August 01, 2020 4 min read

Take This Portable Charger with You if You Are Obsessed with Keeping your Phone Battery Full

You have a busy and exciting life. High-performance job. An active social life with family and friends. Travel and hobbies. You are always on the move, from office to the golf course for a quick 9 holes before grabbing your phone for one last meeting before heading home.

Your wife is out late, visiting a friend. She is coming home when the engine light comes on in the car, which gradually begins to lose power on the back-road shortcut she had decided to use this time. Pulling safely off the road, she reaches for her phone to call you, knowing that you never go to sleep before she is safely parked in the garage.

Both of these scenarios are very real and very possible, and neither is the best time for a dying or dead phone battery to wreak havoc on your day or put your loved ones at risk.

But it happens. Maybe not to you, yet, but you have certainly heard horror stories from friends or colleagues about the “time my phone died” at the most inconvenient time imaginable. This is why portable chargers have become essential equipment in our fast-paced, well-connected modern lives.

What a Portable Charger Can Do For You

Portable chargers are essentially lightweight and portable battery packs that allow you to charge your phone without access to a standard wall plug-in. And though they go under a variety of names (portable chargers, power banks, battery packs), they all do the same thing: provide you with reliable and safe portable power to keep your phone fully charged regardless of where you are.

traveler in airport on his laptop

Here are some fundamentals to think about when making your selection from the range of portable chargers on the market.

Size and Power

Portable chargers come in a variety of sizes and power combinations, so start by choosing one that best suits your lifestyle. While it is important to choose portable chargers that fit into your pocket or purse, it is equally important to get one that gives you the power you need.

Portable chargers feature a number on the front that tells you the number of mAh (milliamp hours) that it carries. Common sizes range from 2,000 up to 20,000 mAh. The bigger the number the more power in the portable chargers, which means longer charging power and more recharges of your phone. For example, portable charges with a load of 10,000 mAh can charge an iPhone 7 (running iOS 10) up to 3 times, while portable chargers with a load of 20,000 mAh will carry 6 charges for the same phone.

Understanding Outputs

Portable chargers typically come with one or more USB ports to accommodate all standard UB cables. But not all outputs are created equal. A 1-amp USB port will charge your phone, but it will charge slower than a 2.4-amp port, which will be much closer to what is considered optimal charging speed. On portable chargers with multiple outputs (charge two phones at the same time), the ratings can vary from 2.4 amp, 3.4 amp, 4.8 amp, and higher. Again, the higher the number on the output port the faster your charging time.

Output tip: When shopping for portable chargers you might hear a lot about something called USB-C standard, which is being adopted by more phone manufacturers around the world. USB-C ports generally allow you to charge faster and combines input and output capabilities in one port instead of having them as separate ports. Be careful: while many portable chargers have USB-C inputs for faster charging not all have the combined input/output capacity built-in yet.

Charging Your Charger

Although it would be super cool if it could happen, the reality is that portable chargers are not a perpetual energy machine. They do run out of charge and do need to be recharged. Most portable chargers connect to a standard wall charger through a familiar USB to Mico-USB cable, although more advanced portable chargers are offering USB charging ports that allow for much quicker charging and reduced downtime.

Charging tip: Look for portable chargers that feature an LED display to show you clearly how much power you have remaining in the unit. This way you can always be sure to recharge when needed and never be without the power you need when you need it.

Other Features of the Portable Charger

The technology of portable chargers changes rapidly with new features being added regularly. Some current models are equipped with such features as wireless charging, built-in cables, AC adapters, and LED flashlights. Other portable chargers might have what is called pass-through charging, which means that you can connect your phone to the charger while the charger itself is plugged into an outlet. With the pass-through feature, both your phone and the charger can charge at the same time. Be sure to shop carefully so you get the portable chargers that work best for you and your lifestyle.

Low Battery Anxiety is a Real Thing… Almost

Although it is not yet a recognized disorder, low battery anxiety is a real thing. A 2016 study by LG of 2,000 cell phone users found that 90 percent of people felt near panic when their phone fell below 20 percent charge or less.

Of the groups surveyed, millennials reported the most intense anxiety with 42 percent saying that they would skip a trip to the gym when asked to choose between working out or charging a dying cell phone. A full 32 percent said they would make a U-turn and head home to plug in if they discovered their phone battery was low.

Portable chargers offer a simple, reliable solution to low battery anxiety. Take back control of your phone with portable chargers in your car, your briefcase or purse, or anywhere else that you might find one handy. As affordable as they are, why risk an unplanned power outage when portable chargers can alleviate anxiety, reduce stress, and keep you connected to loved ones, work, and friends.

And if you aren't convinced enough, we have 10 reasons why you need a portable powerbank now - check them out!