A power bank is one of the few accessories that solves a problem you notice immediately. The catch is that most of the market is built around phones, and a pack that tops up a phone will not run a laptop.
These picks come from published testing by WIRED, which tests power banks by draining and recharging them across real use rather than quoting manufacturer claims. We are summarising their published picks, not repeating our own testing.
Best overall for laptops: Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K)
WIRED’s reviewer describes the Anker 737 as a personal go-to, and it has been their top pick among power banks. Anker’s own specification puts output at 140W, which is enough to fast-charge a laptop. At the time of WIRED’s October 2026 roundup it was listed at $120, down from $135.
Best budget phone charger: Anker Nano 5K
For phones only, a small pack is usually the better buy. The Guardian’s US power bank roundup lists the Anker Nano 5K at $26.99 as its budget pick, which is in the right range for a pocket charger that adds a couple of phone charges.
Best high-wattage laptop pack: Anker Laptop Power Bank 165W
WIRED’s separate laptop power bank testing points to Anker’s higher-output packs as the ones to look at if you need to charge a larger, more power-hungry device. A 165W class pack is the practical threshold for charging most modern laptops at speed rather than just slowly topping them up.
What to check before you buy
- Wattage, not capacity alone. A 20,000mAh pack can still charge a laptop slowly if its output is only 45W. Check the wattage rating against your laptop’s charger.
- Airline limits. Power banks above roughly 100Wh generally cannot be carried in cabin baggage. Check your airline’s rules before travelling with a large pack.
- USB-C power delivery. Make sure the pack supports PD at the wattage your device needs, and that the cable you use can carry it. A slow cable caps a fast pack.
- Recharging speed. A large pack that takes hours to refill is less useful than a slightly smaller one that recharges quickly.
If you are buying a laptop at the same time, our 2026 laptop buying guide covers which machines are actually worth the money.
What we did not do
We did not test any of these products ourselves, and we did not verify current prices at any retailer. Prices quoted are from the published roundups cited below and will change. This is a summary of other reviewers’ testing, not our own.
Sources
- WIRED — Best Power Banks (2026): My Picks After Testing Over 100
- WIRED — This Power Bank Is So Good I Own Two
- The Guardian — The best portable power banks in the US
- Honest Fred — Best Headphones 2026
