Why power bank deals are hard to find this Prime Day

Hunting for an Amazon Prime Day power bank deal? Want an external battery to juice up your devices while you’re on the go? You might not have found a lot of discounts during Amazon Prime Day 2021 – and there’s a reason for that.

True, you can still find some of the best Amazon Prime Day power bank deals from Anker, but three of the biggest external battery-selling brands – RavPower, Aukey, and Mpow – have been banned from Amazon. 

Amazon confirmed to The Verge that it had taken RavPower products off its online shopping platform. Though the company didn’t explain why, they had taken action after a Wall Street Journal story emerged wherein columnist Nicole Nguyen reported that RavPower had offered a $35 gift card for giving a positive review, theoretically encouraging a host of fake reviews. 

This presumably prompted an investigation that led to Amazon banning RavPower, which would follow the company's ban of Aukey and Mpow from the platform due to similar pay-for-fake-review sins back in May reportedly due to FTC pressure, according to Vox.

Following my fake review story, listings for Amazon-native electronics brand RAVPower are gone. The company offered $35 gift cards for reviews on a product that was sold directly by Amazon itself. RAVPower acted as a wholesale vendor on that listing.https://t.co/6nazZZ5Wtb pic.twitter.com/znp9u48YHVJune 16, 2021

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Obviously, any more extensive scrutiny on Amazon or other online marketplaces can only be a good thing. Consumers rely on products ratings and user reviews to inform their purchases, and anyone cheating the system casts doubt on Amazon’s platform and the layman’s ability to perceive an online item’s quality. 

It’s understandable why Amazon has seemingly moved quickly to snuff out this practice and shore up consumer faith in evaluation via mass reviews. Even if that means fewer choices of power banks on Amazon Prime Day, it should mean that the ones still for sale on the online platform have more trustworthy ratings than before the brands were banned.

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A few of the best Amazon Prime Day power bank deals

There are still some good Amazon Prime Day power bank deals to find right now, and unsurprisingly, they’re all from Anker. Then again, it’s a brand we’ve trusted and used ourselves, so we’re not recommending them halfheartedly. 

Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD:  $29.99 $19.99 at Amazon
Get the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD for 33% off with this Amazon Prime Day deal. The slim format slips into pockets, while the 10,000mAh battery provides 2-3 full recharges of even the biggest phones via the USB-A or 18W USB-C ports (which can recharge simultaneously). Keep in mind that this deal only applies ot the Deep-Sea Indigo and Black colors.

Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000: $25.99 $17.99 at Amazon
Get the Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000 for 31% off with this Amazon Prime Day 2021 deal. The 5000mAh power bank has two USB-A ports and one Micro USB port, perfect for older Android phones. Best of all, you can flip out its retractable electrical prongs to plug it right into the wall for fast recharging.

Anker PowerCore 26800: $65.56 $59.99 at Amazon
At 26,800mAh, the Anker PowerCore 26800 Portable Charger has enough battery to charge most phones six times over and most tablets at least twice. It's packed full of ports too, with three USB ones and two micro USB ones, and at $39.99 for Prime Day it's available at a slight 10% reduction.

Anker PowerCore III Elite 25600 PD: $159.99 $95.99 at Amazon
Get the Anker PowerCore III Elite 25600 PD for 40% off with this Amazon Prime Day deal. The PowerCore III Elite is the portable power bank for laptop owners, providing a full charge to a 13-inch MacBook with its massive battery. Laptops charge via its 60W USB-C port, while its two 18W USB ports can simultaneously juice up other devices.

Anker PowerCore Essential 20000: £34.99 £20.99 at Amazon
The Anker PowerCore Essential 20000 Portable Charger is available at a £14 discount for Prime Day, bringing the price down to just £20.99. For that sliver of cash you get a durable power bank with a selection of ports, so it can power up any and all of your gadgets.

Not in the US or UK? Here are other great deals for the above models in your region:

TechRadar is rounding up all the top deals over the Prime Day sales period, and we’ve put all the best Prime Day deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

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