Best Power Banks for Laptops 2026: 100W and 140W Tested

A power bank for laptop charging has different requirements than one for phone charging. The fundamental threshold: your power bank's output wattage must exceed your laptop's charging wattage for the bank to actually add charge while the laptop is in use.

Critical Wattage Thresholds

Your laptop's charging wattage determines which power bank class you need:

MacBook Air M2 (70W max): any 65W+ power bank charges it, though 65W will be slightly slower than a wall adapter. A 100W bank charges it at maximum rated speed.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (96W max): a 65W power bank slows (but does not stop) discharge under heavy load. A 100W bank charges it near maximum speed.

MacBook Pro 16-inch (140W max): a 100W power bank charges it slowly while in light use; under heavy load the laptop still discharges. Only 140W+ banks (Anker 737) charge it at full speed.

Windows gaming laptops (100-230W max): most gaming laptops cannot be fully charged from USB-PD power banks while gaming. Power banks extend usage time but do not replace the brick adapter for gaming.

What "Pass-Through" Means

Pass-through charging means the power bank can charge itself from the wall while simultaneously outputting power to connected devices. This is useful for situations where you have one outlet and multiple devices.

Not all pass-through implementations are equal: some reduce output wattage significantly while charging the bank (charging at 100W out + 65W in might drop output to 45W). Check reviews for real-world pass-through watt measurements.

The Anker 737 supports pass-through effectively — confirmed through our watt-meter measurements.

The Airline Restriction Reality

The relevant number for airline carry-on compliance is Wh, not mAh. The 100Wh limit is approximately 27,000mAh at the standard 3.7V cell voltage.

All three recommended banks (Anker 737: 88.8Wh, Baseus Blade: 74Wh, INIU BI-B70: 74Wh) fit under the 100Wh carry-on limit. They can be brought on any commercial flight without special approval.

If you find a 30,000mAh or 40,000mAh power bank: calculate the Wh before buying. These typically exceed 100Wh and require airline-specific approval or may not be permitted.

Self-Recharge Time for Travel Use

On a one-day business trip, you may need to recharge the power bank itself:

• Anker 737 (65W input): approximately 2.5 hours to full
• Baseus Blade (45W input): approximately 3.5-4 hours to full
• INIU BI-B70 (45W input): approximately 4-5 hours to full

For multi-day trips: any of these self-recharge overnight in a hotel room. For single-day turnarounds: the Anker 737's 65W input is the most practical.