INIU Portable Charger, Smaller 45W Fast Charging Power Bank, 20000mAh Black

Why it's worth it

The INIU holds 20,000 mAh, pushes 45 watts over USB-C, and carries its own braided cable so you can't leave it behind. It's noticeably smaller than most banks this size, and it costs a fraction of what a solar setup runs.

Most people asking about solar chargers actually just need a bigger battery. A weekend of phone use, a couple of tablet top-offs, a flight with no seat power — a 20,000 mAh bank covers all of it and never once cares whether the sun is out. INIU claims about four full phone charges or two tablet charges, and owner reports line up with that.

The size is the trick. INIU squeezes the cell into a frame roughly 30 percent smaller than typical 20,000 mAh banks, at about 11.5 ounces. It fits a jacket pocket. Forty-five watts takes an iPhone from 20 to 76 percent in half an hour, and the capacity sits under the TSA carry-on limit, so it flies with you without a conversation at the gate.

From our review of 8 solar power banks and portable chargers, by Michael Grant, Lead Editor, Electronics

What we like

• +Most people asking about solar chargers actually just need a bigger battery
• +The size is the trick
• +The built-in braided USB-C cable is rated past 10,000 bends and doubles as a carry handle, which sounds like marketing until…

What to know

• –Forty-five watts is enough for phones, tablets and a MacBook Air, but it's the floor for laptop charging — a hungrier 16-inch…
• –There's no solar anything here, so if you're gone longer than two days with no outlet, this is a battery that eventually dies