I spent a few weeks searching for the right power bank with a right combination of size, features, weight and power for an upcoming trip where I will be hiking for 5 days to Machu Picchu with no power sources. There are tons of inexpensive travel power banks being sold on Amazon that all have the same thing in common, they are frauds or knockoffs with underpowered batteries that don’t deliver even 30% of what they promise. I bought 4 of them and tested them and found them all to be lacking, and all were returned.

I finally found the Anker unit which for whatever reason doesn’t even show up on their website.

It’s a true 20,000 mAh battery in a small size and best of all it’s USB C in and out and the cord is integrated into the unit. So like unlike most other powerbanks you aren’t carrying around USB-A or USB micro cords just to use with the powerbank, and USB-C gives you the fastest recharging times of the powerbank and whatever you are charging.

Yup, that’s fair enough. That’s why we also mentioned the PowerCore Essential PD in the writeup for the top pick, for those who want USB C in and out.

I haven’t yet found a USB C power bank of a similar size, capacity, and price to our “small” pick, but it’s something I’ll likely swap out when I do.

Edit: and that has now happened. 🙂