In a market flooded with affordable power banks, identifying one that reliably charges your device quickly is crucial. Our recent test of five popular models under $20 on Amazon focused on assessing their real-world performance with the iPhone 17, examining battery endurance, recharge speed, and charge time for a drained phone.

The Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger stood out as the most balanced and efficient option despite its no-frills design. This 10,000 mAh power bank kept the iPhone at full charge for over five hours during intense use and provided the fastest boost, reaching 25% battery in just over 13 minutes. It took about 1 hour 32 minutes to fully recharge the phone from zero, rivaling other more feature-rich models.

Other tested power banks included the Baseus and Inui models, each with a similar 10,000 mAh capacity. The Inui charger managed to sustain the battery almost as long as the Amazon option and offered slightly faster recharge times, but the differences were marginal. Baseus performed well yet trailed in charging speed. The Veektomx power bank also has a 10,000 mAh battery but lagged noticeably in charging times, taking nearly twice as long to reach full charge on the phone.

The Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe charger, despite its sleek design and MagSafe compatibility, featured only a 5,000 mAh battery and fell short both in sustained power delivery and recharge speed. Its charging lag was especially evident, making it less practical for extended use or rapid charges.

During tests, the team maintained the iPhone at full brightness with 5G active while running a demanding graphics benchmark to simulate heavy use. This approach ensured the power banks were evaluated under realistic stressful conditions rather than normal daily usage. Recharge times of the power banks themselves were also measured using a 65W adapter, providing insight into how quickly these external batteries can be ready for the next charge cycle.

Overall, the evaluation revealed that among budget power banks under $20, some models excel in delivering fast, sustained charging, while others compromise with either smaller battery capacity or slower recharge rates. For consumers prioritizing quick top-up times and device endurance during heavy use, the Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger emerges as the best value.

  • Amazon Basics Slim Portable Charger (10,000 mAh): 5h17m sustain, fastest 25% charge time (0:13), full recharge time 1h18m
  • Inui Portable Charger (10,000 mAh): Nearly comparable sustain, fast recharge times
  • Baseus Portable Charger (10,000 mAh): Solid performance but slower charging than Amazon Basics
  • Veektomx Portable Charger (10,000 mAh): Longest charging times, slower recharge
  • Lisen Ultra Slim MagSafe Power Bank (5,000 mAh): Compact but limited capacity and charging speed