What are some useful tips for using a powerbank?

Firstly, it is important to understand what a power bank is and what it is designed to do.

A power bank is a power backup device mostly for mobile gadgets like smartphones, cameras, notebooks, iPads, internet broadband modems, game consoles, off-grid 5V USB fans, light bulbs, bedside lamps, external computer hard drives, etc. It is designed with rechargeable batteries in a special case, with a special circuit to control the electric current.

The batteries can store a fairly large amount of electric power over a long period of time, for later use. You can easily top up your gadgets at your own convenience effortlessly. Power bank is absolutely necessary for your mobile gadgets especially if you are a heavy phone user, you spend a lot of time outdoors or if you are a frequent traveller. Its beauty lies in the fact that you don’t need to buy a spare battery for every gadget you have. You can simply recharge your gadgets with your power bank.  Just plug in and press power.

Types of Power Banks

Some power banks have embedded solar panel that should automatically recharge the internal batteries on exposure to sunlight.  A solar power bank should also be rechargeable with electricity via a USB cable plugged into a normal phone charger adaptor or USB port of a computer.  There are many different types of universal powerbanks out there and people tend to like the idea of renewable energy so they buy based on price of solar power bank.

You could base your decision to buy on brand, colour and additional design options like flashlight, feel or look; but it is important to base it on what you actually need the powerbank for.  Some power banks are small and lightweight. Others are large and heavy. In between the mix are various types of fake power banks that must be avoided. They are mostly unbranded and where branded, the imprints tend to be of poor quality. They are also very cheap – and you get what you pay for – cheap quality and risk of damage or harm.

Quality Power Banks and Your Expectation

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Some Basic Powerbank Clues & Usage Tips

1.    If you are still deciding which one to go for, I suggest you get a solar power bank because it gives you the extra input source. Also, you contribute to saving the planet 😊

2.    Before using it, read the user manual. This is important if you really want to enjoy your product. Most people take this for granted. Invest just 5 minutes to read HetoGrow's online solar power bank user guidance manual. I promise you, you'll learn a lot from it.

3.    It is also very important to consider the quality specs of the product you want to buy. Many people just assume they know, but end up buying fake power banks; and a lot of them have suddenly caught fire or caused other damage. HetoGrow's Quality Assurance webpage about quality checks is an excellent summary of general tips to look out for.

4.    It also makes sense to understand the product(s) you want to use the power bank for, in terms of product spec. This will help you ensure you buy appropriate power bank.

5.    In terms of appropriateness, you should ensure you buy a power bank that is okay for your needs. If for instance you are a heavy smartphone user - multiple email accounts, always on social media with high need for constant internet connection - then I suggest you get a power bank that will recharge your phone at least twice daily. This is because if you are a heavy user, you’ll tend to run out of juice by lunch time; and may need to top up again by tea time. This is particularly necessary if you are always on-the-go and spend a lot of time outdoors.

6.    How many times a power bank will recharge your phone from zero% = power bank mAh/phone battery capacity. There may be about 15% loss of power for various reasons such as chemical degradation at a constant rate over time, heat generated by the power bank, climatic conditions, etc. This means that if your power bank is 10000 mAh, the actual capacity you will get is 8500 mAh.

7.    If for any reason you have to get another USB cable, I suggest you get a USB 2.0 or 3.0 cable as appropriate. These give superfast charge.

8.    Avoid buying a fake. Fakes tend to be cheap so people are naturally drawn to them. BUT they soon become costly when you realise they don’t work, can’t do what was claimed they could do, or even catch fire. Best to buy a good brand power bank. For basic on-the-spot tips to look out for, including HG weight test, see this long page about quality checks.

9.    Look out for warranty if any and understand the terms. A good warranty is normally indicative of a good quality product.

10.  Buy from a source you can go back to.

I’ll conclude with a funny experience I had once. Someone bought a HG power bank from me and soon started complaining it wasn’t working. When asked if he read the user manual the answer was no. It turned out the power button wasn’t pressed to switch the power bank on 😠. Crazy innit? He expected it to work automatically like when he plugs his phone into his laptop. I asked him if his laptop is normally switched on when he plugs his phone. Guess what he said! 😃😃😃   

So, remember to switch your power bank on after you plug your gadget(s).

Dave Ebi is a Most Viewed Power Bank Writer on Quora. Join HetoGrow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, G+ or LinkedIn