Introduction

Portable power packs are useful when traveling away from power sources or during power outages. Generally speaking, as capacity increases, so does price, size, and weight. This page offers some guidelines for choosing a power pack and a list of models to consider.

Choosing a Manufacturer

When searching for portable power packs, it’s a good idea to choose an established manufacturer with a good reputation for quality and value such as Anker or Jackery. These are companies with a long history with lots of development experience and a wide variety of products.

Portable Power Specifications

When purchasing a portable power pack, you’ll want to consider what devices you’ll be using with it and how many hours of use are needed while away from AC power.

Power pack capacities are usually described in milliamp hours (mAH). A power pack rated at 10,000mAH can provide 1000 mA (1 amp) of power for 10 hours. A device using .5 amps (500 mA) could run for 20 hours. Because of the physics relating to battery size and output, smaller power packs offer less power over time. So you may need a larger heavier power pack if you need longer run times.

Device Power Requirements

The power demands of devices are usually described in volts and watts. Devices drawing power from USB typically use up to 5 volts. Some DC powered devices use 12 or 24 volts.

The actual formulas that describes the relationship between amps, watts, and volts are as follows:

(Watts) / (Volts) = (Amps)
or
(Watts) / (Amps) = (Volts)
or
(Amps) x (Volts) = (Watts)

So if a device is rated at 12 volts and 12 watts it will use 1 amp for whatever period of time the power pack can provide.

You can use the above formulas to calculate amps, volts, or watts depending on what you know about a device.

Power Pack Features

Nicer power packs and UPS systems will have a digital readout that tells you what percentage of the battery is remaining, how much load is being placed on the power pack, and perhaps what the expected time is until the power runs out.

Other features may include a variety of output options such as USB ports, different barrel plug ports for 12V or 24V, and perhaps the ability to plug in a standard household AC powered appliance.

Devices to Consider

Here are some devices to consider. They are listed alphabetically by manufacturer name.

Aeiusny Power Pack

Aeiusny Power Pack 288Wh ($276) – This unit offers 288Wh of power with a variety of connectors. [View/Buy…]

• LARGER CAPACITY : 288Wh/500W powerful portable battery for indoor/outdoor usage, CPAP, small home appliances, etc. This is a TRUE LIFE SAVOIR!
• BUILT-IN PORTS : 3 AC outlets/4 DC ports/4 USB ports; convenient and neat composition, suitable for home/camping. When you are in an emergency, it can be used as a Battery Backup.EASY TO CARRY : 12.70*5.91*8.66 inches, 7.05Lb; it is the portable generator battery you want to keep around. You can carry it with you or put it in your car. Super convenient!
• EASY RECHARGING : Able to be recharged by solar panel (not included), wall outlet (included), or in your car(included).
• WARRANTY : Free replacement or repair on any damaged (non man-made damage) portable power supply for TWELVE MONTHS! Have CE, ROHS, FCC certification, please use it safely without danger.

 

HALO Bolt Power Pack

HALO Bolt 15,900 mAH Jump Starter with AC Outlet ($110) – This unit offers 15,900 mAH and has the unique ability to jumpstart a car or charge a car battery. It also has a standard household AC jack. [View/Buy…]

• Phone, Tablet, and USB Power Bank – Never run out of battery! Two USB 2.4V charging outputs means this iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or iPad Portable Charger powers multiple devices at once.
• Universal Laptop Charger – Keep your Mac, PC, phone or tablet charged when traveling or use as a backup during a storm. 120V AC wall outlet powers your laptop on the go. Enough charge for 7.9 hours of battery life for a 13.3” Macbook Pro, 8.6 hours of iPad Air surfing, 19.9 hours on an iPad Mini, or 62.7 hours of talk time on an iPhone 7. See picture chart for details.
• Portable Jump Starter – Battery trouble isn’t an issue when your universal power bank includes enough power to jump start your car, boat, motorcycle or lawn mower, jumper cables included. Perfect for drivers who don’t want to wait on the side of the road for a tow truck.
• Stylish and Safe – Every portable charger has a fashion forward design, bringing safety back. Choose from Paisley, Floral, and Graphite patterns plus more. Everyone picks their flavor with this compact unit.
• All In One Car Emergency Kit – LED flood light, battery jump starter, jumper cables, AC wall charger, carrying pouch and 2x USB phone charger all in one package. Know your teen driver or college student is safe.

Jackery Generator Portable Power Station

Jackery Generator Portable Power Station 167Wh – 46,400mAH ($170)  – This unit has many connections and an informative readout. Higher capacity models are available with 240Wh or 440Wh ratings. [View/Buy…]

• High capacity generator power station: 167Wh (46,400mah/3.6V), much bigger capacity than similar power station; Equipped with 1* AC inverter(110V 60Hz 100W 150W Peak), 1*USB-C port(5V 3A), 2* smart fit USB-A ports(5V 2.4A) and 1* standard DC 12V port(12V/7A); It can charge everything from smartphones,tablets and laptops to cameras,Nintendo and drones; It could power other devices while recharge itself.Affords power while camping off-grid, at festivals, fishing hunting and short blackouts
• Quiet generator & clean power eco-friendly: Jackery Explorer 160 is equipped with a lithium battery pack, no fuel or gasoline needed, no fumes, no clanging! To recharge it, simply plug the unit into a wall socket, a car or a solar panel (sold separately). Full charge takes 5 hours by wall socket and car, and 8-10 hours by solar panel depending on weather
• Other cool features: (1)LCD screen with charge/discharge and battery life status; (2) Switch with indicator light for on/off output port charging; (3)powerful built-in LED flashlight with SOS mode (long press the button), very helpful when outdoor or at home; (4)Package includes a DC to car adapter cable, with this cable, the DC 12V output port could act as a car port.
• Safety and warranty: battery management system (BMS) enables short circuit protection, voltage control, temperature control and more advanced safeguards (Please note that the AC output port can charge the devices that consumer less than 100 Watt.); We back our 24 month product warranty with 24/7 friendly customer service

Jackery PowerBar

Jackery PowerBar 20,800 mAH ($130) – This unit seems to have good build quality and offers a variety of charging / power options with an AC plug, USBC, and multiple USB power options. [View/Buy…]

• ETL Safety Certified Conforms to UL 2743 Standard: Your safety, our concern! Each PowerBar has been designed to the highest safety and quality standards, ensuring reliability and performance
• AC Outlet Portable Charger: 110V/85W (100W max.) AC outlet provides a great solution to AC power supply. Compatible with a wide variety of laptops and other AC plug devices, Jackery portable power external battery is perfect for travel and business trip on plane and outdoor family camping (NOTE: please press the power button for 2 seconds to turn on the AC output and remember to turn off the AC outlet after using or the battery will drain out
• Charged Universally: [ NOTE: It may only provide about 50% charge to your MacBook Pro 15″ if you are using the laptop the whole time while charging ] Comes with USB C, QC3.0 and 5V/2.4A three USB outputs. PowerBar powers iPhone and Galaxy up to 8 times, offers a 1.1 charges to 12” Macbook , 70% charges to your MacBook Pro 15″ without using your laptops while charging.
• WHAT YOU GET: 1×Jackery PowerBar 20800mAh AC portable charger, 1× USB wall charger, 1× USB C Cable, 1×User Manual, 1×Thank You Card. 24-month product warranty and 7×24 hrs friendly customer service

Krisdonia Power Pack

 

Krisdonia 50000mAh Laptop Power Bank ($136) – This unit offers considerable capacity with a rating of 50,000 mAH. An added advantage is that the system offers adjustable DC outputs for voltages of 5, 8.4, 9, 12, 16, and 20 and a full array of laptop power adapters. The build quality is very good. At least it seems very solid and well built. It’s not if that will translate into years of reliable use. The unit comes with a very nice travel slip-case. The matte finish aluminum is very smooth to touch. Because there are no grips or surface areas to grab onto, and because of the weight of the unit, it can feel a little precarious to lift, carry, or hold. It feels like it may slip and drop easily. For this it would be recommended to use some double stick strips of rubber to create a grip area. [View/Buy…]

• NEW VERSION: Support pass-through charging. ALL IN ONE QUICK CHARGE: It has 4 output ports (TYPE-C, USB1, USB2, DC OUT). DC OUT for Most Laptops: 5V/8.4V/9V/12V – 3A (max); 16V(compatible 16.5V) / 20V(compatible 19V, 19.5V) – 4.7A (max). Two USB Ports for Smartphones: 5V/9V/12V – 3A (support Quick Charge 3.0). Type-C for MacBook 12″, Nintendo Switch and more: 5V/9V/12V – 3A. DC IN 19V/2A enables our power bank to be recharged in just 6-8 hours.
• HIGH CAPACITY 50000mAh/185Wh: Compatible with most popular laptops and notebooks. We provide 28 kinds of connector for most of the popular laptops. (Pls make sure the connector fits for your laptop before purchasing).
• BRIGHT LED DISPLAY & PORTABLE SIZE: Bright Led display builts in battery to show the DC voltage and available capacity of the power bank. 7.6” x 5.9” x 1.1” and 2.55lb make it easy to carry on. You can quickly put it in your briefcase, backpack or carrying bag when you’re on the go.
• WHAT YOU GET: 1 x Krisdonia Laptop Power Bank, 1 x Multifunction Bag, 1 x Charger, 1 x Magsafe2 Cable, 1 x DC Cable, 1 x USB Cable, 28 x Laptop Charge Connector, 1 x Use Manual
• SAFETY DURABILITY & GUARANTEE: Constructed with Lithium-ion Polymer battery cells and built in 6 security protection, our Krisdonia power bank is safe to use. As the manufacturer, we keep reseaching and developing our products to provide the best products to our customers. And we provide our Krisdonia customers a 12-month 100% satisfaction warranty

Medistrom Power Pack

Medistrom Pilot-24 Lite ($340) – This unit provides approximately 19,000 mAH of power. It isn’t much different than other portable USB power packs costing $80 to $100. However, it offers a 24 volt output that can be used for CPAP devices and presumably it has been approved for medical use, which might explain the high price. In addition to being quite small, it has a medical device identification symbol on it which can be helpful during airline travel. It is about twice the thickness of a smartphone and a bit larger than a plus-sized smartphone. [View/Buy…]

• Introducing the new Medistrom Pilot-24 Lite! A revolutionary small Uninterruptible Power Supply (Backup Battery) for various 24V PAP devices. Ensures that your devices seamlessly continue to receive power even during a power outage.
• Compatible with most CPAP, APAP, and some BiPAP devices on the following platforms: ResMed AirSense 10, ResMed AirMini, *ResMed S9, *3B Medical Luna, *Philips Respironics DreamStation Go Travel PAP and *Apex Medical iCH. NOT COMPATIBLE WITH VENTILATOR PAP DEVICES. (*cable kits sold separately)
• Features a built-in LED Flashlight and USB Port for charging portable devices such as smart phones, tablets, MP3 players, cameras etc.
• Can be used as a portable, standalone power source. Take it travelling and use it to power your compatible PAP device when the mains power isn’t available. Provides 1-2 nights of continuous run-time on an average CPAP pressure, average breathing rate, optimal mask seal and with the humidifier, heated tubing and exhalation pressure relief all disabled. Will provide approximately 19,000mAh for your handheld electronic devices.
• Package includes: Pilot-24 Lite, Output Cable for ResMed AirSense 10, Output Cable for ResMed AirMini, AC Adapter Cable for ResMed AirMini, Fabric Carry Case, Product Manual and Quick Start Guide. DOES NOT INCLUDE A POWER ADAPTER. (Out of the box, the Pilot-24 Lite can be charged directly with the ResMed AirSense 10 AC Power Adapter or ResMed AirMini AC Power Adapter with the use of the AC Adapter Cable for ResMed AirMini.

Powkey Power Bank

Powkey Power Pack 42,000 mAH ($160) – This unit has multiple AC outlets, four USB outlets, and DC outputs. It offers 42,000 mAH of power with a load of 200 watts. A pure sine wave can be important for medical equipment and some computers. [View/Buy…]

• PORTABLE AND MUTIL-FUNCTIONAL : 2 x 120V AC power socket(pure sine wave,total max 200W) / 4 x USB port / 1 Emergency capable of powering lamps,phones,laptops,TVs,printers,fans,car pumps,toast maker,coffee machine and even mini fridges.
• FAST CHARGING 15V/2A DC INPUT :Recharge the power bank faster than ever with the 15V/2A DC input, only need 6-7 hours to get fully recharged and conveniently monitor the battery level via the 4 built-in LED indicators.
• PURE SINE WAVE: Better than modified sine wave, cleaner current in your hands; it prevents crashes in computers, reduces noises in fans, TV and other devices and it is compatible with more equipment.
• HIGH CAPACITY WITH SUPER SMALL SIZE: 42000mAh(210Wh) Grade A lithium polymer battery,with only 3.3 lbs net weight(4.2 lbs gross weight which including all the accessories) and size of 7.87×1.81×5.71in. Ideal power supply for camping or emergency backup.
• TOP QUALITY : Contains the highest quality available lithium-ion battery cells.CE FCC ROHS UL MSDS UN38.3, and factory ISO9001 approved. OCP/OVP/Short Circuit Protection/ Auto Power Off Protection. 100 percent Quality Control. .Provide 24h customer service

RAVPower Battery Pack

RAV Power AC Outlet Portable 27000mAH 85W ($130) – This unit is rated at 27,000 mAH of power output for devices requiring 85 watts or less. [View/Buy…]

• New-and-Improved Version: 3-prong AC output with a power supply on / off switch indicator for any device up to 70W (To turn ON the AC power, hold the power button for 8 seconds)
• Power Up Three Devices at Once: Benefit from one Type-C output and two USB iSmart ports to charge new ultrabooks and two other devices simultaneously (Type-C port only supports output)
• Mega 27000mAh Capacity: Charges an iPhone 7 for 7.6 times, a Galaxy S8 for 5 times, and a 12″ MacBook 1.4 times
• Recharge Faster than Ever: Recharges itself fully in 5.2 hours with the 19V/1.6A DC input and 8 LED indicators display the power level
• Industry-Leading Heat Dissipation: Built-in air vents with quiet fan keep it cool even when used to its maximum capacity