Want to buy a Power Bank - Any recommendations?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Want to buy a Power Bank - Any recommendations?

Finch

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#198476 11-Jul-2016 08:50

Hi guys.

I want to buy a Power Bank for my phone, Nexus 6P, so it has USB C.

Does anybody have any recommendations on anything? Will a cheap $10-$20 one from the Warehouse do the trick or is something more expensive needed?

Thanks!

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#1589528 11-Jul-2016 11:09

I would suggest Anker, they have a specific USB-C model on the market

However they are USA only and I am not sure how reshippers handle battery banks, or how eBay Global handles either

I strongly advise against the cheapest Powerbank you can get - not only will it generally not give you 1 full charge, it will probably be quick to die (found via my own experience with a cheap brand)

timmmay

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#1589560 11-Jul-2016 11:49

I've gotten power banks from Amazon. They shipped direct, including the Limefuel 20,000Mah unit. They and the Ravpower 8400mah units I have are both quite effective, but I wouldn't want to carry the big one around, it has some weight to it.

MadEngineer

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#1589562 11-Jul-2016 11:57

Spend some reasonable coin on one, they're awesome and worth it, especially for traveling

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

jonathan18

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#1589566 11-Jul-2016 12:16

After our power failed for half a day a few weeks back I decided such a unit was a critical purchase, so I bought a 20,000Mah Xiaomi unit from eBay - cost about $55sh, whereas they sell here on TM for closer to $100 I think. Like many products on eBay, just be careful to check you're buying a legitimate version (Xiaomi provide an individual number on each product's box to confirm authenticity - this was mentioned on the listing of the one I bought).

I'd read some positive things about it online (eg reviews like http://www.androidcentral.com/xiaomi-mi-power-bank-review). That same review mentions that it'll not give type-c devices a quick charge, but not sure if that's critical for your purposes? I'd imagine units at this price or cheaper will generally fail in this regard. But for $55sh I decided this offered better value than most, as we don't have any relevant devices.

freitasm

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#1589614 11-Jul-2016 12:42

Anker on Amazon. You get what you pay for.

timmmay

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#1589615 11-Jul-2016 12:43

If you want a really good backup power supply for home get a 12V 33AH battery though @jeffnz (he may have some seconds or something available), which at 5V is more like 80AH. Get a cheap USB adapter from ebay, bingo. If you can get a cheap battery it can come to relatively little, maybe around the $55 for the portable one, with a bunch more power. I also got USB camping LED lights in case of extended power loss, from Amazon I think.

MikeAqua

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#1589616 11-Jul-2016 12:48

We have 3 or 4 no-name power banks picked up as freebies in conference bags. They seem to have eclipsed USB sticks and LED torches as a brand-over item.

They all work fine as back up power for phones. The main problem is remembering to charge them!

Mike

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freitasm

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#1589620 11-Jul-2016 12:54

The main problem with those free ones from conferences is the low storage capacity and slow charging. One of my Ankers can charge my smartphone quickly and two or three times, while one of the freebies I have can barely keep the smartphone battery level at the point it is when plugged, and depletes very quickly.

UHD

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#1589681 11-Jul-2016 13:40

Hmm, that Anker 20,000 mAh charger is US$39.99? Not too bad a price, to be honest. I assume at 4.8A total output this will be fine with a USB-C device.

CapBBeard

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#1589689 11-Jul-2016 13:53

I love Anker but it's always a pain shipping them over here; I always get the 'this item does not ship to...' message.

How are you guys ordering them? I have imported some of their stuff with YouShop previously, though have heard of them tightening up around batteries etc lately.

sbiddle

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#1589694 11-Jul-2016 13:59

$10 - $20 will get you a piece of junk that'll probably charge your phone at 500mAh

If you want a good charger you'll need to import it. I'm an Anker fanboy, and hopefully there products will be in NZ in the not too distant future.

MadEngineer

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#1589714 11-Jul-2016 14:45

In before Pokémon

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

mrdrifter

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#1589721 11-Jul-2016 14:58

I've been using a Xiaomi 16,000 mAh unit for the past year or so. it charges my USB C device fine, just not via Quick Charge. Comes in handy when camping or travelling. Cost around $45-50 delivered.

networkn

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#1589724 11-Jul-2016 15:04

Anker Powercore. There was a 20100 on special for prime day I really rate highly (Enough to buy a second)

dafman

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#1589909 11-Jul-2016 19:19

I purchased a Huawei 13,000 MaH from Noel Leeming for $70 (on special). It's been outstanding, really good capacity and fast charge. And it looks great in grey brushed metal.

This is not the type of product to go cheap, as you will want to rely on it when you really need it. Get a well known brand for a reasonable price.

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