Best for…
This is one of the smallest and lightest power banks we tested. It has a powerful USB-C PD port and built-in USB-C and Lightning cables. But it charges slower than our other picks.
I’m directionally challenged. With a dead phone battery, I’m unlikely to find the landmark right in front of my face, never mind the way back to my lodging.
That’s why I always travel with a portable charger. And while I love the top picks from our guide — they’re easy to slip in a backpack — they can feel bulky on occasions when I’m determined to sightsee light, with just my tiny purse containing my wallet, keys, and phone.
In this instance, a nearly credit-card-size portable power bank is just what the doctor ordered — if the doctor is charging expert Sarah Witman, our intrepid guide writer to the best portable chargers. She found the TravelCard Plus stood out thanks to its impressively small and lightweight design. (It’s slightly larger and about four times thicker than a credit card and weighs about as much as five sheets of notebook paper.) Plus, it’s easy to use and has sturdy built-in cables.
However, what you gain in portability, you lose in power. It’s slow, and it’s unlikely to fully recharge your phone (our larger top picks can fully recharge a phone up to three times). Still, in a dead-phone emergency, all you need is a little juice.