5 Key Things To Know When Buying A Power Bank

5 Key Things To Know When Buying A Power Bank

Have you ever had your cell phone, tablet, etc., battery die and not be able to charge it? It’s a very frustrating experience.

This is where a portable power bank charger can be an absolute Godsend.

With the advances in technology, our gadgets provide us with convenience and lightening speed communication.

Our mobile phones are becoming smaller and more economical so that people can easily carry them in their pockets.

In the last 20 years there has been an amazing shift towards buying portable devicesthat enhance the quality of our lives. Cell phones have evolved from being bulky to being sleek lightweight efficient devices.  With the tremendous increase in their usage there is a need to keep them charged at all times.  It is for this reason that many companies have introduced Power Banks into the market.

A power bank is a portable charger for your devices and it is an absolute must-have product if you travel a lot. You need to be able to charge your devices if you want to fully utilize them on a single trip. Smart phones, tablets, etc., all require power after some time and a power outlet is usually not available everywhere you go.

Buying and carrying spare batteries of every device is not a practical option either.  (Not to mention the extra expense over time.)  So you need to have a portable power bank of your own from which you can charge the batteries of your device(s).

 Tips On Buying A Power Bank

A lot of it depends on your personal requirements.  If you don’t carry too many devices when you travel, then you can buy a small and low capacity one just to charge your smart phone.  If you need to charge a iPad, tablet, etc., then you will need a one that has a higher capacity.

1. Capacity – Determine Your Usage:

The main attribute associated to a power bank is its capacity.  This capacity is measured in milli Ampere Hour i.e. mAH. You can’t exactly calculate how many times a specific power bank can charge your device, but the rule of thumb is more mAH rating mean more capacity.

So if you have a phone with a 1500mAH battery, ideally a capacity of 1500mAH can fully charge it once.  And when you buy a portable power bank, make sure that it can charge the battery of a specific device i.e. its output voltage matches with the device you own, because if the output voltage of the charger is less than the device being charged, it won’t work. Of course, the reverse is true, if you have a charge with a larger output voltage than your device, you may be able get several charges.

Should you decide on buying a portable charger, keep your own usage in mind.  To meet huge charging needs of consumers, 8400mAh and 11200mAh, (and higher mAh) units are also available.  There are chargers that can charge almost any type of device, from all types of companies. This includes laptops, ipad, ipod, tablets, and mobile phones from Apple, Samsung and HTC. Sample Usage Guide…

• 1500mAh battery : mobile phone – 1 full charge.
• 5200mAh battery : mobile phone – 2 full charges. Tablet – approximately 50%.
• 10000mAh battery : mobile phone – 4 full charges. Tablet – at least 100% full charge.

Power banks are available in almost all the countries at various prices and in varying sizes and specs.  Before purchasing you should make sure that they are not used.  Used cell phone battery chargers will be a waste of money as their life span is not much.

Life span can also be greatly reduced if it is kept in adverse environmental conditions for a long time. There are portable chargers whose lifetime is reduced at temperatures more than 45 Celsius. However, at extreme temperatures such as over 70 Celsius there is a good probability that the battery will be completely damaged.

2. USB Charging:

Some power banks contain a built in USB charging capability.  Some of the older models don’t have this feature.  They had a separate cable which one had to carry along with the device. This added to the number of things that could go wrong in its usage.

People were not able to charge their cell phones if they lost or forgot the cable at their home.  Once the device is charged the cable can be easily folded into the device.  To charge the device all one has to do is to unfold the adapter and plug into the required slot. The better quality power banks will come with a set of connectors for different device types, such as, Sony,  Apple, Samsung, etc.

3. Price & Quality:

Apart from battery strength, one other thing which can help you decide which power bank charger is best for you… is the price.  But you should not buy a portable power bank which either uses refurbished batteries or which doesn’t contain the basic features e.g. short circuit, over-charging protection.

4. Portability:

Several reasons of buying a power bank is that it is portable and will charge your device.  You can buy cheap ones with big capacity, but they usually will not charge your gadgets properly, or break down on you.

If you are looking to buy a external cell phone battery charger, we really recommend not going for the cheapest option. This is one of times where you do indeed get what you pay for. A mid-range to upper range price will be a great option with no sacrifice on quality.

Because of the large number of personal devices that we now have such as iPhones, iPads, Ardroids, smart phones, some cameras, GPS, MP4, IPods and Bluetooth to name a few, it’s practically a necessity to have one if you want to make sure that you never run out of battery power on your device. There is nothing more frustrating than running out of battery.

Before I had a Power Bank, I was on a long drive, using Google Maps with my Android.  My car charger stopped working, so my cell phone battery died halfway through the 4 hour journey and I had to find my way without back home relying on stopping and asking for directions several times. After this experience I went out and picked up the EasyAcc 12000mAh charger and use it all the time.

5. Power Bank Recommendations To Best Charge Your Devices

After extensive research, we have found several excellent sources for a battery phone charger and give it our highest recommendations.

(Below the comparison chart, you will find additional info about the 3 power bank recommendations.)

 

PowerGen 5200mAh Charger

Price : $25.99

Battery Capacity 

Cell Phone: 2 charges 
iPad/Tablet: 27% of 1 charge

USB Ports : 1 

Weight : 7.3 ounces 

Size : 3.7 x 1.6 x 0.9 inches 

 

Most Popular

EasyAcc 12000mAh Charger

Price : $34.99

Battery Capacity 

Cell Phone: 7 charges 
iPad/Tablet: 2 to 2.5 charges

USB Ports : 4 

Weight : 11.2 ounces 

Size : 5.6 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches 

 

 

RAVPower 8400mAh Charger

Price : $29.99

Battery Capacity 

Cell Phone: 4 charges 
iPad/Tablet: 1.5 to 2 charges

USB Ports : 2 

Weight : 6.4 ounces 

Size : 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches 

Power Gen 5200mAh Charger

If you just need a cell phone battery charger, the Power Gen 5200   is an excellent choice.  You can get up to 2 charges for most smart phones.  The price is $25.99. According to the package insert, this battery pack is compatible with most cell phones and has capacity to charge the following:

* iPhone 4: 2 charges

* iPad 2: 45% of one charge

* iPad 3: 27% of one charge

Click Here For The PowerGen 5200mAh External Battery Pack Charger for iPhone, Samsung, Blackberry HTC, etc

Rav Power 8400mAh Charger

The RAVPower Deluxe Power Bank  is an proven winner if you want to charge 2 devices at the same time.  It has 2 usb charge slots.  You can get 4 charges on most smart phones, including the iPhone 5.  In addition it will charge most tablets 2 times.  It weights in at 176g/6.2oz.

Package comes with 4 connectors and 2 cables, plus  a handy carry pouch. The price is $29.99.

Note : with an iphone/ipad, you will need the Apple 8Pin/30Pin Cable for the RavPower.