Not using a standard connector for charging limits your options with some models of Surface Pro and mobile charging. While phones are easily connected to battery packs or car chargers, the Surface Pro requires a little more thought when you're shopping for power accessories. But the excellent Batpower portable battery pack is a great place to start.
Who should buy this pack?
Wanting to charge a Surface Pro on the go requires a little more foresight. If you want a portable charger that, most importantly, works with your device, you should consider the Batpower.
Is it a good time to buy this pack?
It's expensive, but if you want the best money can buy, this is an excellent option since prices on devices like portable chargers don't fluctuate too much. If you don't want to spend that much, you can wait for a sale.
The Surface battery pack
The problem with using a battery pack with the Surface Pro is two-fold. First, you need sufficient capacity and output to charge the thing. The second is the first-party connector. That means you need a battery pack that comes with a suitable cable as well as being an all-around beast.
The Batpower is a battery pack that comes with a 98Wh capacity, and it has a whole bunch of USB ports into which to plug your various devices. It also comes with a Surface charging cable in the box, so you can use it while you're out and about to charge your machine.
It weighs 20 ounces, and the only real drawback is that it'll take a bit of time to charge back up. However, it's just small enough to be allowed on a plane, which makes it a perfect carry everywhere your Surface Pro goes.
Using your existing USB-C power bank
The Surface Pro using Surface Connect and not USB-C is one of the biggest downers on an otherwise class-leading device. Fortunately, you can get a Surface Connect to USB-C cable reasonably cheaply.
If you have a USB-C PD enabled power bank already, then this cable is a smart and affordable investment. It's a little clunky when you're on the go, but it's a better solution than buying an entirely new, dedicated power bank so that you can charge up your Surface Pro.
Surface Pro car charger and inverter
Like the portable battery packs, the problem is mostly that you have to find one with the Surface connector on it. There are a few out there, but one company seems to have the best all-around solution, one that can also help you out with a battery pack.
Batpower offers not only a 110W car charger powerful enough to fill up the battery in your Surface Pro but also a separate USB cable. You get one included with the car charger, but if you only need the cable, you should give it a look as well.
The Batpower charger isn't cheap, but it comes well recommended and is strong enough to be of use charging your Surface Pro.
A power inverter allows you to use your car's cigarette lighter and then turns it into the right connection to use your regular wall adapter for your Surface Pro. Or anything else, for that matter.
There are also USB ports that can be used when the inverter is turned off (which shuts down the power outlets and cooling fan). Something like this would suffice for not only your Microsoft tablet but also a few smartphones and other hardware. Just be sure to reduce use when the engine is off to preserve your vehicle's battery.
Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X
The newer Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X have a little more flexibility. Since they have USB-C ports built-in, you can use these to charge up on the go with a battery pack and a regular USB-C cable.
All you need is a good battery pack capable of delivering enough power output to your Surface Pro while having enough capacity to add some worthwhile use time. Whether you're using it with the new Surface Pro 7 or Surface Pro X, or with an adapter or cable on one of the older Surfaces, Dell's power bank is a superb choice.
This battery bank from Dell has a sizeable 65Wh capacity and can deliver up to 65W of power, and Dell has rated it for up to 16 hours of life on the XPS 13. So you know it'll give you plenty on your Surface Pro, potentially even a couple of days use on a more extended trip.
The bottom line
There are plenty of options for you if you want to charge your Surface Pro on the go. If you find yourself with a Surface Pro 7 or Pro X, you'll have more options to choose from. However, if you have anything older than the seven and want the best charger available, you'll want to check out the Batpower.
