Best Power Bank UK 2026: MagSafe, 20,000mAh and Laptop Picks, and the Real Number of Charges
The best power bank for most people is a 10,000mAh model with 20W to 30W USB-C, such as the Anker Nano 10K with its built-in cable. It gives a typical phone about two full charges, fits a jacket pocket and is allowed on any UK flight. Go up to 20,000mAh only if you charge two devices or travel for days, and only buy a 100W-plus model if you need to charge a laptop.
Pick by what you need:
- Everyday phone top-upsAnker Nano 10K, 30W. Why
- Smallest possibleAnker Nano 5000. Details
- Cheapest good oneUgreen 10,000mAh 20W. Details
- Two devices, long tripsUgreen Nexode 20,000mAh 30W. Details
- iPhone, no cableBelkin BoostCharge Pro 10K Qi2. Details
- Laptop and phoneUgreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W. Details
Specifications come from each maker’s own pages, checked against the exact model codes we sell. We did not lab-test these power banks. Where we quote measured results, they come from Trusted Reviews, and flight rules from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
- Best power bank in the UK for most people
- What mAh power bank do you need? 10,000 vs 20,000mAh
- How many charges does a power bank really give?
- Best small portable power bank for a pocket
- Best budget power bank
- Best 20,000mAh power bank
- Best MagSafe and wireless power bank for iPhone: Qi2 explained
- Best power bank for Samsung phones
- Best power bank for laptops and phones
- Which power banks can you take on a plane?
- Anker or Belkin: which power bank brand is better?
- Quick answers
The eight power banks on this pageEvery pick in this guide. Each product page shows the current price.
Anker Nano 5000mAh Power Bank USB-C 22.5W For iPhone
In stock
Anker Nano Power Bank 10000 mAh Black
In stock
Belkin UltraCharge Pro 27000 mAh Power Bank 140W USB Power Delivery with Built-in Display – Grey
In stock
Samsung EB-P3400XUE 10000 mAh Li-Ion 25W USB-C Power Bank with Super Fast Charging – Beige
In stock
Ugreen 20000mAh Power Bank 130W USB-C Fast Charging for Laptop/Smartphone Grey
In stock
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K Magnetic Power Bank, Qi2 15W, Kickstand, Black
In stock
Ugreen Power Bank 10000 mAh 20W USB-C PD Quick Charge Black
In stock
Best power bank in the UK for most people
The best power bank for most people is the Anker Nano Power Bank 10K with a built-in USB-C cable. It charges a phone at up to 30W, recharges itself at 30W, and the attached cable means you never leave the lead at home.
Anker lists it at 215g and 104 x 52.3 x 26mm. You get the built-in USB-C cable, a second USB-C port and a USB-A port, so it can charge three things at once. A small colour screen shows the exact battery percentage and the time left.
Trusted Reviews measured one. It stored 36.28Wh and delivered 27.9Wh to devices, an efficiency of 76.9%. It refilled from empty in 91 minutes. The real top speed it saw was about 24W rather than the 30W on the box, which still fast charges any iPhone. The reviewer’s one warning: do not carry it by the cable, even though it looks like a handle.
All eight picks on this page, side by side:
| Pick | Capacity | Fastest output | Weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker Nano 10K, 30W | 10,000mAh | 30W USB-C | 215g | Most people |
| Anker Nano 5000 | 5,000mAh | 22.5W USB-C plug | 100g | Pockets |
| Ugreen 10,000mAh 20W | 10,000mAh | 20W USB-C | 217g | Budget |
| Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 30W | 20,000mAh | 30W USB-C (x2) | 447g | Long trips |
| Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K Qi2 | 10,000mAh | 15W wireless, 20W USB-C | Not stated | iPhone, no cable |
| Samsung 10,000mAh 25W | 10,000mAh | 25W Super Fast | Not stated | Galaxy phones |
| Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W | 20,000mAh (72Wh) | 100W USB-C | About 480g | Laptops |
| Belkin UltraCharge Pro 27K | 27,000mAh | 140W USB-C | Not stated | Most capacity you can fly with |
“Not stated” means the maker’s spec sheet we checked does not give a weight, so we have not guessed one.
What mAh power bank do you need? 10,000 vs 20,000mAh
For one phone and a normal day, 10,000mAh is enough: about two full charges. Buy 20,000mAh if you charge a phone and a tablet, or go away for a weekend without a plug. Anything bigger is for laptops.
- 5,000mAh: one full charge. Small enough for a pocket, and a good emergency backup.
- 10,000mAh: about two charges. The best balance of weight and capacity, and the size most people should buy.
- 20,000mAh: about four charges, at roughly twice the weight. A 20,000mAh power bank lasts a long weekend, or a day of charging two devices.
- 25,000mAh and up: enough to charge a laptop at least once. Heavy, and close to the 100Wh flight limit.
Should you buy a 10,000mAh or a 20,000mAh power bank? If you mostly need it in the evening on a busy day, buy 10,000mAh. The 20,000mAh model is more than twice the weight of our 10,000mAh pick, and you will feel that in a bag every day.
How many charges does a power bank really give?
Expect about 75 to 80% of the number printed on the box to reach your phone. The rest is lost as heat when the power bank converts its battery voltage to USB. That is why a 10,000mAh power bank gives about two full charges of a 4,000mAh phone, not two and a half.
Two independent figures agree. Anker’s own guide uses exactly that example: a 10,000mAh power bank with a 4,000mAh phone battery gives “around two full charges in real use rather than the theoretical 2.5”. Trusted Reviews measured 76.9% efficiency on our top pick.
The mAh number itself is also a little misleading. It is measured at the battery cell’s own voltage, around 3.6V, while your phone charges at 5V or more. Watt-hours (Wh) are the fairer way to compare, and they are what airlines use:
| Power bank size | Energy stored (about) | Full charges of a typical phone | Allowed on a UK flight? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000mAh | 18Wh | About 1 | Yes |
| 10,000mAh | 36Wh | About 2 | Yes |
| 20,000mAh | 72Wh | About 4 | Yes |
| 27,000mAh | 97Wh | About 5 | Yes, just under 100Wh |
| Over 27,800mAh | Over 100Wh | 6 or more | Only with airline approval, up to 160Wh |
Phone battery sizes vary, so treat these as a guide. A Pro Max-size phone gets a little less, a small phone a little more. Ugreen says its 20,000mAh laptop model charges an iPhone 15 about four times, which fits the same maths.
Best small portable power bank for a pocket
The Anker Nano Power Bank 5000 weighs 100g and has a fold-out USB-C plug, so it clips straight onto your phone with no cable at all. It gives about one full charge.
Anker lists it at 77 x 37 x 25mm, with up to 22.5W from the USB-C connector. It suits iPhone 15 and later and any USB-C Android phone. Anker notes the connector will not reach through cases thicker than 4.9mm, such as an OtterBox Defender. It also comes in blue and white.
It is the one to keep in a coat pocket for the day your battery dies at 6pm. It will not get you through a weekend.
Best budget power bank
The Ugreen 10,000mAh 20W power bank is the cheapest power bank we would recommend. You get the same 10,000mAh capacity as our top pick, 20W USB-C fast charging and a digital battery display.
Ugreen lists it at 217g and 131.8 x 66 x 16.5mm, thinner than the Anker but longer. It has a 20W USB-C port and a 22.5W USB-A port, and it refills in about three hours with a 20W charger.
What you give up against the Anker: no built-in cable, slower recharging and slower output. For overnight top-ups and occasional use, you will not notice.
Best 20,000mAh power bank
The Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 30W has two 30W USB-C ports and a 22.5W USB-A port, so it can fast charge a phone and a tablet at the same time.
Ugreen lists it at 447g and 15 x 7 x 3cm, with a digital display showing the exact charge left. It refills in about four hours from a 30W charger. A 20,000mAh power bank holds about 72Wh, well inside the limit for flights.
Who it suits: weekends away, festivals, families charging two phones, and anyone with a tablet. If you only charge one phone, the 10,000mAh picks are half the weight.
Best MagSafe and wireless power bank for iPhone: Qi2 explained
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K with Qi2 snaps onto the back of an iPhone and charges it wirelessly at up to 15W. A fold-out kickstand holds the phone up for videos while it charges.
What Qi2 means. Qi2 is the open wireless charging standard built on Apple’s MagSafe magnets. A Qi2 power bank lines up on the back of an iPhone 12 or later the same way MagSafe does, and charges at up to 15W. Apple stopped selling its own MagSafe Battery Pack in September 2023, so Qi2 models from Belkin, Anker and others are what you buy now.
Belkin’s spec sheet for this model lists:
- 15W Qi2 wireless charging for iPhone, plus two USB-C ports at up to 20W.
- Three devices at once: the phone on the back and two by cable, at lower shared speeds.
- 107 x 68 x 17.7mm, a 1m USB-C cable in the box and a two-year warranty.
The trade-off with any wireless power bank: charging through the back is slower and usually wastes more energy than a cable, so you get fewer full charges from the same capacity. If you mainly want speed, a cable from the Anker Nano is better. If you want to keep using the phone while it charges, magnetic wins. Belkin also lists some Samsung Galaxy phones as compatible.
Best power bank for Samsung phones
Samsung’s own 10,000mAh Battery Pack with 25W Super Fast Charging is the one that reaches the full 25W speed on Galaxy phones.
Galaxy phones reach their top speed with Samsung’s Super Fast Charging, which uses the PPS part of the USB-C Power Delivery standard. Samsung’s pack supports both. Samsung lists it at 70 x 148 x 15.6mm, with two USB-C ports. The 25W speed works with one device; with two plugged in, each gets 9W. One USB-C cable comes in the box.
Some other picks, such as the Ugreen 130W, also list PPS support, so they will charge a Galaxy quickly too. Samsung’s is simply the safest choice if you want the full advertised speed.
Best power bank for laptops and phones
The Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W charges a laptop at up to 100W from one USB-C port, and a phone from the others at the same time. For the most capacity you can still take on a plane, the Belkin UltraCharge Pro 27K goes up to 140W.
Most laptops that charge over USB-C need 45W to 100W. A power bank below that may still charge them, but slowly, and may not keep up while you work. Check your laptop charger’s watts and buy a power bank that matches it.
- Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W: 72Wh, 100W from the main USB-C port, 130W shared across two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, and a colour display with live watts. It refills at 65W. Ugreen says it charges a 13-inch MacBook Air about 1.3 times.
- Belkin UltraCharge Pro 27K: 140W from one port and 240W shared across three, with a built-in 140W USB-C cable and a display. At 27,000mAh it holds about 97Wh, just under the 100Wh flight limit, and Belkin calls it carry-on compliant.
A power bank is not a laptop battery replacement. One full laptop charge is about what you get from either of these. For gaming laptops that need 200W or more, a power bank will only slow the drain. Our work laptop guide covers laptops that last a full day on their own battery.
Which power banks can you take on a plane?
Every power bank on this page is under 100Wh, so UK rules let you take it in your hand luggage without asking the airline. Never put a power bank in checked baggage.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s current rules for passengers:
- Power banks go in carry-on baggage only.
- A maximum of two power banks per person.
- Up to 100Wh: allowed without approval. Over 100Wh and up to 160Wh: you need the airline’s approval.
- Do not recharge the power bank on board, and you should not use it to charge other devices during the flight.
- Keep each one protected from short circuits, for example in its own pouch.
Airlines can add their own rules on top, and several now ban using power banks in the cabin. Our full guide to taking a power bank on a plane covers each UK airline.
Anker or Belkin: which power bank brand is better?
Both are safe choices. Anker usually gives you more speed and features for the money, and Belkin is strongest in magnetic and laptop models. Ugreen offers similar specs across its range. Buy the model that fits your use, not the badge.
What matters more than the brand:
- Watts on the USB-C port. 20W fast charges an iPhone. 25W to 45W suits most Android phones and tablets. 65W and up is for laptops.
- Recharge speed. A power bank that refills at 30W or more is ready again in an hour or two. One that refills at 10W takes all night.
- A known maker. A power bank is a big lithium battery. Buy from a brand that publishes full specs and safety certification, not a no-name pack with an unbelievable capacity claim.
Other strong brands we do not cover here include Xiaomi and Baseus. If you want to see every power bank we sell, browse our power bank range.
Quick answers
For most people, a 10,000mAh power bank with 20W to 30W USB-C. Our pick is the Anker Nano Power Bank 10K with a built-in USB-C cable: about two full phone charges, 30W charging and recharging, and small enough for a pocket.
10,000mAh for one phone, which gives about two full charges. 20,000mAh if you charge two devices or travel for days. 5,000mAh if you only want an emergency top-up in a pocket.
Buy 10,000mAh if you charge one phone and want something light. Buy 20,000mAh if you charge a phone and a tablet, or go away without a plug. A 20,000mAh model is usually about twice the weight.
About four full charges of a typical phone, because roughly 75 to 80% of the stored energy reaches the phone. In days, that is a long weekend of normal phone use.
Both are reliable. Anker often gives more speed and extras such as built-in cables and screens for the price, while Belkin is strong on magnetic Qi2 and laptop power banks. Choose by the features you need.
One with at least 65W, ideally 100W, on a USB-C port, plus a second port for the phone. The Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W gives 100W to a laptop and charges a phone at the same time.
If you want to keep using your iPhone while it charges, yes. Qi2 magnetic power banks such as the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K charge at up to 15W without a cable. They are slower and less efficient than charging by cable, so you get fewer full charges.
Yes, in hand luggage only, up to two per person. Power banks up to 100Wh need no approval, and those up to 160Wh need the airline’s approval. Never pack one in checked baggage, and do not recharge it on board.
Laptop-class power banks with 100W or more cost several times as much as a basic 10,000mAh pack from a known brand. Check the current price on each product page above, since prices change often.
The mAh figure is measured at the battery cell’s voltage, and some energy is lost as heat when it converts to USB. Trusted Reviews measured 76.9% efficiency on the Anker Nano 10K, which is normal. Wireless charging loses more.
How we know
We are a UK technology retailer, and we sell every power bank recommended on this page. That is why we checked each one against the maker’s own specifications, using the exact model codes we stock, rather than our product listings.
We did not lab-test these power banks. Measured efficiency and recharge times come from Trusted Reviews’ test of the Anker Nano 10K. Capacities, outputs, sizes and weights come from Anker, Ugreen, Belkin and Samsung. Where a maker does not publish a weight, we say so. Charge estimates use Anker’s published example and a 3.6V cell voltage, and are a guide, not a promise. Flight rules come from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, read on 9 October 2026.
Sources
- Anker UK, Nano Power Bank 10,000mAh 30W built-in cable (A1259) and Anker Nano Power Bank 5000 (A1653).
- Trusted Reviews, Anker Nano Power Bank 30W review: measured capacity, efficiency and recharge time.
- Anker UK, How does a power bank work?: conversion losses and the 10,000mAh example.
- Ugreen 10,000mAh (25742), Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 30W (55989) and Ugreen Nexode 20,000mAh 130W, with the 35524 spec page.
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro Qi2 power banks (BPD006, BPD007, BPD008) FAQ.
- Belkin UK, UltraCharge Pro Laptop Power Bank 27K and its FAQ.
- Samsung UK, Battery Pack 10,000mAh 25W.
- UK Civil Aviation Authority, changes to rules on lithium batteries and power banks.
- Anker, Did Apple discontinue the MagSafe Battery Pack?
Images: the featured image combines Anker and Belkin product photos of three of our picks: the Anker Nano 10K, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K Qi2 on an iPhone, and the Belkin UltraCharge Pro 27K. “Green Cell PowerPlay 20” by Jacek Halicki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped to 16:9 by us.
