Best laptop power banks for MacBook

Macworld

Many of us are quite used to carrying around a handy power bank to top up our iPhone batteries during a long day away from a power socket, but these pocketable battery packs are usually not powerful enough to keep an unplugged and energy-hungry MacBook going all day.

We’ve rounded up the best portable laptop power banks with battery capacities high enough to recharge a fading MacBook if you won’t be able to plug it into an electrical outlet for some time.

Despite new laptops boasting improved battery life duration, it’s easy for your trusty MacBook to lose power after a day of intense meetings and PowerPoint presentations. No one wants to see the Mac’s “Your battery is running low” warning, especially when halfway through watching a downloaded Netflix series on a long-haul flight.

We looked at seven main factors for recommending laptop power banks: battery capacity, charging speed, total power output, power input, USB ports, portability and safety.

Power bank battery capacity

The larger the laptop power bank’s capacity the more charges it will be able to give your MacBook.

While nearly all laptop power banks give their battery capacity in milliamp hours (mAh) it’s more instructional to know the battery capacity in watt hours (Wh) as Wh provides a more accurate estimation of a battery’s energy capacity for devices with varying power requirements.

A 13-inch MacBook Air has a battery capacity of around 50Wh. The 16-inch MacBook Pro’s battery is rated at nearly twice that—just under 100Wh. To find out the Wh rating of your MacBook, check our our list of all the MacBook battery capacities.

In theory, a 100Wh power bank could recharge the smaller laptop twice and the larger one once. While it’s not quite that simple, you will certainly get more charge from a power bank with a higher Wh rating.

Watt hours is also the measure used by airlines to determine whether you can carry the power bank onto a plane with you: see below our list of the best MacBook power banks for national and international in-flight battery regulations.

Manufacturers are required to mark lithium-ion batteries with the watt-hour rating, but it’s often not clearly indicated on the packaging or on the power bank itself—look for some tiny writing on one side of the battery pack and you’ll eventually find the Wh rating. Don’t worry, we’ve done that for you in our recommendations below. You can calculate the number of watt-hours your battery provides if you know the battery’s nominal voltage (V) and capacity in ampere-hours (Ah), by using this calculation: Ah x V = Wh.

If you know only the battery’s milliampere hours (mAh), divide that number by 1,000 to get the ampere-hours (Ah). For example, 1200mAh divided by 1,000 = 4.4Ah. Then multiply that number by the power bank’s voltage.

Battery to laptop charging speed

The speed at which a power bank can charge your laptop is important, especially if you are charging the MacBook while using it.

Like any USB-C charger, look for the wattage at which the power bank can output power. A small laptop requires perhaps as little as 40W to keep it powered up. A larger MacBook might require 65W or 100W. A 16-inch MacBook Pro can be fast-charged at 140W.

In technical terms, chargers and power banks have a USB PD (Power Delivery) rating. PD 3.0 has a maximum power output of 100W. PD 3.1 (useful for the 16-inch MacBook Pro) can output at 140W. The PD rating is assigned to each USB port (see below).

That top-end MacBook can be charged at 100W, but it will take longer to charge. If you use a much lower wattage charger, or power bank, your MacBook battery might not fill up as fast because the laptop battery is being used by your applications.

As such we haven’t looked at any laptop power bank rated at under 65W and make recommendations for each power bank we have tested as to which MacBook model it is best suited for.

It is fine to use a 140W PD 3.1 charger or power bank on a smaller laptop—nothing untoward will happen as the power output is regulated by the laptop being powered. Indeed, you can safely charge your AirPods case with a 140W charger even though it won’t take more than 5W.

Total power output

A power bank with multiple ports will also have a maximum total output, which is how much power all the ports can give out together at one time when each is connected to a different device.

A power bank might have two ports each rated at 100W, but if the total power output is 100W then that power will be shared between the ports. Look for a total power output that means the power bank can handle charging multiple devices at the same time at full speed.

Power input

Power Input is the wattage at which the power bank itself can be charged via a USB-C charger. Again, the more watts, the faster the charge up to the power bank’s full capacity.

USB ports

A power bank needs at least one USB port to carry the power from itself to the device being charged. USB ports today come in two basic varieties: old-school rectangular USB-A and modern reversible USB-C.

You will get the fastest charge using USB-C at the power bank end. At the MacBook end, the USB-C end of the cable will connect with the MacBook’s Thunderbolt port, which is identical to USB-C in looks and basic operation. Thunderbolt is backward compatible with USB-C.

Look for power banks with multiple USB ports so you can charge more than one device at a time: more than one laptop, or a laptop plus a phone or two, or your AirPods case and Apple Watch. A USB-A port might be useful if you need to power-up a device whose charger uses the older standard; for example, a Fitbit.

Power vs portability

There are some giant power banks, usually called portable power stations, that can keep a family going all weekend, but they are way too large to carry with you on your travels. Our sister site PCWorld.com has tested the best of these much larger portable power stations.

As a rule, the higher the battery capacity, the larger and heavier the power bank. We have included size and weight so you can determine if each power bank suits your traveling needs.

There are much smaller, lighter and more portable power banks for phones—check out our recommendations of the best power banks for iPhone. You could use some of these to recharge a laptop but we recommend the power banks tested and reviewed here for the best results when powering up a laptop.

Power bank safety

Batteries can present a fire risk in certain circumstances, such as rapid overheating (a process called thermal runaway), overcharging and exposure to high temperatures.

As such we recommend only power banks from trusted, premium manufacturers with a long record of producing safe, high-quality products. You will find cheaper power banks, but we believe that the safety of the device you are charging, your home or office, plus your bag if carrying it around with you, are paramount.

If you want to take your power bank on a plane, there are also regulations to abide by—or you’ll be leaving it at the Security Desk. See below the chart of our favorite laptop power banks for international airline rules on permitted power banks and batteries.

Which power bank is best for your MacBook

We have indicated which models of MacBook we think each power bank is best suited to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pair any with different MacBooks. The 16-inch MacBook Pro can be fast-charged at 140W (using Apple’s USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable) so owners of that model should look for a PD 3.1 power bank. But even a 13-inch MacBook Air will work well with the higher-capacity power banks. They might not charge any faster, but they will be recharged more times if you pick a high-capacity battery pack.






Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) – Best overall MacBook power bank





















Pros


Large battery capacity

140W (PD 3.1) charging power

170W input

250W total output

3 powerful ports

Dedicated app


















Battery capacity: 99.56WhFastest Power Output: 140WTotal Power Output: 250WPower Input: 170WUSB ports: 2x USB-C (140W PD 3.1); 1x USB-A (65W PD 3.0).Dimensions: 6.4 x 2.2 x 2 inches (16.2 x 5.7 x 5cm)Weight: 23.3oz (659g)Airline compatible: Yes

The Anker Prime 27650mAh Power Bank is one of the most powerful laptop power banks that you can match with your MacBook. It is a great fit with the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro, which has a battery rated at around the same watt hours (99.6WH) as this power bank (99.56Wh).

Attach Apple’s USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable to the power back and you can utilize one of the 140W PD 3.1 ports to fast-charge the 16-inch Pro. Although the power bank ships with a 140W-capable cable, Apple allows fast-charging only using its proprietary charging cable.

Anker claims that you can fast-charge that top-end MacBook Pro up to 50% in 28 minutes. An iPhone 14 could be charged four and a half times over if using all of the power bank’s battery capacity.

In our tests, we charged a 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro to full power with a little battery power remaining in the pack.

There are three USB ports. Each of the two USB-C ports can be used to power at 140W. While it has a maximum total output of 250W you can’t fast-charge two 16-inch MacBook Pros at the same time—when using the two USB-C ports at the same time one runs at 140W and the other at 100W, which is still powerful enough to fast-charge one laptop and still charge another simultaneously. When using all three ports, one USB-C will have 140W potential, the other USB-C can charge at up to 92W and the USB-A port at 18W, which is enough to fast-charge an iPhone.

You can recharge the power bank itself in under 40 minutes using the two USB-C ports at the same time at an impressive 170W—faster than any other laptop power bank we have tested.

This is a sophisticated power bank with some tricks of its own. It can be controlled by an app, which gives real-time charging stats (Remaining Charging Time and Input and Output power indicators) and can be optimized to help extend the battery life of the devices being charged as well as its own. You can even use the app’s Find Device feature to activate a sound alert from the power bank when you need to locate it.

The Anker Prime 27650mAh Power Bank is available in either black or gold colors. In reality, the “black” color is more of a metallic gray.

Great for: 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our full

Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) review






Ugreen 48000mAh Portable Power Bank (300W) – Best high-capacity MacBook power bank





















Pros


Large battery capacity

140W (PD 3.1) charging power

300W total output

Carry handle

5 powerful ports



Cons


Larger and heavier than most


















Battery capacity: 153WhFastest Power Output: 140WTotal Power Output: 300WPower Input: 140WUSB ports: 1x USB-C (140W PD 3.1), 2x USB-C (100W PD 3.0); 2x USB-A (22.5W).Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.7 x 3 inches inches (16 x 14.5 x 7.6cm)Weight: 3.6lb (1.65kg)Airline compatible: Yes (with carrier approval)

The Ugreen 48000mAh 300W Portable Power Bank is the missing link between a laptop power bank and a full-blown power station. It has a huge battery capacity but is still portable, although you wouldn’t want to carry it around in your backpack all day, and it’s too powerful to take on a commercial flight.

It has a handle so is carriable, but the bulk and weight mean it is one to move around inside or carry in a car. It would be the perfect power companion on a camping trip. It’s not super-heavy, but it is noticeably larger than the other laptop power banks tested here.

Keep it powered up in case of power outages and it should keep your laptop and phone going for days.

There are five ports (three USB-C and two USB-A) with a maximum simultaneous power output of 300W. As it has a 140W PD 3.1 USB-C port, it can be used to fast charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro. At the same time, you could charge another top-end MacBook Pro at 100W, and use one of the USB-A ports at 22.5W.

The smart display shows the remaining battery, total input and output power.

Great for: 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Read our full

Ugreen 48000mAh 300W Portable Power Bank review






Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank with Retractable USB-C Cable 65W – Most convenient laptop power bank





















Pros


Large battery capacity

Integrated retractable USB-C cable

Lightweight



Cons


Only one spare USB-C port


















Battery capacity: 74WhFastest Power Output: 60WTotal Power Output: 65WPower Input: 60WUSB ports: 1x USB-C (60W PD 3.0) built-in cable; 1x USB-C (60W PD 3.0).Dimensions: 6.1 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches (15.5 x 7.2 x 3.4cm)Weight: 15.1oz (429g)Airline compatible: Yes

The performance is impressive—we recharged a 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro to a respectable 84%, not far off the 100% from the higher-capacity Anker 27650mAh power bank—but what we love about this laptop battery pack is its handy retractable USB-C cable that means you don’t have to carry one with you when you take the power bank walkies.

The cable, which is 27.6 inches (70cm) long fully outstretched, wraps neatly into a groove at the top of the power bank. There’s a spare USB-C port at the bottom, so can charge only two devices simultaneously compared to three or more from some of the other battery packs tested here.

At 15.1oz (429g) it’s lighter than the Anker 20000mAh power bank, which weighs 18.7oz (529g).

The USB-C ports (60W output and input, 65W total output) aren’t as powerful as the 20K Anker, which has a 100W port, a 200W max output and 100W input, but if you aren’t after top-line speed this is the lightest and most travel friendly laptop power bank we’ve tested.

Great for: 14-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air.

Read our full

Baseus Free2Pull Power Bank with Retractable USB-C Cable 65W review






Anker Prime 20000mAh Power Bank (200W) – Best mid-range laptop power bank





















Pros


Compact size

Decent battery capacity

3 powerful ports

200W total output


















Battery capacity: 72WhFastest Power Output: 100WTotal Power Output: 200WPower Input: 100WUSB ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD 3.0); 1x USB-A (65W PD 3.0).Dimensions: 4.9 x 2.1 x 2 inches (12.7 x 5.5 x 5cm)Weight: 18.7oz (529g)Airline compatible: Yes

The Anker Prime 20000mAh Power Bank is a recommended laptop power bank that is lighter and smaller than the top-end Anker Prime 27650mAh Power Bank, but boasts the same number of USB ports.

It doesn’t feature that power bank’s 140W PD 3.1 USB-C ports, instead packing two 100W USB-C ports and the same 65W USB-A port. That doesn’t rule it out as a battery pack for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it can’t fast-charge Apple’s largest laptop.

It’s a great option for the smaller MacBooks unless you need as much power in the bank as you can carry.

As the maximum power output is 200W, you could simultaneously charge two MacBooks at 100W. Using all three ports, you can power a MacBook at 100W, another at 60W and still have 40W over for a third MacBook or any other device.

Like its big sibling, the Anker 200W 20000mAh Power Bank features a clear display but doesn’t work with the Anker app.

While the 27650mAh Anker Prime can be charged itself at 200W, the Anker 200W 20000mAh Power Bank can be charged at a lower, but still reasonable, 100W using just one of its USB-C ports.

Available in either gray (Anker calls it black) or gold.

Great for: 14-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air.







Cuktech 15SE 85W 20000mAh Power Bank – Best budget 20K laptop power bank





















Pros


Compact size

Decent battery capacity

3 ports

200W total output



Cons


Lower recharge than rivals in tests


















Battery capacity: 73.44WhFastest Power Output: 65WTotal Power Output: 85WPower Input: 65WUSB ports: 1x USB-C (65W PD 3.0); 1x USB-C (33W PD 3.0); 1x USB-A (33W).Dimensions: 6 x 1.7 x 2 inches (15.2 x 5.2 x 4.4cm)Weight: 17.4oz (492g)Airline compatible: Yes

The Cuktech 15 laptop power bank we tested might not perform to the same degree as more expensive rivals but offers great value for money.

Despite its somewhat confusing name, the Cuktech 15 has a 20K (20000mAh) battery that managed to charge our test 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro to 60% power. That’s not as impressive as the Baseus 20K Power bank reviewed above but at under $50/£50 it’s the cheapest MacBook battery pack that we trust.

You can use it as a multiple-charge iPhone power bank, too: it should charge an iPhone 15 around 3.5 times. You double-click the power button to enter low-power mode for devices such as a smartwatch or headphones.

With the three USB ports all in action, you can charge the MacBook at 65W and share the remaining 20W between the other USB-C and USB-A ports.

Great for: 14-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air.







Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh (130W) – Lightest 20K laptop power bank





















Pros


Compact and lightweight

Decent battery capacity

3 ports

Informative display


















Battery capacity: 72WhFastest Power Output: 100WTotal Power Output: 130WPower Input: 65WUSB ports: 1x USB-C (100W PD 3.0); 1x USB-C (30W PD 3.0); 1x USB-A (22.5W PD 3.0).Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.1 x 2 inches (13.1 x 5.4 x 5.1cm)Weight: 16.9oz (480g)Airline compatible: Yes

Ugreen’s equivalent to the Anker Prime 20000mAh Power Bank is the Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh. The battery capacities of both are identical, but the Ugreen is noticeably lighter even though its dimensions are closely aligned. Each has a smart display that tells you more than enough about what’s going on between the power bank and the devices being charged.

The Ugreen Nexode is a more portable solution, but we still prefer the Anker Prime model for its impressive USB ports. The Anker has two 100W USB-C ports, while the Ugreen’s USB-C ports are rated at 100W and 30W. As the Ugreen power bank has a maximum power output of 130W, this doesn’t matter, but the Anker can pump out 200W simultaneously, making its powerful ports more useful. Power input is also better on the ANker (100W) vs the Ugreen (65W).

However, we’ve seen the Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh priced more competitively than the Anker Prime 20000mAh, and that weight difference may be important to you.

Great for: 14-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air.

Read our full

Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 130W review






Anker Prime 12000mAh Power Bank (130W) – Best budget compact laptop power bank





















Pros


Compact size, lightweight

Affordable

130W total output



Cons


Lower battery capacity than most

65W fastest output

65W input


















Battery capacity: 43.2WhFastest Power Output: 65WTotal Power Output: 130WPower Input: 65WUSB ports: 2x USB-C (65W PD 3.0)Dimensions: 5.3 x 2.2 x 1.4 inches (13.3 x 5.5 x 3.3cm)Weight: 14.8oz (360g)Airline compatible: Yes

Smaller still than the Anker Prime 20000mAh Power Bank, the little(ish) Anker Prime 12000mAh Power Bank is more portable—smaller and lighter—than its fellow Prime battery packs.

The compromise is its 65W USB-C ports, but these are fine for the MacBook Air and the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro. It’s also fine for larger MacBooks unless you need the fastest charging. It should charge a MacBook Air to about 70% battery capacity.

It’s also a great option for iPhone users, as it can power up an iPhone 14 or 15 Pro twice over. If your MacBook Air just needs a small power boost, and you want to keep your iPhone going, this is a great compact option.

Maximum simulataneous output is 130W, using both USB-C ports, so you can power two MacBooks at 65W each at the same time. There’s no USB-A port if you still need the old USB standard.

The smart display shows you how much battery capacity is remaining in the power bank.

Unlike the other Anker Prime laptop power banks, the 12000mAh model is available in the gray color only—no gold for the budget-conscious.

Great for: 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air.







Cuktech 20 Power Bank 25000mAh (210W) – Budget 140W laptop power bank





















Pros


Large battery capacity

140W (PD 3.1) charging power

110W input

210W total output


















Battery capacity: 90WhFastest Power Output: 140WTotal Power Output: 210WPower Input: 110WUSB ports: 1x USB-C (140W PD 3.1); 1x USB-C (45W PD 3.0); 1x USB-A (30W).Dimensions: 6.3 x 2.2 x 2.2 inches (16 x 5.5 x 5.5cm)Weight: 22.4oz (636g)Airline compatible: Yes

The Cuktech 20 Power Bank 25000mAh 140W PD 3.1 power bank looks a lot like the Anker Prime 27650mAh, reviewed above, in a tall format with an informative smart display.

As with the Anker, there are three USB ports, with one at the required 140W for fast-charging a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The other two ports aren’t as powerful as the Anker’s though: 45W vs 140W, and 30W vs 65W.

An M2 MacBook Air should be fully charged with a little power left over for your iPhone, AirPods or Apple Watch.

Power input is also not as great, but at 110W it’s impressive enough compared to most. Maximum simultaneous power output is 210W—again not as high as the Anker but still respectable.

The Cuktech’s display gives more data than the Anker, which is informative for wattage junkies but probably overkill for most of us, who just need to know how much battery life remains in the power bank. Anker’s dedicated app is perhaps more useful. Again, this is a nice to have and the Cuktech power bank does the important stuff of recharging the laptop at a price point that is noticeably lower than Anker’s.

Great for: 16-inch MacBook Pro.







Alogic Ark 27000mAh Power Bank – Budget 140W laptop power bank