I thought of putting this in factual questions but since every thread I start there gets moved elsewhere I thought I’d save a mod the trouble of moving it.
I’m in the market for one of those “power bank” back up batteries for my phone and small electronics, like my Kindles.
Proposed usage:
back up power when traveling
emergency power
I have one that a friend gave me that I have used for such purposes, including running a small fan during a power outage in hot weather.
I also have an emergency radio/light that can be handcranked or can be charged by a power bank. Or can act as a powerbank but if it’s an emergency I sort of want it for, you know, radio and light (in non-emergencies I do use it as a portable radio). Also a gift. (My inner prepper adores it)
As I have several electronic gizmos that I use while traveling, and that would also be useful/entertaining in an extended power outage, I’m considering yet another power bank, but this one I would have to purchase and I don’t know that much about what’s out there.
What do I need to know?
Any recommendations?
I was interested in some of the solar power ones, but my research indicates that they really aren’t that great - at best the solar feature just slows down how fast the battery drains, it would take days to recharge the bank via sunlight. They do have some with four flip-out solar panels that do better, but not that much better. When the “solar charger” suggests you use a wall socket for most charging I’m not seeing the advantage there.
I’m no expert on such things, but found myself in need recently for a camping trip. I bought this one - it’s quite chunky (about the same size and twice the depth of my iphone) but it’s good for about 4 wireless charges. You can also charge multiple wired devices at the same time.
I bought this a few years back, kept my phone going while hiking Machu Picchu. It’s hefty.
If you are looking for something with more umph and much bigger, check out the Jackery line of battery backups. Haven’t used them but reviews seem promising.
Actually, none of my devices have wireless charging capacity so that’s not a feature I care about. I presume it can also do old fashioned charging via wire?
I have the Jackery 240, it’s a big thing, about the size and weight of a gallon of milk. I used it while camping, and it kept a few phones charged and a set of string lights on every night for about a week without needing a top up. Good product, but sized and priced for what it does, that goes for around $200 these days.
I have the Belkin Powerbank 10k, listed there for $ 29. It has multiple outputs which is useful if you need to power several devices simultaneously, and it can also charge the powerbank while also powering connected devices. For backup charging it works fine, but I’m not sure whether it suffices for your needs as it sounds like you may occasionally need a lot of power.
Maybe someone with more expertise can inform you how to assess the power that the powerbank delivers? The Jackery 240 is apparently 240 Wh (16 Ah x 14.4 Volt); the Belkin would I guess be approx. 50 Wh (10 Ah x 5 Volt).
One thing that differentiates some of these banks is the built in cables versus jacks to plug cables into. The one I carry on trips has a built in A/C plug, and built in cables (nicely clipped into slots so it’s all smooth) for USB-C, micro-USB, and lightning connector for iPhones. It saves the hassle of needing to carry any cables. I can recharge it anywhere there’s an outlet without carrying an adapter. And it supports not only the device I carry, but the ones that my friends carry.
Remember that if you’re traveling in your car, or your car is still parked at home during an extended power outage, you can always run or recharge your phone or other devices via the 12V cigarette lighter adapter.
The aftermarket car charger I got earlier this year is a lot faster than the AC one that came with my phone, too.
If OP or anyone else is building an Amazon shopping cart, I highly recommend longer charging cables, 8 or 10 feet. They don’t cost much and are really convenient.
10000mAh Q Portable Charger, Ultra Slim USB C Power Bank, 4 Output Dual Input External Battery Pack with Built-in AC Wall Plug,Built in Micro and USB C Three Cables Compatible with All mobilephone
I have one with solar. I’m not convinced that the solar panel does anything except cause a small “solar” LED to come on. Leaving the battery sitting in direct sun for an entire day didn’t provide enough charge to move the battery from 1 to 2 bars of charge (out of 4).
The other thing to be cautious about is lies about capacity, and fake reviews. Power banks are very prone to those problems. The one I have claims 25,000 mAh, but when new tested closer to 19,000 mAh.
These things can get heavy, so I think it is important to decide exactly how much power you want.
Say you have an iPad that gets 5-8 hours of continuous use out of a charge, and has an 8000mAh battery. To be safe for 12 hours of travel, you probably want 16,000 mAh or so. That is going to be a much smaller battery than if you want to keep your phone and other electronics charged through a week long power outage.
This summer I was in a long power outage, and the light on the above mentioned power bank ran for 2 hours without losing even one bar of charge, and it wasn’t even full when I started.
I’ve never tried to cross-check the claimed versus actual capacity of any of our power banks. I keep a large-capacity one in one of my travelling bags, and we have a couple others scattered around the house.
You do have to remember to check their charging situation occasinally - it’d stink to need to use it, and find it was nearly depleted.
We do have a hand-cranked emergency radio that has a tiny solar panel on it - that might, perhaps, be enough to power the radio though I doubt it. It can also be used to charge a phone - though cranking would not be a good use (it has an internal battery that you can charge from a wall outlet). Cranking - well, your arm would wear out before you phone did much.
Anker and Jackery are both well-known brands. My larger Anker had actually failed on me, a couple years back - wouldn’t charge - and Anker was very good about replacing it under warranty. Some of theirs also have a little LED light on the end, so you could use it as an emergency flashlight. It’s a gimmick, but has been useful once or twice.
A hint: whatever you keep it in, keep some device-appropriate cables with it. My Ankers have all come with a drawstring mesh bag, and my large one has a USBC, a micro USB, and a lightning cable stuffed in the bag with it. A wall plug wouldn’t fit, or I’d stuff one of those in it also.
Having actually used my hand-cranked radio - the hand crank will give you use of the radio and the lights, it is not a way to charge your phone. It, too, has a tiny solar panel on it which can reduce the rate at which the battery depletes when using the radio, but again, it won’t charge your phone.
If you can fully charge the thing before you need it THEN you can charge your phone or Kindle or run a tiny fan off it. You can also load regular alkaline batteries into it for power. The neat thing is that there are multiple ways to get power into and out of it. That said, some methods are more useful than others.
I just recently was researching this, so I have some info. A lot of the stuff you find on Amazon may not be guaranteed to not be a counterfeit Chinese knockoff unless you buy from the brand’s store. The brands most recommended are Anker and Nitecore (China but quality), though do check the individual item’s reviews. You are making a tradeoff between weight and capacity, I have a 20,000 mAh for big stuff at home, and a smaller one for backpacking etc.
The solar ones either come with a small panel on the battery, or a fold-out full panel that may or may not have battery capacity. The latter are decent, the former get less enthusiastic reviews, though friends who attached the small ones to a backpack didn’t complain about losing battery over several days, so I’m not sure.
For power for real emergencies, you’d spend quite a bit more on some sort of generator.
I’m not looking to power a refrigerator, I’m looking to keep a phone charge and a kindle going - and I’m a person where a full charge on either of those lasts more than a day, sometimes a full two. I really don’t need a lot of power for my needs, but I do like a working phone and some entertainment. Tree books require a light of some sort, a kindle doesn’t.
I’m partial to hand warmers that double as power banks. They’re fun to keep in your pocket, feel good to the touch, and can be attractive.
Look for one with at least 7200 mAh — and having connectors for USB-A, USB-C, and Micro-USB is convenient. Here’s an example with 10,000 mAH, that claims it will charge an iPhone 12 three times.
There are usually some deals available in the Amazon Warehouse department. And in, “uhh, duh” news, models that look alike but have different brand names are functionally identical, and watch out for the rare design rated under 4-stars.
