The Portable Charger That's Heavier Than My Phone
“I bought a 1.3-pound portable charger that can charge a laptop because I was afraid of running out of battery. For my phone — which is what actually dies — the Anker Nano with the built-in cable is $26, fits in my pocket, and charges my phone twice. That's all I needed.”
Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K)
8,765 reviews
Pros
- +24,000mAh — charges a phone 5+ times
- +140W output — can charge a MacBook Pro
- +Smart digital display shows watts, time remaining
- +Three ports (2 USB-C, 1 USB-A)
Cons
- -$110 and weighs 1.3 pounds — it's a brick
- -TSA limit is technically 100Wh (this is 86.4Wh, but it's close)
- -Too big for a pocket — needs a bag
- -You're carrying a laptop charger AND a portable charger
Anker Nano Power Bank 10,000mAh with Built-in USB-C Cable
22,431 reviews
Pros
- +Built-in USB-C cable — no cable to forget or lose
- +10,000mAh — 2 full phone charges
- +Fits in your pocket
- +Clip-on design attaches to phone
- +Twenty-six dollars. The 737 is 4.2 of these.
Cons
- -Can't charge a laptop
- -Only 30W max output
- -Built-in cable is USB-C only (no Lightning)
- -No USB-A port
The Story
Battery anxiety is real. What if my phone dies and I can't check my brokerage account? What if my laptop dies mid-Salesforce deployment? What if ALL my devices die simultaneously and I'm left alone with my thoughts?
So I bought the biggest, most powerful portable charger on Amazon. The Anker 737. Twenty-four thousand milliamp hours. Hundred-forty watts. It can charge a MacBook Pro. It has a digital display that shows you exactly how many watts it's outputting, like a little power plant dashboard.
It also weighs 1.3 pounds. That's heavier than my iPhone. I'm carrying a brick in my bag so that I never run out of battery. The irony is that I also carry my MacBook charger, which means I have two ways to charge my laptop and I've never been in a situation where I needed the portable charger for my laptop. Not once.
What actually dies is my phone. And for that, the Anker Nano is perfect. It's pocket-sized. It has a built-in USB-C cable so you can't forget the cable. It charges my phone twice, which is plenty for a day out. It costs $26.
I still carry the 737 in my bag because throwing it away feels wasteful. But the Nano is the one I actually reach for. It clips to my phone. I don't need a separate cable. I don't need a bag to carry it. I just need my phone to not die at 3 PM, which is its favorite time to die.
The Lesson
Buy the portable charger for the device that actually dies (your phone), not the theoretical worst case (all devices simultaneously). A pocket-sized 10K bank handles 99% of battery emergencies.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is an honest comparison of products I've actually used. Product details, prices, ratings, and review counts are approximate and may be outdated. This page was created with AI assistance. Not professional product advice — just one guy's experience.
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Glen's Musings — AI, investing, and building things. Occasional. Free.
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