The 12 Best Portable Chargers for Your Phone

One could survive a nuclear war. None are your bartender.

September 20, 2017 9:00 am

Welcome to Buy Choice, in which we pick one everyday item, cut out all the noise, and present you with nothing but the best options on the market.


Back in spring, we told you about the 10 best devices for charging your phone.

There was one hitch: Most of our picks were kinda bulky. Great for the home or desk — rather painful to stuff down a pants pocket.

So this time out, we’re focused on portability.

Herein, the 12 best portable chargers for your phones, tablets and assorted devices. (Yes, we take the new iPhones into account.)

One’s about the size of a matchbox. One could survive a nuclear war. And another just might save your life.

For your MacBook: Powerstation USB-C XXL
Mophie, makers of a now-ubiquitous portable phone charger, know what’s up. And that’s why they’ve released the Powerstation, which features enough power to charge an Apple laptop from 2015 or later (and it’s not much bigger than a regular smartphone charge pack).

For charging everything: iClever 450A Peak Battery
It’s a phone charger! It’ll jump start your car! It’s a flashlight! (It’s also currently 50% off.)

For not having to choose: Jackery Bolt
The built-in Lightning and micro USB cables on this speedy power bank means no tangled mess and equal love for both Android and iPhone users. Also, now 53% off.

For your wallet: Nomad Bi-Fold Horween Leather Charging Wallet
Not much of a charge (good for one boost of an iPhone 6), but Nomad’s Horween leather wallets are nice enough on their own. And they’re currently $55 off.

For securing your personal info: Meem
A charger cable (yeah, you’ll need to find a USB port) that automatically backs up your tablet or phone data every time you plug it in. In case you don’t trust that “cloud.”

For your iPhone 8 or X: Yoobao Qi Wireless Charging Pad
Until Apple debuts their AirPower charging mat next year, you’ll need a Qi-certified charger to wirelessly power up your new phone (or your Samsung S8 or other Qi-enabled devices). For portability sake, this Yoobao pad might be a good transition piece, as it’s only 9.8 mm thick and usually on ridiculous sale—as it is now.

For pretty much all your needs: Anker PowerCore Slim
Anker makes any cable, wall plug, Bluetooth speaker/headphone or case you could possibly imagine — and their products are always on sale at Amazon and get ridiculously good reviews. A random great pick: the PowerCore Slim, which’ll get you two full charges, fits snugly behind your phone (it even “grips” your phone so you can hold both in your palm), and is now 40% off. (For really small power needs, try their ubiquitous, lipstick-sized PowerCore+ mini, now 65% off.)

For multiple devices: RAVPower 26800mAh Portable Charger
Three USB ports means you can charge three devices all at once (and quickly, too). Now 69% off. (iMuto’s three-port 30000mAH charger also provides a long of bang for your buck).

For tiny power fixes: JUMP Charging Cable
Native Union’s tiny cord unit keeps things tidy, provides a 30% battery boost and acts as a regular charging cord if you’ve got a USB outlet nearby.

For outdoor adventures: EasyAcc 20000mAh
Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof … and doubles as a flashlight. Also, anything that gets a  “little bulky but it would survive a nuclear blast” kudos deserves a look. Now $30 off.

For sad emergencies: The Smartphone Charging Pen
Sure, it’ll give your phone a quick charge, and it also works as a stylus (and, yes, a pen). But it’s also a really crappy Bond gadget.

Nota bene: If you buy through these links, InsideHook may earn a small share of the profits on some items

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.