What is a Laptop Power Bank?
Laptop power banks are supposed to be handy accessories. Especially if you are a heavy laptop user. In this guide, we’ll see why you need a laptop power bank. It is important you read this guide, as you’d see reasons why you need a laptop power bank.
What is a Laptop Power Bank?
Alternatively referred to as a battery pack, portable battery, or portable charger, a power bank is an external battery used as a backup accessory for your portable electronic device. It lets you charge your laptop after the included battery dies. They are commonly used to supplement smartphone and tablet batteries for extended use away from a power source. Traditionally, power banks are third-party components that are not included with the purchase of the device.
Common features of power banks include LED battery status indicators, Micro-USB or USB-C power connector, and standard USB power output. To find the percentage of your device’s battery a power bank can charge, check how many milliampere hours (mAH) it can store and compare that number to your device’s battery.
How Does a Power Bank Work?
A power bank is a wireless battery that can receive and produce charges. For a power bank to work, it must be charged to store energy. First, an adapter cable provided with the power bank is used to charge it with a wall outlet. Once the indicator light on the power bank shows the accessory is charged, it can be used to charge electronic devices.
The energy stored in a power bank is then transferred through a charging cable from the USB port to the device.
Power bank care: usage tips & guidelines
In order to get the best from any power bank, there are a few guidelines that will help ensure the performance is gained from the power bank for as long as possible.
- Keep at room temperature: It is not always possible, but the lithium rechargeable battery technology used in power banks performs best at around room temperature. They do not like getting excessively cold, or too warm either. One of the key things to remember is that they should not be left in automobiles. In the summer sun, the inside of cars can rise to in excess of 50°C, and in winter the cars have no heating when they are not in use, so the temperatures can fall really low in some places. Either scenario is not good for lithium rechargeable.
- Charge before first use: Manufacturers always recommend giving a new power bank a full charge before use. The internal circuits will cut out the excess charge, but it is always wise to get it into a known state before starting to use it.
- Keep the battery charged: This may sound obvious, but the power bank is no use if it is not charged up. It helps to get used to charging it up as soon as possible after it has been used. In this way, it will always be ready for use.
- Charge the power bank when not used for the period: Lithium ion and lithium polymer rechargeable batteries do not like being left in a discharged state for long periods. As batteries will always lose a little charge with time, it is best to periodically recharge the power banks when they have not been used for some while. This means they are ready for use and the battery is kept in tip-top condition.
- Only use power bank in an intended way: This may sound obvious, but a power bank should only ever be used for charging the type of device for which it is intended. Some devices may have different voltages, although if they have a USB connection this would not be the case. Also, large devices may draw too much current from a small power bank and the like.
- Keep away from moisture: Power banks are electronic devices, and therefore they do not like water or even moisture. One key piece of advice when using power banks is to keep them dry at all times. With the amount of power within the power bank, moisture can cause significant damage
- Don’t keep in a pocket or bag with metal objects: In view of the amount of power held within power banks, and the possibility of short circuits, one very important aspect of using power banks is to make sure they are never shorted. Although power banks normally have a button that needs to be pressed to enable the supply on the output, it is always best to be careful and make sure they are never placed in a position where metal objects could short the output. Putting them in a pocket alongside keys is a definite “No No.”
- Don’t drop it: Power banks incorporate circuit boards as well as the battery. Like any other item of electronic equipment, they need to be handled with some care. Dropping them can damage the case, the circuit board, or even the lithium rechargeable battery element itself. Take care when handling them.
Power bank rechargeable batteries are very easy to use. With a few sensible precautions, they are really accommodating and provide additional charge when you are on the go and don’t have access to mains power.
Benefits of having a laptop power bank
There are various benefits of owning a power bank for your laptop. Here are some of the common ones-
It is affordable!
Movability comes with affordability for this excellent device. Since value plays a significant role in shopping for gadgets within the decision-making process, laptop power banks aren’t simply extraordinarily helpful but even a lot affordable.
It is extremely portable!
You’ll be able to carry your power bank where you go and no matter what you do. Use this portable charger in your car, outdoors, in the office, or maybe throughout fieldwork, and in your comfort zone. These days, laptop power bank styles have gotten smaller in size to extend their portability feature.
It gives you choices!
Power Banks are available in totally different capacities. you furthermore may have a large array of choices once it involves the number of USB ports that you will be using in an exceedingly certain power bank. Some power banks are equipped with just one USB port. Others are twin ports and still, different power bank models are composed of multiple ports that you can charge all compatible devices altogether.
No stress during your travels!
Keeping your phone and laptop battery at a reasonable level whereas on travel is what everybody aims to maintain. The worst issue that can happen is that these batteries are totally drained so you can’t use your laptops or phone for emergency calls. Carrying power banks along can solve the problem and keeps you free from stress.
It is Durable!
Power Banks might be available in modern designs and funky colors and sizes with delicate elements inside, nonetheless they’re designed to last longer. they’re created to face up to the strains caused by falling, beating, or different damages. High-quality power banks and reversible batteries don’t seem to be simply broken from such inevitable actions.
What To Consider When Getting A Laptop Power Bank
Power Output
You should look for a laptop power bank with at least one USB-C power output of 60 watts or more. That’s the standard for most 13-inch (or bigger) notebooks, so any dependable power bank should have this capability. To be fair, some ultraportable laptops like the MacBook Air can charge sufficiently with 30 watts or less.
If you’re looking to power up a full-size laptop with a 15-inch or larger display, look for a battery pack with a power output of 85 watts or more. Products with a built-in AC outlet(s) can charge just about any laptop, regardless of its screen size. Additional power outputs like full USB ports or a car charger are also worth keeping an eye out for.
Battery Capacity
We suggest looking for a laptop power bank with a 20,000 mAh or larger battery pack. This capacity will ensure that you can fully charge a laptop and have spare power for a phone, a tablet, and other small gadgets like wireless headphones or earbuds.
A battery pack with enough power to charge a laptop is all but guaranteed to generate heat. The industry’s leading products have a built-in tech to keep high temperatures in check, protecting the connected devices from overcharging.
Portability
A laptop battery pack’s portability and size will depend on its battery capacity. The bigger the latter is, the bulkier the product will be. If you want to spend more time away from a power outlet, prepare to carry a heavy power station.
What Is the Lifetime of a Power Bank?
The average working life of a power bank is between 200 and 1000 cycles. A cycle is one charge of the device, either partially or fully. The average lithium-ion battery inside power banks will start to lose its capacity after so many charging cycles. Larger power banks require fewer charging cycles, so they will last longer than smaller power banks.
There is no guarantee of how long your power bank will last, but reducing how often you use your power bank can make it last longer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Power banks will always be a necessity because they provide the energy for our laptops when the need arises.