Anker 325 Power Bank (PowerCore 20000) Review

Overview

The Anker 325 Power Bank (also sold as the PowerCore 20K, model A1268) is a 20,000 mAh brick-style power bank aimed at travelers and multi-day adventurers who want enough capacity to keep phones and small devices alive far from an outlet. It’s reliable, well-built, and inexpensive — but its port selection is stuck in the past, and at 369g it asks a real question of any weight-conscious hiker.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Capacity	20,000 mAh
Weight	369 g (13 oz)
Dimensions	166 × 62 × 22 mm
Output Ports	2× USB-A (5V⎓2.4A each; 5V⎓3A total)
Input Ports	1× Micro-USB (5V⎓2A), 1× USB-C (5V⎓2A, input only)
Max Output	15W per port
Laptop Charging	No
Included Accessories	Micro-USB cable, mesh carry pouch
Safety	Anker MultiProtect (overcharge, short circuit, temp control)
Comparison	See how Anker 325 PowerCore 20000 compares to similar gear

Performance

Capacity & Device Charges

The headline number is 20,000 mAh, but real-world delivery is lower — that’s just physics. In lab testing, TechGearLab could extract only around 67% of rated capacity, or about 13,416 mAh, under a simulated 2.4A load. That’s fairly typical for this class of power bank. In practical trail terms, one hiker reported 4 to 6 full charges on a Nokia 6.1, enough to last a week on trail with some power-saving measures like airplane mode in dead zones and reduced screen brightness. A Best Buy reviewer who used it on a longer trip charged it once and got through about a week with 5–7 phone top-offs.

Anker’s own marketing claims approximately 5 charges for a Samsung Galaxy S10. That tracks with independent results — expect somewhere between 4 and 6 charges for a modern mid-sized smartphone, depending on how hard you run the device between top-offs.

Output Speed

Both USB-A ports output at 15W each, and you can run them simultaneously.

In one real-world test, a Google Pixel 7a went from 50% to 100% in about 90 minutes

— reasonable, not fast. There’s no Power Delivery, no Quick Charge, nothing that’s going to impress anyone with a modern flagship phone. For GPS devices, headlamps, and earbuds, the 15W ceiling is a non-issue. For a power-hungry phone screen you’re trying to rescue in a hurry, you’ll notice the limit.

There’s also a trickle charging mode — designed for safely replenishing low-power devices like smartwatches and wireless earbuds, activated by pressing the power button twice. Useful if you’re carrying a Garmin or similar device that doesn’t always play nice with full-power USB ports.

Recharge Time

This is where things get ugly. Replenishing the PowerCore from two bars to full took about six hours in one reviewer’s testing. TechGearLab clocked a full recharge at around 12 hours; Anker itself acknowledges approximately 10.5 hours with a 10W brick and up to 20 hours with a 5W brick. Plan to plug this in the night before a trip, not an hour before you leave.

You have two input options — Micro-USB and USB-C — though both are slow, and you’ll want to charge overnight to go from zero to full.

The USB-C input is faster of the two, so always use it when you have the option.

Port Selection

Here’s the frustration that dogs every review of this product: the USB-C port is input-only and cannot charge other devices. So you get a USB-C jack for filling up the bank, but every device you charge goes through USB-A. In 2025, with nearly every headlamp, satellite communicator, GPS watch, and phone shipping with USB-C cables, this is a real-world inconvenience on trail. You’ll need USB-A adapters or older cables for anything modern — one more thing to remember, one more thing to lose.

Build Quality & Portability

The shell is plastic, but most top battery banks are plastic

, and Anker’s construction feels solid and confidence-inspiring.

One long-term tester used a similar Anker 20K bank for three years without issue, including multiple drops from a moving bike.

The textured finish helps with grip.

Four LED dots around the button indicate battery level, but they’re quite dim and can be hard to read at certain angles or in bright sunlight.

At 369g — just shy of 13 oz — this is a substantial chunk of pack weight. For perspective, that’s heavier than most 1-liter water bottles when full. It can feel cumbersome in a pocket, and it’s better suited to living in a pack’s hip belt pocket or brain. It is not water resistant; users recommend keeping it in a dry bag in wet conditions.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 20,000 mAh capacity handles multi-day trips without anxiety
• Charges two devices simultaneously via dual USB-A ports
• Dual input (Micro-USB + USB-C) offers flexibility for charging it up
• Trickle charging mode plays well with low-power devices
• Proven Anker build quality and long-term reliability
• MultiProtect safety system covers overcharge, short circuits, and temperature
• Includes a mesh carry pouch to corral cables

Cons

• No USB-C output — a real inconvenience with modern gear
• 369g is heavy; a real cost for gram-conscious hikers
• Recharge takes 10–12 hours; plan ahead
• 15W max output means no fast charging for capable devices
• LED battery indicator is dim and hard to read in sunlight
• Cannot charge laptops

Who Should Buy This

The Anker 325 PowerCore 20000 makes most sense for section hikers or casual multi-day backpackers on 4–7 day trips who primarily need to keep a phone (and maybe a GPS device or earbuds) alive, prioritize low cost and proven reliability over cutting-edge features, and still have a mix of USB-A and USB-C cables in their kit. If your whole setup — phone, headlamp, GPS, satellite communicator — has gone full USB-C, look elsewhere. Likewise, if you’re counting every ounce and your trips run 3 days or less, the Anker PowerCore 10000 at roughly half the weight is the smarter carry.

Verdict

The Anker 325 PowerCore 20000 does exactly what it says on the box: it stores a lot of energy, it’s built to last, and it won’t break the bank. What it won’t do is keep pace with modern charging standards. The USB-A-only output was forgivable a few years ago; in a world where USB-C is on everything from headlamps to trekking pole handles, it’s a genuine trail inconvenience. At 369g, you’re also paying a meaningful weight tax for the capacity. If the price is right and you can live with the port limitations, it’s a workhorse. If you can stretch the budget, something like the Anker PowerCore 10000 PD or a carbon fiber NB10000 gives you a better power-to-weight story for most trip lengths.