What is a power bank and what can it charge?
Power banks consist of a special battery with a specially designed circuit to control the individual power flow. A power bank stores electrical energy (deposited in the power bank) to be able to charge a mobile device when you are on the go.
Power banks have become increasingly popular as they extend the battery life of our beloved smartphones, tablets, and portable media players. By having a power bank, you can charge your mobile devices when you are far from a power outlet.
The power banks we are talking about are suitable for almost all USB-charged devices: cameras, GoPros, portable speakers, GPS systems, MP3 players, smartphones. Even tablets can be charged from a power bank – you just need to remember to keep your power bank charged, too!
Depending on the capacity of the individual power bank and its current charge level, it can take a long time to charge it. For example, a 1500 mAh power bank should take about the same time to charge as your typical smartphone. For larger power banks, this can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled.
Most Power Banks have both an LED indicator to show when they are at full capacity, and a safety (cut-off) to prevent overcharging and overheating.
Whenever possible, remove the power bank from charging once it is full. Ambient temperature and power flow will also affect charging times.
Some power banks do not work for high-capacity charging (such as charging iPads). Attempting to charge your smartphone from a power bank's 2A output can result in damage to the internal circuitry, which is not covered by the warranty.
Technical term glossary
What does mAh mean?
Batteries for mobile devices and power banks are measured by their amp-hours, which in turn are measured in milliamperes. This is a measurement of the power a power bank has.
Li-Ion & Li-Polymer
Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Polymer batteries are the most common rechargeable cell types found in power banks. Lithium-ion cells are generally cheaper and are limited in mAh capacity, while lithium-polymer cells can be larger and therefore do not have the same limitation.
Efficiency
When power is transferred, there is always loss due to resistance. Power banks are not able to transfer 100% of the actual capacity to a device. Efficiency measurements vary between power banks based on their cell type, component quality, and environment. Beware of suspiciously cheap options claiming an efficiency rate of over 90%.
Choosing the right power bank
If you have a specific need in mind that a power bank should fulfill, we guarantee we have the perfect product for you!
Here at powerbanken.dk, we have a wide selection of power banks that cover most needs.