Best Power Banks for Blackouts and Power Outages

(Last Updated On: March 6, 2021)

The best part of power banks is that they don’t have to rely on a power source when they are charged up. You can take them anywhere and use their charging features untethered, and we found one of the best circumstances to use a power bank is during a power outage. Power outages can happen at any time, with things such as weather, a car accident that hits a power line, or a simple mistake from your electrical company; losing power can be scary, and you want to be ready whenever it does happen.

Having a power bank handy in the event of a blackout can prove to be the most useful device you have, as it can keep your phone charged up and connected to the internet. Simultaneously, portable chargers feature powerful charging that can charge laptops, and some power banks have flashlights that you can use instead of using the one on your phone.

In this guide, we’re covering power banks that you should use in the event of a blackout. The chargers in this guide are useful for charging small devices such as your smartphone or higher-capacity power banks that are useful for charging laptops. Powering appliances with a power station can be more useful than a regular power bank, so we’ll include some of those, too.

RAVPower 20,000mAh Tri Output and Input Power Bank

One of the worst things about a power outage is not knowing how long it will last and when you will get your power back on. That’s why it’s a good reason to get a higher-capacity power bank that can last you a while, just in case you’re without power for longer than you think. This RAVPower charger has a 20,000mAh power capacity and a capacity to charge modern smartphones with larger batteries.

With the Samsung Galaxy S21 having a 4,000mAh battery and the S21 Ultra using a 5,000mAh battery, most phones now use these larger batteries. With this RAVPower portable charger, most phones can charge to full power about three to four times. You can also charge most tablets to full power about a single time with this power bank and some leftover power capacity.

The charging is also useful for a power outage because it features fast charging to get you powered up faster. There’s a USB-C Power Delivery port and a Quick Charge 3.0 port for fast charging, and a standard USB-A port.

When the power isn’t out, you have three options for recharging, with the power bank having a Lightning input, a Micro-USB input, and the same USB-C port that can be used to recharge the power bank. There is even a digital display at the top that shows the remaining power capacity.

Read Review for RAVPower 20,000mAh Tri Output / Input PD Power Bank

RAVPower 20,000mAh USB-C PD - Quick Charge Lightning Tri Input Power Bank Specs
Power Capacity20,000mAh
USB-C Power Delivery Port5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A Port5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Standard USB-A Port5V/2.4A (12W)
USB-C PD Input5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Micro-USB Input5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Lightning Input5V/2.1A
Size6.2 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches
Weight1 Pound

MAXOAK 99W AC Outlet USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank

As we said at the beginning of this guide, power banks are helpful, but taking a step higher, going with a portable power station charger may be a better option. These are basically power banks that have an AC outlet so you can power smaller appliances, and they still have ports for charging and are not too large, so they’re still portable. One of our most favorite types of power station power banks is this MAXOAK 99Wh charger.

The charger has an AC outlet with a 100W power output, so you’re able to power small appliances with this MAXOAK power bank. Along with the outlet, there are three charging ports. On the other side of the power bank is a 45W USB-C Power Delivery port and two USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 ports.

The 45W USB-C Power Delivery port can be useful for fast charging smartphones and charging USB-C PD compatible laptops. On top of the charging and powering, this MAXOAK charger also has an LED flashlight that will help during a power outage.

This MAXOAK charger even comes with a 30W Power Delivery wall charger that you can use to recharge the power bank and a USB-C to USB-C cable.

Review for MAXOAK 45W 99Wh AC Outlet Power Bank

MAXOAK 99Wh 100W AC10 Portable Power Bank Specs
Power Capacity99Wh | 26,756mAh
USB-C Power Delivery Port5V/3.0A | 9V/3.0A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/2.25A (45W)
Both USB-A Ports5V/2.1A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
AC Outlet100W | 140W Peak Power
USB-C Input30W
Size7.1 x 3.9 x 2.3 inches
Weight2.7 Pounds

RAVPower 252Wh Portable Power Station Power Bank

This RAVPower charger may be pushing it in terms of being a power bank, but we still consider it a power station portable charger hybrid. As the charger is not too large, it has added features that make it more capable than a regular power bank. Also, we’re talking about needing a powering and a charging source when there’s a power outage, so a hybrid power station power bank will be more useful.

This RAVPower charger has a 70,000mAh power capacity, tons of power that you’re definitely going to need if you want to use its two AC outlets or charging ports for an extended amount of time.

There are two AC outlets on the RAVPower power station, and they each share a 300W output. The only flaw with the AC outlets is that they’re only two-prong outlets.

The power bank also has three USB-A ports, a USB-C Power Delivery port, and a DC port. One of the USB-A ports uses Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging compatible Android smartphones. The Power Delivery port has a 60W charging speed that can be used to fast charge USB-C chargeable laptops.

Even a DC port can be used to charge DC chargeable laptops or appliances that can be powered via a DC port. The power station power bank is not too large, has a handle for easier portability, and it also has a large LED flashlight.

Read Review for RAVPower 252Wh Portable Power Station

RAVPower RP-PB187 252.7Wh Portable Power Station 300W AC Outlets Specs
Power Capacity70,200mAh/252.7Wh
Standard USB-A Ports5V/2.4A (12W)
Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A Port5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
USB-C Power Delivery Port5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/3A (60W)
DC Output12V/10A (120W)
AC Outlets110V/60Hz 300W Max. 250W Rated
DC Input12-24V/3.3-4A, 60W Max
USB-C PD Input5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A, PD 60W
Size5.12 x 5.12 x 7.44 inches
Weight5.5 Pounds

Aukey 10,000mAh Power Delivery Wireless Charging Power Bank

If you’re more on the side of just wanting your phone charged up during an emergency power outage, then consider a mid-range power bank, such as this Aukey portable charger. This Aukey power bank has a 10,000mAh power capacity, not exactly the highest capacity. Still, it’s useful for smartphones primarily with the capacity being able to charge most phones to full power about two times.

The power bank also has superb charging power, with the power bank using three output charging methods. There’s an 18W USB-C Power Delivery port, a Quick Charge 3.0 port, and a 10W fast wireless charging at the top of the power bank. Wireless charging on a power bank is already impressive, but a 10W charging speed that can be used to charge smartphones faster is even better.

The power bank has a small size, too, and you can fit it into your pocket as easily as you would a smartphone.

Read Review for Aukey 10W Wireless Charging Power Bank

Quick Charge Port5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
USB-C PD Port5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Samsung Phones Wireless Charging10W
iPhone Wireless Charging7.5W
Other Wireless Charging Smartphones5W
USB-C Input5V/3A | 9V/2A
Micro-USB Input5V/2A | 9V/2A
LED Power IndicatorFour White Power Capacity Indicators | Orange Indicator for Wireless Charging
Size5.6 x 2.6 x 0.6 inches
Weight8 Ounces

RAVPower 30,000mAh 90W USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank

On the very high capacity side of a power bank, this RAVPower 30,000mAh Power Delivery portable charger may be useful if you want a USB-C PD laptop charger while you’re power is out. That’s because this power bank has a 30,000mAh power capacity that can keep a laptop charged up for a while, a few days, depending on your laptop usage.

At the same time, the USB-C PD port on this power bank has 90W charging speed, so you’re able to charge most USB-C chargeable laptops at their max charging speed. This includes Macbooks, Chromebooks, Samsung laptops, Microsoft Surface devices, and many more. This power bank also has a Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A port that can fast charge Quick Charge compatible Android smartphones.

Even if you’re using both ports simultaneously, the USB-C port can output 65W, while the Quick Charge port outputs 18W. You can recharge this power bank at a 60W PD charging speed. However, you will need a USB-C PD wall charger, and this portable charger only comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box.

Review for 30,000mAh USB-C 90W Power Delivery Power Bank

RAVPower 30,000mAh 90W Power Delivery Power Bank PB232 Specs
Power Capacity30,000mAh
USB-C Power Delivery Port5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/4.5A, 90W Max
USB-A Quick Charge Port5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A, 18W Max
Max Output when using Both PortsPD 65W + iSmart 18W, Total 83W Max
USB-C (Input)5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/3A, 60W Max
Size5.9 x 3.4 x 1 inches
Weight1.1 Pounds

JIGA 30,000 3 Output and 3 Input Power Bank

Following the same powering scale as the previous RAVPower charger, this JIGA power bank is another 30,000mAh power bank that can be used for a while before you have to recharge it. The main difference with this charger is that it does not feature fast charging such as Power Delivery or Quick Charge. However, because of that, you get a lower price for this JIGA power bank.

Instead, this power bank has three standard USB-A ports that each have a 10W charging speed, and that’s not too bad if you don’t mind the lack of fast charging. You can also recharge the power bank with three input ports, with this one using a USB-C input, Micro-USB, and Lightning input port. So it’s just a reliable all-around power bank whether you’re an iPhone or Android smartphone user.

This JIGA portable charger also has a LED flashlight, once again, something that will be useful if there is ever a power outage.

Read Review for JIGA 30,000mAh Tri Output and Input Power Bank

JIGA 30,000mAh 3 Output - 3 Input Power Bank Specs
Power Capacity30,000mAh
USB-A Ports (Output)5V/2.0A
Micro-USB (Input)5V/2.0A
Lightning (Input)5V/2.0A
USB-C (Input)5V/2.0A
Size6.1 x 3 x 1.3 inches
Weight1.1 Pounds

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