Anker Zolo 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank Review

The dreaded dilemma: A desperate need for extra power when on the road with an arsenal of ever-growing portable gadgets. Minutes remain before scrambling to save the game on the Nintendo Switch 2. Can your phone survive before the train ticket inspector does the rounds?

Portable Power banks certainly aren’t anything new. With the rise of smartphones in the 2010s, the humble power bank has become an essential for travel or commuting. Wallet? Check. Phone? Of course. Keys? Yes. Don’t forget that power bank!

With devices drawing even more power these days, manufacturers have had to adapt to meet growing consumer needs. A power bank should have enough capacity to get by, be able to provide fast charging and support a higher output wattage where needed.

One brand that is no stranger to batteries and cables is Anker. The experts have a variety of different power bank models available, but one range claims to be a balance of form factor and capacity. Is the Anker Zolo Power Bank a worthy contender to become a daily driver?

First impressions and Anker Zolo Power Bank is both compact and lightweight in size. It’s small enough to fit larger trouser pockets and certainly within a small travel bag. There are two different capacity models – the one for this review clocking in a 10,000mAh, whilst the larger version boasts a sizable 20,000mAh.

For the 10,000mAh version, the product dimensions clock in 10.97 x 6.55 x 2.49 cm – ever so slightly taller than a standard pack of cards. At just over 200g, the unit is surprisingly not too weighty, either. Opting for the higher 20,000mAh capacity and the unit is ever-so-slightly chunkier, but still small, coming in at 11.9 × 7.3 × 3.1 cm.

Size is one thing, but performance is where a portable power bank can make or break. The Anker Zolo Power Bank delivers juice in spades with an integrated USB-C cable capable of outputting a 30W charge, plus a secondary USB-C port for dual charge. For those with traditional USB devices, a USB-A port supports 22.5W max. The integrated USB is a tad short at just 13cm but is a useful addition alongside the other two ports. In theory, the Zolo can charge up to three devices simultaneously – for example, a phone, games console and headphones!

Testing an older iPhone 13 phone, the Zolo delivers exceptional charging times, without draining too much of its own battery. Using a regular USB-A to lightning cable tops up the phone well, but where the benefit comes is using a USB-C to lightning cable instead.

With a completely dead phone, the Zolo drove the battery to a healthy 80% charge in around an hour, whilst only using 30% of its own. Like most chargers, it’ll then trickle up to full charge to ensure the battery remains in good nick! After several test cycles, a standard model phone would likely get at least two full charge cycles, with some juice to spare.

One of benefits of the Anker Zolo Power Bank is that the higher 30W output can also charge portable gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 or Stream Deck. Simply connect the integrated USB cable to extend those gaming sessions for a little while longer. Testing a Nintendo Switch 2 on maximum performance (full screen brightness and whilst playing Mario Kart World) and the Zolo provided just over a full charge. Charge performance will vary, especially if not using the device at the same time and reducing screen brightness.

To keep tabs on just how much charge is left in the power bank, the Zolo boasts a nifty numerical screen, too – it’s useful to know just how far it’ll go before needing a top-up of its own. Compared to the ambiguous flashing dots of other models, having the readout is a small yet much welcome addition.

Specifications