One of the most used and fastest growing charging electronics on the market are power banks. The reason for that is because power banks are portable chargers, which means that we can take them anywhere that we want to. With that said, since there are so many companies that now sell power banks it can be difficult to know what’s available on the market.
That is why, in this article, I’ll be going over the main points to look for in power banks before you purchase one.
Know the Power Capacity and Size
The power capacity of power banks and its size are both connected and power banks are built on their power capacities. With that said there are two types of power banks that make up most of these chargers. There are those that have low power capacities and ones that have high power capacities.
Power banks that have low power capacities are the smaller ones and the reason for that is because they use very few batteries and the batteries that are used are small. For example, power banks that have 3,000mAh to 5,000mAh power capacities use just a single battery and that’s what makes them so small. In fact, these power banks are so tiny that they’re able to fit into the pockets in pants and are lightweight enough to be held. The main drawback of Mini power banks is that they don’t provide long lasting power and most just have a single charging port.
Then there are power banks that have high power capacities and these ones are a lot larger and heavier than those that have low power capacities. However, as heavy and large as these types are, the power that comes with them is a pretty good reason to go with these anyways. That’s because they have power capacities of 20,000mAh and which makes them able to charge an array of devices multiple times over to full power. They also have many USB ports which mean that you can charge lots of devices at once.
Know the Output Charging Speeds and Ports
For the most part, having multiple USB charging ports is something that is most common with high capacity power banks because they’re able to better split up the power capacity better. With that said, just because a power bank has many USB ports does not mean that it holds value. Instead, you have to take a closer look at the charging speeds.
Charging speed standards have changed over time and now with newer devices out on the market, if a power bank has multiple charging ports, it’s best if each one has a charging speed of 2 Amps. That’s because most devices such as smartphones and tablets have a max charging rate of 2 Amps or higher. Actually, when it comes to tablets such as iPads then they have a charging speed fo 2.4A.
Also, you have to consider fast charging technologies such as Quick Charge and USB-C; since there are lots of devices that are currently compatible with Quick Charge, and if you own an Android smartphone you can very well have one that can charge at Quick Charge speeds. Then USB-C power banks are important because it’s a newer and increasingly common type of charging method of smartphones and other devices as well.
Recharging
Recharging can be just as important as Output charging, however, recharging is known as Input charging.
High capacity power banks are when it’s most important to have a good recharging speed, because if a power bank has a 30,000mAh power capacity and it only has a single Input of 5V/1.0A; then you’re going to be waiting a long time for a full recharge.
Instead, a power bank that uses something such as 2 Input Micro-USB ports is better because if each port has a charging speed of 5V/2.0A, then the Max Input will be 4A. Overall, two Inputs are able to give a better recharging speed.
There’s also the use of Quick Charge or USB-C with power banks that are able to charge faster if you’re using something like a Quick Charge USB wall charger wit them.
Different Types of Power Banks
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned two base types of power banks, but there are more than just those. There are also other types of power banks to consider. For example, there are power banks that have built-in cables and power banks that have built-in cables are ones that are always going to be reliable. The reason for that is because some people forget to bring their charging cable with their power banks when they’re headed out.
There are also power banks that have Rugged build qualities. Most normal power banks are not made not made to withstand things like drops onto the hard ground and neither are they waterproof. Rugged power banks have shockproofing and waterproofing capabilities that make them a lot stronger than just normal power banks
Know the Brand that you’re buying from
Since there are lots of brands that sell power banks, it’s vital to know what companies are trustworthy and which ones are not. That’s because there are a lot of companies that sell very cheap power banks that may be advertised to offer “Fast Charging” and “High-Quality Components” and yet they offer 1 Amp slow charging and sometimes they stop working after just a few weeks of use.
You must take a look at their reviews for their products and know what past customers have experienced with their power banks. You should also take a close look at the specifications of the power bank to make sure that it has fast charging for Output and Input and what it’s made out of.
