The Nintendo Switch is one of the top-tier consoles out right now; it may not have the best specs regarding performance with its graphics or screen resolution. However, the innovation of the Switch definitely sets it apart from its competitors. The most notable innovation is that the Nintendo Switch is that you can use its dock and play on your TV screen or go portable with it and play games no matter where you are. When the Switch first released, and even now with more games releasing for the console, it’s incredible to be able to play some videogames in the palm of your hands. For example, most gamers did not expect to play Skyrim or Dark Souls on a portable console, but the Switch has made that possible.
Switch Power Usage
The portability that you get with the Switch is one of its best features. However, you also run into a bit of a problem, and that would be the battery usage when you’re gaming off the dock. To run games on the Switch itself, the console uses a lot of power, and you may find that you run out of power faster than you’d like to; having your Switch turn off because it’s out of battery power is one of the worst feelings ever. Thankfully, the Switch uses a USB-C port for charging; this means that you can use a power bank when you’re portable with the console.
Nintendo Switch Power Bank Compatibility
Charging the console with a power bank brings up a lot of questions. The first thing users wonder is what power bank to use with their Switch to get the best charging experience. That’s what we’re covering in this guide.
The first thing to know sit at the Nintendo Switch has a 4,310mAh battery; a large battery, so you’re going to want to get a power bank that can charge the console to full power at least once or more times if you want to use the power bank for a few days. The other part of charging the Switch with a power bank is a charging port that you should use, and the simple answer is that you should get a power bank that features a USB-C Power Delivery. Most notably, the USB-C PD port should have an 18W charging speed or higher. An 18W charge rate is pretty good for charging Switch while you’re gaming. However, you can do better by using a 30W USB-C Power Delivery port that will charge the console at max power while you’re gaming, faster than an 18W USB-C port would.
Do you have to get a USB-C Power Delivery power bank? Most other guides on this subject say “No”; however, we’re gonna say, yes, you should really get a USB-C PD power bank. That’s because using a standard USB-A 5V/2.4A (12W) port will result in the Switch barely charging at all.
You can actually see the result of this with one of the power banks that we’ve chosen, with the JIGA power bank using a 10W USB-A port to charge the Switch and the Nintendo console barely even charges. So it’s best to go for an 18W Power Delivery power bank or a more powerful one to get the best charging. In this guide, we’ve tested a few different power banks with the Nintendo Switch to ensure they are compatible with the console. Below, you can find real images of the tests happening while Super Mario Odyessy is being played.
Silicon Power 10,000mAh 18W USB-C Power Delivery Mini Power Bank
We’re starting with this Silicon Power portable charger, likely the smallest 10,000mAh power bank that you can find on the market, as the charger has a length of 3.4 inches, a width of 2.3 inches, and a thickness of 0.8 inches; making this portable charger easy to carry in your hand, or you can place it into your pocket along with your smartphone. The Silicon Power charger has a 10,000mAh power capacity that can charge the Switch to full power at least once; however, when we mention “Full Power”, we mean having the console in either Power Saving mode or completely off; as charging and gaming with the Switch still has the console use up a lot of power.
The Silicon Power portable charger has two output ports on the charging side, with USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 port and an 18W USB-C Power Delivery port that can charge the Switch. Just a reminder, the Switch cannot charge at its max charging speed, but it can get about a 12W charge rate with this Silicon Power portable charger. You can use the Quick Charge 3.0 port to charge your Switch, but it will charge slower, and the Quick Charge port is more useful for fast charging Quick Charge compatible Android smartphones.
You can recharge the power bank using either the USB-C or Micro-USB input port. For fast recharging, you should use an 18W PD wall charger with the USB-C port or a Quick Charge wall charger with the Micro-USB input port for faster recharging.
Read Review for Silicon Power QP70 PD Power Bank
| Silicon Power QP70 10,000mAh Power Delivery QC Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 10,000mAh |
| USB-A Quick Charge Port | 5V 3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A |
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 5V 3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A |
| USB-C (Input) | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| Micro-USB (Input) | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| Size | 3.4 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches |
| Weight | 7 Ounces |
Excitrus 9,600mAh 45W SUB-C Power Delivery Mini Power Bank
Continuing the mini power bank trend with this Excitrus portable charger, this one, in particular, is a rare one in the market as the charger has a 9,600mAh power capacity. Yet, it features a 45W USB-C Power Delivery port. Power banks that have 30W or more powerful PD ports usually have higher power capacities. However, this Excitrus portable charger with its 9,600mAh power capacity can be tiny, nearly as small as the previous Silicon Power charger we mentioned; this is impressive because you have a power bank that can charge the Nintendo Switch faster at about 20W, and this Excitrus power bank can easily fit into a pocket.
The 45W USB-C Power Delivery port is also able to charge USB-C laptops. The two other ports are a USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 port and a standard 5V/2.1A (10.5W) port; the standard port will not charge your Switch at all, so don’t bother using it for charging the console. Recharging the Excitrus portable charger also yields great results as you’re able to recharge it at 45W with a powerful enough PD wall charger.
Design-wise, the power bank is easy to use as charging starts automatically, and there’s a digital screen that shows the remaining power capacity. You can use the power button to check how much power is left. Going back to the 9,600mAh power capacity, it’s lower than the standard 10,000mAh that we would recommend; however, it does alright with keeping your Switch charged up for a day or two, depending on how much you’re gaming and charging at the same time. It’s definitely the lowest capacity power bank in this guide and won’t last as long as the others that we’re recommending.
Read Review for Excitrus 9,600mAh 45W USB-C PD Power Bank
| Excitrus 9,600mAh 45W Power Delivery Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 20V/2.25A | 15V/3A | 12V/3A | 9V/3A | 5V/3.0A (45W) |
| USB-A Quick Charge Port | 3.6V-6.0V/3A | 6.0V-9.0V/2A | 9.0V-12.0V/1.5A (18W) |
| USB-A Standard Port | 5V/2.1A (10.5W) |
| Max Output | USB-C Power Delivery Port Alone: 45W When Charging Multiple Devices: 25W |
| USB-C PD Input | 20V/2.25A | 15V/3A | 12V/3A | 9V/3A | 5V/3.0A (45W) |
| Size | 4.3 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 7 Ounces |
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RAVPower 20,100mAh 45W USB-C Power Deilvery Power Bank
Going onto a high-capacity power bank, this RAVPower charger has a 20,100mAh power capacity, a good amount to keep you gaming for a few days without needing to recharge the power bank. Along with more capacity to use, the charging is faster, with the power bank featuring a 45W USB-C Power Delivery port capable of charging the Switch faster while you’re gaming. The power bank also has a standard 12W USB-A port, and if you’re charging two devices at the same time, then the USB-C PD port lowers its charging rate to 30W, still enough power to charge your Switch as the same charge rate as a 45W power output.
Recharging this RAVPower portable charger can be done through either the USB-C PD port or the Micro-USB input port. We recommend using the USB-C PD port for recharging as it’s able to recharge the power bank at 30W via a PD wall charger.
Read Review for RAVPower 20,100mAh 45W PD Power Bank
| RAVPower 20,100mAh 45W USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 20,100mAh |
| USB-A Port | 5V/2.4A |
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/2.25A (45W Max) |
| Max Output | 45W |
| Micro-USB input | 18W |
| USB-C input | 30W |
| Power Indicator | Four Power Indicators |
| Size | 7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches |
| Weight | 1.1 Pounds |
Aukey 10,000mAh 10W Wireless Charging Power Delivery Power Bank
On the side of wanting to use a power bank to charge your smartphone and Nintendo Switch, this Aukey potable charter is definitely a useful power bank to get. The charger has a 10,000mAh power capacity, a mid-range capacity that we have included in this guide with other power banks; a 10,000mAh power capacity is useful for charging smartphones and the Switch.
On the charging side, that’s where this Aukey power bank excels as it has wireless charging at the top of the power bank, a USB-C Power Delivery port, and a Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A port.
Yes, this power bank does have a wireless charging pad at the top, and if you have a wireless charging compatible smartphone, which you may likely have, you can place your phone on top of the power bank for charging; another benefit of the wireless charging is that it’s able to deliver 10W for Samsung smartphones. Charging your Nintendo Switch via the USB-C Power Delivery yields around a 12W charging speed, a good speed for a power bank that has three outputs.
Read Review for Aukey 10,000mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank
| Quick Charge Port | 5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
|---|---|
| USB-C PD Port | 5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Samsung Phones Wireless Charging | 10W |
| iPhone Wireless Charging | 7.5W |
| Other Wireless Charging Smartphones | 5W |
| USB-C Input | 5V/3A | 9V/2A |
| Micro-USB Input | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| LED Power Indicator | Four White Power Capacity Indicators | Orange Indicator for Wireless Charging |
| Size | 5.6 x 2.6 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 8 Ounces |
RAVPower 30,000mAh 90W USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank
We already mentioned one RAVPower portable charger. However, this goes even higher on the power scale, with this power bank having a 30,000mAh power capacity and a 90W USB-C Power Delivery port. A 30,000mAh power bank is more of what you should go for when it comes to charging your Nintendo Switch; a high capacity from this RAVPower charger is the most useful in this guide as it fits the console’s high power usage when you’re portable with it and is great if you’re on a road trip and want to keep gaming whenever you’re bored.
As we mentioned before, this RAVPower portable charger also has very powerful charging, with the power bank having a 90W USB-C Power Delivery port that can charge up your Switch as you game. In our specific test with charging the Switch, it was able to charge at about 20W via the USB-C PD port.
The power bank also has a USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 port, and if you’re charging two devices at the same time, then the PD port outputs 65W; still, plenty of power to get your Switch charged up at a fast speed. The 90W or 65W PD charging speed is also useful for charging most USB-C laptops. Overall, this RAVPower charger makes for a perfect universal power bank to use with most portable devices.
You can recharge the power bank at 60W via a PD wall charger but you have to provide your own PD wall charger. Included in the box is a USB-C to USB-C cable.
Read Review for RAVPower 30,000mAh 90W PD Power Bank
| RAVPower 30,000mAh 90W Power Delivery Power Bank PB232 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 30,000mAh |
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/4.5A, 90W Max |
| USB-A Quick Charge Port | 5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A, 18W Max |
| Max Output when using Both Ports | PD 65W + iSmart 18W, Total 83W Max |
| USB-C (Input) | 5V/3A | 9V/3A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/3A, 60W Max |
| Size | 5.9 x 3.4 x 1 inches |
| Weight | 1.1 Pounds |
CHOETECH 10,000mAh PD Power Bank with Built-in USB-C and Lightning Cable
This CHOETECH portable charger is a bit unusual as the power bank has two built-in cables. The charger has a built-in USB-C and Lightning cable; the great part is that both cables can use an 18W USB-C Power Delivery charging speed. That said, in our test with charging the Nintendo Switch, we found the charging speed to be lower than what an 18W USB-C PD port can deliver as the built-in USB-C cable was able to charge the Switch at only 6W; rather than the 12W-15W that most 18W USB-C ports can do.
So the power bank does deliver a slower charging speed, but the benefit of owning this CHOETECH power bank is that you always have cables handy to charge your Switch or other devices such as smartphones. The power bank has a USB-C input port that can only be used for recharging. The charger’s form factor is easily one of the best parts as the cables can fit directly into the portable charger, making it easy to fit into your pocket.
Read Review for CHOETECH B688 PD Power Bank with Built-in Cable
| CHOETECH 10,000 B688 Power Delivery USB-C / Lightning Built-in Cable Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 10,000mAh |
| Built-in USB-C Cable | 5V 3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A |
| Built-in Lightning Cable | 5V 3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A |
| USB-C (Input) | 5V/3A | 9V/2A |
| Size | 5.75 x 2.72 x 0.67 inches |
| Weight | 8 Ounces |
Villain 20,000mAh Power Delivery and Quick Charge Power Bank
This Villain portable charger is a touch better than the many other 20,000mAh portable chargers on the market, with this one featuring a 20W USB-C Power Delivery port. In our test, it was able to charge the Switch at a bit of a faster speed than a base 18W USB-C PD port.
The power bank also has a Quick Charge port and a 3A standard USB-A port; the standard port on this Villain power bank was able to charge the Nintendo Switch at 6W, so when it comes to standard USB-A ports, you can charge the Switch as long at the port has a 3A (15W) charge rate. As 10W or 12W is still too low.
The power bank also has three input ports; you can recharge via the USB-C PD port, Micro-USB, or Lightning input port. The most innovative being the Lightning input port, as most power banks don’t use it, so this power bank is great to own for iPhone users that also own a Switch. At the top, you’ll find a digital display that shows the remaining power capacity.
Read Review for Villain 20,000mAh 20W Power Delivery Power Bank
| Power Capacity | 20,000mAh |
| Standard Port | 5V/3.0A |
| USB-C PD Port (18W) | 5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Quick Charge Port | 5V/3A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| USB-C PD Input | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| Micro-USB Input | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| Lightning Input | 5V/1.5A |
| LED Power Indicator | Digital Power Indicator |
| Size | 5.5 x 2.7 x 0.8 inches |
| Weight | 12.5 Ounces |
CHOETECH 10,000mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank
Another wireless charging power bank, this one, comes from CHOETECH. The charger has a 10,000mAh power capacity, yes, another mid-range power capacity that can keep your Switch charged up for quite a few gaming sessions. The charging from this portable charger is varied, with it featuring an 18W USB-C PD port, Quick Charge 3.0 port, and wireless charging at the top.
Our tests with charging the Nintendo Switch alone were great, with the power bank charging the Switch at 12W to 15W.
We also tested the CHOETECH power bank with charging three devices at once, with an LG G7 charging at the top, a Google Pixel charging via the USB-A port, and the Switch charging via the USB-C PD port; the Switch was able to charge at about 6W, a slower charging speed but impressive. The wireless charging is also impressive as it has a 10W, 7.5W, and 5W charging rate, depending on what phone you’re charging.
Read Review for CHOETECH 10,000mAh 10W Wireless Power Bank
| CHOETECH B650 10,000mAh Wireless Charging PD Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 10,000mAh |
| USB-C Power Delivery | 3.6V-6.5V/3A | 6.5V-9V/2A | 9V-12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Quick Charge USB-A Port | 3.6V-6.5V/3A | 6.5V-9V/2A | 9V-12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Wireless Charging | Samsung Phones: 10W iPhones: 7.5W Most other Qi Wireless Charging Smartphones: 5W |
| USB-C PD Input | 5V/2.4A | 9V/2.0A |
| Micro-USB Input | 5V/2.4A | 9V/2.0A |
| Size | 5.67 x 2.68 x 0.67 inches |
| Weight | 8 Ounces |
MAXOAK 99Wh 100W AC Outlet 45W USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank
This MAXOAK portable charger may be pushing it in terms of being a power bank, but it’s definitely useful for charging you Switch. The power bank has a 99Wh power capacity, which keeps you gaming for days on end. The charging is more impressive, though, as the power bank has two USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 ports, a 45W USB-C Power Delivery port, and 100W AC Outlet.
Using the 45W USB-C Power Delivery port, the Nintendo Switch can charge at about a 20W charging speed during gaming, a fast enough charge rate that can recharge the console while you’re playing. You can also opt to use the AC outlet to plug in a wall charger to charge your Switch if you want to use the USB-C Power Delivery port to charge a USB-C laptop. The power bank itself is larger than the others in this guide, and that’s mainly due to the AC outlet; however, what you’re getting is the convenience with the add-on.
The MAXOAK power bank does come with a 30W PD wall charger that can be used to recharge the power bank and can also be used to charge the Switch directly. A USB-C to USB-C cable is also included in the box.
Review for MAXOAK 45W 99Wh AC Outlet Power Bank
| MAXOAK 99Wh 100W AC10 Portable Power Bank Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 99Wh | 26,756mAh |
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 5V/3.0A | 9V/3.0A | 12V/3A | 15V/3A | 20V/2.25A (45W) |
| Both USB-A Ports | 5V/2.1A | 9V/2A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| AC Outlet | 100W | 140W Peak Power |
| USB-C Input | 30W |
| Size | 7.1 x 3.9 x 2.3 inches |
| Weight | 2.7 Pounds |
Aukey 8,000mAh 18W USB-C Power Delivery Power Bank
Yes, we wanted to add another wireless charging power bank to the mix, this one is also from Aukey, and it’s their 8,000mAh power capacity model. A low power capacity can keep your Switch charged up, but not as long as some of the other power banks in this guide. That said, the charging that you get from this Aukey power bank is incredible as it has four output charging options, something most power banks in this range don’t feature.
The charger has an 18W USB-C Power Delivery, a standard 12W USB-A port, an Quick Charge 3.0 port, and wireless charging at the top. Charging the Switch from the USB-C PD port results in the same 15W charging speed as the other power banks in this guide, but the wireless charging is slower with a 5W charge rate. The power bank itself is tiny and slim.
Read Review for Aukey 8,000mAh 5W Wireless Charging PD Power Bank
| Aukey 8,000mAh Wireless Charging 18W Power Delivery Power Bank with Quick Charge Specs | |
|---|---|
| Power Capacity | 8,000mAh |
| USB-C Power Delivery Port | 5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A Port | 5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W) |
| Standard USB-A Port | 5V/2.4A (12W) |
| Wireless Charging | 5W |
| Micro-USB Input | 5V/2.0A (10W) |
| USB-C Input | 5V/2A | 9V/2A |
| Size | 5.79 x 2.95 x 0.55 inches |
| Weight | 7 ounces |