Best Power Banks for Laptops

Charging a laptop from a power bank requires far more output than charging a phone. A phone power bank won't touch a laptop's battery, so you need one built for the job.

The wattage is the first requirement

Most laptops need 45W to 65W of USB-C Power Delivery to charge. A power bank that only outputs 18W will either charge the laptop painfully slowly or not at all. Check the bank's PD output wattage first.

Capacity for laptop charging

• 20,000 mAh: roughly one laptop charge for smaller machines
• 26,800 mAh: the airline carry-on limit, about one to one and a half charges
• 45,000 mAh or more: multiple charges, but heavy and sometimes not allowed on planes

What to check

Confirm the bank supports USB-C Power Delivery at 45W or higher, and check airline rules if you'll fly with it. Larger banks often exceed the 100 watt-hour limit and can't go in carry-on luggage.

Buy a 26,800 mAh bank with 65W PD output. That's the largest you can fly with and enough to keep a laptop going through a long workday away from a wall outlet.