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Our phones were designed to come with us everywhere at all times. We’re constantly staring at them, while keeping one eye on the battery level, and there’s a good chance you’ve got a backup plan in place for when it gets into the red and you’re far from home – either a small power bank in your pack, or plugging it into a laptop’s USB port.
But if a laptop’s battery gets low when you’re on the go, a portable phone power bank isn’t going to get the job done. Even if you have your AC charging cable with you, there isn’t always a wall outlet around – and often when there is, it may be in high demand, such as when you’re waiting for your delayed flight at a crowded airport, or working from a busy cafe.
That’s where a portable laptop power bank comes in. The best portable laptop batteries can boost your MacBook or PC quickly, and charge your phone as well — often at the same time.
What Kind of Battery Do I Need to Charge a Laptop?
If you’re looking the best portable laptop charger, there are a few things you’ll need to know.
Battery Capacity and Power: Battery power is measured in milliamp hours: 25600mAh to 34800mAh lets you charge up a laptop fully about twice (or a smartphone around 10 times) whereas 35000mAh and higher is plenty to refill your laptop multiple times. The smaller a device, the more charges you’re going to get out of it.
A battery on the larger side can charge up way more than just a laptop too. Some have space for more than 10 devices to plug in, and can be used for other appliances around the house like lights, TVs, CPAP machines, even a 150W fridge or 1000W microwave.
Charging: These batteries generally charge up with an AC wall adapter, but some have alternate capabilities like solar power. Other bonus features can include Qi technology, which allows you to charge up a device by simply dropping it on top of the battery unit.
Swappable battery packs can be a life-saver too. So if you know you’ll be on-the-go for long stretches of time, getting a battery with an extra pre-charged pack loaded up can never hurt to have.
Water-Resistance: If you’ll be in an environment where water (or sand and dust) could be a problem, consider a battery pack with a higher IP rating, at IP65 or above. That means your unit is protected from light splashes. Some battery packs are also fully submergible, tightly-sealed, and waterproof. They make it easy to power up even when you’re camping or traveling.
Durability: The same goes for a setting where your battery pack might be roughed up and take a beating – a battery with a tough outer shell can protect the contents inside from common minor dings and drops.
Features: Most batteries feature some type of easy-to-read display. A simple status meter can tell you how much juice remains in the main unit, while others have full OLED screens to let you see the current levels of every connected device.
A flashlight is another common add-on too, and can be an extremely helpful perk when trying to sift through your stuff in an unfamiliar place at night, or to flag down roadside help.
Safety: Finally, safety should be part of any battery you get. Protection from overheating and overcharging (both the battery and the devices connected to it) is important, and thankfully, most units have some type of security measures pre-installed.
We’ve selected four of the best portable laptop chargers, each with different charging strengths and varying methods of providing sufficient power to your devices, whether you’re working while traveling, or going way off the grid.
