All of the power banks on this list are relatively small and portable. The majority of power bank users pick 10,000 mAh power banks, a good choice for recharging a personal smartphone. Compact 10,000 mAh power banks like the Nitecore NB 10000 offer a nice balance between utility and portability. They fit in a pant pocket, and they pack enough power to keep a smartphone alive for several days without a wall outlet.
If you plan to charge larger devices like a tablet or laptop, we recommend sizing up to the 20,000+ mAh range. These power banks typically weigh 1-2 pounds, and they’re still compact enough for hiking, traveling, etc. On this list, the Anker PowerCore III Elite has a strong battery that easily recharges a laptop — or multiple small devices at once.
The ultra-slim Nitecore NB10000 fits easily into any pocket; (photo/Austin Beck-Doss)