For a content creator, running out of battery power at the wrong moment can be more than an inconvenience. It can mean missing the photograph, video clip, drone flight, interview, or other content you went there to capture.  That makes a good portable power bank nearly as important to my kit as spare camera batteries and memory cards. But after spending time with two very different Anker power banks – the Anker Nano Power Bank 10K (45W) and the much larger Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K) – I’ve come to realize that simply buying the power bank with the largest capacity and highest output isn’t necessarily the right answer.  In fact, for many content creators, it may be exactly the wrong approach.

The Anker 737 gives you a massive 24,000mAh capacity, up to 140W output, two USB-C ports and a USB-A port. The Nano has less than half the capacity at 10,000mAh and tops out at 45W. On a specification sheet, this doesn’t look like much of a contest.  Take both into the field, however, and the decision becomes considerably more interesting.  The question isn’t simply, “which power bank has more power?”  It’s, “which one makes the most sense for what I’m doing today?”

Two Very Different Approaches to Portable Power

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first.  The Anker 737 is a beast.  Its 24,000mAh capacity is paired with as much as 140W of total output, and it can charge as many as three devices through its two USB-C and single USB-A ports. Anker gives it a very informative display that can show considerably more than a simple battery percentage.  But all that power comes with a physical cost.  The 737 measures 6.13 x 2.15 x 1.95 inches and weighs 22.22 ounces – about 1.4 pounds.  That’s not insignificant when you’re already carrying cameras, lenses, microphones, tripods and other equipment.

The Anker Nano takes almost the opposite approach.  Its 10,000mAh capacity and 45W maximum output aren’t nearly as impressive on paper, but the Nano measures only 3.21 x 1.99 x 1.42 inches and weighs 0.51 pounds. It still gives you a USB-C port, USB-A port and, most importantly, a built-in 2.3-foot retractable USB-C cable capable of delivering the full 45W output.  It also has an excellent color display showing battery and charging information.  That combination has made the Nano far more impressive to me than its specifications initially suggested.

The Best Power Bank Is the One You’ll Actually Carry

This may be the single most important point in this comparison.  A power bank isn’t particularly useful when it’s sitting back at the hotel because you didn’t want to carry it.  That’s where the Nano excels.  Imagine covering a street festival, auto show, convention, sporting event or other local event.  I’m probably already carrying a camera such as a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, perhaps a Fujifilm X100VI, an Insta360 Luna Ultra, wireless microphones, spare batteries and maybe a compact tripod.  Do I really want to add another 1.4-pound brick to that load?  Sometimes I absolutely might.  But most often I don’t.

At roughly half a pound in weight, the Nano is small enough to disappear into a camera sling, jacket pocket or even a pants pocket. And because the USB-C cable is built into the power bank, I don’t need to remember another cable or go digging through my camera bag when I need it.  That makes the Nano particularly compelling for event coverage, where I’m moving constantly and want to keep my kit as light as possible.

The Insta360 Luna Ultra May Be the Nano’s Perfect Partner

The device that really made the Nano click for me was the Insta360 Luna Ultra.  The Luna Ultra is exactly the kind of camera mobile content creators increasingly use: small, stabilized, capable of high-quality video and easy to carry throughout the day.  But video cameras consume power.  Insta360 rates the Luna Ultra’s main battery at 1,550mAh and supports fast charging at up to 15V/3A. With an appropriate charger and the camera powered off, Insta360 says it can reach 80% in approximately 23 minutes and 100% in about 38 minutes.

Conveniently, the Anker Nano can deliver as much as 45W from its retractable USB-C cable.  That almost feels tailor-made for the Luna.  If I’m covering an event and the Luna starts getting low, I don’t necessarily have to find a wall outlet or stop creating for an hour. I can pull the Nano out, extend its integrated cable and top off the Luna during lunch or another break.  Even more interesting is using external power while continuing to create. Because the Nano is small enough to slip into a pocket, powering a compact video camera in the field becomes practical rather than theoretical.

The same basic concept applies to other compact creator cameras such as DJI’s Osmo Pocket series, action cameras such as the GoPro HERO and Insta360 Ace Pro series, and even smartphones being used as primary video cameras.  That’s where the retractable cable goes from being a clever convenience to one of my favorite features.

There’s no separate cable hanging around the bottom of my bag. Pull out exactly as much cable as I need, connect the camera and keep moving.

Mirrorless and Compact Cameras

Traditional cameras create a slightly different use case.  Many current mirrorless cameras can accept USB-C power or recharge their internal battery over USB-C. Depending on the particular camera and operating mode, that can make either of these Anker power banks useful with equipment such as a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Sony Alpha-series cameras, Nikon Z-series bodies, Panasonic Lumix cameras or Fujifilm cameras.  Even with a camera such as the Fujifilm X100VI, which I often choose specifically because it gives me excellent image quality in a very compact package, the Nano philosophy makes sense.  Why pair a small travel camera with an enormous power bank if I don’t need one?  For a day walking around a city taking photographs, the Nano is much closer to the spirit of an X100VI kit: carry less, stay mobile and still have enough reserve power available when necessary.  But change the assignment and the answer can change with it.  If I’m shooting an all-day event with multiple camera bodies, charging batteries between sessions, powering an iPad or laptop and keeping a phone alive at the same time, suddenly the 737‘s additional capacity and multiple high-powered ports become much more valuable.

The Drone Scenario Is Where the 737 Shines

There’s another type of content creation where I think the 737 begins to make an exceptionally strong argument for itself: drone photography and video.  Drone batteries are relatively large, and when they’re depleted, your flying day can come to an abrupt end.  Consider a DJI Mini 5 Pro with DJI’s three-battery Two-Way Charging Hub.  DJI says the hub can charge three standard Intelligent Flight Batteries in approximately two hours when paired with its 65W Portable Charger. The hub can also redistribute remaining battery power and charge other devices.  Now imagine a real shooting day.  You head out in the morning with three charged Mini 5 Pro batteries. You fly each for roughly 20 minutes, conservatively landing with approximately 10% remaining rather than trying to squeeze every last electron out of a drone that’s currently hundreds of feet away.  By lunchtime, you’ve depleted most of your three-battery kit.  Connect the DJI charging hub to the Anker 737 while you eat.  The important point isn’t necessarily whether every battery reaches exactly 100% before you’ve finished your sandwich. You only need the next battery.  After lunch, you put the most fully charged battery back in the drone and fly. Meanwhile, the charging hub and 737 can continue replenishing the remaining batteries.  Fly for another 20 minutes, change batteries, and the battery still sitting on the charger has just received another 20 minutes of charging.  Fly the second battery and it gets another 20 minutes.  Suddenly, the 737 isn’t merely a big battery sitting in your backpack.  It’s functioning like a portable base station, potentially allowing you to cycle through drone batteries and substantially extend a day of aerial photography without finding an electrical outlet.  That’s exactly the kind of situation where I’d happily accept the 737‘s extra size and weight.

Travel Assignments: There’s a Case for Both

Travel makes the choice particularly interesting.  If I’m flying somewhere specifically to create content, I might have a laptop, iPad, phone, camera, Luna Ultra or DJI Osmo Pocket, drone, microphones and other USB-powered accessories.  That’s 737 territory.  A 140W-capable power bank can handle much more demanding equipment, and 24,000mAh provides a substantially larger energy reserve. The ability to connect three devices is also far more useful when you’re trying to replenish an entire kit rather than simply keep one camera running.  But here’s the irony:  Once I arrive at my destination, I may leave the 737 in the hotel and take the Nano with me.  Think of the 737 as base-camp power and the Nano as field power.  The 737 can recharge equipment at the hotel, airport, rental car or lunch stop. The Nano goes into my pocket or small camera bag when I’m walking around all afternoon.

There is also an important airline consideration.

The 737‘s size doesn’t make it illegal to fly with. FAA rules are based primarily on watt-hours, not the 10,000mAh figure sometimes mistakenly cited online. Lithium-ion power banks rated at 100Wh or less are generally permitted in carry-on baggage without airline approval, although individual airlines can impose additional restrictions.  The crucial part is carry-on.  Power banks cannot be placed in checked baggage. If an airline asks you to gate-check your roller bag, the FAA specifically says spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed and kept with you in the aircraft cabin.  That’s worth remembering with either Anker, but particularly the 737 because its natural home may otherwise be inside a larger travel bag.

Vacation Is Different From an Assignment

Vacation changes my priorities again.  If I’m on a dedicated photography trip, carrying the 737 makes sense.  If I’m on vacation with my wife and happen to be carrying an X100VI, Luna Ultra and iPhone, I’m probably reaching for the Nano.  That’s because the objective has changed.  I’m no longer trying to build the most capable mobile charging station possible. I’m trying to enjoy the day while still having enough equipment to capture good photographs and video.  The Nano can provide emergency power for an iPhone 17 Pro Max, recharge AirPods or another set of earbuds, top up an iPad mini, recharge a camera and keep a compact video camera running. Anker specifically lists current iPhones, iPads, MacBook Air models and numerous other USB-C devices among its compatible equipment.  That’s a lot of insurance for something weighing about half a pound.

Don’t Ignore How Quickly the Power Banks Recharge

Output gets most of the attention, but there’s another specification content creators should consider: how quickly can I refill the power bank itself?  This matters more than it sounds.  Imagine returning to the hotel after shooting all morning. You have lunch reservations in an hour and intend to head back out immediately afterward.  A power bank that takes most of the afternoon to recharge isn’t particularly helpful.  The Nano accepts up to 30W input, and Anker says it can recharge completely in about two hours with an appropriate power source.  The 737 goes much further, supporting extremely high USB-C input as part of its 140W two-way charging architecture and can fully recharge in about one hour.  For a creator who repeatedly cycles equipment throughout a long assignment, recharge speed can be nearly as important as capacity.

Both Displays Are More Useful Than I Expected

I’ve also become a fan of having an actual display on a power bank.  The old four-LED system—four lights means “probably full,” one light means “you should probably start worrying”—works, but it’s crude.  Both of these Anker products provide substantially better information.  The Nano’s intelligent color display provides charging and battery information in an interface that’s easy to understand.  The 737 goes considerably further, with its smart display capable of showing real-time charging information and other battery data.  When I’m managing several devices during a shoot, knowing how much power remains and what’s happening while something is charging is genuinely useful.

So Which One Should a Content Creator Buy?

My answer may be frustrating:  It depends.  But that’s also the central lesson I’ve taken from using these two power banks.  If I were simply comparing specifications, I’d choose the Anker 737 every time. It has 2.4 times the nominal capacity, vastly higher maximum output, faster recharge, and considerably greater multi-device capability.  But specifications don’t have to be carried in your camera bag.  For street photography, local events, vacation, walking tours, conventions, theme parks, auto shows, family events and mobile video, I think the Anker Nano Power Bank 10K may actually be the better content-creator power bank.  It’s small enough that I’m likely to have it with me when I need it.

For drone work, all-day professional assignments, multi-camera productions, laptop-intensive travel, remote locations and situations where several devices need to be replenished, I’d choose theAnker 737.

And there are assignments where I’d bring both.  The 737 stays in the backpack, vehicle or another central location and acts as my portable charging station.  The Nano stays with me.  That’s the distinction that finally made these two products make sense:  The Anker Nano is power while I’m creating.  The Anker 737 is power that keeps my entire kit creating.  Neither one universally replaces the other.

And perhaps that’s the most important takeaway for content creators shopping for a power bank:  don’t automatically buy the one with the biggest number printed on the box.  Think about what you create, what devices you use, how long you’re away from electrical power—and, most importantly, how much weight you’re actually willing to carry.  The best power bank isn’t necessarily the one with the most capacity.  It’s the one that’s with you when your camera battery turns red.