Anker's 13,400mAh Switch-branded power bank is much smaller than some of the previous power banks produced by the accessory company. The 20,100mAh model has been the go-to recommendation for Switch gamers since the console debuted last March, but this newer model is much more portable while still providing over a charge and a half of extra play time.
Look & Feel
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Anker PowerCore 13,400mAh for Switch -
Charging the Switch with the power bank -
Comes with this nifty storage pouch -
A view of everything included in the box -
Small enough to fit inside the case with my Switch -
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One USB-C port and one USB-A port for charging two devices -
This Anker power bank fits in the palm of your hand -
A look at the power bank's specifications -
It's a fingerprint magnet
The power bank features one USB-A and one USB-C port, so you can charge two devices at the same time. A small Anker logo appears on the front of the power bank and there is a series of eight tiny white LEDs that indicate how much juice is left in the power bank. Flipping it over, you'll see a Nintendo Switch logo branded on the back of the device. It's simple, weighs just nine ounces, and it is made out of a soft-touch material that reveals fingerprints like nothing else.
Anker includes a small felt bag to store the power bank when it's not in use. It's a nice touch, but I've been using mine to store extra cables rather than keeping the power bank inside of it.
Anker PowerCore Charge Times
Test #1: Charging Switch with screen off
To test how long this power bank will take to charge a Switch, I completely drained my Switch battery down to 0% and then plugged in the power bank and set an interval timer to check on the charging progress every 10 minutes. The Switch screen was turned off the entire time and was only turned on at every 10 minute interval to record the charge percentage. Here's a peek at the data from this experiment showcasing how long it takes this power bank to charge the Switch's 4,310 mAh battery.
| Time Charging | Percent Charged |
| 10 minutes | 6% charged |
| 20 minutes | 14% charged |
| 30 minutes | 22% charged |
| 40 minutes | 30% charged |
| 50 minutes | 38% charged |
| 60 minutes | 46% charged |
| 70 minutes | 54% charged |
| 80 minutes | 62% charged |
| 90 minutes | 70% charged |
| 100 minutes | 76% charged |
| 110 minutes | 82% charged |
| 120 minutes | 86% charged |
| 130 minutes | 90% charged |
| 140 minutes | 93% charged |
| 150 minutes | 96% charged |
In total, it took this Anker power bank about two and a half hours to fully charge the Switch. It slowed down significantly once the Switch reached 85% charge, which is a normal feature of power banks and modern devices to prevent overcharge from frying your device.
An hours worth of charge will top you off at just over 50%, which means you can charge your Switch on your lunch break and be ready to go for the commute home. Keep in mind that these charging times are with the screen off and not playing games. Charging while the Switch screen is on and playing games will result in longer charging times. To get a better idea of the charge times you can expect while playing the Switch, see the next test results.
Test #2: Charging Switch with screen on
Taking about two and a half hours to charge the Switch with the screen off is not bad, but can the Anker PowerCore stand the test of charging a low battery Switch from around 10% up to 100% in one play session?
To perform this test, I let my Switch's charge fall to 10% and then plugged in the power bank and proceeded to play a variety of Switch games like Enter the Gungeon and Dead Cells. I checked the power level every 20 minutes in this test. The screen stayed on the whole time this charging test was performed.
| Time Charging | Percent Charged |
| 20 minutes | 16% charged |
| 40 minutes | 28% charged |
| 60 minutes | 36% charged |
| 80 minutes | 44% charged |
| 100 minutes | 51% charged |
| 120 minutes | 59% charged |
| 140 minutes | 67% charged |
| 160 minutes | 76% charged |
I stopped at the 160 minute mark because I had things I needed to do that didn't involve having fun with the Switch, but as you can see, this power bank is perfectly capable of charging the Switch while you play it. The charge rate isn't as fast as with the screen off, but it's still more than acceptable to keep you gaming while you're on the go.
Final Thoughts
- Completely charges the Switch in 2.5 hours with screen off
- Charged the Switch to 76% in 2.7 hours with screen on
- Light and compact enough to fit in your pocket
- Charge two devices at once with USB-C and USB-A ports
- Only takes about 3.5 hours to recharge the power bank
- The svelte material it is made from is a fingerprint magnet
- Gets mildly warm when charging while playing the Switch
The Anker PowerCore 13,400mAh is a great compact power bank that will give you about a charge and a half of your Switch while out and about. It's small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and the LED ring lights on the button will tell you how much juice you've got left. Recharging massive power banks can be a pain, but this one only took about 3.5 hours to reach full charge.
If you're looking for a smaller power bank than the Anker PowerCore 20,100mAh to add to your every day carry for devices like your Switch, smartphone, or laptop, definitely consider this smaller version. I've used it to charge my Switch and play Pokemon Go for hours on end and it has served me well.
Disclaimer: Anker provided this power bank as a review sample for us to share our opinion with you. This has not influenced our opinion of this accessory in the slightest.
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