The airport charging station was a joke. Four USB ports, all fighting for the same trickle of current. I watched, grimacing, as a desperate traveler, phone flashing the dreaded 1%, frantically unplugged and replugged his device. That’s when I knew: the Anker PowerCore 10000 needed a field test. Not just a theoretical assessment of its milliamp-hour capacity, but real-world, under-pressure performance.

My initial impression? This thing is ridiculously compact. Smaller than a deck of cards, it slips into a pocket unnoticed. The spec sheet boasts 10,000mAh, which, translated into practical terms, means it should juice up my iPhone 15 at least twice, and even manage a decent top-up for my power-hungry Galaxy S24 Ultra (a phone known for its brutal battery drain). Remember, the magic number to look for is the Watt-hour (Wh) rating; that’s the real measure of usable energy, and this Anker unit hits a respectable 37Wh.

The field: a week-long conference, heavy on note-taking, social media, and the constant threat of a dead phone. Charging speed is key. Anker uses their PowerIQ technology, which dynamically adjusts the charging current to match the device. I plugged in a completely depleted iPhone. In about 30 minutes, it registered 40% battery life. Pretty solid for a charger this size. The build quality, typically a weak spot for budget chargers, feels surprisingly robust. The matte finish doesn’t attract fingerprints, a small but important detail.

Here’s the rub though: it only has a single USB-A output and one USB-C, which also doubles as an input port for charging the PowerCore itself. That means no simultaneous charging of two high-power devices. Annoying, but not a dealbreaker for a solo traveler. I found myself simply prioritizing which device needed the juice the most. Alternatively, you could always bring a spare charging cable.

Compared to my older, bulkier Mophie Powerstation, the Anker is a clear winner in terms of portability. The Mophie offers more capacity, but I’d trade that for the Anker’s pocket-friendliness any day.

So, who’s this for? Anyone who’s tired of the battery anxiety that plagues modern life. Frequent travelers, students, or even just the average person who wants a reliable backup power source. If you’re running multiple power-guzzling devices simultaneously, look elsewhere. But for most, the Anker PowerCore 10000 offers a compelling blend of power, portability, and value. Go ahead. Ditch the wall wart and get one. You won’t regret it.