The best small power bank for travel

For most trips, the best small power bank is a slim 10,000mAh one, like the Anker 313. It charges an iPhone 15 about twice, Anker says. It fits a coat pocket, and it is allowed in your carry on bag.

Find Me a Trip earns a small commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Why your phone needs one on a trip now

More events now sell timed tickets that live only on your phone. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze says it plainly: advance tickets only, none sold on site.

That makes your phone the ticket. If the battery dies in the line, you are the one standing outside.

Cold makes it worse. Apple says iPhones are built for 32 to 95°F, and very cold weather can shorten battery life or turn the phone off. Samsung says the same about its Galaxy phones.

The one we would pack: Anker 313, 10,000mAh

See the Anker 313 on Amazon

Amazon lists it as the Anker Power Bank, 10,000mAh, PowerIQ. It is the same model, number A1229.

• About two full charges for an iPhone 15, Anker says. Enough for a long day and a night out.
• About half a pound, and roughly 6 by 3 inches. It slides into a coat pocket or a medium purse.
• The cable you already own will fit. It has both common port shapes, the older wide one and the

newer small one.

• Not for: anyone who wants the smallest thing possible for an evening bag. That is the next pick.

For a small purse: Anker Nano, 5,000mAh

See the Anker Nano on Amazon

• About 3 inches long and 3.5 ounces. Lipstick sized.
• It plugs straight into the phone, no cable. The plug folds away when you are done.
• Half the capacity of the Anker 313, so think of it as a top up, not a second full day.
• Not for: an iPhone 14 or older. Its plug fits the iPhone 15 and newer and most Android phones,

not the older iPhone plug.

For a long trip or two phones: Anker 20,000mAh with a cable attached

See it on Amazon

• Twice the capacity of the Anker 313, with its own cable attached, so there is nothing to forget.
• It can charge up to three things at once, Anker says, which helps when two of you share it.
• The attached cable fits the iPhone 15 and newer and most Android phones. An older iPhone can use

one of its other ports with its own cable.

• Not for: a small purse. At almost a pound, it lives in a tote, not a pocket.

How we chose

We compared three sizes from one brand, Anker: 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000mAh. We chose Anker because it has made these for years, and its capacity and port details matched on its own site and on Amazon.

We have not run a lab test. We compared what matters on a trip: how much charge, how heavy it is, what plugs into your phone, and where it fits.

Make any power bank work better in the cold

• Keep the phone and the power bank in an inside pocket, close to your body. Apple says a phone

that gets too cold might not charge at all.

• Charge before you get in line, not when the phone says 1 percent.
• Print the ticket if the event lets you. Then you may not need a power bank at all.

Flying with a power bank

Power banks go in your carry on bag, never in a checked bag. The TSA allows them in carry on bags only. The FAA limits each one to 100 watt hours unless the airline approves a larger one.

All three picks are well under that limit. A 10,000mAh bank is about 37 watt hours. If your bag gets checked at the door of the plane, take the power bank out first and keep it with you.

Every decision, already made for you

Where to stay, where to eat, what to do, and a ready made 48 hour plan for every town. Pick one, send it to the group, go.

See the handbookOne time payment. Love it or full refund.

Frequently asked questions