Best Portable Chargers and Power Banks of 2020

Image of Anker Portable Charger

 

Well my friends, it’s 2020. Diving deeper into the world of technology. At this point we have outgrown the typical way of charging our devices. No more rushing around looking for an outlet or USB port during those crucial times of 5, or even 1%! You know you’ve been there.. We’re done with standing around at an outlet while traveling or even worse, risk walking away from your phone while charging in an unfamiliar place. So in this review, we are going to take a closer look at what I believe are the Best Portable Chargers and Power Banks of 2020, and can change the way you charge your devices without breaking the bank.

 

Huge Spring Sale on gear. Check out the link below! (Free Shipping over $40 + no sales tax!)

USOUTDOOR.com Sale! Save up to 70% off Outdoor Gear & Apparel

 

How to Choose the Best Portable Charger for You

 

When doing your research on portable chargers and power banks, you’ll usually notice a 4-5 digit number with the letters mAh (or milliamp hours) following it. If you’re like me and enjoy the luxury of having your phone charging right next to your side anywhere in the house, as well as one with relevant power for those long days traveling or a night out, I’d start with at least 10,000mAh. If you have a few other devices you’d like to charge other than your phone (i.e. tablet, air pods, etc.) I’d recommend adding an extra 5,000mAh per device. Just to ensure you never get to 0%. 

 

Things to keep in mind:

  • Size
  • Weight
  • Speed
  • Capacity

 

Click the links below for the best prices!

 

 

 

Anker PowerCore 10000 – 10000mAh

In my opinion, this charger earned its place at the top of this list. Definitely the best bang for your buck. The Anker PowerCore 10000 is one of the smallest and lightest 10,000mAh portable charger under $30. This was the power bank I decided to bring with me on my 153 day journey along the Pacific Crest Trail back in 2018, and still using it daily here in 2020. This charger will provide almost 3 ½ iPhone 8 charges or 2 ½ Galaxy S8 charges. Anker’s exclusive PowerIQ and VoltageBoost combine to deliver the fastest possible charge compared to any others I’ve tested. Two thumbs up.

 

FEATURE SUMMARY:

  • Great size-to-capacity ratio
  • Remarkably compact
  • High-speed charging

 

SPECS:

  • Main Feature:   Portable / Light
  • Extra Battery Life:   +46 hours
  • Output Ports:   1 x USB-A
  • Recharging Time:   4.7 hours
  • Size:   3.6 x 2.3 x 0.9 in
  • Weight:   180g / 6.35oz

 

Anker PowerCore 20100 – 20100mAh

The Anker PowerCore 20100 portable charger is similar to the previous Anker mentioned above. Although, it has a much higher capacity, as well as an extra USB port. The only reason this one isn’t at the #1 spot is only because its size and weight may make it a little less ideal to lug around all day. It also takes 10 hours to charge itself. But like I mentioned above, if you need the storage capacity and extra charging abilities, you can’t go wrong with this one. It still fits in the pocket. It weighs as little as a can of soup at 12.5 oz. Its “wow factor” is the fact that it charges the iPhone 8 almost 7 times, the Galaxy S8 5 times or the iPad mini 4 twice. It is also equipped with the same PowerIQ and VoltageBoost combo as the PowerCore 10000 to deliver the fastest possible charge.

 

FEATURE SUMMARY:

  • Huge 7-day charge capacity
  • Portable, pocket-friendly size
  • Dual-device output

 

SPECS:

  • Main Feature:   Light Weight
  • Extra Battery Life:   +92 hours
  • Output Ports:   2 x USB-A
  • Recharging Time:   10 hours
  • Size:   6.6 x 2.4 x 0.9 in
  • Weight:   356g / 12.56oz

 

Goal Zero Venture 30 – 7800mAh

The Goal Zero Venture 30 is a bit different from the previous mentioned above. I’ve got a lot of respect for Goal Zero because I support their mission. This company started out with just a light, battery, and solar panel to improve living situations for the less fortunate all over the world. Over the years, their products began to be utilized more and more in the outdoors and travel sectors, so they met the needs of the new market. The Goal Zero Venture 30 has 7,800mAh that can power an iPhone 2-3 times, a single charge on a tablet. It has a 4 hour recharge time from a USB and solar compatibility with 9 hours of full sun from the Nomad 7 Solar Panel. It has built-in Micro & USB tangle-free cables for efficient charging. Its waterproof, so it’s safe during an accidental dunk or use in the rain with no rubber plugs needed. It has high-speed USB 4.8A across dual ports, meaning it can dish out a high-speed charge, powering two devices at once.

 

FEATURE SUMMARY:

  • Weather Proof
  • Charge 2 devices at once
  • Built in micro-USB & USB cords
  • Solar ready

 

SPECS:

  • Main Feature:   Weather Proof
  • Extra Battery Life:   2x charges
  • Output Ports:   2 x USB-A
  • Recharging Time:   4 hrs by USB / 9 hrs by Solar
  • Size:   3.2 x 1 x 4.5 in
  • Weight:   249g / 8.8oz

 

Goal Zero Banner

 

 

Jackery Bolt Portable Charger – 6000mAh


The Jackery Bolt portable charger is all about convenience. It includes one built-in Lightning cord, one built-in micro-USB cord and one USB port. The 2.4 A charging power of the built-in cords will charge your iPhone TWICE as fast as an original iPhone charger with the original cable. It’s super compact and offers a 6000mAh bank that can charge an iPhone 6/7/8 up to 2 times within 1.5 hours. Or an iPhone X up to 1 ½ times within 2 ½ hours. It also has a convenient little built-in flash light.

 

FEATURE SUMMARY:

  • Built-in Lightning cable (for iPhone)
  • Built-in micro-USB cable (for Samsung)
  • Open USB output
  • Built-in flashlight

 

SPECS:

  • Main Feature:   Built in cables
  • Extra Battery Life:   1 ½ – 2x charges
  • Output Ports:   1 x USB-A
  • Recharging Time:   3.15 hours
  • Size:   3.7 x 1.2 x 5.5 in
  • Weight:   295g / 10.4oz

 

Aibocn Power Bank – 10000mAh

 

The Aibocn power bank made the list due to its convenience-to-price point ratio. For $10 you get a dual USB port (2.1Amp and 1Amp output) charger that can simultaneously charge your iPad, iPhone, Android and more at high speed. It even has a built-in backup flashlight which can come in handy when the time calls for it. You can’t really do better than this based on its price point for the capacity it has, but to be honest, it is a bit large for only being 10000mAh.

 

FEATURE SUMMARY:

  • High capacity
  • Ultra-slim
  • Dual USB port
  • Built-in flashlight

 

SPECS:

  • Main Feature:   Low Price Point
  • Extra Battery Life:   3-4x charges
  • Output Ports:   2 x USB-A
  • Recharging Time:   6 hours
  • Size:   6.8 x 4 x 1.4 in
  • Weight:   272g / 9.6oz

 

Was This Helpful?

I hope you found this review article helpful. I want to do whatever I can to bring you the knowledge you need when looking for the best gear to prepare you for your next adventure. If you have any question of the products from this review or any others that you’d like to to talk about in the future, please feel free to drop me a line in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you, and hopefully have the answer you’re looking for. Let me bring the information to you!

 

*Editor’s note: Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support TheEpicReviews unsponsored gear reviews, articles, and hiking guides.

 

If you enjoyed this review, you may also like:

 

 


2 Responses

Comments are closed.