PowerBank batteries: nuances of use

Why do you need a "power bank" for a phone, tablet, and what is it?

Literally translated, PowerBank is a store of energy. The device is an autonomous charger, with which you can charge your gadget without having access to the mains. In fact, this is an additional battery for a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This external power supply is pre-charged and retains its charge until the user connects it through the USB (or Mini-USB) port of the tablet or laptop. After connecting, the "power bank" begins to give charge to the device.

External batteries may vary in weight, size, capacity, but their device is the same - in lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries of standard size are hidden in a plastic or metal case 18650. But the capacity of "power banks" may differ. This difference plays a very important role. For example, a PowerBank with a capacity of 5000 mAh (mAh) will charge the phone freely, but its charge will not be enough for a tablet, here you need a device with a capacity of more than 5000 mAh.

Which PowerBank is better to buy: Tehno.guru editorial advice

Such devices differ in many ways. And if the appearance, color, dimensions and weight are features that do not affect the operation of the "power bank", and the choice according to these parameters depends entirely on preferences of the buyer, then other characteristics should be paid close attention before choosing an external battery for a smartphone or tablet. Among them, there are differences in the following parameters:

• Battery Type;
• Battery capacity;
• output current strength;
• number of ports.

Let's look at each of the points in more detail.

External battery type: which is better to buy

The "poverbanks" are equipped with lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. For many, the difference between them is imperceptible, but it is present. First, let's take a look at the device. Lithium-ion batteries used gelled electrolytes which are unsafe. In case of mechanical damage, such a battery swells up, and sometimes even ignites. In lithium-polymer batteries, this problem is solved - the gel electrolytes are replaced by a polymer (a special film up to 1 mm thick). Therefore, they are safe in terms of ignition. Plus, lithium polymer batteries are cheaper, though not much. However, it was not without its drawbacks - lithium-polymer batteries are more susceptible to aging. With intensive use, such power sources are sufficient for fewer charges compared to lithium-ion ones. If the "power bank" is not used on lithium-polymer cells, then after 2-3 years it can be thrown out - it gets old regardless of whether the device is in use or not.

External battery capacity: what it affects and how to choose the right PowerBank

On the battery of any gadget, the manufacturer indicates its capacity in mAh. On average, for a smartphone it is 2000-3000 mAh. Based on this, you should choose the capacity of the external battery. However, it is worth remembering that no battery is able to fully release the charge in it. This means that with a PowerBank capacity of 10,000 mAh, you will not be able to charge a smartphone with a 2000 mAh battery 5 times. Always leave margin for losses. Moreover, in order not to be mistaken, it is better to take the maximum losses, amounting to 30-35%. This means that if the "power bank" has a capacity of 10,000 mA / h, then in reality it can be considered as 7,000 mA / h.

INTERESTING INFORMATION!

Today the manufacturer offers external batteries with a capacity of several tens of thousands of mAh, however it should be understood that such a PowerBank will cost decent money, have large dimensions and weight.

Interesting models with solar panels, which are suitable for lovers of long hikes. By attaching the battery to your clothing, you don't have to worry about it running out. Energy will be taken from the sun.

Charging current is an important parameter of an external battery

PowerBank is capable of delivering charging current in the range of 0.5 to 2A, depending on the model and its specifications. Modern external batteries with 2 USB sockets give 1A for the first (intended for a smartphone) and 2A for the second (intended for a tablet). However, there is one interesting fact.

INTERESTING TO KNOW!

If you simultaneously turn on 2 smartphones for charging in both slots, the current in both slots will be 1A.

When purchasing PowerBank, you should give preference to models with a higher output current. With them, the charging process will be much faster.

The number of external battery ports and their configuration

The most common budget models of "power banks" with one charging port. A little more expensive can be purchased devices with two ports. However, it should be understood that the device will not deliver more current than it was designed for, regardless of what is written near the port. For example, if one port is capable of delivering 1A, and the second 2A, but at the same time PowerBank is designed for 2.5A, when connected to both ports, there is no way to get a current of 3A. Therefore, before you buy an external battery, study the characteristics of the devices that will be charged from it.

Rules for using an external battery: what the owner should know

It is very easy to charge your gadget via PowerBank. It's even more convenient than a cord-tied charger tied to the mains - no need to turn off the power every time you call. We connect the standard wire to the phone, and its other side to the external battery. Charging should go automatically. If this does not happen, you just need to press the ON / OFF button. The indicators on the device will tell you how much charge is left in the "power bank". When the phone is fully charged, the power bank will turn off automatically.

The PowerBank itself is also very easy to charge. We plug it into the charger from the phone with the same standard wire. The full charge can be seen on the indicator. When fully charged, PowerBank will stop accepting the load, while the indication will be visible. It turns off as soon as you unplug the charger.

Which external battery is better for a phone, tablet, laptop: user reviews

It has long been known that not every ad can be trusted. This means that you can understand which external battery is better for a particular gadget only by collecting information about it on the Internet, based on user reviews. However, there are many pitfalls here as well. Some manufacturers themselves create fake praise for their products. Editorial staff Tehno.guru analyzed a huge number of user reviews, and those on which we are based in our today's review are definitely real.

It is clear that PowerBank, which is suitable for a phone, is unlikely to be suitable for charging a laptop, which means that our the review should be divided into 3 sections: devices for mobile phones (smartphones), tablets and laptops. In the fourth section, external batteries with a solar battery will be presented.

External battery for the phone: an overview of models and reviews about them

For a phone or smartphone, you can purchase PowerBank with a capacity of up to 5000 mAh, although a large capacity will not hurt. Consider several models that are suitable in terms of parameters, along the way, having read user reviews about them. Perhaps this will help our dear reader make the right choice.

XiaomiMi is a fairly well-known manufacturer of similar devices

This manufacturer has long earned a good reputation. Xiaomi Mi products are known for their quality, the buyer trusts this manufacturer. Let's consider one of his models.

Quite good indicators - quite acceptable for a phone. And the cost of the external battery Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000 is not high - such an acquisition will not break a hole in the family budget. And here is what users say about this device.

Review of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000

Not so famous, but no less quality Hiper

Slightly more capacitive PowerBank. Interestingly, the increased capacity does not affect the cost - the device is inexpensive and affordable for everyone. Let's consider its characteristics.

Surprisingly, with a higher capacity, this device charges faster than the previous version. What about the reviews?

Review of HIPER EP6600.

HIPER EP6600

The fact that he could not charge the tablet is not surprising, the capacity is too small. But in general, a very good device.

Canyon - performance slightly improved

This PowerBank will charge the phone a little faster due to the increased output current. In order not to be unfounded, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main parameters.

As you can see from the table, it charges faster itself. Here's what they say about this model.

Review of Canyon CNS-TPBP5

Canyon CNS-TPBP5

The weakest and cheapest of the presented - defenderLavita

A very cheap model that will work with simple phones. The device captivates with its low cost, but is it worth saving when buying such equipment? Let's consider the device in more detail.

This is the simplest device based on a lithium-ion battery. But what will the owners say about this model?

Review of Defender Lavita 5000

Defender Lavita 5000

It was a fly in the ointment, specially added by the editors of Tehno.guru for comparison. Now it's time to move on to external power supplies for tablets.

External battery for a tablet: interesting models and their characteristics

A tablet will need a little more PowerBank capacity than a phone, so now we consider PowerBank devices up to 20000mAh. Let's start, as in the previous group, with a "poverbank" Xiaomi Mi.

Xiaomi Mi 10000 Power Bank for tablet computer: features and reviews about the model

As always with this manufacturer - the quality is high, the cost is low. Let's look at the parameters.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10000

As you can see, it charges quite quickly, but this model is more interesting in the second generation.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 - what's the difference

Many do not pay attention to the number 2 in the name, considering the devices to be identical, but this is not the case. Now the dear reader will be convinced of this.

Quite a solid increase in the output current. And charging is faster. The most interesting thing is that this practically did not affect the price, and some stores sell this model even cheaper. Here's what people are saying about this device.

Review of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 10000

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 10000

Canyon - what a review without this manufacturer

For tablets, this brand has created a good device, which we will now consider.

Of course, the charging time is quite impressive, but the capacity is rather big. The only thing that confuses is the low output current. Charging such a PowerBank will be slower than the previous options. Here's what netizens think of the model.

Review of Canyon CNE-CPB156

Canyon CNE-CPB156

Another assistant for charging tablets - ASUS ZenPower

The PowerBank of this model is interesting by the similarity with the second generation Xiaomi Mi Power Bank. The only difference is in the charging time, but this is particular. Let's consider this option.

Not a bad device considering the quality of ASUS products. Owner reviews confirm this.

Review of ASUS ZenPower 10050 mAh ABTU005

ASUS ZenPower 10050 mAh ABTU005

Now it's time to talk about laptop power banks.

External battery for laptop: device models with high capacity

The laptop requires more capacitive external power supplies. You can use the average values ​​(for this often look for "Xiaomimipowerbank 1600"), but such an external battery will not fully charge the laptop even once. It is better for a laptop to purchase such a device, the charge of which will be enough even for more than one complete supply of the gadget with energy. These are exactly what we will now consider.

Remax Proda is a good option on a trip

Quite a capacitive, inexpensive device. If used for a simple tablet, then the charge will last for 6-7 cycles. For a laptop, of course, less. Let's consider the model in detail.

The output current is rather weak, but in general it is quite acceptable for this price. And they speak well of this device.

Review of Remax Proda 30,000

Remax Proda 30000

Rombica NEO - a device with a good output current

Not to say that a cheap external battery, but worth it. There are many different switching cables included. Let's look at the characteristics.

A decent 3.2A output current is split between the two ports. The device supports 12, 16, 19V. We couldn't find any positive or negative reviews.

Review of Rombica NEO PRO 280

Rombica NEO PRO 280

Batteries PowerBank: reviews about RAVPower

An interesting model that does not share the maximum current between ports. It can separately issue 2.4A for one port, 3A for the second.

RAVPower RP-PB054 21000

Another representative of the family of laptop chargers - Vinsic

This model, of course, will not achieve the title of "the best external battery" for a phone, tablet or laptop, but its indicators are quite good. Let's analyze the characteristics of the battery.

A solid midrange in terms of performance, capable of charging the laptop without problems, although not as quickly as we would like. However, judging by the reviews, everything is not so rosy.

Review of Vinsic VSPB401 Warrior P5

Vinsic VSPB401 Warrior P5

And now let's move on to the most interesting - models with the ability to recharge from sunlight.

Solar Powered Power Bank: Convenience on Long Hikes

Many go hiking or rafting for quite a long time. In this case, the charge in the "power bank" may not be enough. In this case, an external solar battery will help out. Now we will consider several models of such devices.

DCAE Solar Charger Power Bank - takes charge even in cloudy weather

Many renowned manufacturers offer solar powered external power supplies of various capacities. Let's consider one of them.

We will not put down the charging time in this group, because it depends on the degree of illumination. Not to say that the reviews are perfect, but not entirely bad either. To warn our dear readers, I would like to give a review on the topic of forgery. Be careful!

Review of DCAE Solar Charger Power Bank 10000

DCAE Solar Charger Power Bank 10000

SITITEK Sun-Battery - conflicting product reviews

How many people - so many opinions. Some praise, others scold. Moreover, the second is the majority. Consider the characteristics declared by the manufacturer.

Of course, the capacity is small, but the cost of the device is appropriate. Reviews vary, but overall the impression is good.

Review of SITITEK Sun-Battery SC-09

ITITEK Sun-Battery SC-09

The latest model for today is ALLPOWERS

The model does not cause any complaints from users. In cloudy weather, of course, you can't charge a powerful gadget, but it works great in the sun.

And here is the feedback from the user.

Review of ALLPOWERS AP-PB-002

ALLPOWERS AP-PB-002

Finally

Summing up today's conversation, I would like to note that no matter how good the reputation of the manufacturer of external power supplies is, there can always be someone who will counterfeit the product. Needless to say, a fake will clearly not be better than the original. Therefore, the editors Тehno.guru advises: do not pursue cheapness. If a product is 30-40% lower than the average market price, this should be alarming. When purchasing such devices in stores, do not hesitate to ask the seller for a certificate, study the packaging and the device itself - a fake product cannot be perfect. Be careful and do not let yourself be fooled, so as not to write negative reviews later.

We hope that the information presented in today's article was useful to our dear reader and will help him make the right choice if necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the discussions below. Editorial team Tehno.guru will try to answer them as quickly and fully as possible. We also ask you to share your experience, if any - it will be useful to other readers. Write, ask, communicate. And finally, we suggest watching a rather fascinating video on today's topic.