The best power banks of 2018: portable chargers to keep your gadgets going

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Whether you want a pocket-size battery to top off your devices or a large power bank to juice up your laptop, portable chargers are very useful additions to your kit. We've added new entries to our best portable charger list in 2018 including the latest Mophie that packs a lightning cable to link up to your iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone X and iPhone 8 smartphones. 

All of the power banks below can charge a plethora of devices, but we all know their primary function: to be ready when your smartphone battery dies at the end of the day. It's a lifesaver for your 21st-century routine.

As portable chargers have become commonplace, of course, they run into the opposite problem: there are a lot to choose from. We base our recommendations on a balance of battery capacity, safety and a svelte size with ample power reserves.

We've got a list of the top portable chargers that include compact, high-capacity, and even laptop-compatible portable chargers. Never fall to 0% battery life again.

• Just want to charge your laptop? Check out the best portable laptop chargers

Best power banks for capacity

You've likely heard of Anker, and this is one of the company's best portable chargers. It comes with a huge 20,100mAh battery inside, meaning this will be able to charge up your phone or tablet multiple times before it needs a recharge.

It also comes with high-speed charging for your devices if they use PowerIQ or VoltageBoost. It won't be able to use Qualcomm's QuickCharge technology, but it'll still boost your device when you're on the go.

The Mophie Powerstation XL is the best power bank designed for the iPhone and iPad (aside from the new iPad Pro 2018 with its USB-C port), and we say that for several reasons: it contains an embedded Lightning cable you can’t lose, it charges via a Lightning cable and you can charge it wirelessly with any Qi charger, so you may already have everything you need.

This 10,000mAh power bank has a soft fabric finish and can charge two devices at once, one via the 10W USB-A port and another via the integrated Lightning charger. You won't find as much use from this portable charger if you're on Android, though it's still possible to use that USB-A port to top off a friend.

If the Anker isn't right for you, our next choice is the Aukey 20,000mAh battery pack. It features two ports so you can charge both your phone and your tablet at the same time and also has a light to show you how much battery charge is leftover.

The blocky design may not be for everyone, but this portable charger should be able to charge your phone and other gadgets a few times over with such a high capacity cell inside.

If you're looking for an even larger capacity charger than the option above you may want to go for the iMuto Ultra High Capacity portable charger. It offers a 30,000mAh capacity that will be able to charge your average smartphone over six times and still have some charger left.

It can also charge some MacBooks and laptops too, but you may want to make sure it will be compatible with your computing option before you buy it. Considering the price though, you'll struggle to find a 30,000mAh charger for this little.

Another high capacity portable charger here for you and this time it's from RAVPower with a 22,000mAh option. The design is similar to the Anker and Aukey made options above, and while it doesn't include as much capacity as the iMuto one it does have a much slimmer design.

You have three ports here so you can charge multiple gadgets at the same time and it'll have enough capacity to be able to charge both a mobile and an iPad or tablet from 0% too.

Best slim power banks

Xiaomi has a hand in some unexpected sectors of technology, including audio and portable chargers. But don't sleep on either, as it's onto something worth checking out. 

During our testing, its 10,000mAh Power Bank provided good results, both in terms of its portability and charging potential. While not the fastest charger out there, it was able to charge our Google Pixel 2 in a little over two hours. Thankfully, it's discreet enough that you can bring it with you just about everywhere to plug in when necessary.

It's not rare for a power bank to come with a charging cable, but we appreciate that this one has been built with care to suit both micro USB and USB-C users with the same cable, as seen in the above gallery.

With 10,400mAh inside, two USB outputs and fast charging technology the Pebble P1 Pro may be one of the best all-round power banks you can buy right now. This doesn't have anything to do with the defunct watch brand, but instead it's called the Pebble for its curved edges design.

This should be able to recharge most phones at least two and a half times from a single charge, plus this power bank can be charged up by either microUSB or USB-C so you won't need to have a specific cable with you to pump it up again when it's out of juice.

Ainope isn't as recognizable a brand as Anker or the others on this list, but the Ainope 10,000mAh portable charger seems like a winner at first glance. It's not the smallest charger on our list, but its tiny form factor relative to its capacity – which should recharge your iPhone X or Galaxy S9 twice over, with room to spare – makes it an appealing choice. 

The Ainope has two USB-A ports: one that charges at 2A and the other at 1A, though they aren't marked. The real appeal is the battery window, so if you're sold on that, pick up the Ainope 10,000mAh battery for $26 (£20, AU$37) on Amazon here.

Poweradd also offers a great slim portable charger, and it's one of the cheapest options on this list yet boasts a substantial 10,000mAh cell inside.

It may be quite heavy, but this is only 1.3cm thick, making it a great device to slip into your back pocket when you're out and about. You'll want to grab a cable to go with it though as unlike the Iceworks choice above it doesn't come with one built in.

We love this little guy. The Anker PowerCore II 10,000 power bank is perhaps the most portable option on this list and allows you to have at least two full charges for your phone in your back pocket ready to go.

At only 209g and 1.5cm thick, you'll be able to take this around with you and not feel weighed down while still having 10,000mAh of extra power for any of your devices. Plus it comes with Anker's own fast-charging tech that should mean you won't be plugged into it for too long.

Like a lot of the chargers on this list, it doesn't come with a cable attached so you'll need to take your own out and about with you.

This is the cheapest option for a portable charger we have on the list, but this option from RAVPower should suit you for recharging your mobile phone while on the go.

It has a capacity of 6,700mAh, which should recharge your average smartphone at least once and maybe even twice. There are three color options here with the choices of either pink, bright blue or silver. 

The LEDs on the side of the device also show you how much charge is left and there's fast-charging tech built-in too.

Don't you hate it when you have to pull a charging cord out alongside your pocket battery? The Jackery Bolt has both Lightning and MicroUSB cables built-in, so you won't have to juggle cords.

Unfortunately, that means the latest Android phones that recharge via USB-C won't get any use out of the Bolt. But it has a decent 6,000mAh of battery, which is good for between one and two full smartphone recharges depending on your device. 

Best power banks with lots of ports

This may not be the most portable charger on our list, but it features a lot of ports, so you can charge multiple devices at the same time. It'll even charge laptops as well as your phone and tablet.

You can charge six devices at once, and with a 50,000mAh capacity it has the juice to do that, so if you're usually surrounded by a lot of tech this is possibly one of the best chargers to buy.

Looking for a another option with lots of ports on it? This may be a good choice for you, as there are four ports and you can charge up your MacBook as well as USB devices such as your phone.

There's a quick charge port too, which will fast charge compatible devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Best power banks for both laptops and phones

RAVPower's portable charger is a great choice if you need a device that can charge both your laptop and your phone. It features USB-C and normal USB outputs as well as an AC output, so you can plug your laptop charger directly in.

There's also a 20,100mAh capacity battery inside, so this will be able to juice up your phone or tablet multiple times before you need to put it back on charge.

The picture above may be deceptive, as this isn't a small charger and is capable of charging up your laptop or tablet as well as your phone simultaneously.

You can charge up to three devices at the same time and it comes with a 23,000mAh capacity, so it should last long enough between recharges.

• Looking for a laptop charger? Here are eight of our favorite laptop chargers

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