The best USB-C power packs for iPhone, iPad, and MacBook

Chance Miller | Mar 29 2018 - 7:10 pm PT

Despite the ever-increasing size of batteries, there become times when you need a little more power to get you through a day with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Whether it’s because of travel, a heavy workload, or other factors, it’s always wise to keep a portable battery pack around for extending your device’s battery life.

Head below for the best USB-C portable batteries and power packs for iPhone, iPad, and Mac…

Starting with the 12-inch MacBook in 2015, Apple started moving its MacBook line to USB connectivity. The MacBook Pro made the switch in 2016, and now there are a host of USB-C portable batteries that are capable of not only recharging your iPhone and iPad, but also your MacBook.

One thing to note here is that one accessory you’ll definitely want to pick up for iPhone and iPad charging is a USB-C to Lightning cable. Apple offers its own first-party cable, while several other third-party options exist:

The best USB-C power packs for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Anker PowerCore+

The Anker PowerCore+ features a 26,800 capacity with 30W USB-C support, as well as two traditional USB-A ports. In addition to the battery pack itself, you also get a 60cm USB to USB-C cable, a 60cm Micro USB cable, and a 90cm USB-C to USB-C cable.

Our own Ben Lovejoy found in his review that the Anker PowerCore+ is powerful enough for adding some power to a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, it is capable of fully recharging the less power intensive 12-inch MacBook.

The Anker PowerCore+ comes in at $99.99 and has a 4.5/5 star rating from hundreds of Amazon shoppers. Read our full review.

RAVPower 26800

Similar to the Anker PowerCore+ is RAVPower’s portable USB-C charger. It features 26800 of power and two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports. It supports the 12-inch MacBook as well as any smartphone on the market with its 30W USB-C output. You also get two microSUB cables, a microUSB to USB-C adapter, and a carrying pouch.

The RAVPower 20100 is $79.99 on Amazon, with a 4.5/5 start rating from over 1,000 shoppers. RAVPower also offers a more affordable battery pack at $49.99 with 20,100mAh.

Aukey

Aukey offers one of the more versatile USB-C charging packs on the market. With 20,000mAh of power, the Aukey’s battery features three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, one microUSB, and one Lightning input. The Lightning input is especially notable as it allows you to recharge the power bank using a traditional Lightning cable.

Aukey’s 20,000mAh battery pack goes for $39.99 on Amazon and has a 4.5/5 star rating.

Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL

One of the top choices in terms of USB-C power packs is the Mophie Powerstation XXL. With 19,500mAh of power and 30W output, Mophie says its Powerstation XXL can extend MacBook battery life by 14 hours, while it can also add over 60 hours of battery life to iPhones.

You pay a bit more for the Powerstation USB-C XXL than you do other options, though. The device is available Amazon for $149.95. Read our full review.

Mophie Powerstation AC

Mophie also offers the Powerstation AC, which features USB-C, USB-A, and a traditional AC port. With USB-C, the Powerstation AC outputs 30W, the AC port is capable of pushing 100W of power. Mophie says you can fully recharge a MacBook or add up to 100 hours of life to a smartphone.

The Mophie Powerstation AC is available for $199.95. Read our full review on 9to5Toys.

Mophie Powerstation

On the lower-end of the market, Mophie offers its standard Powerstation. It features 10,000mAh of juice and outputs at 15W through USB-C, so you do miss out on some of the power of the XXL model.

However, the Powerstation is considerably cheaper at $69.95, so it could be a solid choice if you’re only looking to power an iPhone or iPad.

Tronsmart Presto

One of the most affordable USB-C power packs on the market comes from Tronsmart. Its Presto power bank offers 10,400mAh of juice with USB-C output at 15W. While it’s not the most powerful option on the market, it’s hard to beat at just $28.99.

Wrap up

These are some of the top portable batteries for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. As you can see, they can vary wildly in price, but it ultimately comes down to the power each one offers, both in terms of capacity and wattage.

Do you have a favorite portable battery pack? Let us know down in the comments!

Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: