Allpowers Power Bank 20000mAh

Not much to look at with its two-tone plastic, we might have expected a poor-quality power bank, but in our quest for the ultimate budget external battery, this model from Allpowers managed to surprise us and beat out many other, pricier power banks.

The whole unit is very well finished, and having put several of these batteries through torture tests (drops, high humidity, prolonged non-stop use over several weeks, etc.), they proved to be surprisingly high in quality and durability. Well protected (against short-circuits, overvoltage, overcharging, excessive temperatures, etc.), this little power bank is able to detect devices that draw very little power, such as certain Bluetooth earbuds.

A downside, however, regarding the advertised capacity: after measurement, we arrive instead at an actual capacity of around 12600mAh, which seems more consistent given the device's dimensions. This battery is also fairly slow, both to recharge and to charge a smartphone, far from the 4 hours claimed by the manufacturer. Despite this lower capacity and relatively slow charging, it remains one of the best choices for this price range, compactness, and build quality.

Another plus: its ability to charge while charging — when you plug a device into it, it charges itself while charging the connected device, which means that with a single wall outlet, you can potentially charge 3 devices overnight. Bottom line: hard to do better at this price.