Should I buy a Power Bank?
It feels like every other sponsored TikTok or short-form product placement video as of recently is telling you to buy some sort of power bank or portable charger. Surely, they can’t be in such high demand to warrant this degree of exposure? After all, what’s wrong with just carrying around a regular charger to plug in wherever you need to? Obviously, you’ll be shackled to a wall for the duration of your top-up, but is that so bad?
You may or may not be having second thoughts, but power banks aren’t just for your everyday, but for when you’re far from home, urban or rural, or perhaps out a little later than you intended, in which case, hooking up your device to a wall socket is likely going to lead to a bad time whether you’re standing by to guard it or not. Perhaps you’re one of those rare individuals who are unapologetically better at managing your battery life than your friends are, but then again, what are friends for if not being the fully charged sanctuary of hope for their low-battery brethren? With a power bank on hand, you can be the hero.
But BE CAREFUL – Buying just the first power bank you see on Amazon or eBay is a choice you’ll very quickly wish to undo, and it’s not just the cheap options that will fill your battery with little more than regret. So what should you be looking for?
What Power Banks are best?
First of all, if you want to be the saviour of your group, or just prepared for every situation, you’ll want to ensure the power bank you purchase has ports for both USB-A and USB-C connectors. Some examples can be found here.
Power Banks can utilise similar charging technology to standard chargers. The examples linked just there are a rare case of power banks making use of both Quick Charge and Power Delivery technology. And those aren’t just buzzwords than any old manufacturer can slap on their products, but rather specific physical technology that grants far fast charging speeds than typical chargers and power banks. Just ensure that when you are using a cable that also supports Quick Charge and Power Delivery. They will say if they do, and will almost certainly not if they don’t (However countless sellers whose products claim to use this technology often mislead, maliciously or negligently). This brand is a safe bet to make sure you’re getting products that definitely meet this requirement. What’s more, cable-and-power-bank bundles are available to simplify the purchase, while keeping things matching and without bottle-necking your charge.
What size Power Bank should you buy?
You next question is inevitably going to be regarding what capacity is best for you. While everyone’s situation is different, it’s easy to be baited into buying something bigger than you need. Remember, more isn’t always better, especially when considering that the primary purpose of a power bank is its portability, and it’s not just space you need to think about, but weight too. Batteries are heavy, and can quickly get expensive. Unless your work or hobby comes with an extortionate power requirement, a 5,000mAh or 10,000mAh ought to be plenty. As such, only one question remains. What are the best options out there for power banks?
Conclusion: Some good options for Power Banks
Tech Energi TE50
For something extra light and convenient, while maintaining all the benefits of Quick Charge and Power Delivery technology, the TE50 from Tech Energi is a safe and solid choice. It features both a USB-A and USB-C port, so your connector compatibility fears are no more. This model can also be purchased as a bundle with either a USB-C-to-USB-C, or a USB-C-to-Apple Lightning cable, to ensure that the Super Fast Charging benefits aren’t bottle-necked by the limitations of a regular cable.
Tech Energi TE100
If you’re unsure as to whether a 5000mAh capacity will last you (typical high-end modern phones have a battery capacity of slightly under 5000mAh), the TE100 holds twice the charge, but is otherwise identical to the TE50, including with its bundle options. If you want to be the hero to your low-battery friends, this will help you keep your promise. Even if you don’t have any friends, you get the benefit of not having to charge your power bank as frequently, so at least you’ve got that going for you. This option is also ideal if you regularly carry other devices with you, such as tablets.
Both TE50 and TE100 and their respective bundles are automatically eligible to be registered for a free lifetime warranty, which is an absurd deal, and takes about one minute.