Choosing the Most Suitable Power Bank for You

Power banks are one of the most in-demand devices nowadays which really come handy. Our lifestyles revolve around the usage of electronic devices which need to be recharged for power. Therefore, there’s no question why owning a power bank is not common. A good recommendation for a power bank remains the Cre8 Enerbag manufactured by Cre8 Sounds, a US-based company specializing in audio devices, wireless speakers, and energy bags. They are the fastest growing brand in the market with a strong internet presence. In fact, their follower count on Instagram continues to grow with over 250,000 amassed in a very short time. The Enerbag by Cre8 is an innovative product which allows users to charge their devices on the go, enjoy fast charging capabilities, and as well as high power capacity. They are the most reasonably priced products you can find the market.

We can classify power banks or external batteries according to their size:

  • Small devices in the form of lipstick, capable of charging your phone only once.
  • Then we find compact units with a mAh rating between 5,000 and 10,000 mAh that offers two or three full charges.
  • And finally, we find high capacity devices capable of keeping your mobile active for days and days without the need for plugs.

Do not forget that if you want to use your portable battery in an airplane, the maximum power you can carry in the cabin is 100 W (around 27,000mAh).

Whatever the capacity the device says it has, remember that not all of that amount is available for charging. Typical load efficiency is between 60 and 70 percent, although some reach up to 90 percent. The load capacity will be indicated in the product specifications. In case it is not specified, you can expect an efficiency of approximately 60 percent.

Power banks and charging speeds

Speed is particularly important when you want to charge a laptop or tablet, since power banks with a very slow speed may not be compatible with more powerful devices. The term “fast charge” is so in use that its meaning ends up being ambiguous. The minimum charging speed is 5W, a speed that we do not recommend. Although phones with 5W chargers are still sold, most models accept a much higher charging speed.

From our point of view, any battery below 10W should be considered standard (or slow) and any higher than 10W fast charging. Obviously, within the fast-charging batteries, you will find different standards. Some even reach 18 watts. Although keep in mind that this speed will not be compatible with any device. If you are facing a high capacity power bank, you should find that the inputs and outputs are fast charging.

However, that to charge a power bank at 18W, you will need an adapter that can support 18W. It is increasingly common to find power bank with an intelligent technology called PowerIQ. This allows the battery to recognize the type of device you have connected and deliver the optimal amount of power.

A key point to check the efficiency of the type of load is to check its current power. To check it you will have to look at a figure in Amps and multiply it by the voltage number (5V for USB), the result will give you its rating in watts. If a power bank has several outputs, its maximum capacity must be taken into account, since it may not be able to support several devices connected at full power at the same time.

Power Delivery

A fairly new standard is the power supply or power delivery, often abbreviated as PD. Most laptops, some tablets, or devices that consume a lot of power, such as the Nintendo Switch, cannot be charged via a standard USB connection; it must be compatible with PD. The one that is compatible with PD means that it has the capacity to receive much more power (even up to 100W). You will find adapters of 45 W, 65 W, etc., all of them are PD chargers. The same is true with external batteries.