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The key thing is that you should go for a model that supports simultaneous charging *without drastic speed drops*. It's not enough to have two ports: it needs to distribute power decently. A lot of budget powerbanks, even the 20,000 mAh ones, slow down one of the two devices quite a bit when you're charging them at the same time, especially the iPhone. Better to spend a bit more on a model that handles power distribution between ports well.
If you can, pick one with at least one USB-C port with Power Delivery: that way while you're charging the iPhone from that one you can charge the AirPods from another port without issues. Models in the 25,000-30,000 mAh range with USB-C guarantee decent charging for both the phone and earbuds, and they'll easily last you a full day. Avoid the super cheap ones with only USB-A and low overall power, because you'll end up wasting time and your iPhone's battery will climb really slowly while your AirPods sit at half charge.
Practically any decent power bank these days can charge two devices at once, so it's not a big deal. The important thing is that it has at least two ports (like two USB-A, or USB-A and USB-C) or a single port that supports fast charging. AirPods barely consume any battery anyway, so while you're charging your iPhone the power bank's battery won't drain too fast.
If you want to be safe, grab something with at least 20,000 mAh - it'll easily recharge your iPhone twice and your AirPods a thousand times. Brands like Anker, Belkin and Aukey all work fine, they're reliable and reasonably priced. Avoid those cheap power banks on Amazon with 500 reviews and all sketchy photos - they might work for a month and then that's it.
One thing not everyone thinks about: if you use two ports at the same time, charging speed slows down a bit on both devices because the power bank splits the power. If you care about that, picking a model with Power Delivery (PD) helps, because at least your iPhone charges decently even at 5W shared. But honestly for everyday use it doesn't make a difference.
How much wattage do you have available for charging? The thing is, not all power banks distribute power evenly between two ports, and if you go with a 10-20W one, you risk charging everything really slowly when you plug in two devices. Better to aim for something with at least 30W total and that supports fast charging on both USB-C and a second port, so both your iPhone and AirPods charge decently. If you want a simple solution, models with one USB-C PD port and one USB-A port do the job, but check the specs first.
How much battery life do you need between charges? If you use your iPhone a lot during the day, it's worth going for a powerbank with at least 20,000 mAh, so you can charge your phone one and a half times without issues while also giving your AirPods a boost at the same time. One thing that's not as straightforward as it seems: make sure at least one port supports fast charging (like USB-C Power Delivery), otherwise your phone charges slowly while you're already using the powerbank for your earbuds, and basically you're wasting time either way.
Sole asker
I use my iPhone a lot, so 20,000 mAh seems like the minimum to me. Thanks for the advice about fast charging, I hadn't thought of that.
# Translation
Power banks with USB-C have a big advantage: many modern ones support PD charging (Power Delivery), which means you'll charge your iPhone way faster compared to standard USB-A. If you pick one with at least one USB-C port and one USB-A, you've solved the problem elegantly - you plug the iPhone into USB-C and the AirPods into USB-A, and both charge at decent speeds.
The trick nobody mentions is checking **power management under load**. Some power banks "throttle" the output when you connect two devices, like they automatically drop from 18W to 10W per port. Before buying, look at the technical specs: if you see that it supports simultaneous charging at full power on both ports, then you know you won't get any surprises. Brands like Anker and Ugreen tend to be transparent about this.
As for capacity, 20 - 25,000 mAh is the sweet spot if you use your iPhone a lot throughout the day. Below that threshold you won't even fully recharge your phone once. A practical tip: try charging AirPods and iPhone together before buying if you can (borrow from a friend), so you see firsthand how fast they both go together.
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