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You've got a trip coming up where a dead battery isn't an option. Maybe it's ten days of camping with offline maps as your only navigation. Maybe it's a remote work stint where your laptop pays the bills. And there's a good chance you've been burned before, by a "50,000 mAh" powerbank from a marketplace listing that managed two phone charges and then gave up.
If you've stopped trusting spec sheets, good. This guide covers how to check whether a power bank is genuine, what airlines allow in 2026 (several rules changed this year), and how to plan your power for a long trip off the grid. We'll also tell you where our own Targus® power banks make sense, and where they don't.
A pocket-sized power bank promising 100,000 mAh for the price of a meal isn't a bargain. It's almost certainly a lie. You don't need a lab to catch it, either. These three checks will expose most fakes.
Milliamp-hours (mAh) describe the size of the fuel tank at the cell's voltage. Watt-hours (Wh) describe the actual energy inside, which is why airlines use Wh. You can work it out yourself:
Wh = (mAh × 3.7) ÷ 1000
A genuine 25,000 mAh bank works out to about 92.5Wh. If a listing's Wh and mAh figures don't line up, walk away. Also check that the capacity is printed clearly on the casing itself. Airport security in several countries now looks for it.
There's a physical limit to how much energy a lithium cell can hold for its weight, and no marketing copy can change that. Add the casing and circuitry, and a real high-capacity power bank weighs roughly what you see below. If a listing comes in far lighter, the capacity claim is fake.
| Claimed capacity | True energy | Realistic weight | Red flag if it weighs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 mAh | About 37Wh | 150 to 250 g | Under 120 g |
| 20,000 mAh | About 74Wh | 300 to 500 g | Under 250 g |
| 25,000 mAh | About 92.5Wh | 450 to 700 g | Under 350 g |
For reference, our Targus 100W USB-C Portable Power Bank holds 25,000 mAh and weighs 599 g. That's what real capacity and proper protection circuitry weigh.
A cheap USB-C power meter, a thumb-sized tester that sits between the bank and your device, gives you a definite answer. Charge the bank fully, run a phone or laptop off it until it's empty, then read the total Wh delivered. A genuine bank delivers roughly 65 to 80 percent of its rating. A fake delivers a fraction of that.
Once you know a power bank is genuine, three specs tell you whether it can do the job.
USB-C Power Delivery (PD) is what makes high output possible. PD 3.0 tops out at 100W. PD 3.1 raises the ceiling to 240W, which is how banks like our 140W model go past 100W. That extra output is the difference between running a laptop and just keeping a phone alive.
| Power bank class | Typical genuine specs | What it can realistically do | Carry-on status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact phone bank | 5,000 to 10,000 mAh, 15 to 30W | One to two phone charges. Will not charge a laptop. | Allowed, cabin only |
| Multi-device bank | 15,000 to 20,000 mAh, 30 to 65W | Phones and tablets for a weekend. Models at the 45 to 65W end can charge many ultrabooks, but with limited capacity to spare. | Allowed, cabin only |
| Laptop-class bank | 24,000 to 27,000 mAh, 100 to 140W | Runs and charges a laptop while topping up a phone. The most energy you can fly with per bank without approval. | Allowed if under 100Wh, cabin only |
You drop your bag in the security tray and wonder if your battery is about to end up in a bin. These are the rules that decide it, and several changed this year.
Every airline bans power banks from the cargo hold. If a battery overheats in the cabin, the crew can deal with it. If it catches fire in the hold, nobody can reach it. Your power bank always stays in your carry-on.
Airlines go by Wh, not mAh. Under 100Wh, you're fine. Between 100 and 160Wh, you need the airline's approval in advance. Above 160Wh, it doesn't fly. At the standard 3.7V cell voltage, 100Wh works out to about 27,000 mAh. That's why serious laptop-class banks sit at 24,000 to 25,000 mAh, the most energy you can fly with without paperwork. Both Targus USB-C power banks are deliberately designed to stay under that 27,000 mAh ceiling.
Since 27 March 2026, ICAO (the UN's aviation body) has limited passengers to two power banks each and banned recharging them in flight. Many Asia Pacific carriers go further. Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Korean Air, JAL, ANA, Qantas, Jetstar and Thai Airways ban using power banks on board at all. Many airlines also want them in the seat pocket or under the seat, not in the overhead bin. A few, like Emirates, allow only one. Check your airline's page before you pack.
Since June 2025, China's aviation authority has banned power banks without a visible CCC ("3C") certification mark from domestic flights. The mark has to be printed on the casing, and the capacity has to be legible. A CE or FCC logo doesn't count. It's easy to get caught out: you clear your international arrival in Shanghai with no problem, then lose the battery at security for your domestic connection. Whatever brand you carry, check the casing before you go.
These rules are changing fast, so use this section as a starting point and confirm with your airline before every trip.
A popular tip for long trips was to carry three mid-sized banks instead of one big one. You got backup if one failed, the weight was spread out, and each bank sat safely under the airline limit. With the two-bank cap, that third bank can now be confiscated at security.
The thinking behind it still works. Today, the better setup is two banks with two different jobs:
You still have a backup, you stay within the rules, and you can still fly with up to almost 2 × 99Wh.
Peace of mind comes from doing the maths before you leave, not from packing the biggest brick you can find. Here's an example budget for a careful ten-day camping trip. Your numbers will differ, so swap in your own devices.
| Device | Battery size (approx.) | Full charges over 10 days | Energy needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone (airplane mode, offline maps) | 18Wh | 5 (one every two days) | 90Wh |
| Rechargeable headlamp | 10Wh | 1 to 2 | 10 to 20Wh |
| GPS or satellite messenger | 5Wh | 1 to 2 | 5 to 10Wh |
| Total delivered energy needed | About 105 to 120Wh |
Now factor in conversion loss. A 92.5Wh main bank delivers around 65Wh, and a 10,000 mAh pocket bank adds about 25Wh. That's roughly 90Wh you can actually use, which falls a little short of this budget. So how you use power matters as much as what you carry. Keep your phone in airplane mode, download your maps before you lose signal, turn the screen brightness down, and top up your banks whenever you pass through a town or a campsite with power.
Bringing a laptop? Laptop batteries typically hold around 50 to 100Wh, so one full charge can use most or all of a laptop-class bank. If the laptop has to come, give it the main bank and keep the pocket bank for your phone.
Most power banks are made for laptop bags, cafés and departure lounges, not monsoon rain. Ours are no exception: Targus power banks aren't sold as waterproof or rugged outdoor gear. Look after a quality bank, though, and it will handle a camping trip fine.
A fake-capacity bank is annoying. A badly built one can be dangerous. Uncertified banks often pair low-grade cells with bare-minimum protection circuitry. Push them hard and they can swell, overheat and, at worst, go into thermal runaway, a self-sustaining fire that's very hard to put out. That risk is the reason airlines have tightened their rules.
There's a quieter risk too: unstable output. Without proper voltage regulation, a cheap bank can put stress on the charging circuitry of the device you rely on most. That's a real problem when the nearest repair shop is a two-day walk away.
So protection comes first for us. Targus has been making laptop gear for over 40 years, much of it for business travellers and IT teams who can't afford hardware failures. Both of our USB-C power banks are UL-certified, have passed more than 115 third-party compliance tests, and have a fire-retardant rating that meets UL requirements. Protection against over-charging, over-voltage, over-current and overheating is built in as standard.
We'd rather you buy the right power bank than our power bank. So here's who our two models suit, and who should look elsewhere.
| Spec | 100W USB-C Portable Power Bank (APB080) | 140W USB-C Portable Power Bank (APB081) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 25,000 mAh (about 92.5Wh) | 24,000 mAh (about 88.8Wh) |
| Max USB-C output | Up to 100W (PD 3.0) | Up to 140W (PD 3.1) |
| Ports | 2 × USB-C, 1 × USB-A | 2 × USB-C, 1 × USB-A (5V/2A) |
| Size and weight | 17.2 × 8.6 × 2.9 cm, 599 g | 19.38 × 8.68 × 2.9 cm, 690 g |
| Protection | Over-charging, over-voltage, over-current, overheating | Over-charging, over-voltage, over-current, overheating |
| Safety certification | UL-certified, 115+ third-party compliance tests | UL-certified, 115+ third-party compliance tests |
| Extras | LED charge indicator, low-power mode switch, charges 3 devices at once | LED charge indicator, low-power mode switch, charges 3 devices at once |
| In the box | 0.2 m USB-C cable | 0.2 m USB-C cable |
| Warranty | 2 years limited | 2 years limited |
It holds slightly more energy than the 140W, it's 91 g lighter and a little shorter, and 100W covers most ultrabooks, including the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 that Targus lists as compatible. On a camping trip where every gram counts, this is the one we'd pack as the main bank.
View the Targus 100W USB-C Portable Power Bank →
If you work remotely on a high-performance machine, such as a Dell Precision 5680 mobile workstation or a 16-inch laptop that charges at 140W, the extra output keeps it running under load instead of slowly draining. To get the full 140W, you need a laptop that supports 140W charging and a USB-C cable rated for 240W (USB PD 3.1 EPR). A standard 60W or 100W cable will hold the output back.
View the Targus 140W USB-C Portable Power Bank →
If you're only charging a phone and a headlamp on a fast-and-light hike, a 600 to 700 g laptop-class bank is overkill. A good 10,000 mAh bank from a reputable brand, with the Wh printed on the casing, makes a better pocket bank. Pair it with a 100W Targus bank in camp and you have the two-bank setup from earlier.
Throw a 600 g battery loose into the bottom of a pack and you'll end up with cracked ports and crushed cables. Give your power gear its own padded, organised space. The 15 to 16 inch Cypress™ Hero EcoSmart® Backpack is a good place to start, and our wider range of laptop backpacks covers everything from the daily commute to long-haul trips. For charging from the wall, a GaN charger like the PowerElite™ 100W GaN Wall Charger has two USB-C and two USB-A ports, interchangeable plugs for over 140 countries, and up to 100W from a single USB-C port. One charger can then refill your power bank, laptop and phone between legs of a trip.
Under ICAO guidance in force since 27 March 2026, the limit is two per passenger, in the cabin only. Each should be under 100Wh unless your airline approves it. Some airlines, such as Emirates, allow just one. Many Asia Pacific airlines also ban using power banks during the flight, so charge your devices before you board.
Yes, as long as its output matches or beats what your laptop draws. A 100W bank can run and charge a typical 65W ultrabook under load. Plug a 30W bank into the same laptop and it will only slow the drain.
Now and then, yes. Charging the bank and your devices at the same time adds heat, and heat ages the cells. Save it for when you need it, like a room with one outlet, rather than making it a daily habit.
That depends on your wall charger and on the maximum input the power bank accepts. A 25,000 mAh bank holds about 92.5Wh, so an old 10W to 15W phone charger will take roughly seven to ten hours, sometimes more. A higher-wattage USB-C PD wall charger can bring that down to a few hours, if the bank supports faster input. Top it up whenever you reach a reliable outlet instead of waiting until it's empty.
A quality lithium power bank typically keeps around 80 percent of its capacity for 300 to 500 full cycles. If you use it a few times a month, that's several years. Storing it at about half charge somewhere cool helps it last longer.
It's usually the cable or a mismatch in fast-charging standards. If your phone uses its maker's own fast-charge protocol and the bank only supports USB-C PD, the two fall back to a slower speed. A cheap or damaged cable can also limit the wattage. For full speed, the bank, the cable and the phone all need to support the same standard.
The right powerbank is the one whose numbers still hold up when you're far from an outlet. That means honest capacity printed on the casing, enough output for your devices, proper protection, and a plan that works with the 2026 airline rules. If a laptop is coming with you, our USB-C power banks were designed for that job.