Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD Review

The PowerCore+ 26800 is a solid battery pack whose score was mainly dinged by its size and weight — it's much more cumbersome to carry around than many of the other products, and it doesn't really have that much when it comes to integrated convenience features.

Performance Comparison

Portability

The first series of tests focused specifically on the portability of each of these portable battery packs. We considered the size and weight of each product, as well as how easy it is to fit inside different pockets. Unfortunately, the PowerCore+ got off to a bit of a rocky start in this metric, which accounts for 40% of its overall score.

This is one of the largest and heaviest battery packs of the group, measuring about 7 inches lengthwise and a little over 3 inches wide, while being about 1 inch thick. It also weighs in at well over a pound.

Needless to say, this isn't a portable battery that you really want to carry around in a pocket. It is very noticeable in the front or back pocket of most pants. However, we realize most folks will probably stash this item in a backpack or tote bag.

Charging Efficiency

Our next metric dealt with the actual electrical capacity of each battery, which is responsible for 30% of the overall score. We used a dummy electrical load and multimeter to measure the total number of milliamp-hours we could pull from a fully charged battery at both a 1 amps and at its maximum discharge rate — usually 2.4 amps — and compared it to the stated capacity to determine scores. We also looked at any manufacturers' claims about how many times a battery can charge a specific device and tested out those claims to see how well they held up.

The PowerCore+ has a rated capacity of 26,800 milliamp-hours and did fairly well in our resistive load tests. We were able to extract about 62% of the stated capacity — 16641 mAh — at a 2.4 amp discharge rate and a tiny bit more with a 1 amp rate.

Anker claims that this battery pack can charge an iPhone 8 nine times, which we calculated to be equivalent to charging a Samsung S8 about 5.46 times. The PowerCore+ exceeded this in our tests, charging an S8 a little over six times before it was fully depleted.

Added Convenience

While the main purpose of these products is to recharge your consumer electronics and all of them will do that to some degree, we also took any other features and functions these products might have that make them easier to use. We awarded points if you can charge multiple devices simultaneously and whether there were any integrated features like a flashlight or cables, and we also looked at any warranty terms. Overall, these tests account for 20% of the final score.

This portable power pack can charge multiple devices at once, using its pair of USB-A iQ ports and its USB-C PD port. All three can be used at once, with each port being nominally rated for a 3 amp max discharge — though this will drop if using the higher voltage capabilities of the PD port.

This battery has 10 small LEDs that indicate its level of charge but lacks both a built-in wall plug or integrated cables. It also doesn't have an integrated flashlight.

Recharge Time

Our fourth and final metric deals with how long it takes each of these portable battery packs to recharge, which is responsible for the remaining 10% of the total score. As this is one of the largest batteries, we initially thought the PowerCore+ PD would score quite poorly compared to some of the smaller packs, but it held its own quite well.

The PowerCore+ includes a dedicated PD charging wall brick, which allows this massive battery to recharge in a little over four hours — faster than some other products that are less than half the size. However, it takes considerably longer to charge without it.

Should You Buy the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD?

Overall, the PowerCore+ 26800 is a great battery pack if you need to get a ton of charges out of your portable power pack or need to charge lots of high-power devices, but it is probably overkill if you are just looking for a way to ensure that you aren't caught with a dead phone. However, if you do have a larger device, like a newer MacBook, or if you need to charge multiple tablets simultaneously, this battery from Anker is our top recommendation.

What Other Portable Chargers Should You Consider?

If you don't need the Power Delivery capabilities of this hefty device, or just want something more affordable and less bulky, check out the INIU Portable Charger 10000 or the Anker PowerCore 5000. For a charger that includes three types of cords, the Q Slim Power Bank Pro 10000 mAh is another great option.