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Battery packs have become extremely popular, and you probably already have one that can fit in a pocket or purse. It’s designed to charge your phone when you can’t get to an outlet during a long flight or night out.
Recently, a technology called USB-C PD (Power Delivery) has made its way onto some high-capacity battery packs, which allows them to output enough power to charge a laptop. As more computers begin to support USB-C PD charging, these power banks have become a really smart investment.
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If you’ve picked up any Apple MacBook after 2016, or just got a ASUS Zephryus 14 laptop, you can use a high-power battery pack to extend their life by several hours. If you travel often, or don’t want to hunt for an outlet when working at a library or coffee shop, the high-power battery packs in our guide can extend your laptop’s battery for several hours.
What Are the Best Battery Packs for Laptops?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best laptop battery pack for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Capacity: The amount of electricity a battery pack can hold is measured in milliamps, abbreviated to mAh. The smaller power banks you’re used to using typically have a power capacity of 5,000mAh; the minimum requirement for inclusion in this guide was 20,000mAh. That’s enough to charge a MacBook Pro’s battery by 60%
Size and weight: Larger battery packs are longer and heavier than ultra-portable ones. They’re typically around seven inches long, and weigh about a pound and a half. You’ll notice the size when you’re using one of them, but these battery packs can still fit easily in a front backpack pouch.
Ports: Although they can charge a laptop, high power battery packs still have an assortment of USB-A ports, so you can charge multiple devices (phone, tablet, and laptop) at the same time.
Maximum power output: The amount of power a USB-C PD port can put out is measured in Watts, abbreviated to W. The battery packs in this guide can output between 45W and 60W of power, which is enough to charge any USB-C compatible laptop pretty quickly. That said, if you have a larger laptop, like the 16 Inch MacBook Pro, you’ll probably want one that supports 60W, since it has a larger battery.
1. Anker 26,800
Anker’s battery packs are known for their quality and longevity, the company’s PowerCore+ 26800 continues that trend. At 7.68 inches long and 1.6 pounds, it’s both the largest and heaviest battery pack in this guide. It has one USB-C PD port with a maximum power output of 45W, and a pair of USB-A ports that tap out at 15W.
I’ve been testing this battery pack out, and it has a couple of extra features that help it stand out. First, it has a battery indicator on top, which shows how much power it’s got left. If you use this battery pack infrequently, it’s nice to be able to check whether or not it needs to be charged before you head out.
Second, Anker bundles its battery with a 60W USB-C PD charger, which you can use to top up its battery or use as a second power adapter for your laptop. If this battery runs out while you’re using it, keeping Anker’s power adapter on you provides a welcome safety net.
If you’d like a high power battery pack with a high capacity, wide array of ports, and need a fast charger, this is a good choice. Keep in mind its 45W maximum power output isn’t ideal if you have a larger laptop.
2. RAVPower 20,000mAh Battery
If portability is your main concern, RAVPower’s 20000mAh battery pack is your best bet. It’s only 6.9 inches long, and weighs just .82 pounds. Despite its size, it has a maximum power output of 60W, so it’s a good choice for any laptop that supports USB-C Charging. That maximum charging speed falls to 45W if you’re charging another device simultaneously.
This battery pack’s smaller size is great, but it does come with a couple of downsides. First, it only has two ports: One USB-C PD, one USB-A, so you can’t charge a lot of devices at the same time. Second, it only holds 20,000mAh of power, which is 25% less than the other power packs we’re recommending.
That difference will make a difference if you need to use this battery pack while traveling, since you won’t have access to an outlet for an extended period of time. Also, RAVPower doesn’t bundle this battery pack with a USB-C PD charger, so you’ll need to pick one up separately.
This power pack has four battery indicator lights on the side, so you can keep track of whether or not it needs to be charged. It also has technology that can sense which type of gadgets are plugged into it, so it won’t output too much power to smaller accessories.
RAVPower’s high power battery pack is a great choice if you need one to get through an afternoon of working from a park or your porch, but be mindful of its lower battery capacity.
3. AUKEY 26,800
AUKEY’s USB-C PD battery pack is the most technically advanced option we’re recommending. It has a battery capacity of 26800mAh, maximum power output of 60W, and two USB-C PD ports. it also has a single USB-A port, so you can charge older or smaller gadgets. This high powered battery is only 6.6 inches long and weighs 1.54 pounds, which puts it in the middle of the pack size wise.
Although this battery pack has a lot going for it, there are a couple of limitations to consider. First, it can only output 60W of power when connected to a laptop. If you plug it into another gadget with a USB-C port, like the iPad Pro, it’ll only output 45W of power. These restrictions won’t matter if you have a smaller laptop, but they’re worth noting if you want to connected two USB-C equipped gadgets to the battery at once.
Beyond that, AUKEY’s high power battery pack is a really good option. It has battery indicators (albeit only four), so you’ll know how much power it has left,, and AUKEY developed safeguards to protect your gadgets from drawing too much power and shorting out. The battery pack also has a low current charging mode for smaller accessories.
If you want a battery pack that can fast charge two devices at once (again, with a maximum power output of 45W), in a package that’s relatively small, this is the best option. Just remember you’ll need a USB-C PD power adapter to keep it charged.
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