10 power banks from OMR 7.900 to OMR 36.000 - Anker and Xiaomi, from a pocket 5,000mAh unit to a 25,000mAh bank that will charge a laptop.

If you fly, read the section on airline rules below. The rules changed and they change again on 1 January 2027.

What capacity do you actually need?

Work from your phone's battery, not from the biggest number on the shelf. A modern phone holds roughly 4,000 to 6,000mAh. Conversion losses mean a power bank delivers about 60 to 70 percent of its rated capacity into a phone.

So a 5,000mAh bank is most of one phone charge - enough to get you home. A 10,000mAh bank is between one and a half and two full charges, which is the right size for a day out or an overnight trip, and it fits in a pocket. A 20,000mAh bank is three to four phone charges or one laptop top-up, and it is heavy enough that you will notice it in a bag.

Most people over-buy. If the bank is too big to carry, it stays at home, which makes it worth nothing.

Wattage matters as much as capacity

Capacity decides how many charges you get. Wattage decides how fast each one is. A 25,000mAh bank that only outputs 18W will charge your phone slowly no matter how much energy it holds.

For a phone, 20W to 30W is the useful range and anything above it is largely wasted. For a tablet, look for 45W. For a laptop over USB-C you want 65W or more, and the 165W model here will run most laptops at full speed.

Check the output per port, not the total. A bank advertised at 67W across three ports may deliver only 30W to any single device.

Flying with a power bank - the rules as they stand

Power banks go in carry-on baggage only, never in a checked bag. That rule is universal and airlines do enforce it.

The capacity limit is set in watt-hours, not mAh. Under 100Wh is generally permitted without airline approval; 100 to 160Wh usually needs approval in advance; above 160Wh is not allowed on passenger flights. A 25,000mAh bank at the usual cell voltage works out around 90Wh, so every power bank on this page sits under the 100Wh threshold. The Wh figure is printed on the unit itself - that is the number a check-in agent reads.

Using one in flight is a separate question and airlines differ. Some prohibit charging from aircraft outlets and require the bank to stay visible; Emirates and EVA Air prohibit both using and recharging a power bank in flight altogether.

New IATA guidance takes effect on 1 January 2027 limiting passengers to two power banks and prohibiting in-flight use and charging. If you are buying for travel, factor that in.

Magnetic, built-in cable, or plain

A magnetic power bank sticks to the back of a compatible iPhone and charges wirelessly. It is the most convenient option and the least efficient - wireless charging wastes energy as heat, so you get fewer charges from the same capacity, and the bank gets warm.

A built-in-cable bank has the cable attached, so you cannot forget it. This is the quietly sensible choice: the commonest power bank failure is leaving the cable at home.

A plain bank with ports is the most flexible and the cheapest per mAh. Just keep a cable with it.

Looking after it

A power bank is a lithium battery and heat is what kills it. Leaving one on a car dashboard in an Omani summer will shorten its life faster than any amount of use.

Charge it to full every few months if it is sitting unused - a lithium cell left flat for a long period can become unrecoverable. And replace a bank that has visibly swollen rather than continuing to use it.

Buying from Playphone

Every power bank listed here is sealed, brand new and 100% original, delivered free anywhere in Oman or collected from the Ruwi or Salalah store. If you are deciding between two power banks, message us with what you actually use the device for and we will tell you which one fits - including when the cheaper one is the right answer.