Best early Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks

Quality can differ greatly among power banks, so it’s best to stick to recognizable brands like Anker, Mophie, Belkin, and the like. That said, there are a few things you should always look for when shopping for a power bank.

First, make sure the battery pack is Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, or PD certified. Next, don’t put too much confidence in a company’s claims that it can charge certain devices in a specific amount of time, such as the pack can charge an iPhone 15 in two hours. Focus more on the battery capacity, along with weight and size. Larger capacities in the 20,000 mAh or higher range should be enough for most small devices such as tablets or smartphones. Finally, make sure that the power bank comes with all of the correct connectivity options you need—USB-A or USB-C, etc.

For a portable power bank that you can easily travel with, you should look for a minimum of 10,000 mAh. Most models these days even offer 20,000 mAh for reasonable prices. The more mAh, the better. Just be sure to weigh your capacity needs against the physical size of the power bank.

Generally, the more mAh a power bank has, the larger its physical size and the heavier it is, as well. Therefore, we recommend when looking at a power bank, you first consider the amount of power you need to charge your devices, and then adjust your expectations according to the size and weight you are willing to carry around with you.

The mAh (milliampere per hour) capacity rating refers to the available storage capacity for a battery. A higher number means that the battery can store more energy and has a longer battery life when charging a device. So for example, an iPhone 13 Pro Max’s battery is rated at 4,352 mAh. This means that a power bank with 10,000 mAh can fully recharge that phone a little over twice before running out of power.

Yes, it’s likely that any tariffs on foreign imported power bank products or their component are going to lead to an increase in prices for the consumer. Many of the most common portable charger and power bank brands are located in, or are produced in China and other various Asian countries facing heavy tariffs. Since companies typically don’t want, or can’t afford, to eat these increased costs they usually shift the burden to consumers.

At this point it’s still hard to tell how much prices will increase; just because a 20% tariff is imposed on a country’s goods doesn’t mean power banks and chargers will become that much more expensive. Every company will adjust prices differently and products with individual battery components—included in power banks—will vary due to the tariff effects on each component.

The prospect of tariff-induce price increases may seem daunting, but I believe the timing on this Prime Day may actually make for a great time to buy a new portable charger or power bank so long as you time it right. Currently, tariffs have been paused until July 9 with many countries scrambling to make deals exempting technology products. This means that you might have a small window to get in and snag a good deal on a power bank during Prime Day before any additional tariffs take effect.