Best Power Banks UK 2026: Our Top Portable Chargers for Every Budget

Whether you're heading to a festival, catching a long-haul flight, working remotely, or just tired of hunting for plug sockets on your commute, a good power bank is one of the most practical gadgets you can own. The problem is choosing the right one — with options ranging from slim 10,000mAh top-up packs to 140W powerhouses capable of charging a laptop, it's easy to overspend or end up with a portable charger that doesn't suit your needs.

We've rounded up the best power banks available at Maplin right now, covering every budget and use case. Whether you need a no-fuss everyday portable charger, a MagSafe-compatible option for your iPhone, or a high-capacity pack that can keep your laptop going on a long flight, there's something here for you.

• Best overall: Maplin 20,000mAh Portable Power Bank — £22.99
• Best budget portable charger: Maplin 10,000mAh Slim Power Bank — £19.99
• Best for laptop charging: Maplin 30,000mAh 65W Power Bank — £54.99
• Best for iPhone & MagSafe: Veger MagCore 10,000mAh Wireless Power Bank — £29.99
• Best premium power bank: ALOGIC Ark 27,000mAh 140W Power Bank — £94.99
• Most innovative: Veger SnapCam 5,000mAh MagSafe Power Bank — £34.99
• Best for Apple Watch: Veger Pomme 1,200mAh Apple Watch Power Bank — £19.99

Price: £22.99 | View product

For most people, the Maplin 20,000mAh Portable Power Bank is the one to buy. At under £23, it delivers a level of value that's hard to match — a 20,000mAh capacity that can fully charge most smartphones four to five times over, with integrated USB-C, Micro USB, and Lightning cables built directly into the unit.

That integrated cable design is genuinely useful in practice. Rather than rummaging for the right lead at the bottom of a bag, you have three of the most common connectors always on hand. It makes this power bank ideal for families managing multiple devices across Android and Apple, and for travellers who want to pack light. The 20,000mAh capacity also makes it well-suited to multi-day trips, festivals, or camping weekends where you won't have regular access to mains power.

At this price, there's very little reason to look elsewhere for a straightforward, high-capacity portable charger.

• Capacity: 20,000mAh
• Connectors: Integrated USB-C, Lightning & Micro USB
• Best for: Travel, multi-device households, festivals, everyday use

✅ Pros: Exceptional value for capacity, three integrated cables, no accessories needed
❌ Cons: Bulkier than slim-profile power banks; not suitable for laptop charging

Price: £19.99 | View product

If you want a reliable portable charger without spending much, the Maplin 10,000mAh Slim Power Bank is the one to go for. At £19.99, it's one of the most affordable options in the range — but the slim profile and four-in-one integrated cable (Lightning, USB-C, USB-A, and Micro USB) make it feel considerably more considered than its price suggests.

A 10,000mAh capacity will fully charge most modern smartphones twice, making it ideal for commuters who want a lightweight top-up option, or as a just-in-case charger for day trips. The inclusion of a USB-A cable alongside USB-C and Lightning means you're covered for older Android devices too — a small but thoughtful detail that many power banks at this price skip.

If you don't need huge capacity and want something slim enough to slip into a jacket pocket, this is the best-value portable charger in the range.

• Capacity: 10,000mAh
• Connectors: Integrated Lightning, USB-C, USB-A & Micro USB
• Best for: Commuters, budget buyers, light everyday use

✅ Pros: Very affordable, slim design, four integrated cable types
❌ Cons: Lower capacity than the 20,000mAh model; not suitable for laptop charging

Price: £54.99 | View product

For anyone who needs to keep a laptop running away from the mains, the Maplin 30,000mAh Power Bank is the standout choice in the range. Its 65W USB-C Power Delivery output is sufficient to fast-charge most USB-C laptops — including MacBooks and many Windows ultrabooks — at a price that significantly undercuts comparable options from specialist brands.

The 30,000mAh capacity is the highest in the Maplin range, offering enough stored energy to fully charge a typical laptop once and still have plenty left for your phone. Dual USB-A and USB-C outputs mean you can charge two devices simultaneously, which is useful during a working day on the go or a long journey.

One important note: at 30,000mAh this power bank exceeds the standard 100Wh airline carry-on limit. It should not be taken onto flights. If you need a high-capacity power bank that's airline-safe, see the ALOGIC Ark below.

• Capacity: 30,000mAh
• Max output: 65W USB-C PD
• Ports: USB-A and USB-C
• Best for: Remote workers, laptop users, long trips (non-flight)

✅ Pros: Laptop-compatible 65W output, highest capacity in the range, multi-port charging
❌ Cons: Exceeds standard airline carry-on limit (100Wh); heavier than smaller packs

Price: £29.99 | View product

iPhone users who want to charge without cables will find the Veger MagCore hard to resist. This 10,000mAh power bank supports MagSafe-compatible wireless charging — meaning it snaps magnetically onto the back of an iPhone 12 or later and charges it without plugging anything in. It also supports wireless charging for Apple Watch and AirPods, making it a practical all-in-one solution for anyone in the Apple ecosystem.

USB-C Power Delivery input means the MagCore itself recharges quickly from a wall plug, and the compact form factor means it won't add much bulk to your phone when clipped on. At £29.99, it's substantially cheaper than comparable MagSafe power banks from other brands, without any meaningful compromise in daily use.

The only real trade-off is speed — wireless charging is inherently slower than a wired connection. If fast charging is your priority over convenience, a wired power bank will serve you better. But for iPhone users who simply want to top up throughout the day without fiddling with cables, the MagCore is the best option in the range.

• Capacity: 10,000mAh
• Wireless: MagSafe-compatible, Qi
• Compatible with: iPhone 12 and later, Apple Watch, AirPods
• Best for: iPhone users, wireless charging, everyday carry

✅ Pros: MagSafe magnetic alignment, charges Watch & AirPods, very competitive price
❌ Cons: Wireless charging is slower than wired; most useful for Apple device owners

Price: £94.99 | View product

The ALOGIC Ark is for those who want the best, full stop. With a 140W USB-C output, it can rapidly charge even power-hungry laptops — including MacBook Pros and high-performance Windows machines — at close to full wall-socket speed. Most power banks that claim laptop compatibility top out at 65W; the ALOGIC Ark's 140W output is in a different league.

Equally important is what the Ark doesn't do: at 27,000mAh it sits just within the 100Wh threshold that most airlines set as the carry-on limit for lithium batteries. This makes it one of the highest-capacity power banks you can legally take on a plane without needing special permission — a crucial consideration for frequent flyers who need maximum capacity in a single bag.

At £94.99 it's the most expensive option in the range, and rightly so. For professionals, frequent long-haul travellers, or anyone who genuinely needs to keep a laptop fully charged away from the mains, the ALOGIC Ark justifies every penny.

• Capacity: 27,000mAh
• Max output: 140W USB-C
• Airline safe: Yes — within 100Wh carry-on limit
• Best for: Frequent flyers, power users, laptop charging on the go

✅ Pros: Class-leading 140W output, airline-safe capacity, premium build quality
❌ Cons: Premium price; more than most casual smartphone users will ever need

Price: £34.99 | View product

There's nothing else quite like the Veger SnapCam. It combines a 5,000mAh MagSafe-compatible power bank with a Bluetooth selfie shutter and a built-in kickstand — three accessories in one compact unit that clips magnetically onto the back of your iPhone. Take hands-free photos, prop your phone up to watch video, and keep your battery topped up, all without a single extra accessory in your bag.

The 5,000mAh capacity is modest — it won't fully charge a modern iPhone from flat — but that's not really the point. The SnapCam is designed as a keep-topped-up companion for content creators and social media users who want their phone charged and ready to shoot at any moment. At £34.99, it's an original product at a fair price.

• Capacity: 5,000mAh
• Features: MagSafe magnetic attachment, Bluetooth selfie shutter, kickstand
• Best for: Content creators, iPhone users, social media

✅ Pros: Genuinely unique three-in-one design, MagSafe compatible, great for creators
❌ Cons: Limited capacity for heavy users; MagSafe feature is iPhone-specific

Price: £19.99 | View product

The Veger Pomme solves a very specific problem: keeping your Apple Watch charged on the go without carrying a separate charging cable and plug. This tiny 1,200mAh pendant power bank has a built-in Apple Watch charging puck and an LED indicator that shows remaining battery at a glance. Wear it, clip it to your bag, or drop it in a pocket — it's there when you need it.

It won't charge your phone, and it isn't trying to. For heavy Apple Watch users facing a long day out, an event, a festival, or a multi-day trip, it's the kind of niche product that solves a real-world frustration quietly and elegantly. At £19.99 it works well as an add-on buy alongside one of the larger power banks in the range.

• Capacity: 1,200mAh
• Compatible with: Apple Watch (all series)
• Features: LED charge indicator, pendant/clip wearable design
• Best for: Apple Watch users, events, travel

✅ Pros: Fills a genuine gap, compact and wearable, simple LED indicator
❌ Cons: Apple Watch only; minimal capacity for any other device

Capacity is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). The higher the number, the more times you can charge your device before the power bank itself needs recharging. As a practical guide:

• 5,000mAh: A partial top-up for most smartphones — good as a lightweight emergency backup or if you just need a bit of extra run time
• 10,000mAh: A full charge for most modern smartphones, with a little left over — the sweet spot for commuters and light daily use
• 20,000mAh: Three to five full phone charges — ideal for travel, festivals, camping weekends, or anyone who uses their phone heavily
• 27,000–30,000mAh: Enough for a full laptop charge plus several phone top-ups — for remote workers, power users, and long-haul travel

One thing worth knowing: a power bank's real-world usable capacity is typically around 80–90% of its stated figure, as some energy is lost as heat during the conversion process. A 20,000mAh power bank effectively delivers around 16,000–18,000mAh of usable charge — still more than enough for most use cases.

USB-C Power Delivery is the charging standard that enables fast charging for both phones and laptops. If your smartphone supports fast charging (most modern Android and iPhone models do), a power bank with USB-C PD will charge it significantly faster than a standard USB-A port. For laptop charging, you'll need a power bank with at least 45W USB-C PD output — both the Maplin 30,000mAh (65W) and the ALOGIC Ark (140W) meet this requirement comfortably.

If you're only charging a phone, a standard USB-C output without PD will still work — it'll just be slower. For most smartphone users, this isn't a significant issue in everyday use.

Wired USB-C charging is faster and more energy-efficient. Wireless charging via MagSafe or Qi is more convenient, particularly on iPhones — the magnetic alignment of MagSafe means the power bank stays securely attached to your phone without any cables or fiddling. The trade-off is speed: wireless charging is inherently slower, typically delivering 7.5–15W versus 20W+ for wired fast charging.

For most people, a wired power bank with USB-C is the practical, fast choice. iPhone users who prioritise convenience over charging speed — particularly if they're keeping their phone on throughout the day rather than doing a big recharge — will get real value from the MagSafe options.

Yes, but the rules are strict; in fact we have a dedicated blog article about the topic here. Power banks must always be carried in hand luggage — never in checked baggage. Most airlines set a limit of 100Wh per power bank for carry-on use, which equates to approximately 27,000mAh. The ALOGIC Ark 27,000mAh sits right at this threshold and is airline-safe. The Maplin 30,000mAh power bank exceeds this limit and should not be taken on flights.

Always check with your specific airline before travelling, as rules can vary. Some carriers allow batteries up to 160Wh with prior approval.

Having cables built into the power bank means you'll never be without the right lead — particularly useful when you're travelling light or sharing a power bank across different devices. All three Maplin-branded power banks feature integrated cables, which is a genuine convenience advantage over power banks that require you to remember a separate cable. The trade-off is that built-in cables can't be replaced if they wear out, but at the price points offered, this is a very reasonable compromise.