Preface
So, I'll be trying my best to post more often and keep this blog from dying (although one could argue it is dead already). Alright, so my parents gave me a new power bank yesterday and I decided this is a great opportunity to put up another 'double whammy' video and blog post combo this weekend. Here goes nothing.
Intro
Most people have unfortunately had the dreadful feeling of their phone dying at the worst possible moment. Whether that be during a phone call, YouTube video, movie, or something else, simply put, it sucks. Now, it may be unbeknownst to some people, but there is actually a very easy way to make sure this doesn't happen: keeping a power bank on you (and your phone cable). At first, the vast variety of power banks may overwhelm a first-time buyer, but that is exactly what this guide is for. I will be talking about things such as phone battery capacities and charging speeds in this article which varies with different devices, so to find the specifics of yours you can search for your device of GSMArena.
Battery Capacity
Okay, this is one of the major things you should consider when buying a power bank. The capacity of a typical power banks can range anywhere from less than 2000mAh to a beastly 41 600 mAh (max at the making of this post). Now, this usually also usually affects the size and price of the power banks as well, so it is important to find a sweet spot which works for you. Most modern phones in 2020 usually have a battery capacity between 2000 mAh to 5000 mAh. It is important to note that a 2000 mAh power bank will just about always fail to charge a 2000 mAh battery from 0 to 100%. The reasons for this are actually quite simple. The power bank itself must also use some of the stored power to display how much charge it has left, whether that be through LED indicators or a full-fledged mini display showing the percentage. Furthermore, it may have other features such as a flashlight or an always-on display. Even if your power bank is super minimalist and lacks most of these, some power is still lost (as heat, I think) through the cables as your device charges and will lose charge on standby, so all 2000 mAh will not be transferred. Basically, when calculating how many times you would like your device to be charged by the power bank, you should always overshoot.
Ports
This one is one of the more obvious things that is looked for in a power bank. Most power banks have at least one USB Type A port (which is the rectangular port found in most phone adapters), but as you start looking for a more compact design, you may find that there is only one of these ports instead of more. More USB Type A ports may be useful if you plan on charging multiple devices. However, another port which may be important to some people is the USB Type C port. Most older power banks charge via micro USB (and some with the lightning connector) which was the standard for most devices many years ago. However, the USB Type C port is much more common today, and I personally would not want to get a power bank that cannot be charged with USB Type C. I might be a little biased because my phone has a USB Type C port, but micro USB is starting to become obsolete in my opinion. Also, beware that descriptions can sometimes be misleading, so ALWAYS double-check by zooming in on the images and ensuring it has the ports you want. Heck, the power bank I just got had a slightly incorrect description (check video below), but I was aware of it and did not really mind.
Output
Now, I believe this is something that most people might not really consider when shopping for a power bank. Power banks generally state what the maximum "total output" and what the output of each port is in watts. If they only give this in amperes and volts, you can simply find the watts by multiplying these two. New smartphones are being capable of getting charged at higher and higher watts, therefore you should be aware of the maximum wattage your phone can be charged at is (once again, you can use GSMArena). If you plan on only charging one device at a time, then all that is really important is if the maximum output wattage of at least one port matches or exceeds what is supported by your device. However, if you plan on charging multiple devices, then the total output is also important, as the wattage will be split amongst the devices, so if you would like to make sure all devices can charge at max speed, the sum of their supported input wattages must equal to or be less than the output wattage of the power bank. If the power banks wattage is slightly less than desired that is likely alright, but theoretically, the device is not charging as fast as it could. FYI if you plan on charging your laptop with it, you will likely need a very large output wattage.
Size
For many people, the physical size of the power bank itself is also quite important as well. Pictures can sometimes be misleading, so it may be useful to look at the posted dimensions, and to quickly use a ruler to approximate its size. While power banks with less capacity tend to be smaller in size, each year even more capable power banks are getting smaller and smaller. There is not really much more to say about this part as this mostly comes down to personal preference. This also applies to the look, so I will not have a separate section dedicated to that.
Other Features
Although all power banks have the basic function of charging another device, some have special features which can really differentiate them from the average power bank. Some of these features could just be for aesthetics (like a nice display), which in my opinion is not worth paying a huge premium for (unless you really dig it) and these quirks may even have a toll on the battery life of the power bank. However some other features may be more than just a gimmick. Some such features may include, but are not limited to, wireless charging, ports that with PD (power delivery), or QC (quick charging), and easy reparability. Of course, you should make sure your phone is compatible the first few features I mentioned before splurging on a power bank with them, but to some people, these may really be a game changer. I also added easy reparability as a feature because down the road, when the power bank inevitably dies, people who are more 'hands-on' may want to replace the battery inside. The existence of this feature is probably the hardest to determine, but here are a few tips. First, if you want this feature, avoid weird Chinese brands. Second, try searching for a video of someone opening the power bank. Third, maybe search about the power bank in some forums. If the power bank is sealed super tight, then there may be some accident when trying to open it (more on this in my video below).
Conclusion
At the end of the day it really is just about finding a power bank that suits your needs and does what you need it to do. My final tip would be not splurging too much to make sure that the power bank has a billion features that you won't need or are not even supported by your phone for 'future-proofing' (unless you find an amazing deal or are buying a power bank you are confident will last). This is because it is possible the power bank will die before you get a device compatible to take advantage of those features. Here is a video a made about power banks below.
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