I don't leave the house without this portable charger, and you shouldn't either

CNN

2 days ago

I can't remember the last time I worried about my phone's battery life. No matter if I'm on a trip, cheering at a live event or just enjoying a night out on the town, I've always got enough juice to keep scrolling. I don't constantly micromanage my charge before I leave the house, either: I just pack the Anker Nano Power Bank. This portable charger basically lives in my fanny pack, and it's small enough to fit in my pocket or a bag if the evening calls for different attire.
Look at the Anker Nano and you'll begin to understand its allure pretty quickly. Its built-in USB-C cable makes recharging your phone easy and convenient. On top of that, its 10000mAh capacity means I don't have to recharge it often and that it's got more than enough juice for me and a friend on a night out. Plus, it has additional USB-C and USB-A ports, so I can refuel my noise-canceling headphones and Apple Watch at the same time if I need to.
Anker Nano Power Bank
An ingenious looped USB-C cord design and enough juice to recharge multiple phones makes this portable charger an essential for everyone on the go. Those looking to charge the iPhone 14 or older should get the version with a Lightning cable. I've lost count of the number of times my colleague and senior tech editor Mike Andronico has asked if he could borrow my Anker Nano because his phone was running low on juice. It's not that he's bad at recharging his phone; he just knows I keep this portable charger on me. I'm not the only one either, as our senior deals editor Rikka Altland also praises and rocks this pocketable power bank in her daily carry. If someone didn't know better, they'd think this small, colorful plastic rectangle were vital to my life the way I clutch it so covetously. Let me tell you why I'm so addicted to Anker's take on portable power.
With over a decade of experience writing product reviews, I've tested a lot of laptops, tablets and other gadgets that didn't exactly wow me. Companies love to claim that new technologies such as 5G cellular connections and generative AI will change our lives, but the former feels forgettable and the latter continues to fail to impress. Instead, I've noticed that the most important new products tend to be the little gadgets that make things easier to do, thanks to one little tweak that feels obvious in retrospect. That's what happened with the Anker Nano Power Bank, which I've relied on for over a year and a half.
The Anker Nano Power Bank doesn't get my vote just because it's kept me in the green for months and months. It recently thrived in competition as I tested it against 10 other popular power banks while revamping our best portable chargers guide. Not only did I measure charging speeds but it also won points for its ease of use and ports.
This is not to say that the Anker Nano Power Bank is a piece of rechargeable perfection, as it didn't win every single category. But no other charger under $50 proved as convenient to use, and it also provided some of the fastest phone charging times in the field.
A great design that puts the rest to shame
Most portable chargers are essentially the same rectangular power supply we've all kept in a pocket or purse. As much as we're happy for the juice they provide, we're not exactly thrilled to use them, especially when they often require you to pack a charging cable and are useless without one. Not to mention the awkward aesthetic of a cable snaking out of a back pocket and into a phone — 'tourist chic,' as I call it.
Then there are the slightly better portable chargers that have one or more cables that snap to the charger's sides. Unfortunately, many of these juice boxes are a bit too bulky and pricey, without offering a substantial difference, and I'd only recommend them to the folks who value the convenience of charging via both Apple's Lightning port and the USB-C port at the same time. (Speaking of Apple's port, if you use an iPhone 14 or earlier, you would need get the compatible Anker Nano Power Bank with a Lightning cable.)
The Anker Nano Power Bank gives you everything you need and nothing that you don't, though. That starts with its built-in USB-C charging cable, which helps it refuel everything from most Android phones and modern iPhones to tablets, PS5 controllers, many wireless headphones (including my beloved Sony WH-1000XM6) and more. Oh, and unlike most chargers, the Anker Nano comes in five colors: black, white, purple, blue and green. I've seen both the blue and green models in person and appreciate both their hues, not to mention the option to match your tech to your wardrobe.
The Anker Nano Power Bank's cable isn't just built-in either; it's designed so you can charge your phone while you use it on the go. It's all thanks to a convenient little metal bar that makes it so the USB-C cable is always sticking out, like a loop. I simply slide one or more of my fingers into that loop, and the tip of the charging cable extends upward to plug into my phone.
And that's how I'm holding my phone while it's charging, so I can make immediate use of this replenishing power by checking emails, sending texts and reading the news. This leaves my other hand free to use an umbrella, drink a beverage or any number of other things. You shouldn't have to expend too much effort when you're charging your phone, and the Anker Nano Power Bank's proven that to me.
Long after I found and became fond of the Anker Nano Power Bank, I was given the assignment of revising CNN Underscored's best portable chargers guide. This meant I tested 11 of the most popular and beloved portable chargers on the market, seeing how fast they refuel an iPhone 16 and a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, among other devices.
The Anker Nano Power Bank's 30W charging power enabled strong performance when refueling an iPhone 16, adding more than 50% of a charge in 30 minutes (only one percentage point off the high score for this category). For those curious, the Mophie Powerstation Plus 10K won that round, but it costs twice as much. And while the environmentally conscious Nimble Champ also offers high-speed charging, it costs $20 more and has no built-in cables.
The Nano also posted a stellar score on the S25 Ultra charging test, with nearly half of its battery refueled in the half hour, beating about half of the chargers in our testing pool. But if charging speed is your number-one concern, you may want the 10,000mAh Iniu portable charger, which also packs a built-in USB-C cable. Its iPhone 16 charging score was fantastic (and it did even better on the S25 Ultra), but its cable isn't as conveniently designed, and it failed to recharge the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+.
Everyone shopping for a portable charger wants two things above all else: ease of use and charging power. Anker's chargers, as a whole, do a great job of balancing both and always offer solid build quality with materials that feel durable and reliable; this isn't unique to just the power bank I'm recommending here.
Anker also sells a smaller 22.5W Nano Power Bank that swaps the built-in cable for a foldable USB-C connector that folds in and out of its top. This portable charger is pretty good, but it might not be right for you if you don't like the idea of having a 'taller' phone. Plugging it into the port at the bottom of your phone basically extends your device's height.
If you're looking to refuel laptops and tablets, I need to tell you about one of the more exciting products that came from the CES 2025 Anker launch: The new 165W Anker Laptop Power Bank will refuel your tech quickly, and it's got two built-in USB-C cables. One doubles as a wrist strap, and the other is a 2.5-foot retractable cord that hides inside its frame. There's nothing bad about this charger, but its dimensions are a bit too big to easily fit in any pocket or bag on the average night out. That said, if your night out typically involves camping and checking out the stars, consider the mighty Anker Solix C300 DC.
In the end, though, I say go for the 30W Anker Nano Power Bank. It's much more portable than the Laptop Power Bank, and it charges faster than its smaller counterpart. Plus, you get a 10,000mAh battery that's twice the capacity of what you get in its baby brother (while still being a TSA-approved power bank). This is probably a great time to tell folks that certain airline power bank rules have changed recently, so you might want to double-check before your next flight. All three of these portable chargers could be your own all-star, but I'm pretty sure the 30W Anker Nano Power Bank I pack is the best for most people.
For anyone like me who is constantly on their phone, the Anker Nano Power Bank will be one of those purchases you'll never regret. You'll also probably wonder how you ever lived without it. Not only does it keep my phone from hitting low battery but it's easy to use while I'm tapping out a text or email, scrolling the web or watching yet another video. You'll never have to even think about learning how to ask for a charger in another language on your next vacation, and you'll be able to focus on everything else during your next night out.
How fast can the Anker Nano Power Bank charge a device?
How fast can the Anker Nano Power Bank charge a device?
That depends on your device, but it refueled 56% of an iPhone 16 in 30 minutes and 45% of a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in the same amount of time.
Are there any devices the Anker Nano Power Bank isn't compatible with?
Are there any devices the Anker Nano Power Bank isn't compatible with?
Because the standard Anker Nano Power Bank has its own USB-A and USB-C ports, it can charge nearly all your devices. If your devices use a Lightning port, there is an Anker Nano version for that too. It doesn't deliver enough power to recharge laptops, though, but we don't think most people would expect a pocket-sized portable charger to refuel a MacBook.
Can you charge your device with the Anker Nano Power Bank when your device has a case on?
Can you charge your device with the Anker Nano Power Bank when your device has a case on?
Yes, and I do it all the time when my iPhone 16 Pro Max is in its Nomad Rugged Case.
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests the products we review and provides full transparency about our testing methodology. We're made up of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.
This article is the culmination of more than a decade spent trying to find the right portable charger, as our electronics writer Henry T. Casey tried everything from cases with built-in batteries to MagSafe power bricks. When he isn't refueling his devices, he's testing tablets, phones, laptops, headphones and so much more.