Make sure the juice is worth every squeeze.

Most power banks serve the same purpose: to juice up low-powered devices and revive dead batteries. They also prove useful in times of emergencies and power outages. With this, it’s no wonder these portable slabs of external battery packs are ever-present on our everyday essentials list. 

And with the ubiquity comes the daunting task of picking out the best power bank for your mobile requirements. How much power do you need? How many ports? What voltage do you require? Does size matter? LED light or built-in display?

With these factors to put into consideration, Cyberzone gives you a short guide to choosing power banks that are worthy of your money. 

 

Capacity

The first thing to tick off the checklist is the capacity. To reiterate, a power bank’s capacity is measured via milliamperes (mAh). The bigger the number, the higher its capacity to charge a device or two for a handful of times. To help you visualize, a 10,000mAh power bank can charge a smartphone with a 4,000mAh twice; roughly up to three times on 15,000 power banks; and so on. 

In today’s standards, most flagship smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices of today stand within the range between 3,000mAh to 5,000mAh. For tablets, it’s between 5,000 to 9,000mAh. Keep in mind that a power bank’s capacity must always be more than your phone’s battery capacity. Otherwise, you won’t be able to charge your devices efficiently or worse, may even affect your battery performance.  

 

Size and Weight

While some power banks can pack a lot of power in a slim form factor to maintain portability, the common indicator at first glance when it comes to capacity is the size. In most cases, the length and thickness correspond to the power bank’s capacity – meaning more often than not, a 20,000mAh will come in a thick, brick-like form. All in all, consider getting the right size (alongside capacity) for your intended charging needs and habits. 

For example, if you intend on going on a three-day camping trip with no access to wall sockets, it’s best to have a pocket-sized power bank with a capacity of 10,000 to 20,000mAh. Rapoo’s S2002 20,000mAh is your best bet to cover your mobile charging needs all throughout the adventure. Meanwhile, the slim 5,000 to 6,000mAh should keep your phone juiced up without overcrowding your bag during casual mall dates, parties, hangouts, and even daily commutes. Aukey’s PB-N66 Ultra-Slim 5V Fast Charge is perfect for these types of scenarios. 

 

Multiple Ports

These notches will serve as your literal contact points in powering your devices. The most common is the enduring USB-A. Normally, this port is used for charging the power bank, itself. And while today’s devices rely heavily on USB-C and lightning ports (exclusive for iOS devices), gadgets like Bluetooth speakers still employ Micro-USB plugs to charge up their internal battery. 

Most power banks like the Veger VP1115 and Royqueen RP501 go beyond the limits by offering the flexibility of integrating additional ports for universal compatibility simultaneous charging.

 

Input/Output

Charging efficiency mainly depends on the input and output capacity of the power bank. The sweet spot is 5V. Any power bank that has lower than the said voltage will drain your phone battery, as opposed to refueling it. Conversely higher voltage may result in further damage. Matching your phone’s input voltage vs the power bank voltage will give you an optimized charging experience. 

As for the wattage, higher watts means faster recharging. A 7.5W to 10W are pretty decent for powering up the latest phone models for a fair amount of time. Although brands and manufacturers now offer higher wattage ranging from 18W to 60W to enforce a much faster charging time. They also employ advanced features such as the Qualcomm QuickCharge technology and Power Delivery protocol, to allow efficient power flow in both ways. The best example of this is Anker’s PowerCore+, which has max 45W PD plus a basic 15W USB-C charging.

 

Other Features

All things considered, go for power banks that offer supplementary features. Aside from LED displays and fast-charging features, check if your preferred power bank brand has safety features to ensure you and your devices are safe from unwanted damage and accidents. Pick the ones with overcharging, short-circuit, anti-static, overheating, and over-voltage protection.  

Aside from this, today’s best power banks now offer what we call “pass-through charging”. This allows users to charge their devices while the power bank, itself, is plugged into a wall socket. Brands like TP-Link and Mophie are now adapting this feature to their latest product lineup. Meanwhile, Anker, Xiaomi, and Bavin are among the few who utilize Qi Wireless protocol for cordless charging. Veger has built-in plugs that are integrated on the device for your quick charging needs. 

As a takeaway, it is always important to research and assess each brand, for you to determine the perfect power bank for your devices. Compare each merits to get the most out of your power bank. Another thing is to make sure you purchase legit items. Never settle for cheap knock offs because at the end of the day, these power banks are our mobile device’s saving grace the moment it hits the 20% mark.

And what better place to buy #TechAssured power banks than in your nearest Cyberzone branch? Make it a point to #CheckCyberzone for regular updates on the latest releases and tech reviews. LIKE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE to our official SM Cyberzone accounts across all social media channels. 

 

 

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