Having the best laptop power bank or battery charger in your portable arsenal is a good idea, especially if you do a lot of traveling or like to squeeze in some more work while commuting to and from the office. These days, you shouldn’t go anywhere without one.
While the battery lives of many of the best laptops are now longer than ever, longevity still depends on how demanding the tasks they handle are. And, it’s not like you can find an outlet anywhere – even big-name coffee shops like Starbucks are making outlets inaccessible to patrons.
The good news is that many laptops today are designed with USB-C charging available. So, just like regular power banks for smartphone-dependent teenagers, laptop battery chargers have fast become an integral part of any professional’s setup, specifically those who work remotely or enjoy working at a cafe. And, just like regular power banks, they come with various port options – some even come with an AC outlet for those whose laptops do not offer USB-C charging.
Getting a portable laptop battery charger or power bank isn’t as straightforward. You should check to see what laptops the chargers support, as some laptops still come with proprietary chargers, and ensure that it has the right connector to plug your laptop in. You'll need to consider how much power they supply, as particularly power-hungry laptops, such as gaming laptops, may not work with them. Finally, check how large their internal batteries are, as this will dictate how many times the charger can charge a laptop, and their overall size, as you don't want to lug around a large and heavy charger.
As complicated as that sounds, you will find that the ideal laptop charger or power bank is worth all the effort. Besides, we’ve gathered the best portable laptop chargers 2023 offers to save you time and hassle. Take a look at our top picks below.
- You might also want to peruse our list of best business laptops
- Need to recharge your phone? Try our best power banks
Best portable laptop battery chargers and power banks 2023
Best portable laptop battery chargers and power banks in full
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
The Baseus Blade is an impressive portable charger that is merely 0.7 inches thick and around 1.08lb. It has a smart digital display that gives important readout information, including the power percentage left on the battery, voltage, and current display. This portable battery has two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports. The USB-C ports can be used to either charge the portable battery or output to another device.
This portable charger is fantastic. It's slim, lightweight, and powerful enough to charge multiple devices with its 20,000mAh battery. Not only that, but it charges these devices quickly. The Baseus Blade is fantastic for work trips to the coffee shop, a plane, or anywhere you may need to charge your beloved electronics but are unsure if you'll be able to find an outlet or don't want to risk an outlet.
The Einova Ultra Fast Powerbank keeps things simple, compact, and reliable, which is all you want from a laptop power bank you want to travel with. At 6.75 x 4 x 0.63 inches and 0.498kg, it's thin and relatively lightweight. Combine that with its 74Wh power, and you've got a device that keeps things portable for jet-setting creatives and remote working professionals and is TSA-approved. It even has an easy-to-read LCD display to show just how much juice it has left.
More importantly, unlike other so-called laptop chargers that sometimes fail to work, this one's incredibly reliable and capable of charging your laptop every time. And that's while charging your other portables with its 3-port selection. It may only have the standard 20,000mAh capacity, but that's a full laptop charge and a half, definitely more than enough to last you while you're in between outlets. Best yet, it's under $100, cheaper than most of the offerings on this list.
Laptop power banks are a tricky thing. Most are only compatible with specific portables, depending on the available output port and the energy transfer rate. Luckily, you’ve got the MaxOak K2 Portable Charger. With a maximum power of 130W and two DC outputs – not to mention a variety of DC adapters included – this power bank is compatible with many laptops. That makes it useful for households with multiple types of laptops and devices. Unfortunately, this isn’t TSA-approved, due to its 185Wh, over the 100Wh TSA standard. However, it’s great for road trips, camping, and train rides.
With just 70wh, the OmniCharge 20+ 20000mah is TSA-approved, making it an excellent companion for work trips abroad and if you have long layovers. It’s compatible with 60W USB-C laptops like the MacBook Pro 13-inch and Dell XPS 2-in-1, but its 100W AC outlet is great for other laptops and other tech gadgets like DSLRs. Finally, it features passthrough charging, so you can charge it while simultaneously powering devices via the AC or USB-A ports. It is a bit more expensive than the MaxOak Laptop Power Bank. However, its versatility does make it worth the higher price tag.
The HALO Bolt 58830 isn’t just a portable laptop charger, but it is effective thanks to its AC outlet. This portable charger is also designed to jumpstart a car and is great for laptops that draw up to 60W of power. It has its own jump start port and comes with its own jumper cables. And, unlike other portable laptop chargers, which only come in one or two colors, this one comes in seven different colors/design patterns, making it ideal for folks who don’t care for the minimalist approach. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a USB-C port, and the AC outlet should take care of most of your laptop charging needs.
For MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users that only require up to 30W of power and utilize USB-C charging, the ZMI USB PD Backup Battery & Hub is a terrific option. It doesn’t have an AC outlet, but its USB-C port lets you charge your older MacBook units. ZMI also promises HP Spectre x360 13-inch and Samsung Chromebook Pro compatibility. Thanks to its two USB-A ports, you can also charge your other devices. More importantly for travelers and digital nomads, it boasts a svelte and lightweight design – at 405 g, it’s a lot lighter than the iPad Air.
The POWERADD Pilot Pro might be as versatile as laptop chargers come. It comes equipped with an LCD display showing important information like battery level and voltage. It also has two USB outputs and a DC output to accommodate various devices, from smartphones and tablets to power-hungry laptops. The charger also comes with 10 different connectors making it compatible with most laptops. It also has fast charging and built-in safety features like over-charge, over-temp, and short-circuit protection.
For anyone who’s bought into the Apple ecosystem or has multiple Apple devices, the MAXOAK K3 36000mAh Power Bank is the perfect portable solution. Via its DC port and Magsafe 1 and 2 cables, this laptop charger can power up any Apple laptop from 2006 to 2018. And its PD 2.0 Type C port covers any of the newer USB-C-only MacBooks and can charge any laptop equipped with a USB-C port. The type-C port can also be used to charge the power bank if you happen to misplace the MAXOAK charger. If that’s not enough, it fits aesthetically with its silver aluminum shell and rounded edges.
This incredibly high-capacity laptop power bank might have too much power to take on a flight. However, it’s ideal for long road trips. It’s also incredibly versatile, with 28 different laptop connectors and a Magsafe 2 adapter to accommodate just about any laptop under the sun. The laptop charger also has a passthrough function that can be easily turned on and off and a LED display that shows the voltage and current battery level. Unfortunately, even though it is the highest capacity charger on this list at 50,000mAh, it can fully charge in 6-8 hours – charging overnight is obligatory.
The Voltaic Systems V88 Portable Laptop Power Bank has all the necessary features that any great laptop power bank should have, including four outputs, passthrough functionality, and an easy-to-read LCD display for monitoring the battery level and voltage. It’s fairly versatile, including 10 laptop adapters that should cover most users’ needs. At 88Wh, it’s also airplane-friendly. The Voltaic power bank is unique, though, because it’s solar-optimized. This means it works with solar chargers and solar panels when traditional power sources are unavailable. While those have to be purchased separately, this feature makes the Voltaic Systems V88 particularly useful for those going off-grid.