Power Banks & Portable Chargers That Keep Up
A power bank is the sort of thing you ignore until your phone dies at 4pm, and then it is the most important object you own. The good news is this is a competitive, cheap category where £17 buys something genuinely useful. Two questions sort out most people. How much charge do you want (a 10000mAh pack tops up a phone once or twice; a 27000mAh brick does a weekend or a whole family day out), and how fast (look for 20W or higher, and USB-C, if you hate waiting). INIU and Charmast keep showing up here, and the built-in-cable models save you the eternal hunt for a spare lead.
Common questions
What size power bank should I get?
For daily top-ups, a 10000mAh pack is small, light and enough for a full recharge or two. For travel, festivals or charging a couple of phones, step up to 20000mAh or more. Bigger is not automatically better, since capacity means weight.
Can I take a power bank on a plane?
In hand luggage, yes, and most of these sit under the usual 100Wh airline limit. Never pack one in checked baggage. Rules vary by airline, so a quick check before you fly is worth it.