REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Super easy to carry in a pocket
Short recharge time
REASONS TO AVOID
No integrated cables
Can only charge a single device at a time
Anker PowerCore 5000 Review
One of our overall favorites, this portable charger is simple, high-performing, and affordable
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
RELATED: Best Power Bank of 2024
Our Verdict
Earning one of the top scores overall, the Anker PowerCore 5000 is one of power banks we've tested to date, offering a top-notch performance at a price that can't be beaten. This battery doesn't have a ton of extra features and has some limitations, such as only being able to charge a single device at a time. However, this portable power pack is inexpensive enough that you can get a few and leave one at your office, one in your car, or wherever you want to make sure that you don't get stuck with a dead battery.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Anker PowerCore 5000 is one of the easiest contenders to transport, easily fitting in a pocket and being much less cumbersome than many other portable chargers on the market. The PowerCore 5000 has a bit less battery capacity than other heftier power banks but should be more than enough to fully charge most smartphones at least once. However, it lacks any convenience features like integrated cables or multiple charging methods.
Performance Comparison
The PowerCore 5000 is one of the easiest to fit in a pocket.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Portability
To test portability, we measured and scored each charger's volume and weight, and slid them in various types of pockets to judge how comfortable they were while sitting and walking around. Anker's PowerCore 5000 is one of the most portable and easy-to-carry power packs out there.
This power pack utilizes a small cylindrical profile, measuring about 1.3 inches in diameter and 4.2 inches long, and weighs in at a scant 4.71 oz. — making it one of the lightest battery packs out of the entire group.
The Anker PowerCore 5000 should also be your first choice if you're seeking a charger you can slip into your pocket while you walk around. This battery is one of the best at fitting in either a front or back pocket and has the USB output port on the end. This lets you easily plug in a device and charge it while you are walking around, keeping the device in one pocket and the battery in another, running the cable around your waist.
This battery is much smaller than most of the devices it can charge.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Charging Efficiency
For our next set of tests, we looked at how much electrical energy each battery actually stored. To determine the score, we looked at how much electrical energy we could actually extract from each charger at its maximum discharge rate using a dummy electrical load and how well each product stacked up against its manufacturer's stated advertising claims. The Anker PowerCore 5000 did fairly well in this test.
This portable battery has a stated capacity of 5000 mAh, and we were able to get 3259 mAh or about 65% of this out of the battery when setting the discharge rate at 2 amps. It maintained this for around 3100 mAh, then shut off. We restarted it at a 1 amp discharge rate and got it to run for a few more minutes, but then it completely died. We ran the entire test again at a 1 amp discharge rate and only got a little more total energy from the battery, with our meter registering a total discharge of 3343 mAh before it died.
You can usually get at least one full charge from the 5000.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Anker claims that this battery pack can deliver 1.1 Samsung Galaxy S9, 1.8 iPhone 8, or 1.1 iPhone X charges, which aligned very closely with our results. We didn't have an S9, but we were able to charge a Samsung Galaxy S8 1.12 times before the PowerCore 5000 was totally depleted.
You aren't just limited to charging your phone with these devices.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Added Convenience
For our next round of testing, we moved on to ranking and scoring the various features and extra functions that made these products easier and more convenient to use. We scored each portable battery on the presence of an integrated recharging solution, if there are built-in cables for charging a device, if the battery has a flashlight, and if you can charge multiple devices simultaneously. We also took into account what sort of warranty is included with each product. The Anker PowerCore 5000 has a small, simple design with no bells and whistles, so it didn't score super high here.
This portable battery lacks any integrated features, requiring an additional cable to recharge the battery or to charge any devices. However, it does include a micro USB cable, but you need to either plug it into your computer or provide your own AC wall adapter for charging.
This battery only has a single output port.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
This battery pack only has a single output port, so you are limited to charging a single device at a time and does not have a built-in flashlight. However, it does include an 18-month limited warranty.
This smaller battery recharges quite quickly.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Recharge Time
The final 10% of each product's score relates to its recharge time. For this test, we timed how long it took to completely recharge a fully depleted battery pack and compared it between products. The PowerCore redeemed itself for its poor performance in the previous metric, earning one of the best scores overall.
This battery pack completely recharged in about two and a half hours in our test, right in line with the manufacturer's estimated time of 2-3 hours with a 2 amp charger.
It's hard to go wrong with the simple and affordable PowerCore 5000.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the Anker PowerCore 5000?
While this battery doesn't have a ton of extra features, it's ultra portable, performs well, and is affordable. If you want a top-notch portable charger, we think the Anker PowerCore 5000 is a great choice.
What Other Portable Chargers Should You Consider?
If you're hoping to charge multiple devices at once, check out the INIU Portable Charger 10000. To really stretch your dollars, the Miady 10000 comes in a 2-pack for a very affordable price. And if you need something that can charge your heavy-duty devices, like a laptop, the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD will do the job.
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
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