The best laptop power banks are a must-buy for anyone who works on the move, or indeed anywhere there isn't a power socket. After all, even the best laptops for photo editing won't run on battery for effort, so this way you'll never have to worry about running out of juice when you need it the most.
Laptops need a lot more electricity than phones to charge, of course, so even the best iPhone power banks won't be powerful enough to do the job. Instead, you'll need a power bank with at least 18,000mAh capacity, as well as the right ports to connect to your specific laptop. As an added bonus, you'll be able to charge your cameras, tablets, phones,and other devices too.
Our list begins with the larger type of power banks (1-3), aka power stations, and then move on to the compact type of power bank you can carry in a pocket.
Our top picks
Best for photoshoots
Looking for a big beast of a machine, to keep multiple laptops, cameras, and other devices topped up, without ever running short of juice? Then you may prefer to invest in something serious, and we recommend the EcoFlow River Max portable power station.
Best for lengthy, off-grid projects
We know this is a pretty hefty portable charger - some might say it's not even that portable but if you're working off-grid for a long time with a large crew then this will be able to charge several large devices a few times over.
Best value power bank
Hitting the perfect sweet spot in terms of battery, versatility, and price, the Krisdonia 50,000mAh Power Pack is the best value laptop power bank overall. It comes with a massive 50,000mAh battery, which provides enough juice to power a 65W laptop about 2.5 times and a smartphone about 11-18 times.
The best laptop power banks in 2024
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Best Power Stations
Looking for a big beast of a machine, to keep multiple laptops, cameras and other devices topped up, without ever running short of juice? Then you may prefer to invest in something serious, and we recommend the EcoFlow River Max portable power station.
With a mammoth 576Wh capacity, it can be charged from a normal power socket in just over an hour and a half. Alternatively, if you're going off-grid, you can buy solar panels separately, which will charge it in just over five hours in direct sunlight. Or you can use the cigarette lighter charger found in most cars, which again takes about five hours.
At 7.7kg, it's pretty heavy, although if you need less power you can reduce the weight by removing one of the two 288Wh batteries. Outputs include one USB-A fast-charge (18W), one USB-A (5V/2.4A), one USB-C (100W), one 13.6V cigarette lighter, two AC (600W), and two DC. Don't get us wrong: this is overkill if you just want to charge a laptop, but if you're taking a ton of electrical equipment – on a photoshoot, say – it's a great choice.
Read more: EcoFlow River Max portable power station review
We know this is a pretty hefty portable charger - some might say it's not even that portable but if you're working off-grid for a long time with a large crew then the EcoFlow River Max might not cut it. However, the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X is an absolute beast and will charge several large devices a few times over.
This giant portable power station offers a massive 400,000 mAh or 1,516W hours. That's clearly enough to charge a camera battery, let alone a laptop, many times over. You get a ton of outputs, including two AC, two USB-A, one 60W PD USB-C, two 12V car outputs, two 12V power ports, and two Anderson Power Pol (APP). It can be attached to up to 50V's worth of solar panels, and there's even onboard Wi-Fi and a bespoke app to control everything with. The downside is it is very expensive and you'd need a major project to justify the cost of buying this. But if you have the budget and the needs, we think it's a great investment.
Read more: Goal Zero Yeti 1500X portable power station review
The 70mai Power Station Hiker 400 offers 378Wh, making it less powerful than the EcoFlow River Max (576Wh) or Goal Zero Yeti 1500X (1,516Wh). But it's also more manageable, making it a good choice for short day or overnight trips where you’ll be off-grid. It can recharge laptops via USB-C. It's also handy to have in the case for emergency recharges.
Note that there's also a large LED light bar on the rear that gives off a bright 300 lumens, and the choice of attaching a solar panel (sold separately).
Read more: 70mai Power Station Hiker 400 portable power station review
Best Power Banks
Want the best power bank that will fit in your pocket? We reckon that's the UGREEN 300W 48,000mAh; a robust and high-capacity portable charger designed for users seeking extensive device charging capabilities.
This power bank stands out for two main reasons. One is its impressive 48,000mAh capacity, which makes it capable of charging an iPhone 15 Pro nearly 11 times. The second is its ability to charge up to five devices at the same time, with a maximum output of 300W. That makes it particularly well-suited for camping trips, weekend hikes, or emergency power situations.
Despite its somewhat hefty weight of 1.86 kg, the power bank features a sleek design with high-quality materials, including a low-light display that provides real-time information about battery level and power input/output. Equipped with two USB-A ports and three USB-C ports, the power bank offers versatile charging options.
It's likely to last you a while too; Ugreen claims the device will retain 80% of its capacity after 3,000 charge cycles. However, our reviewer also noted a few drawbacks, such as its heavy weight, the lack of an included charging plug, and variable charging speeds depending on the cables used.
Read more: UGREEN 300W 48000mAh Power Bank review
If your primary concern is charging your PD devices as fast as possible then this power bank from UGREEN is for you. Capable of 145W power split across its USB ports, with one 100W capable USB-C, it's ready for all your devices that can be fast charged, as well as laptops that need lots of juice, and it's also future-proofed for those devices that haven't come along yet. With enough capacity to charge your phone several times over, or run your camera and accessories off while on long shoots away from a constant power supply.
However it isn't the only 25,000mAh capacity power bank on the market, so if you don't need its fast charging powers then you can get cheaper and lighter options elsewhere (or from UGREEN themselves), and the complex and varying power outputs might just be enough to put a lot of people off.
Read more: UGREEN 145W Power Bank review
You don't really need to have an informative screen on your power bank, but the Anker Prime power bank has the easiest power percentage and countdown timer for charging/discharging the battery I have used yet. And knowing exactly how fast my laptop is charging is both just plain interesting to know, but I can also plan ahead to give make sure I have enough juice left throughout the day.
The Anker Prime power isn’t just about a screen though, it also has a solid 20,000mAh of battery which I managed to get a few days' worth of keeping my phone and laptop going with short bursts of recharging, or one big recharge of my MacBook Pro 13. The big 200W maximum output, with a 100W single port output, also allowed me to use my laptop at full power. The power bank is a little boxy for slipping into pockets, but it looks great.
Read more: Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank (200W) review
FAQs
Will one of the best portable chargers work for a laptop?
Sadly not, you will need a power bank with a much higher capacity than most power banks used to charge camera phones or other small appliances. It's recommended that you invest in a power bank with a 20,000 mAh or larger especially if you want to charge it multiple times.
How do I connect my laptop to the powerbank?
How you connect your laptop to your power bank will depend on the time of charging cable your laptop needs. While most modern laptops such as the Apple Macbook Pro 14 M2 will have a USB C input, some older models might still use round AC adapters or a standard USB A input. You will be able to get the correct cable from Amazon.
