I never leave the house without this portable battery, and it's just $16 for Black Friday

Anker Zolo Portable Charger in hand with screen illuminated showing battery percentage.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

No matter how excellent the latest piece of tech I am using – say, an iPhone 16 Pro, which is currently my daily driver – it eventually dies. The battery life is not forever, so I always like to be prepared with a battery pack.

And now, the one that I swear by – never leave the house without it – is down to its lowest price ever, courtesy of Amazon. The Anker Zolo Portable Charger is a record 40% off at just $15.99 (originally $25.99) and comes in four colors: black, white, pink, or blue.

I love Anker’s Zolo battery for a few reasons, but the leading one is the ease of use, as it has an integrated, rugged USB-C cable that makes recharging my iPhone 16 Pro super easy. Plus, it boasts an additional USB-C port, handy for recharging a laptop like a 14-inch MacBook Pro or my AirPods Pro. The same goes for USB-C devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Pixel 9 Pro.

It’s a steal at just under $16, so much so that I ordered two more – one in black and, to spice things up, the battery pack in blue. Considering the all-time low price, you’ll want to act fast or at least get it with free Prime shipping before any holiday travel.

Anker Zolo Portable Charger
Anker Zolo Portable Charger: was $25.99 now $15.99 at Amazon

Anker's Zolo portable charger is a tech essential and one of the best battery packs I've ever used. For just $15.99 – the lowest price we've tracked – it can fast charge an iPhone or Galaxy at 30 watts and, with a 10,000mAh battery inside, likely charge it more than once. The integrated USB-C cable lets you carry one less thing and can charge a second device thanks to a port.

As far as tech specs go, the Anker Zolo is no slouch. It boasts a 10,000mAh internal battery, which is more than enough to recharge your iPhone twice over. It also does that task swiftly, charging up to 30 watts via the integrated USB-C cable.

Of course, if you're charging two devices simultaneously, those speeds will lower to 15 watts per device. Anker promises to charge an iPhone 15 from 0% to 50% in 37 minutes, but with the latest iPhone 16 series, I've found it hit 50% within 30 minutes.

While not pocketable, the Anker Zolo can be easily carried and tossed into a backpack. It weighs in at 7.7 ounces (under a pound) and measures 4.32 x 2.58 x 0.98 inches – suffice it to say, it won't take up much space. And with more color options than when it first began shipping, you can match your phone or your personality.

I won't travel without it, either to the office, on a trip, to a concert, or really anywhere. You can score it on Amazon ahead of Black Friday for just $15.99 here, but if you're looking for savings on something else, check out our other favorite early deals below.

More of today's Black Friday sales in the US

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Jacob Krol
US Managing Editor News

Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.