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The Anker 737 is a few years old now, and it is kind of the OG soda can power bank from Anker. It gives you a ton of capacity and a ton of output wattage in one chunky brick. Anker sent me this one for free to make a video about it, but they had no input into what I say here. These are my honest thoughts after using it against every other Anker power bank I own.
This review is for anyone who wants to keep a laptop, a tablet, and a phone topped up on the go and is trying to figure out whether the 737 is still the one to buy in 2025, or whether one of Anker’s newer power banks makes more sense.
Still the best value in Anker's soda can series, as long as you do not need the magnetic base or the fastest possible recharge.
- 140W output and 140W input, split across three ports
- 24,000mAh is good for about one laptop charge, a couple of tablet charges, and four to five phone charges
- Excellent screen showing capacity, time to recharge, wattage in and out, and cycle count
- Airline approved and comes with a 140W USB-C cable and a pouch
- Best all around value in the Anker soda can lineup
- No Wi-Fi or app tracking like the newer Prime banks
- No magnetic connector base, so you recharge it with one USB port only
- Around $110, and you still need to budget a high powered charger to hit the fast speeds
Features and design: a screen that tells you everything
At first glance this is a very large power bank. It is about the size of an energy drink, with a nice screen on the front that shows how much capacity is left, how long it will take to recharge when it is plugged in, how long it will last powering your devices, and all the wattages going in and out of it.
On the top you get two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, for a total of 140 watts of power that gets split between whatever you have plugged in. If you want the most power possible, say for charging a 16-inch MacBook Pro, use one port on its own. As you add more devices, that 140 watts gets divided up.
In the box you also get a 140W capable USB-C to USB-C cable, which is great for keeping this topped up from Anker’s power stations and chargers, plus a pouch to keep it clean and safe.
Capacity and real world performance
The 737 has a capacity of 24,000mAh. In practice that is good for about one computer charge, a couple of tablet charges, and four to five phone charges depending on your device. The power draw changes with the load, so a computer under heavy use pulls more than one that is just browsing the web, and it will last longer running a MacBook Air than a 16-inch MacBook Pro with its higher graphics power.
I have been running it with my MacBook Pro, my iPad, and my iPhone, and it has worked great for me. It is also airline approved, which makes it a solid travel option for keeping a laptop or tablet alive when you are away from an outlet. Press the button on the side and it shows you the full specs: how many cycles it has run, how many times the screen has been turned on, and the current power in or out.
Anker 737 vs the newer Anker power banks
The 737 is very similar to the newer Anker Prime power banks, but it does not have the magnetic connector on the bottom, so you can only recharge it through one USB port. Here is how it stacks up against the two models I would actually cross-shop it with.
The newer 250W Prime power bank is bigger and recharges faster, so it is my pick if you carry a 16-inch MacBook Pro. But if you do not care about the magnetic base and do not need the fastest recharge, the 737 still holds up well. Against the 200W Prime power bank, I think the 737 is the better buy all around, because the 200W tops out at 100 watts out of either port and the 737 is only a little bigger and heavier.
| Model | Capacity | Max power | Recharge | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker 737 | 24,000mAh | 140W total | 140W in, one port only | MacBook Air or 14-inch MacBook Pro |
| Prime 250W | 27,600mAh | 170W total | Faster, two ports plus magnetic base | 16-inch MacBook Pro |
| 165W Laptop Power Bank | 25,000mAh | 165W total | 100W in, two built-in cables | People who want cables attached |
Value showdown: 737 vs the 250W model
The 737 usually comes in around $110, though it can be found on sale. What I like most about it is that it represents the best value in Anker’s soda can series. You get plenty of output wattage for any device and plenty of capacity with the 24,000mAh.
It is a great option if you have a MacBook Air or the smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro. If you have the 16-inch MacBook Pro, I would step up to the 250W power bank, because it charges faster and the higher capacity comes in handy with the bigger screen and higher draw.
What is missing: no app, no magnetic base
The 737 gives you all the top-of-the-line Anker features with two exceptions. There is no Wi-Fi for tracking it in the app, and there is no magnetic connector on the bottom for the charging base. Honestly, I never thought the charging base was that worthwhile. I would rather buy the laptop charger or the Prime charging base anyway.
The one real trade-off is that you need to budget for a higher powered Anker charger to take advantage of the fast charging. I recommend one with at least 100 watts, and if you can get up to 140 watts, like the new 140W laptop charger, that is a great match. The desktop charging stations are good choices to pair with it too.
Anker 737 vs the 165W laptop power bank
To me, the main challenger to the 737 is Anker’s 165W laptop power bank. It has a built-in USB-C lanyard on the side and a retractable USB-C cord on the top, both of which are really handy and do not take up much space. It is 25,000mAh, so a little bigger than the 737, with 165 watts of power total, two built-in cables, and two USB-C ports on the side.
If you like built-in cables the way I do, the laptop power bank is a slightly better buy. If you want to use any cable of your choosing, the 737 is still a great option with pretty much all the same features. One thing the 737 does better: it can be recharged at 140 watts in, while the 165W bank tops out at 100 watts in or out of any single port, even though its total across ports is higher.
The verdict
Buy the Anker 737 if you want a great all-around power bank that can keep a lot of different devices charged, with a great screen, all the charging specs at a glance, and the ability to recharge quickly at 140 watts in. It is really for the user who wants to keep a tablet and a laptop going while still having plenty left to top up an iPhone on the go.
The two honest downsides are that it has no app tracking and no magnetic base, and you need to add a high powered charger to hit its full speed. But at around $110 it is still the best value in Anker’s soda can lineup. If you carry a 16-inch MacBook Pro, spend up on the 250W. If you love built-in cables, look at the 165W laptop bank. For everyone else, the 737 still earns the recommendation in 2025.
