Best Portable Chargers for Travel: Top Power Banks
The Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 26K) is our top pick for long international trips — 26,800mAh charges a phone 6+ times, supports 87W fast charging for laptops, and meets airline carry-on requirements. For a smaller everyday travel charger, the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 fits in a pants pocket with enough capacity for 2-3 phone charges.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
Portable Chargers for Travel Buying Guide
Photo by Lukas Blazek / PexelsOur Top Pick
Anker 737 Power Bank 24000mAh 140W at $109.99 — Best-in-class power bank with 140W output that can charge a MacBook Pro at full speed — 24000mAh capacity handles mul.
Budget Pick: Anker PowerCore 26800mAh External Battery at $21.99 — Budget-friendly 26800mAh workhorse; slower charging but enough capacity for 5+ phone charges from a single top-up.
Great for: Frequent travelers, festival and outdoor event attendees, and anyone whose phone dies before the end of the day
Not ideal if: You're always near an outlet and rarely leave home for more than a few hours — a cable in your bag is sufficient
Airline Compliance
How we picked these. We compared 9 portable travel chargers across capacity (mAh), fast charging output wattage, and airline carry-on compliance, cross-referencing picks with Wirecutter, Tom's Hardware, and r/gadgets community testing. Products were selected for reliable full-device charge count and TSA-compliant watt-hour capacity at each price point.
The FAA limits power banks to 100Wh (watt-hours) in carry-on bags. Most power banks list mAh — to convert: Wh = mAh x V / 1000. A 26,800mAh bank at 3.7V = 99.16Wh — just under the limit. Banks over 100Wh require airline approval. Check your bank's Wh rating before flying.Capacity Guidelines
Fast Charging
Look for USB-C Power Delivery (PD) 45W+ to charge modern laptops. 18W+ for fast phone charging. Standard 5W charging is too slow for travel use — you need the phone charged before the next activity, not 6 hours later.Input Speed
Ports
Related Guides
- USB-C Cable Guide: What the Specs Actually Mean
- Work From Home Tech Setup Guide
“Best-in-class power bank with 140W output that can charge a MacBook Pro at full speed — 24000mAh capacity handles multiple devices.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 20,000 mAh
- 65W PD USB-C
- foldable AC outlet
- charges laptops
- 3-port simultaneous
- 1.1 lbs
Read Full Analysis
The Anker 737 at $109.99 is the travel power bank for laptop-carrying professionals. The 140W output is the specification that matters for travel scenarios: layovers at airports without outlets, work sessions on trains, or hotel rooms where you need to charge laptop and phone simultaneously from one device. At 140W, you're charging your MacBook Pro or Windows laptop at the same rate as the included wall adapter — not trickle-charging below load. The 24,000mAh capacity clears TSA's 100Wh carry-on limit (24,000mAh at 3.7V = 88.8Wh) and fits in a carry-on bag legally. The digital display showing exact percentage removes the guesswork of LED bar indicators — useful when deciding whether to recharge before a long flight. For travel specifically, the trade-off is weight and pack space. The 737 is heavier than the PowerCore+ 26800 PD and heavier than any phone-focused power bank. Light-packers who carry only phones and tablets don't need the 737's weight premium. The $109.99 price is also the highest on this page. The justification is specifically: you carry a laptop on trips and need full-speed charging away from outlets. Best for: business travelers who carry a laptop and need guaranteed full-wattage charging for work sessions without outlet access.
“Bundled with a 60W charger, this 26800mAh PD bank juggles laptops and phones simultaneously with ease.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 10,000 mAh
- 22.5W fast charge
- 12mm slim
- PowerIQ
- USB-C in and out
- airline safe
Read Full Analysis
The Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD at $69.98 is the travel power bank that most travelers should buy: maximum TSA-compliant capacity, USB-C PD at 45W for laptop and fast phone charging, and a bundled 60W GaN wall charger that reduces what you need to pack separately. For international travel especially, having the bank's charger included means one less adapter to source or forget. 26,800mAh charges a MacBook Air twice, an iPhone 15 six times, or provides a full day of mixed device charging for a laptop and phone simultaneously. The TSA limit of 100Wh is just met at 26,800mAh — maximizing the allowable capacity in a single bank. The travel-specific limitation: 45W output is sufficient for MacBook Air but charges MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch at below-rated speed under processing load. Business travelers who carry a MacBook Pro and run demanding applications on flights should consider the 737 at $109.99 instead. For most travelers with MacBook Air, lightweight Windows laptops, iPad, or iPhone as their device lineup, this is the correct power bank for travel. Best for: travelers who want maximum TSA-legal capacity with USB-C PD and a bundled wall charger for all-in-one travel charging.
“Budget-friendly 26800mAh workhorse; slower charging but enough capacity for 5+ phone charges from a single top-up.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- MagSafe compatible
- 5000 mAh
- attaches magnetically
- 7.5W wireless
- USB-C passthrough
Read Full Analysis
The Anker PowerCore 26800 at $25.99 travels well for one specific scenario: multi-device phone charging on a budget. At $25.99, it fits in a packing cube or toiletry bag and provides enough capacity for a family's phones to make it through a full travel day. Three USB-A outputs and 26,800mAh mean three simultaneous phone charges without rationing. The Anker brand reliability means the capacity is accurately rated — important when buying a travel power bank, where a dead bank at the gate because it underdelivered its rated capacity is a real consequence. 18-month warranty provides recourse if the bank fails within its expected life. The travel limitation in 2026 is the USB-A only design. Modern phones, AirPods cases, and most new earbuds use USB-C. Packing this bank for travel means also packing USB-A to USB-C cables, adding friction. For travelers who've upgraded to USB-C only cables, the PowerCore+ 26800 PD at $69.98 eliminates that incompatibility. The PowerCore 26800's travel case is budget phone charging where USB-A compatibility still applies. Best for: budget travelers charging multiple phones with USB-A cables who don't need laptop charging or USB-C PD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a power bank on an airplane?
How many phone charges does a 20,000mAh power bank provide?
Do I need a voltage converter for my power bank internationally?
Can a power bank charge a laptop?
How long does it take to recharge a power bank?
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