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Compared to the more durable options we tested, the Fast Charge has an all-plastic casing that feels a bit delicate and cheap to the touch. It survived our drop test and continued to function, but it just doesn’t have the feel of excellent build quality. Still, it’s a perfectly usable power bank. Editor’s Note: In November 2023, we updated this article to provide additional information on how we tested and evaluated power banks. The Best Power Banks of 2023 We reserved a dedicated section for a blinking red light because it’s a rather important one. Because there’s no universal power bank language, it can mean different things depending on each model. Here are the most common interpretations of the red light blinking on a portable charger:
As the power bank charges usually one LED light blinks, the last one in the series. For example, if there are 3 LEDs on, then only the 3rd one will blink until the next charging level is reached and then the 4th LED will start blinking. Once the power bank has reached a 100% charge level, all the LED lights will be constantly on, without any one of them blinking, until you unplug the device from the charger. And as you start charging another device using your power bank, the LED blinking pattern will resume designating the transfer of electricity. You only want to charge a phone: If you don't need to charge a laptop occasionally, or you only carry a phone with no accessories, the Anker 733 is more than you need.The most common kind of input port is USB-C — the same port found on all modern iPhones. USB-C ports are easy to use, efficient, and durable. Using the Anker Prime power bank, we were also able to test the charging speed claims of other power banks, as the Anker Prime will report charging speed in wattage. You need power for your phone: The 3,000mAh battery inside is plenty to keep your Apple Watch going, but that isn't enough power to get you even halfway charged on an iPhone 15, and even less on bigger phones. The battery charge level of the power bank is just one function of the LED lights, albeit the most common one. But the LED lights can also communicate other things as well. Here’s a list of some of the most common issues that they might signal:
When you use a power bank, energy is expended in ways that don't charge your device. For example, when your power bank gets warm to the touch, this is internal resistance causing energy to dissipate from the power bank. You don't need all those extras: The Anker Prime power bank is pricey, and if you don't care about monitoring charge Wattage or days of battery life, find another option. Compared to the first generation of the NB10000, the second generation offers increased USB-C output for faster charging. It also has a “low current mode,” which is useful for sensitive devices with small batteries such as smart watches and Bluetooth earbuds. You need fast power: This is a very slow charger, whether wired or wireless, so it's better for casual charging while you sip your water and read a book.When you connect a power bank to a power outlet to recharge it, one of the LED lights will usually blink, indicating that the power bank is taking up the charge. As you can see in the image above, the pattern in which the LEDs are light up signifies the level of charge in the power bank: The Sherpa charged an iPhone 13 from dead to 100% a whopping seven times using a USB-C to USB-C cord. The brand advertised eight full charges, but this figure depends on many variable factors. In any case, the Sherpa is about four times more powerful than most 10k mAh power banks in this regard. Using the wireless charging surface, the phone fully charged in about 100 minutes. Apple doesn't publish its battery capacity, but teardowns have shown that the iPhone 15 has a battery with around 3,350mAh of battery life. That means a 10KmAh battery can charge that phone twice ... almost. You may not get to 100% the second charge, but you'll be in the 90% range.
The Anker Nano is only 5,000mAh, but that doesn't mean it can fully charge a 5,000mAh phone battery like you'll find in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Power banks are about 60-70% efficient, depending on the phone's technology, so this power bank is good for charging an iPhone 15 to nearly full, but that big Ultra will only get about 65% charge. It may happen that after waiting several hours, or even a day, your power bank doesn’t charge fully. It may only charge partially, or not at all.You may wonder if this signifies a complete failure of your power bank, or if it’s just a minor issue. In 2023, nearly every gadget and gizmo that we use has a battery. Our phones are the primary example, but nearly everything — from headlamps to headphones — has built-in rechargeable batteries.
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The most important question to consider when buying a power bank is what will you be charging? If you are charging a small smartphone and that's all, a simple power bank will suffice. If you plan on charging a laptop occasionally as well, or many devices at once, you'll want something with more power and more features. You can buy the Tylt Bottle with just a power bank attached, but our review sample from AT&T had the full wireless charging treatment. It's easy to set up a phone to charge while studying, working out, or working away from home: all places we take a water bottle and need a full phone battery. Most of the power banks on this list hold around 10,000 mAh — a standard size for recharging small devices like smartphones, Bluetooth headphones, and smartwatches. Though brands often claim their 10,000 mAh power banks can recharge smartphones five, six, or seven times — they rarely live up to those claims. Some larger power banks are equipped with wireless charging capability. On this list, the Goal Zero Sherpa 100 PD comes with a wireless charging pad that can deliver up to 15w of power to compatible devices. In general, wireless charging from a power bank will be slower than using a cable, but it’s highly convenient in certain situations.
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