Article updated on June 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM PDT
Keep your Android devices charged and ready to go with one of the best portable Android power banks around. 4 Port Usb Charger
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Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on a portable charger or power bank.
Chargers with a high charging capacity provide more power but they weigh more. That's of particular note if you plan on traveling with the charger in a purse, backpack or pocket.
Android's standard for wireless charging is called Qi, and power banks that are fully Qi compatible offer faster charging speeds for Android devices than charging cables. Consider your daily needs and which charging mode is best for your lifestyle.
Most of us spend entirely too much time on our phones these days on social media, news, productivity, connecting with loved ones and the seemingly unavoidable doomscrolling. All this activity can lead to a quickly dwindling battery. While many Android devices have better battery life than iPhones, they still need a little help on occasion. That's where portable chargers come in.
If you rely on a battery case to keep your phone running, you're not alone. Battery cases are convenient, but they have some drawbacks: Some are bulky and heavy, and they can negatively affect wireless reception at times. That's why nothing beats a dedicated portable charger or power bank that you can store easily and take out only when you need it. With both wired and wireless models, there's a slew of options when it comes to keeping your Android device going.
To that end, I've rounded up top picks for the best portable charger for Android devices. Although they cost more, I like batteries that have an integrated USB-C output built into them so I don't have to worry about carrying around a charging cable for enough power for my devices. (The models with built-in USB-C cables should also work for iPad Pro devices.) I've also included some budget picks for those who don't want to shell out as much for portable power and their charging needs. While we have a separate power bank roundup for iPhones, anything here without an integrated USB-C cable will work perfectly well with an iPhone (and non-Pro iPad models), so long as you provide the Lightning cable.
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Infinity Lab is Samsung-owned Harman Kardon's new accessories subsidiary and I like its InstantGo 5000 and InstantGo 10000 power banks, which come with an integrated USB-C cable for easy charging for iPhones. The larger 10,000-mAh model costs a bit more and is heavier and bulkier, but it can charge most Android smartphones twice. Although the white model is currently unavailable, the black one is in stock.
MyCharge's Hub portable chargers come in a few different sizes and not only have an integrated foldable wall plug but integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, so you can charge both Apple and Android devices. It's a little bulky, but with a 4,400-mAh battery, it should be able to almost fully charge your smartphone, depending on its size.
The Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD is impressively slim for a 10,000-mAh portable phone charger and has a fast 20-watt USB-C out charging port (it's also a USB-C input to charge its battery), plus a 12-watt USB-A out port. While the Anker 313 PowerCore Slim 10K is cheaper, the fast USB-C out charging makes spending the extra dough worth it if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable.
The Anker PowerCore III 10K portable charger has fast USB-C out charging (18 watts) as well as a USB-A port and up to 10-watt wireless charging. It's not magnetic, so your phone won't stick to it but it will wirelessly charge any Qi-enabled devices.
If you're looking for a compact external battery pack for your iPhone (or any smartphone), Mophie's pocketable Power Station Mini (2022) features a 5,000-mAh internal battery and 20-watt USB-C PD fast charging. (You'll need a USB-C to Lightning cable to take advantage of that fast charging if you're an iPhone owner.) That battery will allow you to fully charge your iPhone.
For $20 more, you can pick up the 10,000-mAh version with dual USB-C ports -- both come in black or blue colors. Also, note that Zagg, Mophie's parent company, offers a 20% discount off your first purchase, so that model (it's simply called the Power Station) is actually $50.
Thanks to Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, chargers have been getting more powerful while shrinking at the same time. The latest example of that trend is Anker's new line of GaNPrime chargers with next-generation GaN 3 technology that the company says is even more energy-efficient. The Anker Power Bank 733, combines a 65W charger with a 10K mAh portable battery, is part of the new GaNPrime line. It's pretty compact for what it is and offers two fast-charging USB-C ports and one fast-charging USB-A port. You can charge up to three devices at once, but note that to get a full 65W charge for a laptop, you'll have to plug in just the laptop.
This Anker model is effectively an oversized wall charger with a built-in 5,000-mAh battery. It's got two standard USB charging ports for simultaneously juicing up your phone and a secondary gadget (or two phones). A little LED indicator on the side lets you check the charge level at the press of a button.
What's cool about Anker's 622 magnetic battery is that it's a wireless battery that has an integrated magnetic flap that converts into a stand. You won't get fast wireless charging from this 5,000-mAh battery (it charges at up to 7.5 watts) but it's slim and easy to carry around.
It charges via USB-C and if you use a USB-C to USB-C to charge your Android device (or iPhone), it will charge at a faster rate of 12 watts. That's not as fast as a 20-watt USB-C power adapter, but it's faster than the usual 7.5 watts.
Mophie's magnetic power bank is similar to Anker's but is slightly slimmer and doesn't have an integrated flap that converts into a stand. Like the Anker, this isn't an official Apple MagSafe accessory, but it magnetically adheres to the back of your MagSafe-enabled iPhone or MagSafe case -- yes, it sticks nicely -- and is svelte for 5,000-mAh battery. It can also be used with other phones that support wireless charging as it comes with a stick-on magnet.
Wireless charging speeds are limited to 7.5 watts for iPhones, but if you need a faster charge, you can connect a USB-C to Lightning cable to bump the speed up to 12 watts. This has enough juice to fully charge an iPhone 13 or 13 Pro once, but it'll fall a little short of a full charge with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Otterbox gears its Folding Wireless Power Bank toward those who like to watch movies on their phones or play games with a controller. It has a built-in stand that folds down when you take it on the go. It also has USB-C and USB-A ports that are capable of fast-charging your phone at up to 18 watts. The wireless charging is up to 7.5 watts with the iPhone and 10 watts for Android devices.
Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on a portable charger or power bank. Value-priced chargers continue to improve, so you can find a decent wireless charger for less than $40. But if you're looking for a more premium model, you'll likely have to pay more than $50 and even more for Qi-enabled chargers.
Most baseline power banks now start at a 5,000-mAh capacity, which should give you at least one full charge for an Android phone. Chargers with 10,000-mAh or more are available, but they weigh more. That's of particular note if you plan on traveling with the charger in a purse, backpack or pocket.
Most Android phones since the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models introduced in 2015 offer inductive wireless charging. Android's standard for these phones is called Qi, and power banks that are fully Qi compatible offer faster charging speeds for Android devices with speeds capped at around 7.5 watts for iPhones. In all cases, you'll need to make sure your phone case is thin enough to allow inductive charging through the back of the phone.
At the current time, we do anecdotal testing on these models. Each is fully charged and used on a recent Android model for at least a week in real-world conditions. We verify that charging speeds and recharge times are within expected parameters and -- for models with integrated stands or cables -- confirm that the connections and build quality are sturdy and free of any notable annoyances or caveats.
Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K: The Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K has a 6,600-mAh battery that can fully charge most iPhones one time. It's Qi2-certified, which means it offers 15-watt fast charging capabilities and is fully MagSafe compatible, offering twice the speed of standard 7.5-watt wireless chargers for MagSafe-enabled iPhone 13, 14 and 15 models and Android smartphones that support 15-watt wireless charging.
Anker Nano Power Bank (USB-C): This 5,000mAh power bank weighs in at 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams. It features 22.5 watts of fast charging power with the option to charge two devices at the same time if you plug a cable into the power bank's USB-C in/out charging port. (Charging two devices simultaneously divides the charging power in half, delivering 11.25 watts to each device.)
myCharge Hub 6700: MyCharge's Hub portable chargers come in a few different sizes and not only have an integrated foldable wall plug but integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, so you can charge both Apple and Android devices. It's a little bulky, but with a 6,700-mAh battery, it should be able to almost fully charge your smartphone, depending on its size. The step-up 10,050-mAh model is about $25 more.
Nimble Champ: Nimble's updated Champ portable charger uses recycled plastic in its construction. You have to pay a bit more for going green, but it's a nice, compact 10,000-mAh charger that features 20-watt PD fast-charging with dual USB-C ports (one on either side of the power bank) that allow you to charge two devices at the same time. If you are charging two devices, your charging speeds will be limited to 10 watts per device.
Yes, these power banks should charge any device that's USB-powered, such as phones, headphones, ebook readers and Bluetooth speakers. Some may also charge larger devices such as tablets and the Nintendo Switch, albeit at slower speeds. You'll stand a better chance of charging the larger devices if you get a charger with USB-C PD (Power Delivery) support. Don't expect to charge laptops or Chromebooks without getting larger, higher-capacity power banks that are specifically designed for that purpose (with 65 watts of power output or more).
Power banks for Android invariably have USB inputs and outputs for charging themselves and other devices, respectively. (Some power banks have single ports that double for both.) The USB-A port is the "classic" rectangular USB port that's been on computers since as early as the late 1990s. The newer, smaller USB-C port is reversible (there is no "top" or "bottom" to the plugs) and has the capacity to charge at higher speeds. Some power banks have integrated cables that terminate with Lightning (iPhone-specific) or USB-C cables.
Charging Cell MagSafe for iPhone -- not to be confused with the identically named magnetic power connector for MacBooks -- is an Apple standard that allows for inductive charging with magnetically attached batteries. Qi wireless chargers don't necessarily have the magnetic component but also allow for inductive charging. Devices that are Qi-2 certified offer twice the speed of standard 7.5-watt wireless chargers for MagSafe-enabled iPhone 13, 14 and 15 models and Android smartphones that support 15-watt wireless charging.