Your Guide
Mose Hayward
Juiced Vagabond
Running out of battery on the road is, frankly, a crisis. I’m not exaggerating. As travelers, our phones provide lots of conveniences that we’ve come to depend on—in particular, they have our maps to get to that weird little street we’re staying on and also, often, even access codes to get in. Some AirBnBs even use keyless mobile phone links to unlock the door.
Yes, I have been locked out.
And yes, since then, I always travel with a backup battery.
I have been carrying the same Anker backup battery for years now and it is holding up exceptionally well. My particular model is no longer available and is supplanted by newer, faster ones, which is what I’ll recommend for you below, because this brand tends to last not just for myself but for many other travelers, testers, and reviewers. Anker also has a long history of good follow-up on its warranties.
There are also a few other travel batteries below worth considering for specific use cases.
Why We Must Travel with a Power Bank!
The advantages to carrying a spare battery, aside from the intro problem I mentioned about not running out of juice and getting locked out or lost without our phones:
- Often we carry our train, bus and plane tickets in digital-only versions in our phones, so we can’t continue our journey without a charge.
- Public USB charge points are a potential hacking risk; it’s safer to protect our data by charging from our own batteries.
- In many AirBnbs in places like Latin America, and in hostels anywhere in the world, there are not enough outlets to charge devices or they are not conveniently located, and so charging from a large-capacity battery for a night or two is much more convenient.
- We can be a life-saver for friends and other travelers who are less well-prepared.
Going Minimalist with a Combo Laptop/Phone Charger and Battery
You have to carry a wall charger in any case so why not have a device that serves as both a charging plug and a backup battery while traveling? The one option I’ve found that does this well is the Anker Nano Wall 3-in-1.
While plugged into the wall, it has 30W charging, which is fine for fast-charging most USB-C phones and tablets. It also recharges its internal battery when plugged in.
If the power goes out, there’s a lack of easily accessible outlets (happens a lot in Mexico, where I’m staying as I write this), or you’re in a train or overnight bus or otherwise away from outlets, this Anker charger doubles as a power bank and recharges two USB-C devices at once.
The battery capacity is 10,000 mAh, enough to fully recharge many phones twice over. (There are certainly good options with bigger capacities as mentioned next, but this is more than enough for most emergency uses on the road.)
There is a similar larger option from Anker as well with enough output for laptop charging: Anker Prime Power Bank.
A Large-Capacity Backup Battery for Travel
To truly be ready for days away from power, be prepared with the Anker 25K 165W USB-C Power Bank. It’ll completely recharge a laptop and a modern mobile phone a handful of times.
Your mileage will vary, but I’ve used an older model of this battery for years now and it continues to work great and keep me juiced on those long day-and-a-half adventures switching continents or on arriving at a spot without a convenient place to plug into the wall.
This new model comes with an 18-month warranty.
There are higher- and lower-capacity options (also more expensive to cheaper) available directly from Anker here.
The Smallest USB-C Batteries with Built-In Cables
Your extra-battery-on-the-go solution won’t be worth much if you’re not also carrying the cable to connect it to your phone or other device. Credit-card-sized solutions are available that have built-in cables to ensure you never have this problem.
Such a tiny battery might not completely recharge your phone but it will get you more than halfway there and save you in a pinch. The smallest good one we’ve found at the moment is the Tntor Card-Sized Power Bank.
Understanding USB Connection Types
Modern USB-C connectors can be plugged in upside-down or right-side-up. USB-C now connects nearly all modern phones and frequently laptops; it’s also becoming standard for things like headphones and portable Bluetooth speakers.
But you may have some devices that still charge via micro-USB and other standards. Here’s a photo of the main USB connections to know. Batteries, wall chargers, and computers often have USB-A outputs.
