From small to large: 5 portable chargers of different capacities

A pocket Power bank with a built-in lamp, in fact, is made to match a compact flashlight. Due to its miniature dimensions, it fits both in the compartment of a women's handbag and in a jeans pocket.

With dimensions of 106x23 cm, the weight of the portable energy storage is only 75 g. Naturally, it was not possible to shove the non-pushable into such a compact case, so the 2600 mAh capacity of the built-in battery is enough just right. It is unlikely that it will be possible to fully charge a smartphone with such data, unless it will be a device with a small battery capacity (for example, an Apple iPhone SE with a 1642 mAh battery). Nevertheless, to energize a mobile device with energy to extend its battery life, an external battery is too tough.

Doca D536 is rated for 500 recharge cycles. It shares the accumulated electricity with other devices through a single USB port with a charging current of 1 A. It would probably make no sense to place the second connector in the device case, since the capacity of the model clearly does not contribute to the simultaneous recharging of several gadgets.

The disadvantages of an external battery include a long self-charging time (about 6 hours at the outlet), as well as the lack of indication of the remaining charge level. In return, Power bank can offer a very tasty price tag. He is the main trump card of the model, which is on display for everyone.

The youngest in the Xiaomi external battery range has a capacity of 5000 mAh. However, this figure will be available only for a supply voltage of 3.7 V. After the energy is converted to “smartphone” 5 V, the user is left with about 3300 mAh to charge third-party devices.

On average, the energy accumulated in the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000 tanks is enough for a one-time charge of most modern smartphones. Power is supplied to the batteries of third-party gadgets automatically when they are connected to the Power bank via the USB port. One single button on the armament of the model is used to display the remaining battery charge and forcibly turn off / resume the charging process. Due to the current of 2.1 A at the output of the “bank”, it is well suited for the role of a means of energizing tablets.

A thin Li-Ion battery is installed under the outer aluminium "wrap" of the model case. The total weight of the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5000 barely exceeds the 150g mark, which is the weight of an average 5-inch smartphone. The dimensions of the external battery are also practically the same, with the exception of a slightly reduced growth.

The model can be used for pass-through charging, i.e. simultaneously replenish energy in its own battery and recharge the battery of the connected device. A separate line is to highlight the built-in protection against possible overheating, overcurrent and excess energy. In the bottom line, we see a typical “city dweller”, the main purpose of which lies in feeding the life-giving power of electricity to gadgets “on the go”.

TP-LINK TL-PBG6700 makes a good first impression. By its appearance, the Power bank resembles more of a stylish accessory than a device for refueling third-party devices with energy.

The secret of attractive appearance lies in the fact that the body of the external battery is covered with a matte soft-touch plastic, which provides a strong grip of the model in the hand and pleasant tactile sensations. In addition, when the surface contacts the smartphone case, the likelihood of scratches on the latter is significantly reduced. The only control on the “body” of the TP-LINK TL-PBG6700 is the button for requesting the remaining charge of the battery tanks, when called, 4 LEDs “light up” (each of them is responsible for indicating 25% charge).

At the output, the Power bank delivers 5 V / 2.4 A. However, a similar current is also passed through the incoming port, which allows you to charge the external battery “from zero to hundreds” in a little more than 2 hours. The energy in the tanks of the brainchild of TP-LINK is enough to charge the Apple iPhone 6S smartphone with a 1715 mAh battery three times or almost double the recharge of the Samsung Galaxy S7(3000 mAh) battery with electricity. At least this is what the manufacturer claims and there is no reason not to trust him.

A 6-stage protection system takes care of the health of the external battery and the performance of devices connected to it: from overcharging, short circuit, overheating, overdischarge, overvoltage and overcurrent. And although for its price you can find models with a larger tank, low capacity drop in the cold and stable operation without problems with voltage drops on a different residual charge make Power bank in the light of the preferred purchase option.

The second coming of the hit Power bank with a nominal capacity of 10,000 mAh from the Chinese company Xiaomi has shed a little extra weight, slightly decreased in size and acquired smoother edges of the case, which is still made of high-strength anodized aluminium.

All controls and connectors are located on one of the ends of the external battery. Their composition includes microUSB ports and a full-size USB (for charging the device itself and third-party gadgets, respectively), as well as a button for checking the state of charge on four LED indicators. By double-clicking on this key, the 5 V / 1 A low-power charging mode is activated for 2 hours, which is useful for energizing devices with low current consumption( fitness trackers, smartwatches, etc.).

In normal mode, the Power bank outputs 5 V / 2.1 A, and it supports Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology. It is aimed not only at charging third-party devices, but also at replenishing the energy reserves in the tanks of the external battery itself (when using a compatible charger). The actual capacity of the model, taking into account the inevitable losses during energy conversion, is about 6900 mAh.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 10000 is protected from electrical breakdowns by a multi-level protection system aimed at preventing overloads, short circuits and power surges. In general, Xiaomi's Power bank is one of the most attractive models in terms of price / capacity ratio. And he wouldn’t have a price at all if he managed to place one more port for charging gadgets in the case.

The capacious portable energy storage from the Remax company provides multiple charging of third-party gadgets on one tank of its own battery. And this is not at all surprising, given the claimed capacity of 20,000 mAh.

Power bank owners are provided with two USB ports for simultaneous charging of a pair of connected devices. At the output of one connector, the current strength is 1 A, and the other — 2.1 A. Both interfaces are located on one of the narrow edges of the case, and between them is a microUSB port for self-charging an external battery. Given the large capacity, the process of "refueling" Remax Proda Power Box 20000 stretches for 6-7 hours.

Right there, in close proximity to all ports, there is an LED flashlight. It shines, in fact, so-so, but the built-in lamp is suitable for illuminating the path in an unlit entrance hall. Also, a flashlight will help on a forest path or in a dark alley. And if there are intruders in it, an external battery can be used as a means of self-defense, which is facilitated by its weight (380 g) and large dimensions (161x61x23 mm).

In addition, in the arsenal of the model there is a digital display, which displays the percentage value of the remaining charge in the battery tanks. In terms of information content, this method of conveying information about the residual charge significantly outperforms other solutions with LED indication. As a result, the game is worth the candle, especially against the backdrop of the cost of an external battery, which is perhaps the most affordable among other “twenty-thousanders” on the market.