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We are in awe of the fact that our parents and grandparents were able to get around without Google Maps. It undoubtedly took a lot of planning and probably led to many wrong turns. Today, most of us have nowhere to go without our trusty smartphones. While having a phone is great, having a dead battery is not. But that’s exactly where a power bank can you come to your aid.
For those of us born into Generation X, Y, or Z, it feels virtually impossible to go anywhere without a phone. The same goes for choosing the best restaurant in the area to eat, or figuring out which bus to take home. While you can always resign yourself to taking your charger with you or using a public phone charger, you have two negative caveats.
First of all, no one wants to be that person crouching in the corner of the room and trying to drain the dead phone battery. And there is not always an outlet available.
The other problem is: squeeze juice, which is a serious security risk for your device. Especially when you consider how much of your personal information can be stored on your smartphone. The latter can of course always be solved by a data blocker†
So if you want to make sure your phone battery stays green, grab a portable power bank. That way you are prepared for anything.
Here’s everything you need to consider when buying a portable phone charger, along with some of our top picks.
How many recharges do you get?
As smartphones have become more advanced, with larger battery sizes and more energy-demanding technology, just like the portable charger market. It’s not hard to find a portable charger, but it’s important to make sure it can meet all your needs.
If you’re just looking for charge your smartphonethere is an incredibly rough calculation you could do to determine how many times you could charge your phone from a fully charged power bank.
Take for example the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, a phone with an internal battery of 5000 mAh. A 20,000 mAh power bank can charge it four times when fully charged, right?
Not quite, although you should see more than three charges if the power bank is relatively new and certainly fully charged.
The reality of power transfer is inherently lossy, and the actual transfer rate of the current will also affect the amount of charge it can deliver to a given device. Like your smartphone, a power bank’s internal battery will also lose capacity over time, so if you’re using an older model, you may not see its full capacity when it comes to squeezing out your devices.
How many devices do you need to stay informed?
Most high-capacity power banks have multiple outputs, which is handy if you plan on powering more than just your smartphone, or if you just want to be nice to your friends and family if they get stuck in a power outage.
It is also worth coordinating connector types here. While USB-A is the usual standard, since most charging cables end with that rectangular plug anyway, there are some power banks that offer USB-C or Apple’s Lightning connectors, although the latter is quite rare in the output sense. When charging the power bank, you will need to purchase a compatible cable whether your device uses micro USB, USB-C or Lightning, but usually not a true plug charger.
What kind of power do you need?
There is a certain universality when it comes to charging smartphones from a power bank as you can plug just about any phone into any power bank and get the electrons flowing.
However, that’s not the full story if you want to charge faster, and especially if you need a power bank to support your laptop’s power supply. Some power banks support standards like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge if your phone supports that standard, meaning you can use your phone much faster, but there are alternative standards like Oppo’s VOOC, which are usually not mentioned in the power bank specs. If a power bank can provide higher wattage to your connected device, you may find it charges fasterbut it is not guaranteed.
It’s a little more complicated if you want a power bank to run power to a laptop or other high-wattage device. What you are looking for is a power bank that offers Power Delivery, or PDstandard.
With the right mix of power bank, cable and device, it is possible to power laptops, although this can be a bit hit and miss as the device and power bank must effectively negotiate the level of power delivery that is safe. used. Many laptops may just choose to use the power bank as an external power source – so they drain the battery, but don’t actually “charge” it while in use – which is obviously a safer option than taking your laptop apart.
The best power banks you can buy
ROMOSS 20,000 mAh portable charger
The 20,000 mAh charger from ROMOSS has QuickCharge support, three output connections and claims compatibility to charge the Nintendo Switch.
Where to buy
Amazon ($42.99) † eBay ($31.49)
Anker 20,000 mAh Power Bank
What we love about this power bank is that it accepts the new USB-C and old micro USB outputs, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. You can charge at least two devices at the same time at quite fast speeds.
Where to buy
Charmast 26,800mAh Power Delivery Power Bank
Charmast’s Power Bank has 26,800 mAh to dispense and plenty of ways to do it, with two standard USB ports, a USB-C port and also a Quick Charge compatible port. It’s rated at up to 18W, and Charmast claims compatibility with the Nintendo Switch and select Apple MacBook models.
Where to buy
Amazon ($69.99) † eBay ($89.87)
Anker 10,000 mAh Slim Power Bank
While it offers a small mAh compared to other power banks on this list, rest assured that this portable charger will still pack a punch. It fits perfectly in your pocket or backpack and you can even activate the trickle charge mode to enjoy optimized charging for low-power devices like your earphone cases or speakers.
Where to buy
Amazon ($49.99) † eBay ($45.99)
iMuto 20,000 mAh portable charger
iMuto’s power bank has 20,000 mAh on board, two USB-A outputs and a simple digital display, so you can easily see how much power is left. It also has a built-in flashlight, so even if your phone doesn’t have juice, you can still only use it to find your way in the dark.
Where to buy
OISLE 4.225 mAh Magnetic Wireless Mini Power Bank
OISLE’s magnetic power bank has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing and compact portable chargers on the market. This cute little guy comes in five colors and is about half the size of your phone. Unlike other chargers, its biggest draw is the fact that you don’t have to worry about a dangling cable while trying to get from A to B. You can even put it in your back pocket while you wait rather than fish it out of your bag.
Another nice feature is that the logo lights up in three different colors to indicate how much battery juice is left. However, compared to the other portable chargers mentioned, this one has a low capacity of only 4,225 mAh. Translation? Slow charging speed, but ideal to support your phone before the battery runs out completely on the way home.
Where to buy
Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh Portable Charger
Anker is one of the best-rated consumer technology brands out there† If you’re looking for a portable charger with a little more power, the Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh portable charger is a solid battery option. This power bank has two USB-A ports for dual charging, with a 2.4A output for each port.
Where to buy
Amazon ($99.95) † eBay ($103.89)
Zhonghang 26,800mAh Solar Power Bank
If you are someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, you know how important it is to have enough battery power. With a battery capacity of 26,800 mAh, the Zhonghang power bank can reach five to six full charges for most iPhone and Samsung models.
You can even charge this power bank with sunlight and it even has a built-in LED flashlight. It’s also waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, so it can withstand anything thrown at it.
Where to buy
Amazon ($69.99) † eBay ($93.29)
ZHAM 33.500mAh Solar Power Bank
Horribly similar to the aforementioned Zhonghang, the ZHAM Solar Power Bank has a 33,500 mAh that claims it can charge you iPhone 13 up to six times or your Samsung S8 up to seven times.
Also known as the “outdoor man’s favorite battery bank”, it features an LED flashlight. While you might be tempted to claim that your phone already has a flashlight, your phone certainly doesn’t have four flashlight modes that can help you flash a distress signal if you’re ever stuck in a pickle.
Where to buy
Amazon ($79.99) † eBay ($110.21)
Editor’s Note: Descriptions and features are taken from manufacturer/seller claims and user reviews on Amazon.
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