The Best Portable Chargers

These days, many of us can’t cope without technology. If our phone dies, and we have no way of charging it, we’re lost.

Portable chargers are especially handy when you’re travelling and don’t know when you might next have access to a power source.

There are so many of them on the market, how do you choose the best ones? Don’t worry, we’ve picked five portable chargers that should do a good job.

1. The standard budget option – Amazon Basics Portable External Battery Charger 10,000mAh – £15.99

You can choose the charge capacity, depending on whether you need to charge phones or tablets. Suitable for Apple and Android, it should do the job for most people and will, for example, charge an iPad air once, an iPhone 5s or Google Nexus 4 times and Samsung Galaxy twice. Plus, it only weighs 215 grams and measures 143 x 72 x 15mm.

2. The powerful one – Anker PowerCore 20,100, £27.99

This charger may be a bit bigger than the smaller, compact chargers, but it really does pack more of a punch in terms of power. It’s got a 4.8A output, and extra features like having quick charging capabilities and a fire resistant outer shell. Suitable for Apple and Android and will charge the iPhone 7 almost seven times, the Galaxy S6 five times or the iPad mini 4 twice. Measures in at 166 x 22 x 58mm, weighing 354g.

3. The teeny tiny one – Anker PowerCore+ Mini, £10.99

If you need something a lot smaller, like the size of a lipstick that you can easily store in your pocket or a bag, then go for the Anker PowerCore+ Mini. It’s got rave reviews on Amazon, achieving 4.5 stars from nearly 25,000 reviews. Most people appreciate its small size and say it delivers a surprising amount of power considering how small it is at 95 x 23 x 23mm, weighing 80g. Gives over a full charge to an iPhone 6, almost one full charge to a Galaxy S6 or at least one full charge to most other smartphones.

4. The multiple charger one – RAVpower Portable External Battery Charger 22000mAh, from £28.99

If you have numerous different devices, then this is the charger for you. It has three USB ports so you could charge two iPads and one iPhone 6s at the same time, or you can charge an iPhone 6s up to 9 times or an iPad Mini more than 3 times. Measuring 68 x 120 x 23mm, and weighing 381g, its 4.8 stars rating on Amazon means buyers are clearly happy with its performance.

5. The tough one – Zendure A2 Power Bank 6700mAh – at around £25.95

This is a no frills charger compatible with almost all Apple and Android smartphones, tablets and other USB-charged devices. However, the iPod nano, Asus tablets, the LG G2 and some GPS and Bluetooth devices are not supported. PC Advisor Winner 2014-2017, it’s really tough and compact and does exactly what it says on the tin. The A2 automatically detects your device and fine tunes the output to charge it at maximum speed and will charge an iPhone 2-3 times. It’s pocket sized too, at 94 x 50 x 24mm, weighing 140g.

Prices correct at time of publication.