Even devices with the best phone battery life will ultimately run out of juice. That’s why the best power banks exist to provide a charge while on the go, especially when you’re nowhere near an outlet.
We bought five top-rated power banks on Amazon under $20 to see if they’re worth it, from brands you probably never heard of. Our testing ranged from the Amazon Basics option to one that offers the convenience of MagSafe, all to see how well they charge an iPhone. Personally, I prefer a charger that provides a significant amount of power in the shortest time possible. Below, I’ll break down the details, including how long they take to recharge and the unique features that come with them. Here’s what I found.
How We Tested
For this roundup, we’re grading each power bank in three categories, with each receiving a score from 1 to 5. Once all categories are scored, we tally the results to determine the overall winner.
Our first test involves connecting an iPhone 17 (charged to 100%) to each unit to see how long the power bank can keep the phone sustained at full capacity before the portable battery is completely drained. We do this by placing the iPhone 17 at 100% brightness, connected to 5G, and constantly running 3DMark’s Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited Stress Test (a demanding graphics test).
Next, we measure how long each power bank takes to recharge to 100% using a 65W adapter.
And finally, we use each unit to charge a completely drained iPhone 17, recording the time it takes to reach the 25%, 50%, and 100% marks. For this last one, we're scoring them based on how fast they get to 100%.
Testing Results
Test 1: 100% sustained (hours:minutes) |
Test 2: Recharge (hours:minutes) |
Test 3: 25%, 50%, & 100% (hours:minutes) |
|
Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
5:17 |
1:18 |
0:13, 0:26, 1:32 |
Baseus Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
4:58 |
0:46 |
0:14, 0:29, 1:32 |
Inui Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
5:57 |
1:13 |
0:15, 0:25, 1:25 |
Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank (5,000 mAh) |
3:11 |
1:14 |
0:16, 0:34, N/A |
Veektomx Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
5:20 |
1:44 |
0:19, 0:55, 2:19 |
Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger
- Price: $19.98
- Battery Capacity: 10,000 mAh
- What I like: It's utilitarian and reliable
- What I don’t like: No built-in cables or screen
If you search for cheap power banks under $20 on Amazon, you’ll almost certainly find the Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger within the first few results. While it isn't flashy, it was impressive in our testing, achieving good scores across the board.
Not only did it keep the iPhone 17 sustained at 100% for 5 hours and 17 minutes, but it also charged the phone incredibly fast, clocking the best time to 25% at just 13 minutes.
The only downside is that, true to its name, it’s very basic. You get USB-C and USB-A ports, but there are only four LEDs to indicate the remaining battery level — and you'll always have to remember to bring your own charging cables.
Baseus Portable Charger
- Price: $19
- Battery Capacity: 10,000 mAh
- What I like: Charges up to three devices simultaneously
- What I don’t like: Relatively heavy compared to others
The Baseus Portable Charger features an integrated USB-C cable that tucks neatly into its side. Combined with its additional USB-A and USB-C ports, it can charge three devices simultaneously. That’s extra utility you won’t find in the other chargers, though keep in mind that its fastest 22.5W charging speed is only available when charging a single device via the integrated cable.
On top of that, it was the fastest of the bunch to recharge, taking only 46 minutes to reach 50% — compared to the hour-plus times recorded by the rest. Finally, it put up a respectable iPhone 17 charging time, reaching a full charge in 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Inui Portable Charger
- Price: $19
- Battery Capacity: 10,000 mAh
- What I like: Ultra compact design
- What I don’t like: No digital display for exact battery percentage
The most striking thing about the INIU Portable Charger is its ultra-compact size and light weight. It’s almost hard to believe it packs a 10,000 mAh battery, as it’s significantly thinner and shorter than the competition. I also love how it ingeniously integrates the included USB-C cable to double as a lanyard strap.
As for performance, the INIU delivers outstanding results across the board. Not only did it last the longest when sustaining the iPhone 17 at 100% with a time of 5 hours and 57 minutes, but it also recharged the phone in record time, taking just 1:25.
Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank
- Price: $19.97
- Battery Capacity: 5,000 mAh
- What I like: Convenient MagSafe connection for wireless charging
- What I don’t like: Lower capacity compared to the competition
Unlike the others, the Lisen Ultra Slim is the only power bank in this group under $20 that offers MagSafe wireless charging. This allows me to snap it to the back of my iPhone without any pesky wires getting in the way while I use the phone. However, the trade-off is its 5,000 mAh capacity is the smallest of the bunch.
When using its USB-C wired connection, the Lisen still manages decent speeds. It charged the iPhone 17 to 25% in 16 minutes and reached the 50% mark after 34 minutes.
Veektomx Portable Charger
- Price: $19.70
- Battery Capacity: 10,000 mAh
- What I like: Integrated AC prongs and built-in cables
- What I don’t like: 12W max charging speed
Call it the Swiss Army Knife of the bunch, the Veektomx Portable Charger includes all the cables you’ll ever need. It even features an integrated Lightning cable for older iPhones. Beyond that, I love that this 10,000 mAh power bank has built-in AC prongs, allowing you to plug it directly into a wall outlet for recharging.
In our testing, it kept the iPhone 17 sustained at 100% for an impressive 5 hours and 20 minutes. Even though it has the slowest wired charging speed of the group at 12W, it still managed to get the iPhone 17 to 25% in a respectable 19 minutes.
The Winner
After tallying the results, the Inui Portable Charger emerged as the winner with a total of 14 points. It truly offers everything we look for in a portable power bank: it kept the iPhone 17 at full capacity the longest and boasted the fastest recharge time. Beyond performance, its compact design and ingenious lanyard — which doubles as a charging cable — make it the ultimate travel companion for your backpack.
Test 1 |
Test 2 |
Test 3 |
Total Points |
|
Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
3 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
Baseus Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
2 |
5 |
4 |
11 |
Inui Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
5 |
4 |
5 |
14 |
Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank (5,000 mAh) |
1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
Veektomx Portable Charger (10,000 mAh) |
4 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
In second place is the Baseus Portable Charger, which recorded the fastest time to reach a 50% charge. Meanwhile, the Veektomx Portable Charger offers the best utility of the bunch thanks to its array of integrated cables, and the Amazon Basics remains a reliable, no-frills choice. Finally, despite its lower capacity, the Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank is well worth considering if you need an affordable wireless charging solution that snaps onto your iPhone.
