The problem of phone autonomy is one of the realities of 21 e technologies century. It is for this reason that external batteries, also known as "power banks", are also in demand in the market.
These small, portable power sources are capable of supplying sufficient charge to a smartphone, tablet, Bluetooth headphones, laptop or any other device with a rechargeable battery.
However, choosing your external battery is not easy with the impressive number of existing models with such different characteristics, dimensions, weight, colors and prices. That's why we've got some tips for you so you can choose the power bank that best suits your needs.
Capacity is probably the most important feature of a power bank since its primary purpose is to supply the necessary energy to your devices.
You should know that the more the capacity increases (measured in mAh), the higher the price will be. Beware of offers too good to be true , because you could end up with a poor quality product.
It is therefore necessary to ask a series of questions:
How many devices will I charge with the power bank? How often will I take it with me? Every day ? For individual use or also for other members of my family or friends?
Also remember that you cannot estimate how much a power bank will charge based on its theoretical capacity. Rather, it will be necessary to refer to its real capacity, which is equivalent to approximately 70-80% of the theoretical, this difference is explained by the energy expenditure during the discharge process.
The size is of course very important, because it is linked to the capacity of the battery:many power bank manufacturers still continue to use 18650 Li-ion type batteries , larger and cylindrical, thus increasing the dimensions of the product.
Others, on the other hand, have decided to opt for LiPo batteries, also used for our phones or tablets, which are thinner and thus allow the creation of more aesthetic and practical models.
Either way, the batteries can be quite heavy and the difference in weight between 18650 Li-ion and LiPo is only very minimal.
From then on, we can therefore establish a very simple rule to use:
The greater the capacity (in mAh) of a power bank, the greater its size and weight.
You should therefore consider the following aspects:
If you already know the answers, then we advise you to take a look at the work done by the Powerbank20 team.
Their teams have already tested and analyzed a large number of external battery models and thanks to the data collected, they have developed graphs like the one below.
In this graph, the models capable of providing the greatest amount of energy are compared, taking into account the dimensions, thus creating a relationship between energy supplied and dimensions of the external battery.
Fast charging technologies significantly reduce charging times. Having an external battery with this technology is essential if your device is compatible.
The two most popular protocols are:
The traditional ports available on these devices are:
Depending on the external battery, it is possible to benefit from special ports such as the Lightning port (for Apple) or the DC, port ideal for laptops that do not charge via the USB-C port.
Finally, remember that external batteries can also have additional features such as solar panels or the possibility of wireless charging. But the most important thing, we repeat, is to always ask yourself which devices you are going to have to charge with.
