Portable power banks are great devices to have on-hand for charging devices like your smartphone, tablet, or even your laptop. They offer convenience as you can keep one in your bag or purse to charge your devices on-the-go. However, not all portable power banks are created equal. You’ve probably seen a portable power bank in the wild, whether it’s advertising a brand, company, or website. You may have even noticed that some portable power banks are sold at a lower price point than others.
So what exactly is a portable power bank? What should you look for in a portable power bank to make sure that it’s right for your needs? Read on to learn about the different types of portable power banks, and how to choose the right one for you.
What is a portable power bank?
A portable power bank, also known as a power bank or portable power station, is a small device that can charge your devices on-the-go. Some smaller power banks can even be used to store data and play music. A portable power bank is often smaller than a smartphone and has a built-in rechargeable battery that stores energy for later use. Depending on the power capacity, the battery can charge your devices for a few hours or even days. The average capacity for a portable power bank is around 5000 mAH. A mAH is an abbreviation for milliamp hours. A milliamp is a unit of measurement for current, which is often used to indicate the amount of current that a device can output. The higher the mAH rating, the more energy the device will hold, and the longer it will charge your devices. You can expect a portable power bank with a higher mAH rating to charge your devices longer than one with a lower mAH rating.
What to look for when buying a portable power bank?
When you’re shopping around for a portable power bank, there are a few things you should look for. Read through these tips to help you find the right portable power bank for your needs.
Size:
Depending on the space you have available, you may want a portable power bank that’s thinner or thicker. It’s important to keep in mind that a thinner power bank will typically have a lower capacity. However, this won’t be an issue if you only need it for charging your device.
If you have a lot of space available but still want a portable power bank, you may want to consider a larger capacity power bank. If you need a lot of room for data storage, you may want to consider a data-only portable power bank.
So, before you buy, make sure you measure the available space in your bag and see what you have to work with.
Battery Capacity:
The capacity of a power bank is how much energy it can hold. Different power banks will have different capacities, and the capacity is usually listed on the product page. The higher the mAH rating, the longer you’ll be able to charge your devices. Some power banks even come with a battery gauge that will let you know how much time is left on the power bank.
A portable power bank should have enough capacity to charge your device at least once. In many cases, you can even get power banks that are designed to charge multiple devices at the same time.
If you only need to charge your device once, a lower-capacity power bank will be just fine. However, if you need to charge your device multiple times, a higher-capacity power bank is a better choice.
External Battery:
Some power banks include a built-in battery that can be charged outside of the power bank itself. With an external battery, you’re able to charge your device while you’re charging the external battery.
External batteries are often larger than power banks, so make sure you can fit your external battery in with your other devices before you buy.
They may be a good option if you’re spending more time away from an outlet, such as on a camping trip, but if you don’t need to worry about charging your device on the go, external batteries can be bulky and heavy, so you might be better off with a portable power bank.
Other Features:
Sometimes, just being able to charge something isn’t enough. To be efficient, you can opt for a power bank that can provide extra features. Thus, you can get several different functions out of one device.
Other features, such as a flashlight, a speaker, a USB hub, and a power bank case, are nice to have, but aren’t usually necessary. There are tons of other features you can find on portable power banks, so make sure to look around before you settle on one.
The perfect mini power bank
The Moovy Mini Powerbank can be your go to choice if you are looking for a small yet powerful charging device. It has a dual USB output with 3.1 A total output. This power bank is super light, making it the perfect choice for travelling. Be sure to check it out!
