Home

Back to School Batteries: Fast Charge Your Android on the Go with These 11 USB-C External Power Packs

Jul 24, 2018 09:13 PM

Will smartphone batteries ever last as long as we need them to? Perhaps not. That's why we rely on external batteries to help us stay connected for hours, even days, longer than usual. But in 2018, you don't want to use just any external battery. Modern Android phones have fast charging — so should your portable charger.

While we're confident our list below features some great external batteries for your smartphone, it isn't the be-all and end-all. There are a lot of auxiliary power options for Android users. If you come across a portable charger, whether online or in-store, you should be on the lookout for a few specifications that I'll outline below.

Don't Miss: 3 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Phone's Battery

Capacity (mAh)

Every battery, whether external or internal, will be described by its capacity. This simply is a measure of how much charge the battery can hold. The larger the number (listed in mAh), the larger the charge and the longer the battery can charge your device.

The batteries in our roundup run from 8,000 to 26,800 mAh.

USB-C PD Compliant

It isn't enough for your external battery to be USB Type-C compliant. Make sure the battery also specifies "PD" (or Power Delivery) on the label. USB-C PD batteries will be able to fast-charge any compatible smartphone. On the flip-side, if the battery only specifies Qualcomm Quick-Charge compatibility, that might not include all fast-charge-enabled devices.

The Best USB-C External Batteries

While USB-C PD external batteries might not be as common as generic portable chargers, there's still plenty of excellent options to choose from. While some on this list can get a little pricey, you can snag an external battery for as low as $29.99. Take a look at our roundup below and see which portable charger works best for you: