Anker 25K Laptop Power Bank (165W) review: the handiest battery pack we’ve tested

Best Prices Today: Anker Power Bank (25K, 165W) with Cables

$99.99

We have become accustomed to the brick format of power banks. Anker has rounded the edges with its new power bank, which not only looks more appealing but also feels better in the hand.

The official name of the high-capacity battery pack is the rather plain “Anker Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables)”. Although it is not part of Anker’s high-end Prime line, the technical data is impressive: the 25000mAh battery capacity is very high but still approved for use in aircraft; 165W maximum output power; and four connections.

The four connections are divided into three USB-C and one USB-A. Of these, one connection is on a retractable cable, one on a fixed cable that becomes a carrying strap, and two classic ports.

Simon Jary / Foundry

The retractable cable pulls from the top of the power bank body and measures a respectable 2.3 feet (0.7m).

Thomas Bergbold

The maximum power of each USB-C connection is 100W. This refers to both the power output and the input power with which the power bank can be charged. The best thing about it: you don’t have to pay attention to the connection, the power applies equally to all ports. The maximum output at USB-A is 33W.

If you want to charge more than one device, the devices must share the maximum output of 165W between them. However, 165W can only be supplied by two devices; with three and four devices, the maximum output is limited to 133W. In practice, however, this is more than enough for most mobile Apple devices, drones and cameras.

As you would expect, the charging power is high. The power bank charges an iPhone 15 by 53% in 30 minutes, an 11-inch iPad Pro by 36% and a MacBook Air M3 by 51%. We got it to power an M2 Pro MacBook Pro to a near full (92%) recharge.

Thomas Bergbold

The informative display—which shows the capacity, the current power in watts and the health status, among other things—is very well done. When charging an iPhone, it displayed a maximum of 21W, 25W for the iPad Pro and 69W for the Macbook Air M3. You can also see the current power consumption at all times when charging.

For example, with an Anker Prime 200W desktop charger, the maximum is 90W. We were unable to measure the promised 100W. Nevertheless, the power bank recharges quickly. The extrapolation on the display showed 1:27 hours, in the end it was just under 1:35 hours. An excellent score for a power bank.

The power bank measures 6.2 × 2.1 × 1.9 inches (15.7 × 5.4 × 4.9cm) and weighs 21oz (595g).

Thomas Bergbold

Price

The Anker Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables) is priced at $99.99 / £89.99. For a high-capacity battery pack boasting two built-in USB-C cables as well as two ports, this is an affordable price.

It is available in either Silver or Space Black colors. Space Black is shown in our own pictures here.

Thomas Bergbold

Should you buy the Anker Power Bank (25K, 165W, Built-In and Retractable Cables)?

There are no real negative points about this power bank. It offers great performance at a good price. In particular, the charging time and the form factor are pleasing in detail. But that’s no longer enough to score points with customers. It is therefore the little things that make the new power bank our top recommendation among Anker power banks.

For some it will be the informative display, others will be pleased that there is finally a rubberized base. But what nobody will want to be without after a short time are the two permanently attached charging cables.

All in all, this is Anker’s best power bank, with one of the best price-performance ratios on the market.