“Average Joe’s” Guide to Power Banks

In this modern age, our world is run by technology. We all have some type of handheld device we can’t live without; a cell phone, an iPad, or a laptop. Whether we like to admit it or not, our lives have begun to revolve around these devices. We run out of battery and chaos ensues. How do I stay in touch with family? How do I read my work email? How am I supposed to find my way to a meeting in 10 minutes?

Thankfully, a genius invented the power bank, a portable charger for our hand held electronics. Power banks are one of the hot new promotional products. Finding the right power bank for your needs can be confusing. Power bank options are as difficult to understand as the instructions for box furniture. There’s always a part you don’t know what it is, an extra screw, and it’s never quite as big as you thought it would be. We, at EBSCO Creative Concepts, have put together an “Average Joe’s” guide to power banks.

1. Capacity

Power Bank capacity refers to how much charge is inside a power bank battery. It is measured in mAh or milliamps per hour. When a power bank is charging a device, some of the charge is lost in the transfer of power. In simple terms, it takes energy to transfer energy. You always want to choose a power bank that has more mAh than it takes to charge your desired device. For example: 2200 mAh is the most common size power bank in the industry. This size is ideal for charging a mobile phone. Usage for one mobile phone full charge can run around 1500 mAH.  See the following table for capacity best use:

2. High Capacity Doesn’t Mean Faster Charging
   

   If you have a low capacity 2200 mAh power bank and a high capacity 10,000 mAh power bank and both have 500 milliAmp current, both chargers will take the same time to charge your mobile phone. The higher capacity 10,000 mAh power bank will just be able to charge your phone more times before the power bank itself will need to be recharged. Current is what determines how quickly something charges, not capacity. Typically, the output current in power banks range from 500 mA (milliAmps), to more than 2000 mA. If you are using your bank to charge laptops, choose a power bank with a higher current for faster charging.

3. Power Bank Safety
   

   Choose your power bank wisely. The best way to know your power bank is safe is to see whether or not the power bank has a UL Certification. UL Certification means the power bank has passed a rigorous set of Electrical, Mechanical, Environmental, and Fire Exposure Tests. UL is the most widely accepted certification that denotes a battery’s compliance with recognized safety requirements in North America. Also check to see if your power bank has protective circuitry. The Protective Circuitry or PTC is considered a “Safety Valve”. It protects the equipment, the charged device, and user. PTC prevents Internal and External Short Circuit, Abnormal Charge/Over Charge, forced Discharge, and more.

In short, when purchasing your power bank consider quality, capacity, and current. Contact EBSCO Creative Concepts today and we will help you find the right bank for your needs and budget!

For more information, view our source for this blog at: http://www.ktipromo.com/powerbanks-knowledgement.pdf