| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Budget friendly price | Overheats easily |
| Fast recharge time | Very basic LED display |
| Built-in USB-C cable | |
| Lightweight and compact |
When you’re looking for a power bank that just works—no gimmicks, no flashy screens, no overpriced “premium” branding—the Anker 20K Laptop Battery hits a sweet spot. In our 2025 test group, it didn’t rank the highest overall, but in terms of value, it might just be the best bang for your buck. We stress-tested this thing across recharge speeds, discharge stability, thermal performance. And while it’s not perfect, it earned its spot for one simple reason: it gets the job done without breaking the bank.
Looking for power banks that actually perform? Check out our Top 5!
How We Test
We’re reviewers – not influencers. What does that mean? It means we test everything our way before we share the results. None of the content we produce is sponsored so you don’t have to wonder if we’re just trying to sell you something.
For battery banks in 2025, here’s what what we tested:
- Charging protocols – We did timed charge tests for every protocol that the battery bank claimed. For example, a battery bank might advertise PDO’s of 15W, 27W and 60W. We would run voltage stability tests for each rate. We do the same for PPS as well.
- Temperature – We captured the temperature of the battery bank for all the charge tests and noted any overheating, throttling or failure to maintain the chosen output.
- Capacity test – We fully charged and discharged each battery bank using a PD controller and an e-load. This method pushes the battery harder than normal use, revealing when it fails to maintain proper output instead of just dropping to a lower voltage.
- Recharge tests – We measure and timed the amount of energy required to fill the battery bank completely. We didn’t rely on the counters on the packs, instead we had hard cutoffs coded into our test programs
- Efficiency – From our charge/discharge tests, we calculated several efficiency values to see how much usable energy you get compared to how much went in.
Design
This is a 72Wh, 20,000mAh bank that comes with one USB-C port, one USB-A port, and a built-in USB-C cable. No buttons, no display graphics—just a simple LED number that tells you roughly how much juice is left. It’s compact, smooth to the touch, and easy to toss in a bag. But don’t expect any flashy features here as this one’s all about the core functionality.
Now, Anker does lean into a bit of marketing fluff by calling this an “87W charger,” which is a stretch. The USB-C port peaks at 65W, and the USB-A port hits 22.5W. Still, it supports 7 different PDOs and a 5A PPS protocol (3V–11V), which makes it decently versatile.
Performance
The Anker 20K battery bank performs where it counts. In our discharge tests, we pulled 44.8Wh out of the advertised 72Wh, resulting in an overall efficiency of 62% which is quite low for an Anker product. Fixed PDO accuracy was solid at 92.5%, though PPS performance ranked a bit lower at 74.5%.
We did notice a hiccup during high-speed discharge: the bank dropped to 30% and abruptly cratered the last 20% of capacity, possibly due to overheating. Restarting the test got us through it, but it’s something to keep in mind if you plan to push this thing at full speed. That said, recharging was a breeze as it was topped off in under 90 minutes at a consistent 65W.
The best products we tested have efficiency scores around 70%!
Thermals
Thermals are where this power bank shows its budget roots. Max discharge temps hit 46.3°C, and recharge peaked at 38.4°C, both hotter than average. It didn’t hit thermal throttle levels, but the elevated temps likely explain that odd cut-off during our first discharge test.
Value
Here’s the kicker: this power bank costs just $70. At $0.75 per watt-hour, it’s not the absolute cheapest but for the performance, size, and recharge speed, it’s hard to beat. You’re also getting a built-in USB-C cable, which saves you from needing to pack an extra one. It’s not a feature-packed product, but that’s part of its charm.
Verdict
If you’re budget-conscious but still need something strong enough to charge a laptop or multiple devices quickly, this Anker 20K power bank deserves a serious look. It’s not flawless but in real-world usage, it holds up surprisingly well. For those who just want a simple, affordable, and reliable charger, this is the one we’d recommend.
If you want to see what our Top 5 Battery Banks are for 2025, check out this list!