Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review
The Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 is a power bank designed for charging smartphones and other smaller devices multiple times, thanks to its 20,000mAh capacity.
As you might expect from a fairly simple power bank, the PowerCore Essential 20000 isn’t particularly striking in terms of its appearance. However, it does sport a nice texture on the front panel, and the overall build feels solid and premium – as is the case with many of Anker’s power banks.
While it’s quite thin and narrow, it’s also long and reasonably heavy, which compromises its portability somewhat compared to some of the best power banks. However, this is still a relatively easy power bank to travel with, and it reduces the dimensions that matter most.
The PowerCore Essential 20000 features a single power button, which feels as premium as the rest of the bank. It has four LED dots around the bottom to indicate the battery level. However, these are very dim, which makes them hard to see at certain angles and in certain lights, which is less than ideal if you want to quickly glance over to check the status.
There are four ports on the PowerCore Essential 20000, two of which are USB-A for charging your devices, with a power output of 15W each. You can also charge two devices at the same time, and there’s a trickle charging mode designed for safely replenishing small devices with low power draws, such as smartwatches and wireless earbuds. This can be activated by pressing the power button twice. However, when on, the fourth LED will remain green no matter what the battery level is, which is a shame.
I managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a from 50% to 100% in 90 minutes, which is a reasonable performance. It depleted the PowerCore Essential 20000 by a single bar, which means you should get a couple of full phone charges out of it. Replenishing the PowerCore Essential 20000 from two bars to full took about six hours, which is less impressive.
Ultimately, the PowerCore Essential 20000 doesn’t represent the best value when you consider its lackluster port selection, power, and features. It’s capacity does make it more practical than it otherwise would be, but there are better-priced alternatives out there.
Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review: price & specs
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Price | £39.99 / $69.99 / AU$79.99 |
Capacity | 20,000mAh |
Total wattage | 15W |
Number of ports | 4 |
USB-A | 2 |
USB-C | 1 (input only) |
Micro USB | 1 (input only) |
Wireless charging | No |
Weight | 12.1oz / 343g |
Power-to-weight | 58mAh/g |
Should I buy the Anker PowerCore Essential 20000?
Buy it if…
You want a thin power bank
Given its 20,000mAh capacity, the PowerCore Essential 20000 is surprisingly thin, which does help with portability.
You only want to charge small devices
The 15W output is enough for charging smartphones and smaller devices quickly, and the 20,000mAh capacity means it can do so multiple times.
Don't buy it if…
You want good port selection
Despite having four ports, only two can be used for charging devices, and they are both USB-A; the USB-C and micro USB ports can only be used for charging the bank itself.
You want to charge bigger devices
With only 15W of power, the PowerCore Essential 20000 can’t charge laptops and the like.
Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 review: also consider
Juovi J2621
The Juovi J261 has the same capacity as the PowerCore Essential 20000, but much more power at 45W. It also has four ports that are all capable of charging devices, including two USB-C ports to keep up with the times. To top it all off, it’s cheaper too. However, it’s notably bigger in size than the PowerCore Essential 20000, which may deter those who like to travel light. Read our JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review.
English (US) ·