One of the most stressful situations that we all try to avoid is perhaps to feel lost and lonely. In today’s world, we are extremely dependent on electronics and entertainment devices. Making sure our smartphone, tablets, or computers continuously work is becoming our first priority. Since these portable devices only depend on an internal battery to operate, they make you stay close to a power outlet. This is a simple task on a day to day life until our access to power is somehow disrupted or when accessing power outlets is on the harder scale of doing things. That’s when an external battery charger comes to play a role. Now that we are looking into buying an external charger, the most important question to answer is to what to consider when buying one? In this article, we are going to define and explain some of the important factors of external battery chargers and give you some available good available choices in the market.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
External battery chargers or power banks are made out of two main parts:
- Battery cell(s)
- Electronic circuitry
Battery Cell:
A battery is what stores the energy from your outlet and gives it back to your phone days later. Since external battery chargers should provide a lot of energy back to your device over and over, they are usually not a simple battery you find off the shelf for your TV remote or flash lights. These batteries are usually more efficient in storing energy and capable of getting recharged multiple times. Hence, they are more expensive! Manufacturers of external batteries usually specify the type of battery that is used in your charger, but they do not disclose other characteristics about it. So, all you can do is to keep in mind that Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Phosphate are two of the most popular battery cells out there, but don’t necessary get shocked if you see some other combinations of chemical materials!
Electronic Circuitry:
Most external battery chargers or power banks are not just a simple battery that you buy from a retail store and place it inside your TV remote or flash light. In fact, if you ever find out that your external battery is just a battery with no internal electronic circuitry you should avoid it at all costs. The first thing you will probably notice after plugging in your phone is seeing your phone not working anymore.
If you have ever seen a green board with some colorful (mostly black) little guys on top of it, then you have seen an electronic board (PCB: printed circuit board). See the example picture below:
Your external battery has at least one of these boards inside. These boards are necessary to make the charging process safe and effective. Some of the main functions of these boards are:
- Receive power from an electrical outlet and store it in their internal battery cell.
- Send the stored power from the internal battery cell to your phone or other portable devices.
- Do all the above tasks efficiently, fast, and safe.
Capacity (xxx mAh)
This is the most important specification you should look for when buying your external charger. This number represents the amount of power you can store inside the external battery charger. So, the highest this number is, the more energy it can provide and the longer it can last until it needs to get recharged.
There is one big drawback of selecting a high capacity battery charger though! This number directly correlates with the battery cell. So, as the capacity value increases, the weight and size of your chargers increase too. You have to carry a heavier charger in your bag. Make your choices!!
Output Voltage (xxx V)
This also can be important to make sure you don’t damage your device. Pretty much all cell phones and electronic devices that are getting charge with a USB cable accept 5V. Usually, you don’t have to worry about it. If you see a USB plug on your charger, very good chance the voltage matches with your phone or anything that is charged with USB cable. If you don’t see 5V on top of the charger, look again. It may damage your device if it is not 5V!
Output Current (xxx A)
This number tells you how fast your charger can charge your device! So, if you want to charge your device fast, look for a higher number. Well, I have to mention that most devices don’t accept more than 2A to 3 A. Their battery may get damaged if you charge the device too fast. A good manufacturer of an external battery charger has already taken this in to consideration so you don’t worry about it.
On the other hand, the faster you charge your device, the faster you are discharging your external battery.
Input Voltage (xxx V)
This is good to know when you want to charge your external charger. Again, manufacturers make this easy buy making the external chargers get charged with USB cables. This means that number for this specification is usually 5V also. A good thing about this “5V” is that it makes charging compatible and safe with any charger from any other device that gives you 5V. It is odd if you the manufacturer do not provide you with a charger to charge the external charger. Say no to that product!
Input Current (xxx A)
If you don’t want to keep your charger plugged in the power outlet for a long time, you need to pay attention to this number. The higher this number is, the less time you have to wait to put it back to your purse or bag and get out of the house. Don’t worry if you see this value more than 2-3, since it is managed internally and should not affect your phone.
SOME OPTIONS to BUY:
- To keep it simple, you usually need to decide between a fast charger and a light weight small charger. Based on our experience, we can recommend some of the products that have the best features of both departments. One of the great external battery chargers out there is 32000mAh battery pack from RAVpower. In a typical camping trip can charges multiple phones multiple times without any need for recharging.
- If you are looking for something simpler and cheaper you can consider a lower capacity option and purchase RAVPower 22000 mAh. This product is lighter but still stores a lot of energy and keeps your devices charged.