Whether you need instant Instagram access while camping or you've drained your phone with a day of Pokémon hunting, portable battery packs can be your best friend. But with so many of them out there, finding the right one can be a daunting task. From pocket-sized boosters to beasts that power everything under the sun to those powered by the sun, we've gathered some of our favorite portable chargers.
Jackery Bar
Capacity: 6,000 mAh
Output: 5 V, 2.1 A
Size: 1.8 x 3.8 x 0.9 in (4.6 x 9.7 x 2.3 cm)
Weight: 5.3 oz (150 g)
Price: $13
At the low end of the scale, the Jackery Bar forgoes fancy bells and whistles for a reliable, compact and inexpensive charger that can sit in a bag and provide a quick top-up to a phone at the end of the day. The 6,000 mAh battery is enough to fully charge a Samsung Galaxy S7 or an iPhone 7 twice over, and for that price it's perfect for those who sometimes just need to squeeze a little more out of their phones.
Flux Portable Charger
Capacity: 4,000 mAh
Output: 5 V, 1 A/2.1 A
Size: 4.3 x 2.5 x 0.3 in (10.8 x 6.3 x 0.8 cm)
Weight: 3.1 oz (88 g)
Price: $30
While you might only get one and a bit charges out of the Flux Portable Charger, it's designed to be as compact as possible. Where the Jackery Bar suits a purse or handbag, the Flux is thin enough to slip into a pocket. The two ports – a micro USB for Android and a Lightning for iOS – are on little arms that tuck away inside the device.
Available at Flux Chargers, Amazon
Lumsing Power Bank
Capacity: 10,400 mAh
Output: 5 V, 1 A/ 2.1 A
Size: 5.4 x 2.3 x 0.8 in (13.7 x 5.8 x 2 cm)
Weight: 8.5 oz (241 g)
Price: $17
Another bag-sized device, the Lumsing Power Bank is a little heftier than others, but that's because it's packing more power. A battery boasting over 10,000 mAh lets it fully charge an iPhone 7 or Galaxy S7 three times, handy for a weekend away or back-to-back long haul flights.
Juno Jumper
Capacity: 6,000 mAh
Output: 5 V, 2.1 A (USB), 12 V, 150 - 300 A (jumper cables)
Size: 5.5 x 3 x 0.6 in (13.9 x 7.5 x 1.5 cm)
Weight: 7 oz (198 g)
Price: $99
At first glance, the Juno Jumper is a fairly standard portable charger. The 2.1 A USB port will charge a device fairly fast, with enough juice to do so a couple times over. But the real kicker? It can recharge your car, too. Hooking up the included jumper cables, the Juno ups the output to 12 V at 300 A, which the company says is enough to jumpstart almost all 4- and 6-cylinder engines.
Available at Juno Power, Amazon
Mophie powerstation XXL
Capacity: 20,000 mAh
Output: 2.1 A
Size: 3.6 x 6.1 x 0.8 in (9.2 x 15.5 x 2 cm)
Weight: 15.1 oz (428 g)
Price: $99
While the Mophie powerstation XXL is relatively bulky, it also gains in capacity. It earns its place in a bag or backpack with a beefy 20,000 mAh battery, which is enough to charge some devices up to seven times. Three USB ports allow several devices to be powered at once, and the user can prioritize which ones charge up faster.
HP Powerup Backpack
Capacity: 22,000 mAh
Output: 5 V, 2 A/2.4 A (USB), 19.5 V, 3.33 A (laptop cable)
Size: 19.7 x 13 x 6.3 in (50 x 33 x 16 cm)
Weight: 4.2 lb (1.9 kg)
Price: $199
Bucking the smaller-is-better trend, the HP Powerup Backpack goes large to not only power your devices, but carry them, too. The huge 22,000 mAh battery is housed inside, while included cables are threaded through to other pockets to charge two micro USB devices and a HP laptop with 4.5 mm and 7.4 mm barrel connectors. Built-in heat sensors keep it from getting too warm, and it comes with a rain slicker to keep valuables protected from the elements.
BioLite KettleCharge
Capacity: 1,250 mAh
Output: 10 W, 5 V, 2 A
Size: 7.3 in (18.6 cm) high
Weight: 2 lb (0.9 kg)
Price: $79
A 1,250 mAh battery seems a little piddly, providing less than a full charge to most current phones, but the difference here is the method. Using a thermoelectric generator, the BioLite KettleCharge harnesses the power of boiling water to create energy, meaning you can top up your phone while making your morning cup of coffee. This is one to take camping when you're off the grid and may occasionally need to check your email or the weather forecast.
Available at BioLite Energy, Amazon
Solartab
Capacity: 13,000 mAh
Output: 5.5 W, 2.1 A
Size: 9.7 x 7.6 x 0.35 in (24.6 x 19.3 x 0.9 cm)
Weight: 2.7 lb (1.2 kg)
Price: $99
Another off-the-grid solution, the Solartab plugs into the sun to keep your devices powered up. Its battery is a respectable 13,000 mAh, so it can charge some phones up to ten times over. While it may be dependent on the fickle moods of the weather, the internal battery can store the energy for long periods, letting you save it for … well, a rainy day.
Available at Solarlab
ZeroHour BB
Capacity: 10,200 mAh
Output: 1.5 A/2.1 A
Size: 7. 3 x 2.3 in (18.5 x 5.8 cm)
Price: $125
Rugged, waterproof and durable, the ZeroHour BB is made for camping. There's a degree of modularity built into it: the 10,200 mAh total capacity comes from three separate battery packs, so you can extend its life by packing a few extras before you leave. And to round out its usefulness in the wilderness, a high-power flashlight head can be attached, too.
RAVPower Travel Charger
Capacity: 27,000 mAh
Output: 100 W (AC), 5 V/2.4 A (USB x 2), 5 V/3 A (USB Type-C)
Size: 5.3 x 6.9 x 1.4 in (13.4 x 17.5 x 3.6 cm)
Weight: 1.9 lb (0.9 kg)
Price: $150
At the far end of the scale, the RAVPower Travel Charger pushes the boundaries of the definition of "portable," but for those who need to power a whole studio's worth of devices on the go, it may just do the trick. A gigantic 27,000 mAh battery feeds into a good range of ports, with two standard USB outlets, a USB Type-C and, perhaps the clincher, a 100 W AC outlet, meaning just about anything that plugs into a wall can plug into the RAVPower Travel Charger.
