Magnetic power bank capacity: 5000 mAh vs 10000 mAh for retail
The capacity printed on a magnetic power bank is the capacity of the cell, not the energy that reaches the phone. Once that gap is clear, the choice between 5000 and 10000 mAh becomes a retail question about thickness, charges and shelf position rather than a number on a datasheet.
Nameplate, watt hours and delivered capacity
A 5000 mAh pack at a nominal 3.7 volts holds about 18.5 watt hours. A 10000 mAh pack holds about 37. Watt hours are the honest unit, because they describe energy rather than current at an assumed voltage, and they are what airlines and customs read on the label.
The phone never sees all of it. Energy is lost in the boost converter and again in the coil gap. Plan on roughly 60 to 70 percent of the nameplate reaching the phone through a magnetic coil, which is about 3,000 to 3,500 mAh from the 5000 pack and 6,000 to 7,000 mAh from the 10000.
| Item | 5000 mAh | 10000 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Cell capacity | 5000 mAh | 10000 mAh |
| Energy | 18.5 Wh | 37 Wh |
| Delivered to phone | About 3,000 to 3,500 mAh | About 6,000 to 7,000 mAh |
| Charges, typical phone | One | Two |
| Carry | Bag or jacket | |
| Cabin limit | Well under 100 Wh | Well under 100 Wh |
How many charges, really
A current phone carries a battery of roughly 4,000 to 5,000 mAh, so the arithmetic is close to one charge for a 5000 pack and two for a 10000, before losses and before the screen. Using the phone while it charges, in a cold room, with a thick case, moves both numbers down.
The number to print on the box is the one measured on a named phone at a named starting percentage. A claim of two charges on a 10000 pack is defensible. A claim of two charges on a 5000 pack is the review nobody wants.
The thickness trade
The larger cell roughly doubles the energy and adds visible thickness and weight. That is not a manufacturing compromise, it is the cell. The practical consequence is that the 10000 mAh pack lives in a bag and the 5000 mAh pack lives in a pocket, and the two sell to different shoppers.
- In a pocket: the 5000 pack, where thickness is felt every day.
- In a bag: the 10000 pack, where the second charge is worth the bulk.
- In a case: check the ring holds through it, because a thick case costs more capacity than the size difference between the two packs.
Thickness also decides the accessory. The 10000 mAh pack is the one that needs a pouch or a short cable in the box, because it does not sit in a pocket next to the phone. The 5000 mAh pack can ship with almost nothing and still be used on the move, which is a lower carton cost and a smaller footprint on a hook.
The retail maths
On a shelf the comparison is capacity per unit of price, and the 10000 pack usually wins that comparison. That is why the larger cell dominates electronics retail and why the smaller one sells in travel, gift and convenience channels where size and price matter more than capacity.
Two features change the comparison more than capacity. A display that shows the remaining percentage makes the product feel smarter than its sibling. A metal shell makes it feel more expensive. Both cost less than doubling the cell, and both show on a product photo.
Label and airline rules
Airlines apply a 100 Wh limit to power banks in carry-on luggage, and both packs here are far below it: 18.5 Wh and 37 Wh. Printing watt hours on the label, beside the milliamp figure, removes the argument at a security gate and satisfies the customs paperwork in most markets.
The label should also carry the wireless output and the profile, the model number that matches the certificate file, and the input and output ratings of the USB-C port. A label with only a milliamp figure is a label that will be questioned.
What to put in the order
Four items belong in the purchase order rather than in a later email: the delivered capacity measured on a named phone, the label artwork with watt hours and the model number, the magnet array drawing with the holding force, and the pass-through behaviour if the pack can charge and discharge at the same time.
Both sizes are mature products and neither is hard to make. The difference between a pack that sells and one that comes back is the box copy and the magnet, not the cell.
Updated 2026-10-22 ยท 3 min read. Specifications and profiles change without notice; confirm the current sheet before you publish a retail claim or a tender document.
Questions that come back
Short answers, before the email.
Why does a 10000 mAh pack not give four charges?
Because the nameplate is cell capacity and the phone receives roughly 60 to 70 percent of it after conversion and coil loss. Two charges on a modern phone is the realistic figure.
Can I take a magnetic power bank on a plane?
Both 5000 and 10000 mAh packs are well under the 100 Wh limit that applies to carry-on, so they travel without an operator approval. Check the airline rule for the specific route, and keep the pack in the cabin.
Does the case affect charging?
Yes. A thin case passes the field; a thick or metal case reduces it or stops the charge. This costs more capacity than the difference between the two pack sizes.
Which size sells better?
The 10000 mAh pack in electronics retail, where capacity per price is the comparison. The 5000 mAh pack in travel, gift and convenience channels, where pocket size and price point decide.
What should the box say?
Charges measured on a named phone, watt hours, wireless output and the Qi2 profile, and the model number that matches the certificate file.
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