There are a few things worth thinking about when you’re shopping for a portable charger.Ĭapacity: The capacity of a power bank is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), but this can be a little misleading because the amount of power you get out depends on the cable you use, the device you are charging, and the charging method (Qi wireless charging is less efficient). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

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Updated January 2023: We added new options from Otterbox, UAG, and RapidX, removed discontinued devices, and updated prices. Even if you're not living in an off-grid solar setup, good power banks will come in handy. I had a proper 12-volt battery bank in the bus, but since I was out and about much of the time, portable power was more flexible and let me take energy where I needed it rather than having to be beside a plug. That experience taught me that the key to solar power is good batteries. This obsession started when I (Scott) lived off-grid in a vintage RV, powered primarily by solar panels. To help, we've spent years working our way through all of them. There are hundreds of portable battery packs out there, and picking one can be confusing. If you keep a battery-powered portable charger handy, all those situations are a thing of the past. Each of these comes a different charger, which we’ve listed below.Portable devices have a Murphy’s law–like ability to run out of power at the least convenient moment: as you step on the bus, right in the middle of an important meeting, or just as you get comfortable on the couch and press Play. Chargers for the current MacBook rangeĪt the moment the MacBook range is comprised of the M1 MacBook Air, M2 MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro in three sizes. If you want a more affordable replacement or spare MacBook charger, check out our recommendations for the best chargers for MacBook Pro and Air. Fast-charging is a new feature on some MacBooks and requires a certain power rating, but you can charge with a slower power adapter just fine, it will simply take longer. While there are a variety available, ranging from 30W up to 140W, the more powerful ones won’t overload your machine or affect your battery.

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