Input And Output Ports
The type of port a battery has determines not only whether it is compatible with the devices you want to charge, but also charging speed. At a minimum, most battery packs have a standard USB-A port for both charging the battery and sending juice to your device . But with most phones, tablets, and laptops adopting the USB-C standard, you’ll often find a USB-C port in addition to the USB-A one.
USB-C ports typically support some, but not all, fast charging protocols for smartphones and tablets. Most often, a portable charger’s USB-C port can be used for both power input and power output, but some less expensive battery packs may only support USB-C for power input.
Lightning is a proprietary Apple technology and it used to be difficult to find power banks with a Lightning cable or charging port. Thankfully, those days are over and dozens of excellent power banks exist for iPhone users. If you picked up an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 series phone and were surprised by the lack of charger, see our article on charging your iPhone.
Maxoak Laptop Power Bank
Now its time to get to the big boy power banks. The Maxoak Laptop Power Bank is meant precisely for what its name entails. The extended 50000mAh battery can charge computers and mobile devices alike. It features a traditional outlet for charging any device at 20V/5A speeds.
Need less?:
In addition, you can enjoy four USB ports. Two of these have 5V/2.1 A capabilities, while the rest keep a more modest 5V/1 A. This is easily one of the best 50000mAh power bank options out there, but the price is starting to get higher.
Key details:
- Capacity: 50000mAh
- Output:1 x DC 20V/5A, 1 X DC 12V/2.5A, 2 x USB 5V/2.1A, 2 x USB 5V/1A
- Dimensions: 206 x 135 x 33 mm, 1,260g
Best Solar Power Banks
If you’re looking for the best solar power banks, you’re probably planning on being outdoors quite a lot. While you haven’t gone off the grid entirely, it’s useful to know you can recharge your phone or other devices without being near civilization. Solar power banks tend to have the same features as regular power banks but it’s important to check these match with your needs and budget.
James is Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He has also worked on other leading tech brands, such as T3 and Gizmodo UK, as well as appearing as an expert on TV and radio for the BBC and other publications. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for all the latest smartphone news.
Read Also: How To Change Keyboard Color On Msi Laptop
Prepare In Advance And Invest In A Back
When you work from home, a power or Internet outage can be more than just inconvenient it can be money out of your pocket. So formulate a backup plan now for that inevitable power and Internet outage, and youll thank yourself later.
A power outage and internet outage are different things. But they often occur simultaneously, and some of the solutions are the same. For both types of outages, planning ahead is the key to minimizing headaches.
Coolnut Power bank/ Mini Inverter is a fairly drastic solution because it is portable and can carry everywhere, and probably only practical for people with large businesses in areas that frequently lose power. And likely it is something that business owners only need if they have to power more than their own computer. For instance, if the loss of refrigeration could mean a business loss, it may be a worthwhile investment…Buy this in advance. Dont wait until you need it!
Best For Extra Features: Omni 20+
Usually with portable laptop chargers, you dont expect much in the way of extra features. Its essentially a big battery with a few different sockets, and thats about it unless youre talking about the Omni 20+.
This 20,000mAh battery has a 110V/100W AC outlet, 100W DC outlet, and a 60W USB C PD socket. Thats a long-winded way of saying that no matter what kind of laptop youve got, theres a way of charging it from this power bank.
If your laptop doesnt charge via USB C, either plug your existing factory charger into the AC outlet, or buy a selection of charging tips that work with many models of laptop via the DC socket.
The charging fun doesnt stop there, however. Theres also a pair of 18W USB A ports that will fast-charge most phones and tablets, and even a 10W wireless charger on the flat top surface of the battery. At 1.4 pounds and 5 x 1.1 x 4.8 inches the Omni 20+ isnt particularly small or light, but neither are any of the competing models either.
If youre using a high-power wall charger, you can fully recharge the battery itself in under three hours from either the DC or USB C port. Pass-through charging is included, meaning you can continue to charge your devices from the battery while youre charging it up. Thats particularly useful when wall outlets are in short supply.
Pros
- Wide range of charging methods
- AC outlet
- Powerful enough for any laptop
- Fast-charging USB-A ports
You May Like: How Do I Wipe My Hp Laptop Clean
Easyacc 20000mah Power Bank
The EasyAcc has an impressive capacity of 20,000 mAh. To put that in context, on a full charge this thing can charge an iPhone 7 around 6 times, a Samsung S7 around 5 times, and an iPad Mini 3 around 2 times. So not too shabby at all.
The area where the EasyAcc really stands out is charging speed. Its proprietary Life Saver technology means it can be superfast recharged within 6 hours, reducing the recharging time by up to 50% compared to similar 20,000 mAh power banks from competitors.
Additionally, the device has auto detection technology built in which cleverly changes the charging speed depending on which device you have plugged in, to deliver the optimum, fastest charging speed for each device, every time. This thing can charge your device up to 2.4A, which is essentially twice as fast as a standard computer USB port. Not too bad at all.
Unlike a lot of power banks out there that deliver big on charging capacity but are woefully inadequate when it comes to number of ports, the EasyAcc delivers strong on both accounts. It has an impressive four USB ports at the front of the device . So yes, with the EasyAcc you can charge four devices at the same time. We can imagine the gadget fiends among you smiling with glee at reading that, and we dont blame you.
So lets talk safety. The device has adequate safety features built in which prevent your beloved devices from overcharge, overcurrent and short circuits. Further, the EasyAcc conforms to CE, RoHS and FCC regulations.
Best Laptop Power Banks And Portable Laptop Chargers For 2021
Charge your laptop wherever you are with these best portable laptop chargers and power banks
The world is slowly starting to re-open and you will need a portable laptop power bank. Youre probably going to be spending a lot of time away from plug sockets taking in the world outside that youve missed so much, which leaves you a victim to a nightmare scenario.
We know it all too well here at Laptop Mag: your portable powerhouse dies amid some CPU-intensive workload and you’re left with hours of lost effort. Theres nobody to blame but your laptops internal battery and yourself for not hitting CTRL+S .
Luckily, theres a fix for those awful times when your laptop powers down. The world of portable laptop chargers has exploded over the last two years, as the need for working on the go has risen. So, rather than praying for a plug at a nearby cafe, you can work completely untethered without fear.
Weve found the best options in terms of value and reliability and weve provided a small guide on the things to look for so you can make the best choice for your and your gadgets. And, if you need any advice elsewhere, check out our laptop buying guide and iPad buying guide, so you can be sure about your purchase decisions.
You May Like: What Kind Of Hp Laptop Do I Have
Power Banks That Can Be Used To Charge A Laptop
Laptops are designed to be used away from a power source, but your mileage will vary depending on your battery. Fortunately, there are power banks on the market that are designed specifically for laptops. They feature battery capacities large enough to resurrect a dying laptop. With a variety of different models on the market, choosing one can be daunting. Luckily, weve rounded up some of the best performing and most affordable units you can grab.
Also read:What Is a GaN Charger? 5 of the Best GaN Chargers You Can Buy
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
Although we wish the ZMI PowerPack 20000s capacity was higher, none of the other models we tested offer anything close to the TSAs 26,800 mAh maximum limit .
This power bank doesnt come with a USB wall charger, but most models we tested dont either, and if your laptop or phone charges over USB-C, you probably already have a compatible charger that you can bring with you.
After using this power bank for nearly three years, while traveling internationally and working from countless coffee shops and coworking spaces, weve noticed some wear and tear on our unit. Its dark-blue paint has accumulated lots of scuffs and scratches, especially around the edges . Wed prefer a more durable finish, especially for people who handle their stuff even rougher than we do. But since its internals have withstood the test of time, we can easily overlook these cosmetic imperfections.
Read Also: How To Shut Down Laptop With Keyboard
Our Pick: Zmi Powerpack 20000
*At the time of publishing, the price was $60.
The ZMI PowerPack 20000 is powerful enough to charge a wide range of laptops yet small enough to carry all day in any backpack or laptop bag, and most purses. Its aesthetically pleasing, too. Plus, it offers a higher capacity per dollarmore bang for your buckcompared with most of the other power banks we considered. With its 40 W maximum output, its ideal for lower-powered laptops like Chromebooks and will charge moderately sized laptops like the 13-inch MacBook at an acceptable pace, but if you have a higher-powered machine like the 16-inch MacBook Pro you should consider our 60 W also-great pick.
The PowerPack 20000 is easy and intuitive to use: Simply charge it from the USB-C port and then charge your devices over USB-C or USB-A. Its hub functionality allows you to add USB-A ports to your laptop, passing power and data to and from your other devices over the USB-C cable, which is a handy way to avoid adapters if you need to plug something like a smartphone or a portable SSD into your laptop. This feature is easy to turn on: Just press the power button twice and wait for a little light to turn green.
We also measured a maximum input of 60 watts, showing that the PowerPack 20000 recharges itself at top speed. Its rated to fully recharge in about four hours with a 45-watt USB-C PD charger, or in about nine hours with a conventional 10-watt USB-A wall charger.
Other Power Banks For Laptops We Tested
Weighing a little over a pound, the Omnicharge Omnimobile 25,600 Pro is a large battery. It feels sturdy and capable of withstanding some rough treatment. Its feature set includes a wireless charging pad for your smartphone and a variable DC output for your laptop. This is great news for anyone with an older laptop, as they don’t typically support USB charging. While the Omnicharge can charge most laptops, you have to buy the proprietary laptop power cable and connector in order to do so.
The Omnicharges USB-C port delivers 60 Watts of juice while its two USB-A ports support QuickCharge 3.0m at 18 Watts each, allowing you to charge mobile devices like iPhones and tablets. We had no trouble simultaneously charging a Chromebook over USB-C, an iPhone XS with the wireless charger, and wireless headphones over USB-A.
Pros
-
Includes a wireless charging pad
Cons
Also Check: Where To Buy Samsung Laptop
Q What Are Some Examples Of Usb
A. The first USB-C 1.0 specification came out in 2014, and before long the connector was the industry standard, with a few notable exceptions. Today, nearly every new device you purchase features a USB-C port, allowing for rapid data transfer and charging through a single cable.
USB-C compatible products include the following:
- Powerbanks
Best Wireless Power Banks
The best wireless power banks mean you don’t need to worry about carrying too many cables with you to recharge your devices. Utilizing many Apple and Android devices’ abilities to charge wirelessly, you get all the convenience of a wire-free existence while on the move. Like with the everyday power banks, capacity can vary massively here depending on your budget but don’t count on it being too high given the technology used. Convenience is the priority here.
Reasons to avoid
Capable of being used as a charging pad as well as a wireless power bank, the Anker PowerCore III Wireless Power Bank is rather flexible. It has USB-A and USB-C ports as well as wireless capabilities with 10,000mAh keeping you at work or play for as long as you need. There’s no device the Anker PowerCore III Wireless Power Bank can’t cope with which is sure to be useful.
Also Check: Ebooks On Laptop
Sherpa 100ac Portable Power Bank
If you spend a lot of time on the road and value device preparedness, the Sherpa 100AC makes a trusty, if pricey, companion. Yes, at $299.95, youre looking at a big investment. But that buys you two USB-C ports capable of fast-charging speeds, two standard USB ports, a Qi wireless charging pad, a standard U.S. 110V outlet, a full complement of cables, and a nifty status display and buttons for controlling various functions of the pack. The pack itself can be charged in just a couple hours.
Power Bank Capacity Isnt Always What It Seems
Power banks are almost universally rated in milliampere hours, abbreviated as mAh. This is a measure of how much electrical charge the battery can hold.
The battery inside your smartphone or laptop also has a rating in the same unit. So if you buy a 10 000 mAh battery and your phone sports a 2500 mAh battery, you should get four full charges out of it, right?
It turns out that theres some mild marketing dishonesty going on here, as well as a measure of overhead thanks to the laws of physics.
The marketing spin has to do with the voltage difference between the battery and the devices charging input. Lithium cells have a nominal voltage of 3.7 volts. However, USB operates at a minimum of five volts and so the device will expect to be charged at least at that voltage.
To see how this makes a difference we need yet another unit, the watt hour . This is the unit your electric bill is measured in and indicates the actual energy used.
Using an mAh to Wh calculator, we see that at 3.7V our 10 000 mAh power bank has 37 Wh of energy. However, our 2500 mAh phone battery charged at 5V needs 12.5 Wh. That only give us about three full recharges rather than four at best!
On top of this you have to consider that there is no such thing as lossless energy conversion. Converting the chemical energy in your power bank to electricity and back to chemical storage will dump some of it as waste heat.
Read Also: How To Make Slideshow With Music On Laptop
Best Power Bank For Iphone Ventev Powercell 6010+
If you like the convenience of just carrying one gadget, Ventev Powercell 6010+ is the battery pack to consider.
It has a built-in USB-C cable and foldout outlet prongs you dont have to bring an extra charger and cable just to keep it charged.
If you use an Apple device, Powercell 6010+ comes with a Lightning connector. Besides that, it can also function as a charger for your phone while charging itself.
Thanks to a 12W of total output, fast charging is always available.
Only slightly bigger than a Google Pixel, Ventev Powercell 6010 Plus is your perfect travel companion. Its 6000mAH battery capacity is in the midfield of modern battery packs, but its lightness more than makes up for it. The length of the USB-C cable is smartly designed as well, as it is long enough for you to maneuver a difficult charging port while short enough to keep your phone tethered to your side.
However, this battery pack is only designed for North American use since the built-in outlet prongs cannot be replaced by a different plug. It might not be for you if you travel outside of North America often unless you are willing to sacrifice its portability by bringing a travel adapter plug.
What To Look For In A Power Bank For Laptops
There are five things you need to look out for when buying a power bank for your laptop or tablet: capacity, power output, ports, and portability.
Capacity: The capacity is the measure of energy the battery can store. The capacity of a battery is recorded in milliamp-hours or Watt-hours . Both of these measurements represent how much electrical energy the battery can release over time. 1 mAh means the battery can release energy at a rate of 1 milliamp for one hour. 1 Watt-hour means that the battery can release a flow of 1 Watt for one hour. Different manufacturers use different numbers for their products, but the bottom line is the bigger the number, the more juice the battery can store.
Power Output: The power output is a measure of how much power the battery can output at maximum. Measured in Watts, the higher this number is the better. If you’re charging a laptop that can receive up to 60 Watts with a battery that can output only 30 Watts, it will take twice as long as it would with one that can give out 60W. A 60W battery will charge more devices at once than a 30W one at full speed.
Ports: Ports are used to connect the battery to the devices you want to charge. USB-A ports are large and rectangular and can be found on most gaming laptops. Some offer built-in cables that have plugs for micro USB or Lightning connectors. You usually see these types of ports on older Android devices or iPads. There’s also USB-C, which can handle more energy than USB-A.
Read Also: How To Show Laptop Screen On Tv