This could be most compact power bank ever: Anker Nano Power Bank review

Anker is back with a new set of power bank designs, so we're here to talk about its new addition: the Anker Nano power bank. All of your smartphones and other devices can rejoice; they'll no longer be at risk of hitting zero battery when out and about. Whereas other power banks prioritise a large capacity to last multiple charges, this offering from Anker is instead focused on compactness and high portability.

In the world of smartphone accessories, you may have run into Anker before when looking for a new charger or travel plug. You can usually rely on Anker to deliver affordable, quality items, and now we're here to see whether the Nano power bank matches that.

The Anker Nano is significantly smaller than most other power banks on the market, as it is designed to be highly portable and lightweight, making it easy to pack and bring with you when travelling. It's available in five colours: black, white, pink, purple and blue. Oh, and if you're an iPhone, iPad, or similar Apple device user, fear not; the Nano has a built-in lightning connection.

To evaluate whether or not the Anker Nano is worth your money, we've put it to the test. Kyle Purves, one of our resident tech experts, has been using the Nano for over a month. They've put the portability and capacity to use across multiple outings and trailed it out in more casual circumstances at home. After solid use charging various pieces of tech, they feel they've become quite familiar with the Nano, including its strengths and weaknesses.

Summary of the review: The Anker Nano power bank impresses with its compact design, unmatched portability, and lightning-fast charging. Despite its modest capacity, it excels in quickly topping up devices like earbuds and phones, offering convenience for on-the-go use. Using the phone while charging adds to its appeal, and its lightweight build makes it a gym essential. While lacking a battery percentage display, the four light indicators suffice. The trade-off for its small size is a mediocre charge capacity, but for maintaining phone levels, it excels. Overall, the Anker Nano receives a solid recommendation for its convenience, affordability, and performance.

Performance

Although I was a bit sceptical at first about how effective the Anker Nano Power Bank would be due to its size, I was more than pleasantly surprised by its performance. For such a small power bank, I found it to be fairly speedy at topping up my devices, especially my earbuds. Whenever I wanted to get a bit of extra battery per cent onto my phone before leaving somewhere, I knew I could use the Nano and within ten or so minutes be on my way.

One part I especially loved about the Nano was that I could attach it to my phone and still use it normally. Most other power banks leave you tethered in some way, but the lightweight build combined with the lightning connector meant I could just attach it at the bottom and carry my phone around as normal. Now, it wasn't as comfortable as using it without it, but I still really liked having the option to do so. If you've ever been on an important phone call and were concerned about dwindling battery life, the Nano could help save you from stress in future.

Another strength of the Nano is that it's very quick to recharge. While the capacity did leave me wanting, I was always able to almost completely recharge it by just taking a break somewhere. A simple coffee break at Starbucks and I'd be ready to go as if I had just left the house with it, and that convenience is definitely worth some points.

Build

The portability of the Nano power bank is absolutely unmatched. It easily fits in the palm of my hand, so I'm confident that it will slot into even the most shallow of pockets. That makes taking it with you no problem, and even if you do need to slot it into a backpack, you'll absolutely have room. In fact, when I did so, I had to rummage around afterwards to find it.

It's not something easily lost, but it is unobtrusive enough to be easily forgotten about for a few moments, which I actually appreciated when using it and my phone at the same time. The lightweight build further helps this, as I didn't notice any difference in the balance of my phone whatsoever. I've used a handful of power banks before, but this is my go-to now for when I'm at the gym. Since I tend to take just a small bag of necessities, but also listen to music and browse on my phone a lot, I often have to keep a careful eye on my phone and earbud charge levels if I want to do anything afterwards. And while I've used many different power banks before, this is the first one I can take with me without having to sacrifice another item.

In line with the simple overall design, the Nano doesn't have a display that shows its battery percentage. Instead, there are four light indicators to tell how much is roughly remaining. It's not the most refined system out there, but it gets the job done effectively. Besides, it's much preferable to having a display require it be bigger.

It should also be noted that the Nano is available in two different models. The first is the 12W model with lightning and USB-C connections, making it ideal for Apple products or those with various different devices. The second design just features USB-C connections and is slightly more powerful at 22.5W, making it a better pick for those just in need of that type of connection.

Downsides

The significant trade-off for having such a compact and portable design is that the Anker Nano suffers from a mediocre charge capacity. I often found it struggled to completely charge my phone, or when it did, it would use most of its charge just to do so.

To be fair, the purpose of this power bank isn't to be a supply of a whole extra battery. Its minute size combined with the fact you can still use your phone unobstructed with it attached makes it ideal for keeping it topped up. This isn't a piece of kit designed to bring a low-charge phone back to full, it's more tailored to ensure it doesn't fall too low in the first place. And in that regard, I can't really fault it.

Verdict

All in all, while I have a couple of small complaints regarding the Anker Nano power bank, this pocket-sized powerhouse has become an instant inclusion whenever I'm heading out for the day. While I would have liked for the battery capacity to be a bit better, it's a trade-off that I'll happily make for having it be as small and portable as it is.

It gets a solid recommendation for me, and I highly suggest it to anyone who travels frequently, or even just a couple times a week. The convenience of it is fantastic. Frankly, even if you already own another power bank, I'd still say to consider it, as chances are there will be times when you wish you had an option this size. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's pretty affordable as well.

If you're interested in picking up an Anker Nano power bank for yourself, you may want to check out the rest of the Nano line too.

What else to consider?

Who tested it?

Kyle Purves is one of our commercial content writers. Always one to overly prepare their bag wherever they go, keeping a power bank on hand instead of several different charges is well appreciated. They always have a screen nearby or some type of earbuds in use, so keeping on top of charge is important for them.

How we tested it

For over a month I tested out the Anker Nano power bank and took it wherever I went. From simple trips downtown to the gym to further days out on the train, I made sure the Nano was along for the ride. For most of the time, it was there to give my phone an extra boost on a long day out, but I also got a lot of use out of it charging wireless earbuds so I could enjoy my music with noise-cancellation bliss instead of the chatter of the train back.

Kyle Purves is a Tech Product Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

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