Pass-through: If you want to charge your power bank and use it to charge another device simultaneously, it will need pass-through support. There are also other proprietary fast-charging standards, but you won’t generally find power banks that support them unless they come from the smartphone manufacturer. Many phones also support Qualcomm’s proprietary Quick Charge (QC) standard. A few phones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S range, support a supplementary PD protocol called PPS (Programmable Power Standard) that goes up to 45 W. Many smartphones, including Apple’s iPhones, support the Power Delivery (PD) standard, meaning you can use higher-power power banks to recharge the device with no issues. Unfortunately, getting that maximum rate also depends on your device, the standards it supports, and the charging cable you use. Thankfully, you can calculate the wattage yourself simply by multiplying the voltage and amperage. We try to provide an estimate of what you’ll get in terms of charges for devices.Ĭharging speeds and standards: The charging rate for devices like smartphones is measured in watts (W), but most power banks list the voltage (V) and the amperage (A). There are a few things worth thinking about when you’re shopping for a portable charger.Ĭapacity: The capacity of a power bank is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), but this can be a little misleading because the amount of power you get out depends on the cable you use, the device you are charging, and the charging method (Qi wireless charging is less efficient). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated February 2024: We added a power bank from Anker and updated prices. Be sure to check out our Best MagSafe Power Banks guide for Apple-specific portable chargers, and our Best Portable Power Stations guide if you need more power. But even if you're not living in an off-grid solar setup, good power banks will come in handy. This obsession started when Scott Gilbertson lived off-grid in a vintage RV, powered primarily by solar panels. To help, we've spent years working our way through all of them. There are hundreds of portable battery packs, and picking one can be confusing. But if you keep a battery-powered portable charger handy, all those situations are a thing of the past. Portable devices have a Murphy’s law–like ability to run out of power at the least convenient moment: as you step on the bus, right in the middle of an important meeting, or just as you get comfortable on the couch and press Play.
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