output to charge the camera batteries by usb? is this correct please.)
    Very grateful for your thoughts …
    jono

    Reply

    1. Hi Jono,
       Thanks for the queries and the appreciation! We will answer the queries one by one –

       #1 We will recommend either Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD or PowerCore II 20000 for your smartphone camera/combo (Samsung S8, BLN-1 for Olympus OM-D E-M series/PEN E/F series). Both will fast-charge your Samsung S8, get charged in 4-5 hrs, and provide adequate power to charge your BLN-1 camera battery at the same time. Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is a more future proof option and will get fully recharged in 4 hrs with the bundled charger – a plus during travel. PowerCore II 20000 has the advantage of costing much less and its recharge time is practically almost same as PowerCore Speed PD!

       PowerCore Elite 20000 will not fast-charge your S8, takes much longer to recharge than these two, and its 3 amp max USB output will not be useful for either your phone or your BLN-1 camera battery.

       #2 The BLN-1 battery does not require high-amps for charging. It is a rather small battery (1220 mAH @ ~ 8 volts) and like most camera batteries, it is designed to be optimally charged slowly at low-amps. A 1-Amp output USB port is maximum you need to charge the BLN-1 over a USB BLN-1 single charger such as the OAproda BLN-1 Micro USB Battery Charger. Even if you use a dual BLN-1 USB charger such as the NewMowa dual BLN-1 USB charger, you will need a max of 2-amps of charging output power and any extra output capacity will simply not be used. All the output ports of Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD or PowerCore II 20000 output 2+ amps and will perfectly charge the BLN-1 at max possible speed.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Hi there, thanks so much for all the detailed info!!
          I have one question that keeps bugging me. I am leaving for 2 months of trekking in Patagonia and will often be out and about in the wilderness for around one week before being able to recharge properly. I have a macbook pro (USB-C charged), an olympus camera, phone and possibly gopro to keep charged, so I was thinking of getting the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD and couple it with the Anker PowerPort Solar.

          Although I am aware that charge from sun is inconsistent and that I won’t be able to always fully recharge my power bank, do you think this makes sense? Does the PD functionality of the power bank interfere with charging from the solar panel? is the solar charge too slow so that this power bank is pointless for me?

          My thought is that with this power bank I can keep a charge for my macbook and the power bank is more future proof given that probably USB-C devices will become more and more common.
          What would you suggest?
          Thanks!

          Reply

          1. Hi Jordie,
             Thanks for the query! We will answer your queries one by one.

             First, the feasibility of a portable solar charger for Patagonia trek. Assuming you are leaving soon, during summer in Patagonia (Nov-Feb) you can expect decent usable sunlight for 14-15 hours due to its high-latitude location. This ample daylight time makes it worthwhile to carry the additional 1 pound or so weight of a portable solar charger on a long-duration trek in the region in the summer.

             Second, the viability of Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD for solar charging. While Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is an excellent powerbank for general use, we DO NOT recommend it for solar charging. The reason for this is that Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD charges at its best speed only by using a PD input wall charger (such as the bundled PD wall charger that comes with it). While using a non-PD wall charger, such as a solar charger, the charging speed is extremely slow (0.5 amps maximum charging current).

             This means that even in the best possible sunlight, you will be able to use only about 20-25% charging current of your portable solar panel for charging the PowerCore Speed 20000 PD. Most portable solar panels such as Anker Powerport 2 solar charger or RAVPower Solar charger can output 2 to 2.4 Amps charging current.

             We definitely agree that a USB PD wall charger is the way to go to ensure maximum compatibility with the current and upcoming Android/Apple phones.

             Therefore, we instead recommend RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD portable charger for use with portable solar panels. The RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD can also take non-PD charging input of upto 3 amps maximum. This allows it to be charged at maximum possible speed supported by most portable solar chargers such as Anker Powerport 2 or RAVPower 24 watt solar charger.

             While RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD portable charger weighs almost 25% more than PowerCore Speed PD it also gives 30% more battery capacity. This additional capacity will be very useful on a long trek as you plan to use a power hungry Macbook Pro.

             To go with RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD portable charger, we recommend Anker PowerPort II 49.5 watt PD wall charger. This dual port PD output wall charger will allow you to charge the RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD in just 4.5 hours and also allow you to fast charge any modern smartphone as well (including latest iPhone X, 8 etc. and Samsung S9, Note 9 etc. at the same time as you are charging your powerbank.

             Also, as an aside, if you find the Anker Powerport 2 solar charger out of stock, both RAVPower Solar charger and Aukey 28 watt portable solar charger are good alternatives. Both essentially have same power outputs and durability/reliability (Aukey is rated 28 watt as a marketing gimmick but has same total output of 4.8 amp as the 24 watt RAVpower panel).

             Thanks!

             Reply

             1. Thanks so much for the detailed comments and advice!

                Ok, at this point weight becomes my main issue:

                First, if I get the RAVPower 26800 30-watt PD portable charger, can I just use my Macbook charger (Apple 61W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable) rather than having to add one extra piece of gear?

                Second, you suggest both the RAWPower Solar Charger and the Aukey 28 watt portable solar chargers as alternatives to the Anker Powerport 2 solar charger, both are quite bigger and heavier than the Anker one, although obviously this means I can get more power out of them, the extra weight and size might become problematic for me (given I am already getting more weight with the power bank). Do you think the Anker solar charger is good enough anyways or not?

                Basically I need to find the best combination of power bank and solar charger that keeps the weight to a minimum. Maybe there is a solar charger that also has storage capacity that I don’t know of?

                Thanks so much for your help

             2. Hi Jordie,

                Yes, you can use your 61 watt Macbook charger to fast charge the RAVPower 26800 PD in about 5 hours. 61 watt Macbook charger supports the PD input charging profiles (20v and 9V) required by the RAVPower 26800 PD.

                Both build-quality-wise and output-power-quality-wise, Anker PowerPort 2 21-watt solar charger is the best portable solar charger of the three that we are considering, besides also being the lightest (about 18.5oz) as others weigh around 26+ oz. The only reason we suggested the other two as alternatives was if the Anker Powerport 2 is out-of-stock or exorbitantly priced (happens often lately).

                Also, almost all the usual published weight specs for all these solar chargers are incorrect with real weights being 20-50% more than the published weights.

                If you can find it in stock, then of course Anker PowerPort 2 is the solar charger to buy. Another great alternative is Anker Powerport Solar 2 Lite (15 watt) at about 14oz. If you cannot find it on Amazon, it is available for direct purchase in the US at official Anker website.

                At the end of the day, perhaps the best solar charger is the one you can easily carry around, and 15-watt Anker Powerport Solar 2 Lite will offer a decent balance of portability and power output. This 15 watt solar charger will output about 1-2 amp over the day in real world good sunlight conditions and this is adequate to charge the RAVPower 26800 PD about 20%-25% in a 6-8 hour mid-day charging session, which is pretty useful when you are completely off-grid.

                For maximum charging efficiency and device safety, use short charging cables while charging with a portable solar charger and put your powerbank/phone in the pocket of the solar charger (or cover them with a white cloth).

                Thanks!

70. Hi, i have a Samsung s8. I travel a lot in Europe. quick input and quick output would help. which powerbank would you suggest.

    Reply

    1. Hi John,
       We recommend Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 (2+ full charges for Samsung Galaxy S8, S9) or Anker PowerCore II 20000 (4+ full charges for S8, S9).

       Both these portable chargers can be recharged at max speed using stock Samsung wall charger for S8/S9 and both these powerbanks will recharge S8/S9 at maximum possible charging speed (about 50% charge in 30 mins and full charge in about 90 minutes).

       Anker PowerCore II Slim 10000 gets full recharged in 4 hours while Anker PowerCore II 20000 gets recharged in about 5 hours using stock Samsung S8/S9 wall charger or any other QC 3.0 wall charger such as Anker 39w dual QC 3.0 wall charger which has dual QC 3.0 ports for fast charging your phone and powerbank simultaneously.

       Thanks!

       Reply

71. I have an iPad Pro 9.7 128GB and and iPhone 7. Which power bank do you recommend?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Renee,

       Considering the large battery capacity of iPad Pro 9.7, we will recommend a portable charger with a minimum capacity of 20000 mAH for your iPad and iPhone 7. This will enable you to recharge your iPad Pro once and your iPhone about three times. We will recommend two power banks with the difference being the recharge speeds of the powerbanks. Both these portable chargers weigh about the same (13 oz) and have similar dimensions –

       #PowerCore 20100 – PowerCore 20100 will recharge your iPad and iPhone at the fastest possible speed simultaneously. It can be recharged in 10 hours using the standard Apple 12 watt iPad wall charger.

       # PowerCore II 20000 – PowerCore II 20000 will also recharge your iPad Pro & iphone at fastest possible speed simultaneously. The added advantage offered by PowerCore II 20000 is that it can be recharged in just 5 hours using a QC 3.0 wall charger such as the inexpensive Anker 18W QC 3.0 single port wall charger. Apple 12 watt iPad wall charger will recharge PowerCore II 20000 in about 10 hours.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you! Although I do not have any immediate plans to upgrade my iPhone7 or Ipad Pro, would you recommend one over the other if I do?

          Thanks,
          Renee

          Reply

          1. Hi Renee,
             If we have to recommend one, we will definitely recommend the PowerCore II 20000 as for just few bucks more it gives you the tremendous flexibility of fast-charging your powerbank fully in 5 hrs or almost 50% in 90 minutes. In fact, just one hour of fast charging will charge your powerbank enough to charge iPhones 6/7/8 more than 2+ times.

             The high capacity powerbanks (20,000 mah and above) take a long time to charge with regular chargers (about 10 hrs to charge a non fast-charging 20,000 mAh powerbank with an iPad Pro 12-watt charger). While travelling, a user has lots of things on their mind and it is not always always possible to put the powerbank on charge 10-15 hrs in advance. Also, at airports and rest-stops, you may usually get access to a wall charger for a short period of time and you will want to charge your powerbank as much as possible in that short period. When recharging from empty, fast charge powerbanks get recharged at more than three times the speed of non fast-charging powerbanks. For about $5-8 extra, this is an extremely useful feature to have in a power bank even if your phone itself may not support fast charging.

             Thanks!

             Reply

72. Hello,

    First of all thanks for all this usefull information! I’m in the market for a powerbank and I love the brand Anker. Currenty I have iPhones (6 & 7), IPads (air, air2 & mini2), and Android devices. Mostly Apple minded and I will continue to upgrade in the future.

    I would like a powerbank which can charge at least 2 devices at once as fast as possible. Future proof would also be nice. What is my best option?

    I found the new powercore speed 2000 pd, but It will only charge 1 device. Then I found the powercore + 26800 usb c PD which looked what I was looking for, but its not available anymore on Amazon. It gives a message to buy the powercore 2 2000. It doesn’t look like an outdated model.

    I think I benefit more by having power IQ over quick charge since I own more apple products. I can’t find the benefits of power IQ2 for Apple devices.

    Now I’m a bit lost….

    Kind regards,

    Alfred

    Reply

    1. Hi Alfred,

       Considering your specific requirements, we will recommend Anker PowerCore II 20000. It is one Anker’s latest portable chargers and will easily charge your two iPhones 6/7 as well as 2 iPad airs/minis at fastest possible speed at once. It also gets recharged quite fast (5 hours with a QC 3.0 wall charger such as the Anker 18W QC 3.0 single port wall charger). Anker PowerCore II 20000. also recharges latest Samsung Android phones including Galaxy S9, S8, Note 8 etc. at the fastest possible speed as well thanks to its QC 2.0/18-watt charging output.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thanks!

          Will the powecore 2 2000 also be able to fastcharge an IPhone X (i Will upgrade within a month)?

          Is the powercore + 26800 USB C pd I mentioned an “old” product? Or too much? I’m wondering why you didn’t mention this model (either positive or negative).

          Kind regards!

          Reply

          1. Hi Alfred,

             PowerCore II 20000 will not fast charge iPhone X as it does not support USB PD output. The only Anker powerbanks that support fast charging for iPhone X are PowerCore Speed 20000 PD and PowerCore+ 26800 PD.

             PowerCore 26800 PD is one of the latest powerbanks from Anker and was released in late 2017. It is an excellent and futureproof powerbank and the only reason I did not mention it was that you had not specifically mentioned iPhone X fast charging requirement in near future and it seemed too steeply priced for charging your current phones (iPhone 6/7), as PowerCore 26800 PD currently costs 140% more than PowerCore II 20000. However, as the PowerCore 26800 PD comes bundled with a 30-watt PD wall charger that also doubles as fast wall charger for the iPhone X, the effective price is about $30 less than list price.

             In other words, the PowerCore 26800 PD bundle makes sense for users planning to switch to iPhone X but is overpriced for users of iPhone 6/7/8. Also, the price of PowerCore 26800 PD oscillates between $100 and $120 (currently it is at its peak price) and if a user does not plan to upgrade immediately, I refrain from recommending already steeply priced product options during their peak-price periods! 🙂

             Thanks!

             Reply

73. Hello. I cannot tell the difference between the Powercore II 10,000 and the Powercore Speed 10,000. I am planning on using it for an iphone 8.

    Reply

    1. Hi Mike,
       PowerCore II 10000 is a 18-watt fast charging (Quickcharge 2.0) powerbank that can also be fast charged in 4 hrs with a Quickcharge wall charger. It supports max charging speed for most Android phones including Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, S7, s6, Note 8, Note 9 etc.

       PowerCore Speed 10000 is a 24-watt fast charging powerbank (Quickcharge 3.0) best suited for QC 3.0 or QC 2.0 Android smartphones. However, it cannot be fast-charged and takes 6 hrs to recharge. It supports max charging speed for all QC 3.0 Android phones including LG V30, V20, G8, HTC U11, U10 etc. and & all QC 2.0 phones including Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, S7, S6, Note 8, Note 9 etc.

       For iPhone 8, you are better off purchasing the lower priced PowerCore II 10000 or PowerCore II Slim 10000 (which has same features but is slimmer) as you will not benefit from 24-watt QC 3.0 in PowerCore 10000 Speed.

       Thanks,

       Reply

74. Good morning!

    What is the best/fastest option between Anker powercore speed 20000 and the Anker powercore ii 20000 18w? I do not understand the major difference. I want the BEST powerbank 🙂

    Now in Canada, it’s at the same price so I do not know which one I should buy. I am confused again.

    (I own an old Iphone. Might upgrade for a newer version of Iphone or Samsung Galaxy S7 or S8)

    thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Murielle,
       If you simply want the best powerbank, then Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD is easily the best option at present.

       # Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD has USB PD which is the most future-proof charging option for the latest iPhone X, 8, 8+ as well as Samsung Galaxy S7/S8/S9 & LG V30/V20 etc. PowerCore II 20000 does not support fastest charging mode of new iPhone X, 8, 8+ (50% in 30 mins).
       # Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD gets charged in 4 hours with the bundled wall charger. PowerCore II 20000 takes 5 hours with a QC 3.0 charger – not a big difference but as the price of two is almost same (if you also count wall charger) Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD is a more sensible choice.
       # The weight, size and charging speeds of both are almost same. 18 watt USB PD charging is as fast as 18 watt fast charging of PowerCore II 20000 for S9/S8/S7.

       Thanks!

       Reply

75. Good morning!

    Considering that Anker wall chargers are extreeeeeeemely expensive in Canada, should I go for

    – Anker PowerCore+ 26800 QC 3.0 INCLUDING QC wall charger
    (USBC is too expensive in canada right now)
    OR
    – PowerCore II 20000 + Anker 39W USB Wall Charger

    Same price

    What do you recommend?

    I own an Iphone 5s. I will upgrade for either Iphone 6/7 or Samsung S7/S7 Edge/S8. Don’t know yet. I know Iphone does not support Qc. But what option is the best/fastest? I want to powerbank to charge fast.

    Thanks a LOT!

    Reply

    1. Hi Murielle,

       At Canadian prices, We will recommend PowerCore II 20000 + RAVPower 30W USB Dual Wall Charger as the better balanced, light-weight & reasonable cost choice.

       This combo will charge your powerbank in 5 hours and also charge your Iphone 5s/6/7 at max possible speed. Samsung S7/S8 will also get charged with the wall charger at pretty decent charging speeds (50% in about 45 minutes )

       Thanks!

       PS. Please feel free to ask questions. We are always happy to be of any help! 🙂

       Reply

       1. thanks a LOT! Much appreciated! I will follow your advice!

          Reply

76. Hi,

    I’m looking for a power bank to take on an upcoming trip to China. I have an older phone that is fine generally for me during the day (LG – Nexus 5) but when travelling I will be using it a lot more for directions. I also will be bringing and ipad with us that we might need to charge during the day if we are both searching for stuff online. I will also be upgrading my phone most likely in the next year but not to the best of best phones but one that is a year or two old model (not sure of the make of the phone in the future). We also do a lot of camping so this will come in handy.

    What would be the best options if I just got something to cover my current needs vs also covering any future needs? I was leaning towards and 20k mah size as I will be carrying it around with me as we walk around on our travels.

    thanks in advance,

    Reply

    1. Hi Ed,
       Considering your unique requirements, we will recommend Anker PowerCore II 20000. This is a essentially a balanced choice – one step up from plain vanilla powerbanks as it offers fast charging/recharging and one step down from the top-end USB C PD portable chargers.

       Anker PowerCore II 20000 will perfectly support your existing Nexus 5 and any of your future phones (as you will will be buying a 1-2 year old phone next year, we are assuming that you will, at best, buy the top-end Android phones available currently). It also has adequate output to support simultaneous charging of iPad and phone.

       Anker PowerCore II 20000 is one of the lightest 20000 mAh capacity powerbanks available with an easy to hold ergonomic design and can be fully charged in just 5 hours with any good Quickcharge wall charger such as Anker 39w dual charger. Both the fast charging feature and light weight are extremely useful features to have in a powerbank while travelling.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thanks for the feedback. Any benefit at looking at the one of the newer power banks that have USB-C power input? Would mean faster charging for the power bank I assume (but not something that I really need) and ability to charge any future USB-C devices in the future. Is the trend going towards USB-C on all devices? I’m not all that up on the technology.

          Reply

          1. Also, when looking at the powercore+ 20100 USB-c, It says on Amazon that it comes with USB / USB-c, USB/micro USB, and USB-c /USB-c cables.

             https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08LG2X98F/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=AREE309N4XPXI&psc=1

             When I see any of the unboxing videos online only one of them had the usb-c/usb-c cable. Can you verify exactly what comes with this powercore model?

             I’m leaning towards this model depending on your answer to my earlier question on USB-C use in the future. For $18 more I have that added feature.

             With either the powercore or powercore+ model I would also get the following wall charger.

             https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B071GJ6X7B/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=AREE309N4XPXI&psc=1

             This would allow me to charge the anker power bank along with one other device.

             thanks again for your help,

             Reply

             1. Hi Ed,

                Powercore+ 20100 USB-C comes with a good quality USB-C/USB-C cable & two micro-USB cables.

                We, however, strongly recommend NOT BUYING the Powercore+ 20100 USB-C. It is an old powerbank that is much heavier (1 pound or 455 gms! i.e. almost 100 gms more heavy), costlier and larger than latest 20000 mAh powerbanks such as PowerCore II 20000 (13 oz or 355 gm) . Also, it cannot fast-charge either new iPhones or new Android smartphones as it uses 15-watt USB-C charging which is 1-2 steps behind what latest phones support. The powerbank itself also can’t be fast-charged as well as it only supports max 12-watt 5v input compared to 18 watt or more on new powerbanks.

                If you want to go the USB-C PD route for maximum future compatibility, our top pick is PowerCore Speed 20000 PD. Once you factor-in the bundled wall charger, it costs almost same as PowerCore II 20000.

                While the wall charger you have mentioned is good, it will not fast charge you powerbank/phone simultaneously. The best option we recommend for Powercore II 20000 is Anker QuickCharge 39-watt dual USB charger. It is slightly pricey (around $24 USD), but we have seen many low-cost dual chargers fail to deliver fast charging for two devices at once.

                Thanks!

          2. Hi Ed,
             The difference in charging times with USB-C PD Input compared to 18-watt fast charge/Quickcharge 2.0 input is about 25-30%. A 30-watt USB-C PD Input 20000mah powerbank such as PowerCore Speed 20000 PD gets charged in about 4 hours. A 18-watt fastcharge input 20000 mah powerbank such as PowerCore II 20000 gets charged in 5 hours.

             The trend is more towards USB C PD for both Apple & Android powerbanks. However, for all currently available Android smartphones including Samsung S9/S8, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, PowerCore II 20000 is perfectly adequate. A USB C PD powerbank makes more sense if you plan to buy latest Apple iPhones (8 and later), plan to charge Macbooks/Nintendo Switch, or if you want to future-proof your powerbank purchase with the latest available charging tech, especially as the price-difference is not much between the two.

             Thanks

             Reply

77. The orgnal s7 charger support QC 2.0 OR QC3.0 ?
    Cus i wanna buy anker 10050 QC 3.0

    Reply

78. from where i can buy powercore ll in egypt any idea?
    i bought powercore + 10050i wanna to verify it any idea too?

    Reply

    1. Hi, You can buy original Anker products online in Egypt from Egypt store of Souq.com (Souq.com is an Amazon subsidiary delivering across the Middle East). Besides verifying through verification section of Anker’s own site, you can also verify the product by sending an e-mail to support@anker.com with the unique serial number of your Anker product or powerbank.
       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thanks! but there is no serial number on my power bank so it”s fake?
          If there is no label on the package or the label is different from the example, your product cannot be verified.
          The security code applies to products sold in these countries.
          egypt……
          so what do you think?

          Reply

79. Hi, which powerbank would you recommend for charging an iPhone 5 and iPhone 6s? I’d like a model with two USB ports so we can charge our phones at the same time, and something that is not too heavy since this will be used for travel purposes. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Amanda,
       After considering your requirements, we will recommend either of these two powerbanks –

       Anker PowerCore 20100 – We recommend it as it is the lightest two-port 20000 mAH powerbank (12.5 oz or 356 gm) that will also simultaneously charge two iPhones (6s/5/7) at their highest possible speed. The powerbank itself will get charged overnight (10 hrs) with any 2 amp wall charger such as Anker 24 watt dual folding travel wall charger. Anker PowerCore 20100 will charge both your iPhones 3 times each (total six iPhone 6/5s/7 charges)

       Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact – This is the lower priced and lower weight option with weight of just 8.5 oz (240 gm) and has two ports. It is an excellent value for money deal as well as it weighs and costs same as most 10000 mAh powerbanks but has 30% more battery capacity. While Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact is a superb compact powerbank for one iPhone, its only drawback is that it can’t charge your two iPhones (6/5s) at fastest speed simultaneously . Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact will charge two iPhones (6/5s) two times each (total 4 iPhone 7/6/5s charges). The powerbank itself can be recharged in 6 hrs with a 2 amp wall charger.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Excellent! Thank you very much for all the useful info.

          Reply

80. Hi there,
    Well done for providing great advice for all of us that are trying to work out the right power bank for our individual needs.
    I currently have an iphone 5 and will hold onto this for a little while longer. I will also upgrade to one of the newer iphone versions in the near future.
    I understand that some of the products features wont benefit me on the iphone 5, but I would like to cover myself for the future update of whatever iphone I decide to get next.
    I am going to do alot of hiking and would like to know the best anker product for me.
    Could you please narrow it down for me.
    Regards
    Dale

    Reply

    1. Hi Dale,
       After considering your specific requirements, we will recommend the new Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD powerbank .
       Here are our reasons:
       – It supports 18 watt USB PD fast Charging supported by the new iPhones (iPhone X, 8, 8 plus and upcoming iPhones). USB PD fast charging is a very convenient feature that allows you to charge the new iphones to 50% in just 30 minutes. It is especially convenient while hiking and on the move.
       – It comes with a high quality 30 watt USB PD wall charger. The stock Apple wall charger that comes with the new iPhones does not deliver fast charging.If you want fast charging, you will either have to buy a much expensive Macbook all charger (29 watt or more) or some other quality PD wall charger.Anker PD wall charger is comparable to Apple’s PD wall charger in quality and costs much less in the Powerbank + charger bundle purchase.
       – While the price may seem a bit higher at first glance, once you consider the light weight and the wall charger bundle deal, the effective price for Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is same as PowerCore II 20000. PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is a much better portable charger compared to PowerCore II (as PowerCore Speed PD supports USB PD @ 18 watt making it future proof for not only iPhones but also the new/upcoming Androids).
       – PD input feature of Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD enables you to charge the huge powerbank with the supplied wall charger in just 4 hours – much much faster than any other Anker 20000 mAh powerbank.
       – 20000 mAH is an ideal minimum powerbank capacity for hikes and trekking.
       – The 13.8 oz weight is much lighter than any other equivalent PD powerbank in the market. Most other weigh well over 1 pound+
       – 22.5 watt max PD output of Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD is great for charging Macbooks as well, if required
       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you very much for recommending this product. I would have been there for days trying to work all that out.
          Your help is very much appreciated
          Regards
          Dale

          Reply

81. I own a iphone 7 plus i want a power bank that will change my phone at least 3 times. What do you suggest?

    Reply

    1. Hi Monique, We suggest Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact

       Reasons –
       # It will charge iPhone 7s three times at its fastest supported speed. It even charges Androids at almost QC 2.0 speeds
       # It costs hardly 2-3 bucks more than 10000 mAH version
       # It is the lightest 13000 powerbank in market. At just 8.5oz (255 gms) it weighs even less than 10000 mAh powerbanks of other brands.
       # Excellent compact build and reliable customer service

       As an added aside, Anker PowerCore 13000 Compact is also the best compact powerbank for Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Nexus 5/6, and One Plus 5T, 5, 3, 3T. The reason being its support for 5v @ 3 amp charging. Very few compact powerbanks support 5v/3 amp charging.

       Reply

82. Hi, may I know where can I purchase an Anker Powercore+ 26800 mAH USB C PD in Malaysia?

    Reply

    1. Hi Victor, At present Anker’s authorized stores in Malaysia do not stock PowerCore 26800 PD. We instead recommend RAVPower 26800 PD available in Malaysia at Lazada online store at this link – RAVPower 26800 PD Malaysia Lazada

       Thanks

       Reply

83. Are you able to advise please? I’m looking to buy a power bank but find all the specs confusing. I need it to charge an iPhone 6s, a 10.5″ iPad pro and a HTC Android phone. I don’t expect to be upgrading any of these any time soon. Would like more than one output as I envisage charging two devices at the same time. Please can you advise which would be best? Go easy – we’re pensioners!

    Reply

    1. Hi Oska,
       Considering your unique requirements, we recommend:

       Anker PowerCore 20100 – This is our ideal recommended powerbank for you. It has 2 ports and weighs 12.5 oz (about 360gm) and is very well priced as well. It will recharge your ipad pro from 10% to full once and recharge both your phones (iPhone 6S & HTC) from 10% to full twice each.

       We have excluded powerbanks with too much bulk and features such as Quickcharge/USB-C/PD etc. that you will not necessarily need. PowerCore 20100 can charge any of your two devices at excellent speed simultaneously and is a reliable, robust, easy to carry, and well-priced powerbank.

       If the above links do not auto-direct to PowerCore 20100 on Amazon UK, here is the direct Amazon UK link – Anker PowerCore 20100

       Thanks!

       Reply

84. Hi,

    This is a very helpful page you’ve got here – however, I am wondering if you might be able to help me?

    I’m looking on Amazon in the UK, at two possible Anker power bank options – the Anker Astro E1 5200mAh, and the Anker PowerCore 5000mAh – aside from one being 5200mAh & the other 5000mAh, I’m struggling to figure out the difference!

    All I need is to have something to keep in my rucksack, which can give me a single charge of my Sony Xperia X Compact – just as a backup.

    Any thoughts or recommendations?

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi, We recommend PowerCore 5000 mAh as it gets charged in half the time of Astro E1 and is also a much more newer version.

       Another great option, especially for travellers is PowerCore Fusion 5000. It combines wall charger and powerbank in one package, meaning you will have to remember to pack just one item instead of two.

       Thanks!

       Reply

85. Looking at replacing Monkey solar charger/battery that isn’t working out, useless in wilderness hunting. Looking at Anker 21 watt solar and Anker battery pack that will charge off of it very well. Considering 1oooo/20000/26800 and leaning more towards Power Core II 20000 but like size of Slim power core or Power Core II 10000. Have heard not all external batteries can charge off of solar?? What is best combo??
    Thanks, Marc

    Reply

    1. Hi Marc, It is true that not all external batteries can handle solar charging well. However, the good news is that both PowerCore II 20000 and PowerCore Slim 10000 work well with Anker 21 watt solar panel. So I guess it comes down to weight as PowerCore Slim 1000 weighs (and costs) much less (9 oz vs 13 oz) than PowerCore II 20000.

       Personally, if I have to choose one I will recommend Anker PowerCore II 20000 due to three reasons –
       – Extra or reserve backup capacity is always handy on the trail. Sunlight supply is often very inconsistent and moreover as solar charging is quite slow, especially when on the move, the reserve battery capacity offered by 20000 mah is always handy when outdoors.
       – Battery wear due to tens of solar charging cycles during the day will be far less on a 20000 mah battery as it is more likely to remain in the golden 25%-75% battery zone most of the time compared to a 10000 mah battery.
       – A partially charged 20000 battery will charge faster than a partially charged 10000 mah battery of same remaining charge whenever sunlight becomes available.

       All of these IMO make Anker PowerCore II 20000 better for solar charging.
       Thanks,
       Rabh

       Reply

86. Good morning

    Sorry for my English. I speak French. Wow, this website is very helpful. I had read everything and spend hours trying to understand how powerbanks work.

    Right now I have a Iphone SE. So I will need a powerbank to charge a cell phone and a compact camera (I might buy the Canon Powershot SX730 HS 20.3 MP). However I will change my cell phone at the end of the year. I still have no idea if I will keep an Apple cell phone or go with a Samsung Galaxy so I need a versatile powerbank that can be great for both Apple and Androids.

    After reading all your comments here (I hope I understood correctly ah ah), I would go for

    20,000 powerbank (I would take the 26800 but it’s too heavy!)
    I will go for both Input/Output powerbanks
    Minimum 2.4A outputs
    Minimum input port that supports at least 2A over 5V.
    Minimum 2 ports

    Which of the 20000 powerbank do you suggest???

    I am confused with USB-C/Qualcomm/Quick charge.

    I understand that Qualcomm’s quick charge is only for some smartphones. Not mine.
    However, do you suggest to take this in case I upgrade for a better Iphone or Galaxy later on?
    Right now it won’t make any difference if I use this with a Iphone SE, right? It won’t harm my device, but it won’t charge any faster?

    Which option should I buy?

    If I understand correctly, most Anker powerbank are not sold with a USB wall charger (apart from the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 that is way too heavy)? Or is there a great 20000 Anker powerbank that is sold with a fast wall charger?

    If not, my wall charger is the Apple cube. I think it’s a 1 amp phone wall charger so I guess it’s not providing sufficient power? That means it will not charge quickly enough, right? So do I need to buy a quicker wall charger? Will it make a BIG difference? I am confused… “A 2.4 amp capable wall charger”, as you wrote? Or shall I wait till I buy a newer cell phone, as I read that “new rapid chargers with technology such as Quick Charge support 2 amps. Older iPhones that support only 1 amp can’t be charged faster at all.” I will save some money..

    Thank you so much in advance for your time! Much appreciated!

    Reply

    1. Hi,

       Thanks for the query. For current and near future smartphone powerbank requirements, we strongly recommend USB-C PD powerbanks as both latest Android smartphones latest Apple iPhone X, iphone 8/8+ support USB-C PD of about 18 watts.

       The good news is that Anker does have a newly released and less well-known powerbank which satisfies all you current/future requirements and it even ships with a bundled USB-C 30 watt charger. This is the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD with 22.5 watt USB-C PD output. It also comes bundled with a 30 watt USB-C charger and hence you will not have to buy the wall charger separately. It is out recommendation as –
       – It supports the maximum fast charging current of Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8+
       – It supports maximum charging USB-C PD current of new Android phones
       – It has 2 ports as per your requirements
       – It comes with a bundled USB-C PD wall charger
       – You can charge the Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD in just 4 hours with the supplied USB-C wall charger
       – The powerbank/wallcharger combo is extremely good value for money considering the price of similar powerbanks and wall chargers in the market.
       – It will even charge Nintendo Switch (18 watt) at maximum charging speed. Besides this, it can also charge Macbooks at decent speed (22.5 watt).

       Thanks!
       Rabh

       Reply

       1. Thanks a lot Rabh. Very helpful!

          I’ve looked at the price of newer smartphones but it might be a bit too expensive for now, so I will probably go for older versions, such as the Galaxy S7 or the Iphone 6 or 6S (for the next 2 years). Right now I only have an Iphone SE and a camera. I know that this phone do not support QC but after reading the reviews here, you all suggest to buy an option with QuickCharge 3.0 Output and input.

          So I guess I should buy either PowerCore II 20000 or PowerCore Speed 20000 for now?

          What is the big difference between both options?

          Which one do you recommend?

          thanks a lot! 🙂

          Reply

          1. Hi Murielle,

             The big difference between PowerCore II 20000 or PowerCore Speed 20000 is that PowerCore II 20000 supports maximum input/output of 18 watt (roughly equivalent to Quickcharge 2.0) while Powercore Speed supports input/output of 24 watt (Quickcharge 3.0 compatible with max of 12v @ 2 amp).

             S7/S7 edge do not support QC 3.0 & support a maximum charging current (9v @ 1.67 amp) that is compatible with QC 2.0.

             For S7/S7 Edge or iPhone 6/6S/7, we will recommend PowerCore II 20000 as it costs few bucks less and supports maximum charging speeds for both Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge (9v @ 1.67 amps or QuickCharge 2.0) and iPhone 6S (5v @ 2.4 amp). It will also get charged in a decent time (about 8 hrs) using standard S7 wall charger or 2.4 amp USB wall charger. You can combine it with an Anker QC 3.0 dual port charger.

             If you spend few bucks more for PowerCore Speed 20000, you will be able to recharge your powerbank in abt 5.5 hours using the Quickcharge 3.0 wall charger. As you can see, it is not that much of a big difference when charging from empty to 100%. With QC 3.0 of PowerCore Speed, the real difference is that it recharges your depleted powerbank with maximum possible charge (about 30-40% more than PowerCore II) that is currently possible in a rapid short charging session of 15 mins to 1 hr. This may be helpful in situations where you have forgotten to put your powerbank on charge 6-8 hours beforehand. Whether it is worth the $10 CAD extra that Anker is charging for it will depend on your specific use requirements! 🙂
             Thanks!

             Reply

             1. Woww thanks a LOT for your help!
                Much appreciated!

87. Thanks for all the helpful info. I have Samsung A5 2017 and I think I will buy an S7 or S7 Edge in the future …so what do you recommend amongst Anker powerbanks in the 10000 mAh category. Does Anker have a powerbank with USB type c?Thanks!?

    Reply

    1. Hi Moni,

       For Samsung A5 with future upgrade to S7 or S7 Edge, the best option right now among 10000 mah class Anker powerbanks is Anker PowerCore II 10000.
       PowerCore II supports Quickcharge 2 charging used by Samsung S7/S7 Edge & A5 & you also get the benefit of fast charging of the powerbank charger.

       Reply

       1. If I choose a phone other than Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, will it still be a good idea to get Anker PowerCore II 10000?

          Reply

          1. Yes…PowerCore II 10000 & PowerCore II Slim 10000 are the most recommended powerbanks in 10000 mah category even for non-S7/S8 phones. Both offer 5 volt @ 3 amp fast charging, Quickcharge 3.0/2.0 compatible fast charging, & fast charging for the powerbank itself in 4 hours using Quickcharge wall chargers. Both are similar with a maximum charging output of 18 watt with the difference being that PowerCore II 10000 is much lighter and compact and hence costs more.

             Reply

88. THANK you for this article. I’ve been looking for a comprehensive look at Anker.

    I’m a long distance backpacker and have been using a Dizaul Solar Charger,Dizaul 5000mAh. I’m not happy with the 5000mAh as it seems very inaccurate…and the solar part does little to nothing. I’ve looked far and wide for another similar system that carries 5000-10000mAh with a solar recharge capability…but have found nothing that fits or I trust. This leads me to a reliable battery only option instead.

    I’m looking for something that gives me between 3-6 recharges (I’m out for 2-6 days at a time) and something that is as LIGHT as possible. I have an IPhone 7 and don’t need multiple ports. I only need to charge my phone and will only use 50% of the battery at most daily.

    Is the PowerCore 13000 my best bet at 8.47 oz and very few extras??
    Thanks so very much!

    Reply

    1. Hi Adam,
       PowerCore 13000 is indeed seems to be the best choice with your specific requirements regarding weight. You can also consider RAVPower 16750 as well as it weighs just 2.2 oz more (10.7 oz) and will give you about 1.5 charges more than PowerCore 13000 (6 full charges of iPhone 7).

       Thanks!
       PS. Apologies for the delayed reply due to a bug in our anti-spam plugin blocking a lot of the genuine comments.

       Reply

89. Hi Rabh, I’m looking for a power bar to charge two Samsung Galaxy mobile phones though not necessarily at the same time. The first one is a Galaxy J3 and the other is a Galaxy S4 mini, what power bank would you recommend? Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Terry,

       As both of these phones support a maximum of 2 amp charging, you need not buy expensive powerbanks with Quickcharge etc.
       The recommended powerbanks for Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and Galaxy J3 are –
       Anker PowerCore 10000 & Anker PowerCore 13000

       Both of these offer excellent value for money with PowerCore 10000 being the smallest powerbank and PowerCore 13000 being the best option if you need a powerbank with 2 ports. If you ever upgrade your phones, both of them will continue charging even the latest phones at pretty fast charging speeds as they are capable of charging at up to 2.4 amps (PowerCore 10000) & 3 amps (PowerCore 13000).

       Thanks!

       Reply

90. Can I ask for advice, am planning a 3 week trek. I will need to regularly charge a Usb battery charger for my canon Eos m5 batteries, my Samsung phone, a kindle and a gopro.

    What is the best power bank setup, ideally I want to avoid paying to charge when staying at trekking lodges.

    Shall I go for high capacity? Or low weight, low capacity coupled with an anker solar panel.

    Reply

    1. Hi James,

       Thanks for the query. A very important factor here is the number days you will be out in the wild at an average without access to a charging outlet. In order to help you find the best battery-mix, let us calculate the approximate daily battery requirement. If we add-up the estimated battery requirements of all your devices, we see that you will require a charge of about 8000-9000 mah per day if you charge all the devices with the following assumed use pattern:

       #Samsung phone (3000 mah battery once a day) -> 3000 mah
       #Go pro Hero 5/6 (about 1200 mah x twice a day -> assuming 3+ hrs of Gopro recording use) -> 2500 mah
       #EOS M5 (about 1000 mah once a day using LP-E12 battery) -> 1000 mah
       #Kindle paperwhite (about 1420 mah full battery will last for about 28 hrs of use or say 1 week of use @4hrs per day) – 200mah

       So we have about 6700 mah of approximate theoretical battery requirement in a day. Taking into account various voltage/conversion losses etc. a realistic rough estimate will be about 9,000 mAH+ a day.

       At this rate of battery consumption, a high capacity 26,800mah powerbank will last you about 3 days. As far as a solar panel is concerned, its charging capacity will depend on how sunny the place is where you will be trekking as well as altitude/latitude/hours facing direct sun/ambient temperature/shade of trees etc. A high-efficiency 21-watt solar pack such as Anker 21 w dual USB will realistically generate about 6000-7000 mAH in 6-7 hrs of direct winter sun in a day assuming you are in lower-US or central/southern Europe. On the trail, it is best to assume that the charging rate will be half of this – about 3000mah a day. Thus a solar charger will enable you to top-up the high-capacity 26800 charger and increase its use to about 4-5 days.

       With these considerations in mind and assuming we want to lug minimum weight, here are our recommendations:

       #1 We recommend a no-frills high capacity 26800mah powerbank with dual-input charging for rapid overnight charging from a wall charger whenever available and fast dual charging from solar panel, should you choose one.
       Two good choices are-
       Anker 26800 Portable charger & RAVpower 26800 USB-C charger
       Both these weigh a pound each.

       #2 It is a good idea to have an additional small backup charger with you – minimum 10,000 mah is fine. Good choices are Anker PowerCore II 10000 (//Pros: 7-oz/200gms weight, QC 2.0 charging for Samsung //Cons: Costs about $13 more than RAVpower, one port only) or RAVpower 10000 (//Pros: Inexpensive, 2 charging ports //Cons: Weighs 2oz/60 gm more, no Quickcharging for Samsung phone) .

       #3 If your budget allows, do buy a solar panel charger for a long trek. In my personal experience, when on the trail, a solar charger gives peace of mind that you will NEVER be completely out of battery and desperate for a wall charger. While buying solar panels, opt for the largest available size (21 watt) for 2 reasons:
       – The difference in prices/size/weight between 15w & 21w is very small (about $10) but you get 40% extra power
       – You are better off capturing as much sun as possible everytime you come out of the shade while walking (or in low winter sun). Bigger solar panels are better for this.

       Happy Exploring!
       Rabh

       Reply

91. Hi,

    I’m looking for an Anker 26800 for my iPhone 6s Pluse and my iPad Pro 12.9″ 2017.

    On Amazon (UK) I find Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD (AK-A1375011) at 70 UKP , a PowerCore+ with Quick Charge 3 (AK-A1374011) at 90 UKP, and a Power Core (no plus) witgh Dual Input (AK-A1277021) as 120 UKP.

    I understand that the best powerbank for my ipad is the one with PD but, funnily enough, I am worried because it’s the cheapest! (

    What do you suggest?

    Reply

92. Hi,

    I am looking for a recommendation on which Anker PowerBank I should invest in. I am going to be doing a bit of traveling soon, and I will need a portable charger since I will mainly be out and about (rather than near an outlet). The phone that will be used with this powerbank will be an iPhone 7 and iPhone 6. Also, I have a Sony HX80 camera that charges via USB (so I am hoping that an Anker powerbank could work for that). I hope you can help me with choosing a powerbank! Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Lydia, Thanks for the query. We will recommend a minimum 20000 mAH powerbank for travel and charging 3 devices. As iPhones do not use Quickcharge or USB-C, you can select from less expensive power banks that do not have Quickcharge or USB-C. However, a powerbank with Quickcharge Input (or any other fast charging input) will give you the benefit of quickly recharging the powerbank in about 5-6 hrs whenever you have access to a wall outlet as compared to the 12-13 hrs taken to usually recharge such massive capacity powerbanks.

       Based on your unique use-profile, we highly recommend Anker PowerCore II 20000 and Anker PowerCore 26800 power banks. Anker PowerCore II 20000 offers best value for money while Anker PowerCore 26800 offers the maximum TSA-allowed battery capacity, though at a price premium.

       Both these powerbanks have dual input and will get recharged in under 6 hours via a 2.4 amp capable wall charger. Both these powerbanks have 3 output ports with max 6 amp output, meaning you can charge both your iphones and the camera at their maximum charging speeds simultaneously from the powerbank!

       If you intend to charge all your 3 devices and the dual input powerbank simultaneously using a wall charger, you will require 5 USB ports all capable of 2 amp+ output. For this, we will recommend using heavy duty 4-6 port wall chargers with 50 watt+ capacity such as the RAVPower 60W 12A 6-Port USB Charger or Anker Powerport 6 60w 12A 6-port charger. Both of these will recharge all the 4 devices (2 iPhones, camera, and the dual input powerbank) simulataneously at their maximum possible charging capacity.

       Thanks & happy travels!
       Do let us know if you have any further queries,
       PBG team

       Reply

93. Hi,
    Loved this helpful article.
    I’m considering different models of Anker but not sure which one to go for or where to get it from specially that I can no more order it from Amazon US and get it shipped to Bahrain. If you can please help me with your suggestions, I’m looking for one that support fast charging facility and can charge my Samsung Note5 for 2-3 times, need this for outdoor hence light weight is an advantage.
    I’m also not sure where to get it from. I found a shop selling them but the description at the bottom was in Chinese and the prices were very low so I thought they might be fake ones.
    Thanks for your assistance.

    Reply

    1. Hi Lamees, If you are in Bahrain, you can buy genuine Anker, RAVPower, Xiaomi, Aukey powerbanks online from Souq.com. Here is the link to their Anker products store.
       Souq.com is now owned by Amazon and ships to Bahrain (as well as Qatar, Oman, and Quwait besides UAE).

       Happy Shopping!

       Reply

94. I’m confused about buying Anker external battery. Anker powercore 15600 mAh (for price 200 SAR), Anker powercore with quickcharge 10000 mAh (200 SAR) and Anker powercore+ 13400 mAh (220 SAR). The price for all these 3 models is almost same. Kindly give a detailed comparison. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Asim,

       If you want the maximum external battery capacity at the lowest cost and do not need the Quickcharge capability, buy an Anker PowerCore 15600 or Anker PowerCore 20000. However, if you need a good capacity portable charger with Quickcharge at minimum cost that can charge your Quickcharge capable phone quickly (80% in half-hour), then buy an Anker PowerCore Speed 10000 QC.

       Thanks!

       Reply

95. Where I can find authorized seller of anker power bank in country India, I don’t know if its genuine or fake ANKER power bank, and to determine a genuine and fake ANKER power banks

    Reply

    1. Hi Rawat,

       Thanks for the query. Buying Anker powerbanks in India can be tricky as many unauthorized sellers sell Anker battery packs at crazy steep prices. At present, in India, we thing the best bet is to purchase Anker products through Cloudtail India – Amazon India’s own seller-subsidiary. Cloudtail also offers the best prices on Amazon India for Anker powerbanks and you can get some very good deals if you explore. For example, these two bestselling Anker powerbanks on Amazon India sold by Cloudtail – Anker PowerCore 10400 White
       & Anker PowerCore 10400 Black

       Thanks!

       Reply

96. Thanks for this article! great help!
    Just wondering if you could explain what the mAH units mean and what the implication means for me as an end user of choosing one of a lower/higher value?
    And what does input/output only mean?

    Reply

    1. Hi Jay,
       Thanks for the positive feedback.

       Mah is a measure of battery capacity. To put it simply, the more the MaH value, the longer will your powerbank last. So a 10,000 mAH powerbank will fully charge a smartphone with ~2000 mAH battery iPhone 7 about 3.5 times while a 20,000 powerbank will charge it around 7 times.

       Input only means that the charging technology or standard mentioned (like Quickcharge) is only for charging the powerbank and NOT for charging devices using the powerbank. Output only means that the charging technology mentioned is used only while charging the devices from the powerbank but NOT when you are charging the powerbank itself using quickcharger.

       Our recommendation is to of course go for both Input/Output powerbanks. However, QuickCharge or USB-C Output only powerbanks are a good low-cost option if you intend to just charge your devices quickly and do not mind slow (7-14 hrs) charging times for the powerbanks. A very good example is Anker PowerCore 20000 with QC 3.0 output only which offers huge capacity and superfast charging for your smartphones at a bargain price.

       We do not exactly recommend input only powerbanks as you will always find a nice Output only or Input/output powerbank for every budget.

       Thanks!

       Reply

       1. Thank you for the clear and concise explanation.
          I’m considering getting the Anker PowerCore 20100 as that looks like it offers high-speed input and output charging with a relatively substantial mAh. I’m sure it’ll suffice for my Samsung Galaxy S5 + one or two older models which my parents have that we hope to charge while out on holiday in the middle of nowhere.

          Just wondering if you recommend stepping up the purchase to the Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C for an extra £10 (~$14 USD) more? From what I understand USB-C will only benefit the very latest phone models and others in the future. So would it be worth future-proofing myself? And is the prime advantage of USB-C a faster device charge rate?

          And while not intended for it, I take it given the ubquity of the mini-USB to USB port charging offered by such power banks, I can then use the cables to charge other devices such as my digital cameras or other devices.

          Reply

          1. Hi Jay,
             Thanks for the response and queries. Yes, we will definitely recommend going for a USB-C powerbank at present to futureproof any powerbank purchase as USB-C is fast becoming the standard for Android due to support for it by Google.

             USB-C does not always provide faster charging time over other rapid charging standards – it mostly depends on the particular charging voltage/current supported by the device. But for most upcoming devices (such as Galaxy S8), it will generally offer equivalent or faster charging times. Other big advantages of USB-C is its versatility (you can charge smartphones, most latest and upcoming laptops including Macbooks, and even other devices such as Nintendo switch) and two way charging connectivity (your phone can act as powerbank for other devices).

             While shopping for USB-C powerbanks, we recommend choosing a powerbank with highest total wattage output in your budget as, in the case of USB-C, higher output wattage implies higher charging speed for supporting devices. For example, both Anker 20100 USB-C and RAVPower 20100 USB-C offer 15 watt output. RAVPower 20100 USB-C PD or RAVPower 20100 USB-C PD offer 30 watt and can charge a Macbook (or a supporting phone or Nintendo Switch) at twice the speed of a 15-watt powerbank. USB-C output wattage can theoretically range up to 100 watts!! (no such USB-C powerbanks or devices exist at present!) and in future this will enable USB-C to charge larger and more powerful appliances and peripherals.

             To summarize, both Anker 20100 USB-C and RAVPower 20100 USB-C are excellent choices. RAVpower 20100 USB-C costs a bit lower than Anker and also comes with support for Quickcharge 3.0, which is useful if you or your family owns many/any Quickcharge 3/2/1 devices Galaxy S5 does not have support Quickcharge).

             Thanks,
             Rabh

             Reply

             1. I have ordered from souq.com 28600 mah aestro e7 ultra power is it good to buy from souq in dubai

             2. Yes, Ayan. Souq.com is a good place to buy Anker powerbanks. In fact, Souq is now an Amazon-owned site as Amazon recently acquired Souq.com. You can even log into Souq.com using your Amazon username/password.

97. My old E1 has packed up, so looking to replace with an equivalent, I use it mainly to run my Mobius camera from a bike bar bag. It has worked excellently for quite a few years.

    Should I just get a direct E1 replacement or the 2nd Gen or the new powercore slim 5000 both of which are around £5 dearer?

    Or any other alternatives?

    Thanks for your advice.

    Reply

    1. Hi Steve,

       We recommend getting an Anker PowerCore Slim 5000. The advantage of Powercore slim over E1 is that Powercore Slim will get recharged in less than half the time (3.5 hrs) taken by E1 using a 2.4 amp wall charger such as Anker 12W USB wall charger Wall Charger.

       Another good news is that at present there is a promo going on at Amazon UK that will offer you 50% discount on the 2.4 amp Anker 12 W USB wall charger if you combine it with PowerCore Slim!! To get it, go to the Anker Powercore Slim page on Amazon UK first and also order the wall charger from the displayed promo link 🙂

       Tip: To prolong life of your powerbank, please charge and discharge it at least once every 3-4 months.

       Thanks,
       Rabh

       Reply

       1. Thank you for your quick reply, I was kinda tempted with the 5000 slim as the bar bag is tall and long.

          However, you have thrown a spanner in the works with a review for the powercore 10000. With slightly different dimensions would this represent better value for money @ £20?

          Thanks again for your input.

          Steve.

          Reply

          1. Hi Steve,

             Thanks for the feedback. PowerCore 10000 indeed offers more bang per buck than 5000 Slim. However – with the exact same budget – our favorite recommendation right now on Amazon UK is Anker PowerCore 15600 that delivers 55% extra battery capacity than Powercore 10000 in a quite compact package!! 🙂

             Happy shopping!
             Rabh

             Reply

98. What is the best way to charge a power bank? I’ve had my 10050 on the basic phone wall charger for 5 hours and it hasn’t moved.

    Reply

    1. Hi Billy,

       First recharges for most powerbanks can be very frustrating as they take extremely long on basic .5 to 1 amp phone wall chargers. For first charge of a 10050 mAH powerbank on a basic .5 amp wall charger, make sure u pressed on button on the powerbank after connecting….and wait 20-24 hours! Slowly, slowly, one after other the blinking lights will progress with full charge in a maximum of 24 hours. If there is still no progress after 24 hours of non-stop charging, you should consider raising a replacement/return request.

       10000 mAH is 10 Ampere-hours so at the rate of .5 amperes (supplying .5 amp-hrs per hour) afrom the basic charger it will take about 20 hrs to charge in theory. After factoring in conversion efficiency of about 90%, it is more like about 24 hours in practice.

       For 20000 mah and more, just double/multiply the time accordingly (48-72hrs!).

       Do not worry, as all subsequent/later charges will take far lesser time even when using the same wall charger.

       Looong charging times for high-capacity powerbanks are one big reason to go for quicker charging USB-C input or Quickcharge 3.0 input powerbanks and USB-C/QC 3.0 wall chargers.

       Thanks and do let us know the progress! 🙂
       Rabh

       Reply

99. Hi,

    Very helpful web page. For a Samsung S7 edge, is this not compatible with quick charge 3.0? What would you recommend?

    Many thanks,

    Mary

    Reply

    1. Just found out that quick charge 3.0 isn’t compatible with my samsung; would you recommend getting the quick charge 2.0 or still the 3.0 as it’s backwards compatible?

       Reply

       1. Hi Mary,

          Thanks for the query. We recommend choosing a QC 3.0 Input/Output powerbank as – as u said – it will be backward compatible with QC 2.0. The difference in price between QC 2.0 and 3.0 powerbanks is not large while there is a big leap in charging performance and it will serve you well in future if/when you upgrade your phone. Also, an extremely useful benefit is that if you choose a powerbank that has both QC 3.0 Input & Output, your power bank itself will get charged blazingly fast with QC 3.0 even though it will charge your galaxy edge with QC 2.0! 🙂

          Some such recommeded powerbanks with QC 3.0 Input/Output are: Anker PowerCore+ 10050 QC3.0, Anker PowerCore+ 26800 QC 3.0 and RAVPower 20100 QC 3.0/USB-C. The RAVpower 20100 QC3/USB-C is our favorite pick as it also comes with USB-C input/output charging making it very versatile for charging future smartphones and even laptops/ultrabooks.

          Thanks!

          Reply

100. Hi…i purchase 20100 anker power bank online. Any specific details to check if I purchased a fake one?

     Reply

     1. Hi Maria, If you have purchased from Amazon, then make sure that you have purchased from AnkerDirect the only authorized Anker product seller on Amazon. Other than Amazon, in the US, the only other major authorized online sellers for Anker powerbanks are Staples, Newegg, and RadioShack. To be on the safe side, it is better to purchase only from these sellers.
        One way to know if your product is genuine is to call Anker support at +1 (800) 988 7973 (in US) or at +44 (0) 1604 936 200 (in UK) and enquire about the warranty by giving your order no or other proof of purchase to the customer care representative.
        You can also mail at support@anker.com
        Thanks

        Reply

101. Interesting site.

     Looking to power a Garmin Edge 1000 gps unit during a long (18-hour-non-stop) bicycle ride – any advice as to features / capacity I should be looking for?

     Thanks

     Reply

     1. Hi Peter,

        Thanks! The good news is that Garmin GPS 1000 is not a very power hungry device (compared to smartphones), and hence a low-cost good 10000 mAH powerbank should be more than adequate to power it for 18-hours of screen time. If you ONLY plan to power the Garmin 1000 and not your phone you can skip the QuickCharge powerbanks. However, we recommend to go with a minimum 10000 mAH powerbank with Quickcharge and with 2 ports so that you can charge your phone (if required) and Garmin 1000 at the same time. Another important factor for outdoor use is that it is recomended that your powerbank is waterproof and shock/dust proof Our recommended powerbank with all the above features is RAVPower 10050mAh Outdoor Portable Charger . It is priced well, has two ports, and is rugged enough for outdoor/biking use.

        Happy Biking! 🙂

        Reply

        1. Thanks

           Reply

102. Where I can find authorized seller of anker power bank in the country of QATAR, I see lots of anker power bank sell in Qatar but I don’t know if its genuine or fake ANKER power bank, and to determine a genuine and fake ANKER power banks

     Reply

     1. Hi Melvin,
        In Qatar, you can buy genuine Anker products from Souq.com.

        To avoid purchasing fake/counterfeit products, it is best to avoid small shops for buying such products and better to go with large chains such as Souq.

        Thanks!

        Reply

103. Hi, great site, very helpful info. I have a few questions:

     I only have apple products (iPhone 5, 6s, and 2 iPad’s), I wouldn’t benefit from QualComm Quick Charging (ASIN: B00VLNT9KW) when charging my devices, correct?

     I could however benefit in that the Anker itself would charge up faster if connected to a Qualcomm fast charging brick, correct?

     But none of the apple devices’ power bricks nor the devices themselves would benefit from QC2.0 nor QC3.0, correct?

     Reply

     1. Hi Richard,
        Yes, You are correct! Apple products (as of now) will not benefit from Quickcharge 2 or 3 in Anker 200000 with QC 3.0.

        Also as the powerbank you mentioned (Anker 200000 with QC 3.0, ASIN: B00VLNT9KW) is Quickcharge output only , you will not benefit from the powerbank charging quickly as the powerbank will get charged in the normal time only.

        We suggest you opt for the older and lower-cost Anker Powercore 20000 (without QC 3.0) if you do not plan to buy any non-Apple products in near future. It will also charge your iPhone at twice the standard charging speed and the iPad to its maximum possible charging speed at 2.1 Amp.

        Apple-supplied iPhone chargers only charge at 1 Amp and hence the high-amp output will cut charging times for iPhones by about half.

        We also suggest using (or buying if you do not have one) a 2.1 Amp+ wall charger such as the RAVPower 24 W 2.4 Amp dual USB charger for charging the powerbank at it maximum possible rate – about 10 hours for a full recharge.

        Reply