Best power banks 2019: 7 UK portable chargers to juice-up your device

Smartphones can do a lot, but in being able to multitask, stream HD video and more, your battery life can disappear faster than The Flash himself. To overcome the need for more juice, investing in a power bank is a sensible option.

A power bank or portable charger is essentially a big battery that you can use on the go to avoid missing out on the chance to Tweet, text or call at a moment’s notice. They’re perfect for long-haul flights or if you’re heading out into the countryside

Best portable mobile chargers: How much juice do you need?

The obvious answer to this is that a bigger capacity charger is better, but there are limits: eventually, the size of a phone charger will put the portable part firmly in inverted commas. 

With that in mind, let’s talk a little about battery capacity. Phone battery is measured in milliamp hours (mAh): crudely speaking, the higher the mAh number, the better the phone’s battery life, though in reality it’s not that simple. Some hardware is more power hungry than others, and software can drain juice at different speeds too. 

In any case, check your phone’s battery size and then compare to the phone charger you want. As a rule of thumb, a tiny 1,000mAh charger will give you around a third of a modern phone battery, while a 20,000mAh battery pack will let you charge your phone around six to seven times.

Here’s a list of some of the most popular handsets and their relative battery size so you can get an idea of the charger size you need:

Best portable mobile chargers in 2019

1. Aukey 20,000mAh Powerpack: two ports at a bargain price

Price: £22 | Buy now from Amazon

Capable of holding 20,000mAh, this Aukey powerpack is a beast of a portable phone charger. Capable of charging two devices simultaneously, Aukey’s pack holds enough charge to power up an iPhone 6s more than 11 times or keep your Nexus 5X ticking over for just over seven full charges. Best of all, you can charge it via a micro-USB or a Lightning cable, so iPhone users don’t need to carry around two cables to keep it topped up. Seeing as it weighs a – not inconsiderable – 458g, though, it’s unlikely you’ll want to carry this around with you all the time. That said, dimensions don’t make it the most pocket-friendly device so if you’re always carrying a bag it should always be with you.

2. Cygnett ChargeUp Wireless 6,000: A fantastic power bank with wireless charging

Price: £28 | Buy now from Amazon

Place a device with Wireless Qi charging capabilities on the surface of this Cygnett portable charger and it’ll power up without having to faff around with any cables.

It may not be as speedy as a cabled fast-charge, but it’s quick enough for a brief juice-up in the evening or when you haven’t had a chance to charge the night before. It’s effective, but you might need to play around with positioning before you can get it to start charging – although this isn’t a big deal. You can see when it is and isn’t charging thanks to a green or red LED light. Oh, and there’s a handy numeric display to let you know how much charge it has left. While more expensive than the average 6,000mAh power bank, the wireless features more than justify the extra cost.

3. Goji G25PBBK16 2,500mAh Power Bank: truly cheap charging

Price: £7.99 | Buy now from Amazon

The Goji G25PBBK16 may not have a name that rolls off the tongue but it is one of the most compact battery packs you’ll ever lay your hands on. Its battery isn’t huge at 2,500mAh, but it’ll charge most iPhones nearly twice and keep your Android device topped up if it starts to dip. The tradeoff here is how thin it is. You can slip it into a jean pocket and not feel like you’re hulking something bulky around with you in the process.

4. Anker PowerCore II 10,000 Ultra-Compact: small but powerful

Price: £25.99 | Buy now from Amazon

It’s a little chunkier and heavier than some of the smallest options, but the Anker PowerCore II will still slide easily into your pocket. And it offers rapid recharge times (just four hours for some devices), as well as boasting enough power to charge most types of phone two or three times without needing to be topped up. As an added bonus, the dot-based indicators on the power pack are super easy to read.

5. Anker PowerCore+ 20100mAh USB Type-C: sturdy and reliable

Price: £46.99 | Buy now from Amazon

This high-capacity power pack from Anker is our go-to charger when travelling. Not only does it look great, but it’s large capacity mean it’s capable of charging most of my devices for a few days without the need to find a plug socket, but it’s also quick-charge ready via PowerIQ. Using its USB Type-C connector, you can also get enough juice to charge your USB Type-C-powered laptop and even a Nintendo Switch. If capacity is a bigger boon for you, there’s a non-USB Type-C model that offers 26,800mAh that may well be worth looking into.

6. EC Technology 22400mAh: high capacity greatness

Price £23 | Buy now from Amazon

With 22,400mAh of power, this EC Technology power bank is capable of charging your phone five times over. And with this much power, you could also charge up larger devices such as the Nintendo Switch. It has three output ports and super speedy charge times, making this the perfect companion for all your charging needs. It’s not the lightest, but it packs a real punch.