The only working outlet at an airport gate always seems to have four people sitting on the floor around it. Carrying your own power is the way out of that scene, provided the battery is strong enough for a laptop and legal in a carry-on, and Anker’s model ticks both boxes at a lower price during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event, where Prime members can get the Anker Laptop Power Bank (25,000mAh, 165W) for $95 instead of $134.
Two Built-In Cables, Laptop-Grade Power
What sets this power bank apart is that the cables live inside it. One USB-C cable pulls out to 2.3 feet and retracts into the body, a mechanism Anker rates for 20,000 cycles. The second is a short loop, just under a foot long, that doubles as a carrying strap and is built to survive more than 20,000 bends. Anyone who has reached a hotel room with a full battery and the wrong cable will see the point: there is nothing left to forget.
Power is the other half of the argument. Each of the three USB-C outputs, the two cables and one port, can deliver up to 100 watts, which is laptop territory and enough to run a MacBook while it charges. With a USB-A port added, four devices can be connected at once. The total is capped at 165 watts, so the arithmetic matters when everything is plugged in: a laptop drawing its full 100 watts leaves 65 for the phone, the tablet and the earbuds, which is still plenty. Anker names the iPhone 17 series and MacBooks among the devices it is designed for, and on a family trip the four outputs also end the negotiation over who gets the one charger in the car.
Capacity is 25,000mAh, and Anker points out that it stays within the 100 watt-hour limit airlines apply to batteries in carry-on bags. That detail is easy to overlook and decisive, since larger batteries can be refused at security. The brand talks about week-long trips and camping. By my estimate, the capacity works out to roughly one full charge of a thin laptop with several phone refills left over, which is a workday away from a wall or a long-haul flight covered from takeoff to landing.
Refilling a battery this size can take a whole night with a phone charger. Anker says the power bank recharges quickly when paired with a charger of 100 watts or more, and that is the one thing missing from the box, which contains the power bank, a protective pouch and a manual. I’d count a suitable charger into the budget if you do not already own one. The listing gives no weight either, and a 25,000mAh battery is something you feel in a backpack, so this is equipment for a bag and not for a pocket. Anker covers it with an 18-month warranty.