Published on December 6th, 2016 | by Guest

What is a power bank? Power banks explained.

A power bank is a portable charger designed to recharge your electronic gadgets when you’re on the move. Ranging in size from slim, pocket-sized devices up to larger, higher-capacity power banks – they can be used to charge cell phones, tablets, GoPros, portable speakers, cameras and even laptops.

As technology keeps on improving, we are increasingly finding that running out of battery can be a big problem. Smart phones now come with large, energy-sapping screens, popular apps like Pokemon Go, Tinder and Google Maps all place large drains on our batteries.

That’s where purchasing a portable charger can really be a life-saver! If you’re travelling or out and about and you won’t have a chance to recharge your device, simply plug in your power bank and charge it right back up again.

How to charge a power bank

Most power banks and portable chargers come with a USB input port which you can use to connect to a wall socket, or a USB port on your computer to charge their batteries. Some also come with a supplied adaptor to be able to plug into a wall socket. There are some products which use a micro, or mini-USB socket to charge their batteries.

There are even solar-powered power banks which are ideal if you’re going on a camping, hiking or fishing trip!

How to use a power bank

Once you have fully charged your power bank or portable charger you can take it with you when are out and about. When your battery is running low simply plug your device into the power bank and recharge your batteries – it really is that simple!

What are the different types of power banks?

Solar chargers
Phone case chargers
Laptop chargers
Phones / tablet chargers

Power banks come in many different shapes and sizes to suit different budgets and power needs. There are portable chargers for just about every device. Most people use power banks for their cell phones, tablets and laptops.

New external chargers are coming out every day with new technologies. Some portable chargers work by harnessing solar energy from the sun while others double as a case that also charges your phone.

How long does it take to charge a power bank?

This is largely dictated by the size of your power bank’s batteries. The larger the capacity of the power bank you decide to purchase, the longer it may take to charge. For instance a smaller portable charger with a capacity of 1500mAh will charge in about the same time as a typical smart phone. A larger device suitable for laptops may take up to 4 times as long. Charging via a wall socket is also generally quicker than connecting your power bank to the USB port of your computer.

How many times can a Power Bank charge my device?

This comes down to the capacity of your device, and the power bank/portable charger. A power bank is measured by its capacity, which is rated in mAh (milli Ampere hour.) Generally, the higher the mAh rating of your power bank or portable charger, the more power it will have to recharge your devices. A good rule of thumb is to look at the mAh rating of the devices you want to charge, and purchase a power bank that has an equal rating (preferably higher).

For example, the iPhone 6 has a 1810 mAh rated battery. An Anker Astro E1 has an mAh capacity of 5200. This would safely charge your phone back to 100% battery. However it is not an exact science, there are factors to consider such as the power bank’s efficiency rating and the condition of the battery in the device you are charging.

The following set of figures can be used as a rough guide to what kind of recharging capacity a power bank may give you.

Device Charge Times

Power Bank Rating	Mobile Phone	Tablet
2000mAh	Approx. 1 full charge	Approx. 25%
5200mAh	Approx. 2 full charges	Approx. 50%
10000mAh	4 full charges	At least 100% full charge

Is a Power Bank and a Portable Charger the same thing?

They are one and the same. Portable phone charger, external battery, it doesn’t matter! If it’s a battery that you can use to power a device with it’s own battery without using a wall socket, it’s a power bank.

What type of batteries do power banks use?

Power banks generally come with Lithium-Polymer (Li-Po) and Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries.

When it comes to batteries, not all are created equally.

Lithium-Ion batteries have a higher energy density, and are cheaper to manufacture, but can have issues with ageing.

Lithium-Polymer do not suffer from ageing to the same extent so are a better choice. However, due to their higher manufacturing costs they may not suit all budgets.

About the author:

Kel Corbett a graphic designer, blogger, photographer and digital nomad. He runs a power bank and Promotional USB Drives review website called Power Bank Expert. It has comprehensive reviews, tools and articles about power banks and portable chargers.

Tags: explained, power bank