It has long been difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without mobile phones and other gadgets. And it is important that the device through which you communicate with your loved ones is always in working order. The main task of an external battery is to charge the phone at a critical moment. However, there are also models that can recharge your device several times or charge several devices at the same time. For information on how to choose the right accessory, read the review from Komsomolskaya Pravda.
A responsible manufacturer indicates two indicators of battery capacity
Many manufacturers like Xiaomi usually indicate two indicators of battery capacity. The first is a beautiful round number and is printed more for marketing purposes, while the second shows the actual capacity that can be squeezed out of the gadget.
How to check: carefully examine the battery case and the markings applied. Two capacities must be indicated: nominal and real.
So the declared 20,000 mAh is nothing more than the total capacity of the batteries built into the Power Bank. The batteries have a voltage of 3.7V, which rises to 5V supplied via the USB port.
This process is necessarily accompanied by a loss, which, together with the heating of the battery during discharge, reduces the efficiency by 10-30%. As a result, it turns out that from a nominal 20,000 mAh you can get from 14 to 17 thousand mAh.
The final result directly depends on the converter in both the Power Bank and the smartphone. Every year, devices receive more and more modern elements, but it will not be possible to get more than 80-90% of the nominal capacity from a Power Bank.
Important parameters for purchasing a powerbank
The capabilities of each powerbank are determined by technical parameters. It’s worth taking a closer look at them to easily navigate the wide range of manufacturers. Knowing the basic properties and what they mean will help you make a smart choice of powerbank based on your needs.
What is Mach on powerbank
The capacity of an energy bank is usually expressed in milliamps per hour - abbreviated mAh. The higher the value, the longer the device will work on a single charge.
Current strength - what you need to know
When choosing a powerbank, pay attention to the current strength, expressed in amperes A. To charge a smartphone, a current of 1A is sufficient. A universal choice would be a model that allows charging with a current of 2A. It will not only restore the energy of your smartphone faster, but is also suitable for tablets. Charging these devices at 1A current may not comply with the manufacturer's instructions and may take a very long time.
What is the difference between lithium-ion and lithium-polymer
Powerbanks, like smartphones, store lithium-ion or lithium-polymer material. What affects its capacity? The choice of a specific solution depends on the frequency of use of the powerbank. The battery life, size and weight of both are similar.
| Battery Type | Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) | Lithium polymer (Li-Poly) |
| Susceptibility to self-discharge | less | more |
| Charging time | longer | Briefly speaking |
| Price | cheaper | more expensive solution |
| Form | most often in the shape of a rectangle | can have different forms |
If you often charge your phone and rarely have the opportunity to connect it to an online charger, choose a model with a lithium-polymer battery. For occasional use of a powerbank, such as in emergency situations when you are waiting for an important call and the battery is low, choose a device with a lithium-ion battery.
How to determine powerbank performance
Powerbank performance expresses the percentage energy conversion rate. The battery will never give 100% of its power to the device being charged. There is always a balance that depends on several factors, mainly on the quality of the selected device.
It is better to invest in models from branded manufacturers, whose efficiency reaches 80-90%. The cheapest ones boast high capacity, but their energy conversion efficiency can be only 40-50%. What does it mean? Look at the following example.
We can assume that the portable charger from the example above will charge the smartphone three or four times, with an initial charge of 100%. The equation, however, is an approximation and does not take into account the performance of the smartphone's battery, the environment in which the battery is stored, and the usage activity of the device while charging. Despite this, it gives a more detailed picture of how many times the selected powerbank can charge our devices.
What is the service life of powerbank
An indicator of battery life is the number of charge cycles. It determines how many times we can charge a given powerbank without loss of performance. In this case, feel free to follow the principle - the more, the better.
Manufacturers set the lower limit at approximately 500 cycles. Their number depends on the chosen model and the materials from which it was made. A powerbank with a service life of 500 cycles can be used every day for approximately 15 months. In practice, we do not use the energy bank every day, so the device will last you much longer.
Power Bank should not charge itself
The cheapest models or fakes of high-quality gadgets lack most of the electronic content. This way you can quickly and easily distinguish a cheap battery from a high-quality one.
How to check: connect the charging cable with one end to the charging port of the Power Bank, and the other to the USB from which you need to charge gadgets.
A good external battery does not react to such an action, the protection will work and nothing will happen. A cheap model or a fake will begin to charge itself.
An “energy cycle” will begin in the gadget, during which the battery will slowly but surely lose charge, and if cycled for a long time, it may even fail.
Where can I buy
Today, there are more than four thousand different models of this device in the country. The buyer is able to choose it not only according to the necessary characteristics, but also to his taste and color. Digital equipment stores offer a wide range of products. You just need to walk to a large supermarket that sells electronics. However, as you know, their prices are quite high.
Do you want to make your purchase more profitable? Trusted online stores that I recommend will help with this:
- Ozon.ru
- AliExpress
With their help, it will not take time to find a retail outlet, as well as a consultant who will hardly describe each model in detail. You will have the opportunity to independently study the characteristics of any option. And then you will give preference to one of them. And most importantly, time and money will be saved.
Remember, before ordering, you should carefully read the reviews and ratings of the product and the seller.
A good battery has transit charging
Most models of good external batteries are equipped with transit charging. Apple's proprietary Smart Battery Case works on the same principle.
How to check: if you connect the battery to the smartphone and at the same time power the Power Bank from the adapter, transit charging should begin.
It all depends on the power of the power supply. A simple charge from most iPhone models (except the 11 Pro) will charge the iPhone first and then begin charging the Power Bank. A more powerful unit from an iPad 10-12 watts or from a MacBook 18-28 watts will light up the gadgets at the same time.
This feature allows you to plug in your devices in the evening and get a charged smartphone and external battery in the morning.
Which portable charger to choose
Before you start choosing a power bank, decide how you are going to use it. The answers to these questions will make your decision easier.
Powerbank capacity
Before you decide on the capacity, think about how often you are going to use the powerbank? If you need a device that will support your smartphone for several tens of minutes in a crisis situation, a capacity of 2100-2600 mAh is sufficient. If you never leave your devices for a minute, choose a model with a more powerful battery.
A universal powerbank should be at least twice the battery capacity of your phone . Therefore, energy banks with a capacity of 5000-6000 mAh are the most popular.
Application of powerbank
The type of device you are going to charge determines which powerbank you need - with a 1A or 2A USB output. You can also choose a universal solution in the form of a powerbank, which has two connectors. This model will allow you to charge two devices at the same time.
Price and quality powerbank
The price of a powerbank depends not only on volume, but also on quality. Avoid devices that attract an attractive price and huge capacity - 10,000 mAh or more.
Portable batteries from unknown brands may not have the full set of safety and declared effectiveness. Their actual capacity may also not reflect what is stated on the packaging.
Powerbank size and weight
In the case of a powerbank that you plan to carry in your pocket, it would be appropriate to pay attention to its size and weight. Please ensure that the device is as small and compact as possible.
In any other situation, size ceases to matter. Most energy banks will easily fit into a backpack or bag.
Important accessories for powerbank
When you decide to buy a powerbank, compare different models in terms of additional features. Manufacturers often enrich their products with more or less useful elements.
Below is a list of useful features that increase the comfort of use:
- Charge level indicator – determines the current battery charge level of your powerbank. There are two types of indicators. The first is LEDs, the second is a small LCD display. Which is better? The choice depends on individual preferences. LEDs can consume slightly less energy, which the powerbank draws from its own resources.
- Built-in cable makes it easier to transport and increases the usability of the powerbank. You don't need to take a separate cable with you. Simply remove the cable hidden in the case and connect it to your mobile device. Samsung offers many such energy banks.
- Handle (ring) – convenient for smaller powerbanks. Thanks to it, you can combine the device with a bunch of keys and always have it at hand.
- Two charging sockets are a universal solution that allows you to charge two devices at the same time.
Power bank must support low current charging
A good battery will charge not only your smartphone, but also smaller gadgets. For example, to charge a headset, fitness bracelet, smart watch or low-power wireless headphones, a low charge current is needed.
How to check: connect any portable gadget to the Power Bank. Some models automatically turn on low current charging, while some have a corresponding mode that must be activated manually.
Cheap models will simply ignore the connection of such devices and will not be able to charge the same Mi Band or AirPods.
Rating of the TOP 17 best external batteries for phones
| Place | Model | Price |
| Best in terms of price and quality ratio | ||
| #1 | Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 10000 | |
| #2 | Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2C 20000 | |
| #3 | TopON TOP-T72, 18000 mAh | |
| #4 | ASUS ZenPower 10050 mAh ABTU005 | |
| #5 | HIPER SP7500 | |
| With wireless charging | ||
| #1 | Xiaomi Mi Wireless Power Bank 10000 mAh (PLM11ZM) | |
| #2 | Deppa NRG Qi 10000 mAh | |
| #3 | Samsung EB-U1200 | |
| #4 | INTERSTEP PB10DQi PRO | |
| #5 | HIPER SX20000 | |
| With solar battery | ||
| #1 | ROBITON Power Bank LP-24-Solar | |
| #2 | Sititek Sun-Battery SC-09 | |
| Large volume | ||
| #1 | TopON TOP-X72, 72000 mAh | |
| #2 | HIPER RPX30000 | |
| #3 | Rombica NEO PRO 650 | |
| #4 | TopON TOP-X38, 38000 mAh | |
| #5 | Baseus Mulight Quick Charge Power Bank 30000mAh | |
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The wireless charging coil must be universal
Many power bank models have a wireless charging coil. This is convenient, because the smartphone can be powered even without a cable.
Inexpensive models are often equipped with a single charging coil, which only works when paired with phones or tablets. Good models always have a pair of coils: one larger diameter for smartphones, and another smaller one for watches or headsets.
How to check: Place Apple Watch, AirPods with wireless charging case, or AirPods Pro on the charging plate.
Models with a single coil also have a right to exist, but it is better to take a battery with a pair of coils.
What devices can be charged using a powerbank?
Can a powerbank charge a laptop?
Most portable energy storage devices have an output voltage of 5 Volts, which allows you to charge almost all mobile devices. However, this is not enough to replenish the energy in the laptop.
Models with e-USB technology are appearing on the market, which allows you to adjust the voltage for the device being charged. When choosing such an energy bank, you need to remember the optimal power required to charge the laptop, that is, at least 20,000 mAh.
In the range of manufacturers you will also find powerbanks, which differ in the way the power cable is installed. The supplied cable must be connected manually. On the one hand, to the energy bank, on the other, to the device that needs to be charged.
A convenient option are models in which the cord is hidden in the housing. It only needs to be removed while charging, making daily transportation easier.
The actual capacity must correspond to the declared one
The most obvious test that should be done on a brand new Power Bank. To do this you will need a special USB tester. There are plenty of similar models on AliExpress or in any store with small electronics.
It’s better to stock up on such a gadget and check all the “cans” you buy for yourself and your friends. Here are popular tester models from AliExpress: ▸ universal tester 10 in 1 – 307 rub. ▸ the simplest USB tester – 162 rubles. ▸ more powerful tester model – 271 rub.
One of these or any other tester that can calculate the transmitted battery capacity will do.
How to check: charge the Power Bank to 100% and start discharging it with any available devices. In this case, we connect the charging cable through the tester.
You can charge all smartphones in the house, tablets and other smart electronics. Testing high-capacity batteries may take several days.
In any case, when the battery is completely discharged, the tester will display the amount of energy delivered. It needs to be compared with the declared characteristics.
An error of 5-10% is acceptable, but a larger discrepancy will be a reason to think about the quality of the external battery.
Purpose of power banks
Our smartphones, tablets and laptops have a habit of running out of charge at the most crucial and inopportune moments. For this purpose, we came up with a portable, compact and reliable accessory.
A portable battery (accumulator) serves as an accumulator and storer of energy, which it can then release. Power banks are used to keep all mobile electronic devices known today in a charged state.
These devices have increased power and allow mobile gadgets to operate in the absence of electric current. They are useful in everyday life, travel and trips.
Do I need to hand over a power bank for recycling?
Batteries contain heavy metals, which even in small quantities are dangerous to humans. If the battery is thrown away, then under the influence of the external environment, the case will collapse, and the “filling” will get into the soil and groundwater, poisoning them.
Since a power bank is essentially one large battery, we recommend that you hand it over for disposal or recycling.
There are collection points for batteries for recycling in hypermarkets and electronics stores. Or go to the Greenpeace website and select the recycling center closest to your home. Showing concern for the environment is easy.
