Porable Chargers (Power Banks)

What is a power bank? The portable charger Power Bank is an additional power source that can be used to charge devices without a traditional charger. Charge your Apple iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc. phone or tablet, headphones, portable speakers, MP3 players and so on. 

It is an irreplaceable device that just needs to always be with you on any trip, whether it is short or long. Depending on everyone’s tastes and desires, these portable chargers come in different shapes, sizes and capacities to suit every person’s needs. 

The cell phone external battery is becoming more and more popular with each year. Due to its practicality and easy charging of the devices while traveling, their use has increased significantly. 

Types of Power Bank charger

Regular power bank

Basic portable phone charger has one or more USB ports that can charge one or more devices at the same time. Sometimes a portable power bank has a LED or digital display that indicates the current battery power level. It usually charges via micro USB or Type-C (USB-C) connectors. 

Solar Power Bank

The solar power bank can be charged in two ways: with a standard USB charger or via a solar pad. This requires a light source, but faster charging will actually require very sunny and bright conditions. 

Although the solar charging function is slow, it can be very helpful during different trips especially if you are away from electricity sources. The solar energy can still be used to charge the phone, the tablet a few percent when needed. 

Some advanced phone power bank even have extra expandable solar panels to increase the battery’s higher solar charging capacity. Nevertheless, to charged such portable charger fully with solar energy can take more than 24 hours.

Like the regular power banks, it also has a charging micro USB or Type-C (USB-C) connector and one or more outgoing USB charging ports. 

Wireless Power Bank

Many devices now have the ability to be charged wirelessly, in this case cell phones, headsets, and other devices. So power bank manufacturers have also taken advantage of this feature. 

Such wireless charging power bank use the Qi wireless charging standard, which is supported by all devices that can be charged wirelessly. All you have to do is place the device on the wireless charging station and press the button to start charging it. 

Portable charger battery life

There are two main factors that determine the life of an external phone battery for a smartphone. 

Charging cycle

Any portable cell phone charger gradually wears out due to constant use. Usually the life of the Power Bank depends on the available charging cycles, which are approximately from 500 to 1000 cycles. 

Self-discharge

Power bank portable charger that performs as a portable electrical outlet have a self-discharge time that is around from 1 to 6 months. Of course, these numbers may vary if the devices are stored outside the room temperature. However, if you keep them discharged for a long time, they may lose their internal memory and thus their capacity will decrease. 

Power Bank charging capacity

The internal capacity of portable chargers increased as their demand in the market went sky high. Cell phones are the main devices used to be charged by Power Banks. Increased demand has upped their capacity and the number of full chargings. 

Older external battery capacities were 1000mAh - 6000mAh, and newer Power Banks are now 20000mAh or even more. 

Also, the external battery for the cell phone can provide power up to 3.0A, so it can charge many devices quickly. 

Which is better - Lithium-ion or Lithium-polymer charger?

All Power Banks use lithium batteries, which currently contain lithium ions or lithium polymers. 

Lithium-ion Power Bank

Lithium-ion batteries can have a larger capacity and support a higher current charge and are cheaper to produce. The only thing is that the higher the battery capacity, the heavier and larger the Power Bank is. In these cases it may be inconvenient to carry around with you everyday. 

Lithium-polymer Power Bank

Lithium polymer external batteries are newer and it is a more durable technology. Its production costs are more expensive as they can be produced in various shapes, thicknesses and widths. The advantage over lithium ions is its compactness. It can quite small and of bigger capacity at the same time.

Best Power Bank

The best portable charger on the market today - MAXOAK K2 50,000mAh Power Bank. It not only has 4 USB connectors, but can also charge even laptops with 5, 12, 20V voltage. 

Which Power Bank to buy?

All types of portable chargers perform their function very well, but they vary in size depending on the price and capacity of the external battery. If you are looking for a more expensive portable charger that is more reliable and lasts longer, choose lithium polymers. In terms of capacity, estimate how many times you want to charge your smartphone with a fully charged Power Bank.