How to choose a powerbank that will not gather dust in the closet

Modern smartphones, it would seem, can already do everything, and at the same time they are constantly increasing their functionality. And here are them

own batteries are so shinysuccesses simply cannot keep up. And it often turns out that a person who has been surfing the Internet all day is left without communication in the evening - because the gadget has died, and there are no sockets nearby. Naturally, according to the law of meanness, our phones choose the most inopportune time to sit down.

This is why many brands make portablecharging device. And, surprisingly, all of them, from different brands, differ quite a bit from each other. For this device has, strictly speaking, one mission - to charge a mobile gadget. But even in such simple things there are nuances (which sometimes force us to buy a powerbank, but abandon it at home and not use it), and we'll talk about them.

Content:

  • What to look for when choosing a portable battery
  • KUULAA Power Bank 10000 mAh
  • KUULAA Power Bank 30000 mAh
  • Baseus BS-30KP365
  • Garas mini-charger
  • Wireless Powerbank Baseus F10
  • Portable router + powerbank ZMI MF885
  • Xiaomi Mi Power Bank2
  • Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10000 mAh
  • 70mai jump starter
  • PowerPlant MS-125P3

Top Powerbanks:

KUULAA Power Bank 10000 mAh

It is a lightweight compact 10,000mAh power bank. 4 output ports: 2 USB, microUSB and Type-C. Multilevel protection, display.

Buy on AliExpress

Most purchased on AliExpress

KUULAA Power Bank 30000 mAh

3 downstream ports: 2 USB-A and USB-C and 3 upstream: USB-C, microUSB and another one for Lightning. Supports Quick Charge 3.0, Quick Charge 4.0, Power Delivery 3.0 and Huawei SuperCharge fast charging technologies.

Buy on AliExpress

Powerful and fast

Baseus BS-30KP365

There are 3 inputs and 5 output connectors: 4 USB and 1 Type-C. In addition, the battery supports FCP SCP fast charging technology for Huawei smartphones, Quick Charge 3.0, Xiaomi and 45W for Samsung gadgets.

Buy on AliExpress

Powerful, even more outputs

Garas mini charger

Capacity 2600 mAh, one magnetic connector to which absolutely any device can be connected. There is a charge indicator. Lighter-sized.

Buy on AliExpress

The most compact

Baseus F10

Can charge two gadgets at the same time – one wirelessly, and the second – via USB. Capacity 10000 mAh.

Buy on AliExpress

Wireless

ZMI MF885

Powered by a nanoSim card in 3G and 4G networks,The nominal capacity of the power bank is 10,000 mAh. The input port is microUSB, and there is only one output port - regular USB, and there is fast charging technology - both for the battery itself and at the output.

Buy on AliExpress

Portable charger + router

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank2

A relatively inexpensive 5000 mAh battery, small, lightweight and compact. MicroUSB input and only 1 output - standard USB.

Buy in Svyaznoy

Just nice and small

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10000 mAh

You can charge 2 devices at the same time: one via USB and the other wirelessly via Qi. Nice charge indicator.

Buy in Svyaznoy

The same thing, but more serious

70mai Jump Starter

The capacity is 11100 mAh, withstands a peak load of up to 600 A, that is, it will start the car if the battery is dead. It has USB output and USB Type-C input, as well as a bright flashlight with strobe and SOS signal modes.

Buy on AliExpress

Powerbank+starter for cars

PowerPlant MS-125P3

It has one DC connector and two USB outputs, but the kit includes 10 adapters – for any connectors. Capacity 30000 mAh

Universal memory for everything

What to look for when choosing a portable battery

External battery capacity

This is a key indicator for any power bank.It is measured in milliamps times an hour (mAh or simply mAh). Simply put, this is the amount of energy that the charger itself is capable of accumulating. Please note: accumulate - but not transfer. Because when transferred from the battery to the smartphone, part of the energy will be spent on all sorts of parasitic things, part will be lost and turned into heat, etc. Remember that always about 30 - 40% of the energy declared on the power bank label will go into losses. So if, for example, you purchased a 10,000 mAh power bank and your smartphone needs 2,500 mAh to fully charge, that doesn't mean you can fully charge it 4 times. God forbid, if 3 comes out (conditionally, the losses will be 25%, and this is an overly optimistic forecast).

But in general, if you need a power bank only for“pants support” of the phone, that same 10,000 mAh is enough for your eyes. If you plan to regularly charge not one smartphone, but several, or, even more so, a laptop, focus on 20,000 - 30,000 mAh.

And don't forget that the larger the capacity of your external battery, the larger both its dimensions and weight. Everyone is looking for their own compromise.

Output current

Powerbank capacity isn't the only keyparameter, the output current is also important. If the capacity determines how many gadgets such an external battery can charge, then the output current is how fast these gadgets will be charged. Of course, the higher the value of this parameter, the faster the charging process.

By the way, from the high school physics course we recallthat currents add up in parallel circuits. Therefore, if several devices are connected to the powerbank at the same time, the current strength is distributed between them, and each receives a current less than the total nominal one written in the charging instructions. Accordingly, these devices will take longer to charge than if we connected one thing.

Usually the maximum current is written for each port,which it can issue. And if this current is less than the supply current that your gadget requires, the charging process will go rather slowly. And if the output current on the power bank is higher than that required for the gadget, it doesn't matter, smartphones have a protection system and a controller that limits the charge current. So there will be no overheating or short circuit. Conclusion: you can charge any gadget with any powerbank - if only the connectors fit (or the adapters have settled everything). With the help of a portable battery with a higher output current, you will charge your gadgets faster, but this model will also cost a little more. Yes, we almost forgot, there are power banks with fast charging function on the market. In the specifications, the manufacturer usually indicates the supported standards: Quick Charge 3.0 (QC 3.0), Huawei SuperCharge, Power Delivery (PD) and others.

How does the powerbank connect?

First, the portable battery itself needs to be recharged sooner or later. To do this, it will definitely have one input connector (more often - microUSB). Powerbank charging cable included.

But what requires special attention is the quantityoutput ports (fortunately, you are not quite a kettle, and we hope you will not confuse with the input). When there are more than 1 of these ports, it is good - you can charge several gadgets at the same time. Make sure that the connectors of these ports (be it USB or the more modern USB Type-C) fit the power cable of your smartphone. By the way, output cables are rarely sold with power banks - it is assumed that you will use your own phone cord. If something does not match, you will also need to buy an adapter. Although, there are especially good proposals even with a set of adapters, such as, for example, PowerPlant MS-125P3

And, again, the more output ports, the better, but the more expensive the battery will be.

Some models of powerbanks (as well as some models of smartphones) support wireless charging technology. If both of them met, you can do without a cable altogether.


</ img>

How long does it take to charge the Powerbank?

In addition to the output current for portablebatteries have another important parameter - the input current. It depends on it how quickly the battery itself is charged from the network. This speed is usually several times less than the speed at which the powerbank charges the phone. Modern external chargers are capable of fully charging in 30 minutes, and, for example, in 5 minutes, accumulate as much energy as is enough to charge an average smartphone.

Just understand the labeling correctly.It happens that marketers beautifully present the facts and write 5 minutes charge on the packaging of the power bank. This promise requires a caveat. This means that the power bank will not charge “to the throat” in 5 minutes. And even more so, it won’t charge your phone in 5 minutes. It’s worth understanding this: in 5 minutes this battery will accumulate enough charge to recharge your smartphone. Another useful feature is pass-through charging, when the power bank itself is connected to the network and can at the same time power other devices.

An example of a power bank with a large capacity but fast charging is the KUULAA Power Bank 30000 mAh.

The speed at which the powerbank charges your gadgets has nothing to do with the speed at which it charges itself from the network (remember about the input and output current).

Powerbank with which case is it worth taking?

The portable battery may have a plasticcase, or maybe - metal. The first one costs less, and the second one weighs more. But the second is more reliable, this is especially important when falling. If you frequently drop equipment, choose a model with shockproof protection. And even better - also protected from dust and moisture.

Some models have a solar panel on the bodypanel, and then the external battery can be partially recharged simply from the sun during the day. It is both environmentally friendly and economical. There may also be a beautiful display or charge indicator on the case - to make it easier for you to navigate between “more” and “already”. Here is a great charger with LED display - Baseus BS-30KP365.

So, friends, let's round off the theory, go on to specific examples.

KUULAA Power Bank 10000 mAh


</ img>

This is a lightweight, compact 10,000mAh power bank. Last winter he broke sales records on AliExpress, by the way.

The manufacturer promises a maximum output current of2.1 A, and the output voltage is 5 V. It is equipped with various types of protection: from overheating, from short circuits, input voltage surges, from overcharging and foreign metal bodies (probably meaning that they get inside the case).

Has a display that will show the charge level, and4 output ports: 2 USB, microUSB and Type-C. This external power supply weighs a whopping 226g and is clearly smaller than your smartphone: 14 x 6.7 x 1.6 cm. Sold in black and white

Buy

KUULAA Power Bank 30000 mAh


</ img>

Same manufacturer, but three times larger capacity -This is already a battery for traveling or recharging a laptop outside the home. There are 3 output ports: 2 USB-A and USB-C and 3 input ports: USB-C, microUSB and one more for Lightning. Output current - from 1.5 to 5 A (a value is written next to each output) Supports fast charging technologies Quick Charge 3.0, Quick Charge 4.0, Power Delivery 3.0 and Huawei SuperCharge. The dimensions are slightly larger than its younger brother: 16.1 x 7.5 x 3.4 cm, but the weight is twice as much as the previous power bank: 555 g.

Buy

Baseus BS-30KP365


</ img>

Another “adult” power bank with a capacity of 30,000 mAh and a power of as much as 65 W. You can charge your smartphone, tablet, and laptop.

There are three inputs and as many as five output connectors: 4 USB and 1 Type-C. In addition, the battery supports FCP SCP fast charging technology for Huawei smartphones, Quick Charge 3.0, Xiaomi and 45W for Samsung gadgets. The manufacturer promises to charge, for example, the flagship of the S20 family by 100% in less than 1 hour.

You can find out everything about the charge level by looking at the LED display on the case. This little thing also weighs a lot: 55 g, although it doesn’t take up much space in the bag: 14.5 x 6.5 x 3.8 cm. You can buy it in black or white.

Buy

Garas mini-charger


</ img>

You don’t want to carry around half a kilobricks? Please - this little thing is comparable in size to a regular lighter: 7.7 x 2.3 x 3.9 cm. With all that, its capacity is 2600 mAh, i.e. it’s quite possible to revive a dead smartphone. There are no connectors here at all - instead, there is one magnetic connector to which you can connect any wire: be it USB, microUSB, Type-C, or Lightning. There is also one button on the case - to switch the charge to input or output. And also a light indicator showing the charge level, and that’s all. Isn't it a minimalist's dream?

Buy

Wireless Powerbank Baseus F10


</ img>

Or rather, along with wireless charging, thisThe battery can also charge two more devices via wire, all of them (two wired via standard USB and one wireless) - simultaneously. If you charge separately, then, of course, it will be faster via a cable than wirelessly: 18 W versus 10 W. The total capacity of this power bank is average: 10,000 mAh. But the dimensions are small: 9.5 × 6 × 2.5 cm and weight about 200 g.

Buy

Portable router + powerbank ZMI MF885

A portable router comes in handy whenaway from a room with sockets, you need to distribute Wi-Fi to several devices. And so the golden heads from Xiaomi came up with the idea of ​​​​combining such a router and a portable battery - it turned out to be ZMI MF885. The gadget operates from a nanoSim card in 3G and 4G networks, the nominal capacity of the power bank is 10,000 mAh. The input port is microUSB, and there is only one output port - regular USB, and there is fast charging technology - both for the battery itself and at the output. Within this framework, it can deliver up to 15 W, which, translated into the language of a simple user, means a fully charged smartphone in 4 hours. A full battery charge will be enough to recharge the gadget twice - so on a trip of several days you can be sure that you will not be left without communication with the world. And for greater reliability, various types of protection are provided here: from short circuits, overheating, voltage surges at the input or output, etc. Dimensions are modest: 10.2 × 7.5 × 2.2 cm, weight: 260 g. A nice little thing: The kit includes a microUSB-USB adapter cable, and on the device body there is a special slot for storing it.

Buy

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank2


</ img>

Of course, in a conversation about power banks without Xiaomiwe won't get by. What caught our attention was the relatively inexpensive 5000mAh battery: small, light and compact. MicroUSB input and only 1 output - standard USB - this should be enough to recharge your smartphone, smart watch or tablet. And even in such a small gadget, there is protection against short circuits and against incorrect use of connectors (we don’t know how the manufacturer suggests , that you can use them, but in any case, it will work out only for their intended purpose). This power source weighs as much as one and a half chocolate bars - 156 g, and its dimensions are comparable to a cognac flask: 12.5 × 7 × 1 cm.

Buy

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10000 mAh


</ img>

And this is a medium-sized power bank, whichwill keep your phone in good condition for several days, or even be able to recharge your laptop. Moreover, you can charge 2 devices at the same time: one via the USB output, and the other wirelessly via Qi. The doubling capacity compared to the previous one leads to proportional weighting of the device: this one weighs 230 g, although the size is not much larger than its smaller brother (14.8 x 7 x 1.7 cm). Another advantage is the presence of a charge indicator on the case.

Buy

70mai jump starter


</ img>

And this device is for car enthusiasts - at the same timeboth a starter and a 11100 mAh power bank. That is, it will revive not only your phone, but also a car with a dead battery. Capable of withstanding a peak load of up to 600 A, which will allow you to start the car even in cold weather, even with a completely dead battery. Moreover, the nominal capacity of this charge is enough for up to 40 such starts for a 3-liter gasoline engine. It’s also enough to fully charge a dead smartphone. It has a USB output and a USB Type-C input, as well as a bright flashlight with strobe and SOS signal modes. And all this splendor is beautifully packaged in a gray case.

Buy

PowerPlant MS-125P3

And finally, another “adult power bank” with a capacity of 30,000 mAh. This way you can charge whatever you want – from a smartphone to a camera and a laptop.

It has one DC connector and two USB outputs, but inThe kit comes with so many different adapters (10 pieces) that you can connect it even to a pepelats! Supports fast charging technology and is equipped with a charge indicator. It weighs a lot - 780 g, and is comparable in size to a book: 18.4 x 12 x 2.7 cm.

Buy

For those who want to know more:

  • Rating of refrigerators for life: both well-fed and modest
  • The best divine washing machines
  • The best robotic vacuum cleaners
  • 10 liquid soap dispensers: decent, cute and hygienic
  • 10 best selling gadgets on AliExpress
  • Fighting the harvest: choosing a fruit and vegetable dryer