IDEAL TIPS FOR BUYING THE RIGHT POWER BANK

Nowadays, the usage of battery powered equipment is increasing considerably. Continuous usage of these chargeable devices has been forcing the users to charge them often. This is how the power bank has become an inevitable option for almost all battery charging devices. Thus, you can charge every chargeable device like cell phones, portable speakers, battery powered headphones, MP3 players etc. by means of a reliable power bank. So, power banks are currently considered as an effective portable charger. A USB interface which supports charging is the key thing they required for this purpose.

In recent years, a power bank has become the most necessary device to charge a smartphone/ laptop or any other devices. There are also wireless chargeable power banks which enable the users to charge them wirelessly. Power banks can be charged using a USB charger when there is power supply unit, and later the charged power bank can be used for charging battery powered items like mobile phones and an assortment of devices that would normally use a USB charger.

You can conveniently keep a power bank in your pocket and consider it for charging your phone, tablet, or other devices while you are on a journey with your family or on a usual business trip. So, power bank is one of the most essential gadgets that everyone should invest and possess.

Power banks are available in a number of varieties with different shapes, sizes and capacities. But buying a power bank is not as easy as we use it. So, it is essential for you to understand some important factors before going to purchase a suitable power bank that suits your needs in all respects.

Consider Capacity

One of the very significant points to consider when choosing or buying a power bank is about the essential capacity. To evaluate this, you must consider the chargeable devices which you need to charge with the power bank. For instance, the charge needed by a tablet is more than the charge required by a Smartphone and so forth. Moreover, some Smartphone varieties take more charge than other variants. To understand this, keep a glance at your Smartphone specifications. You can read the capacity of the Smartphone battery under the battery area.

In general, the charge of any battery unit is measured in mAh. This denotes milliamp hours. Thus, a battery with a thousand mAh would supply 1000 mA, and it is capable of offering 1 A for one hour. The capacities of older phones were less than 1000 mAh, whereas the capacities of modern ones can be up to 3000 mAh. For instance, the capacity of an iPhone X battery can be 2716 mAh.

To charge your device fully, the power bank capacity must be slightly higher than the device to be charged. If the capacity of the power bank is a bit extra, you can make sure that the device can be fully charged. Generally, the batteries in a tablet are visibly larger. So, if you want to charge a tablet, you have to buy a much bigger device.

Power bank output

While choosing a power bank it is also very important to consider the rate at which it can deliver the required charge. This also affects the time of charging. You can create an idea about the charge required by your device from the respective charger. Many small USB devices usually charge nearly half an amp. For instance, phones need nearly an amp, while tablets need about 2.5 amps.

If any of your devices has fast charging capability then it will take more current, probably 3 amps. So, if you have more such devices, it is essential for you to make a note of that. Normally, the power banks can point out the magnitude of current they can deliver. For charging a device with maximum current, it may take a longer timeframe to charge it properly. Some larger power banks are constituted with multiple outputs, and you can see the specification of each such output on the respective power bank. As the number of ports increases, the maximum current at the output reduces. So if you want to have fast charging times, then it is better to choose a power bank having high output current. Sometimes, a phone or device cannot be charged with the maximum current, because it takes current only what it can accommodate.

Number of ports

Earlier, power banks had only a single output port, but when people started charging more devices simultaneously, many of the manufacturers’ started launching power banks with two or more output ports. While purchasing a power bank, you have to check the output current capabilities for each port. Also remember that if multiple devices have to be charged all at once, the power bank may not be able to supply the utmost current to each port. There may be an overall highest current output which is distributed among the available outputs, and thus, the device charging process slows down.

Size and weight

Both the size and weight are the other important factors to be considered when buying a power bank, especially if you have to travel with the power bank. If the capacity of the power bank is larger, then the device will be heavier and larger.

Lithium-ion and lithium polymer

In Power banks, two main battery technologies called Lithium-ion and Lithium-polymer are being used. Even though these technologies are almost similar, there are also some trivial differences between them. Lithium-ion is featured with high power density, and the shortage of this element is called the memory effect. This condition can be observed when the batteries become harder to charge over time. Lithium-ion batteries are notably less expensive than the other variant. Lithium-polymer batteries are normally more flexible and robust, particularly when it comes to the shape and size, and they are likely to last longer. They are lightweight in feature, with extremely low profile, while the electrolyte leakage possibilities are very meager. Some power banks specify whether they are constituted with lithium-ion or lithium polymer.

Charging connectors

The output on power banks is connected to A Type USB.  Here, in this output, large USB connectors and flash memory drives have been used to interface with USB chargers. At the same time, the connector used to charge the power bank is different. For this purpose, naturally a micro-USB or a mini-USB is considered. But recently, some power banks are found integrated with a lightning connector so that it can be charged by an Apple charger. If an Apple lead is used, it will minimize the number of diverse leads required for charging.

Charging of Power Bank

For charging your devices, first you have to charge the power bank properly. If the capacity of the power bank is larger, the time taken to charge it will be longer. If your power bank is provided with a 1 amp charger, and if the power bank has a capacity of 5000 mAh, then the time required to charge the power bank will be nearly five hours. All the charge that enters into the power bank will not be converted to its stored up charge, because there is an efficiency factor, and the same can be possibly 80% or more.

Leads

While going to buy a power bank, consider the leads predominantly. However, all power banks are not provided with leads, either for enabling you to charge the devices from the power bank, or for charging the power bank itself. Above all, the budget power banks are not often constituted with leads. For such power banks, you will have to arrange your own separate leads.

Extra light

Some power bank units are found constituted with extra lighting arrangements. This can be switched on after pressing the on/off button. This additional facility enables you to use the power bank as a powerful torch with an enormous battery behind it.

However, you are advised to take care of your power banks during flights. In view of the exceptionally elevated power density levels, and the problems experienced with a certain type of mobile phones arranged with lithium batteries, some airlines are very careful, and allow devices which contain only a certain number of lithium based batteries. So beware of using very large power banks during flight travels.
Power banks are absolutely very useful devices, especially when you have to use your Smartphone or tablet for a very long time while travelling. It may not always be possible to get the power source for charging purposes. So, possessing a portable power bank is an idyllic solution. Since so many power banks are available on the market, it is better to understand the issues related to them. This awareness will help you a lot to buy the best power bank of your choice.