Power banks are fast growing charging technology and they may very well be the fastest growing technologies on the market. That’s because power banks are portable chargers that are able to go with us anywhere. For the most part, we’re stuck with USB wall chargers which force us to be stationary with the devices that we’re charging and that can be a problem if we have things to do and places to be. However, power banks allow us to be anywhere with them because they’re portable sources of power.
The best things about power banks are that there are quite a lot of different power banks on the market. This is both a good and a bad thing. It’s a bad thing because there are quite a lot of charging electronic companies that have popped up over the last few years and they sell very cheap and bad quality power banks. On the bright side, the charging electronics that do sell good power banks are excelling at what they’re portable chargers feature. Let’s go over the parts of power banks that you should look at before purchasing one.
How to Choose a Power Bank
Power Capacity and Size
The power capacity of a power bank and its size are both connected. So if a power bank has a high power capacity then that means it’s going be larger and if it has a low one then that means it’s going to be a Mini portable charger.
Amount of Charging Ports and Their Speeds
For the most part, power banks that have high power capacities are the ones that have multiple charging ports and that’s because the power capacity can withstand more usage at the same time. Also, if a power bank does have lots of charging ports, then you should check to make sure that each of the ports has a fast charging speed for each of the devices that you would charge at the same time.
Best Type of Power Banks
Mini Power Banks
Power banks that have very small sizes are ones that are the most popular. That’s because Mini power banks are so small that they’re able to fit into a pocket and they’re also able to be held in a single hand and used. Another thing about Mini power banks is just how versatile they are because they come in Slim form factors and those are the ones that are able to fit into your pocket easily just as a smartphone would.
One thing to keep in mind about Mini power banks is that they have low power capacities; which means that they’re only able to charge most smartphones about once or twice. They’re not really meant to be used for numerous days, rather they’re meant for a single day’s use.
High Capacity Power Bank
Power banks which have high power capacities aren’t nearly as used as Mini power banks because of their larger sizes and heavier weights. With that said, high capacity power banks are very great when it comes to their powering traits. That’s because they have power capacities that are able to charge devices like smartphones, tablets, and even laptops numerous times over. In addition to their high power capacity, these type of power banks have multiple USB ports so you can charge multiple devices at once.
The best part about high capacity power banks is that they’re able to feature special charging techs like Quick Charge, USB-C, and DC Outputs. By using Quick Charge and USB-C to charge compatible devices you’re able to charge those devices at their max charging speeds. The usage of DC Outputs on power banks allows you to charge laptops with them.
Rugged Power Banks
Most Electronics on the market are fragile and that means that they’re not able to withstand things like drops to the floor or water exposure without being damaged. That is true for power banks. Which is why Rugged power banks were created. Power banks that are Rugged have reinforcements which allow them to withstand drops on the hard ground and they won’t be broken. Rugged power banks also have charging ports covers which allow them to be protected from water.
With that said, most Rugged power banks have different Enclosure levels, which means that each one has different levels of exposure to water that they can handle. So it’s vital that you know the Enclosure level of a power bank before purchasing it because one Rugged power bank may only be able to take splashes of water and some Rugged power banks are built very well and can be immersed in water.
