An essential thing for a smartphone is its battery. Without the battery, it will not run. With smartphones becoming slimmer and slimmer that too with a non-removable battery, power banks have become a must have accessories. Whether you are traveling or are just unable to find a power source, with a power bank you are always good to go. It gives you the extra amount of juice that you need and stops you from being a wall-hugger. There are four things you should keep in mind while selecting a power bank: Capacity, portability, connectors, and price.
The capacity tells you how much charge is there inside the power bank. It is the most important feature and will depend upon your usage. Also, some power is lost during the process of charging your device. A power bank’s total output is about 70-75% of its rated capacity. You should keep this fact in mind while deciding. Portability is another criteria which you should give importance too. If the power bank is too heavy there’s no point in buying one.
So, here what we think are the best power banks you can buy today.
Mi Power Bank (10400 mAh):
This is the best bang for buck power bank you can buy. It has a sleek design and packs 10400 mAh of power in its tiny aluminum casing. It has built in circuit chip protection which saves your phone from overcharging/discharging, LED indicators, and a fast charging port among many other features. It brings the best balance between portability and capacity. All this comes in at a price that is cheapest in our list. No mystery it comes first in our list.
Price to Value Ratio: 9/10
Features:
- Ports: One USB output
- Capacity: 10400 mAh
- Dimensions: 90.5 * 77 * 21.6 mm
- Weight: 250 grams
- Output Current: 2.1A
- Input Voltage: 5.1V
You can buy it here. (Amazon)/(Mi.com)/(Flipkart)
Asus ZenPower (10050):
The first look at Asus ZenPower will tell you that its look has been inspired Xiaomi’s Mi Power Bank. But, that necessarily is not a bad thing. It means it also has the same premium aluminum finish. It has dimension same as your credit cards and will fit nicely in your palm. Asus is offering more color options with its power bank. The ZenPower is available in five colors – black, silver, gold, blue, and hot pink. It provides an output of 2.4A which will help charge your device faster. Asus claims that it has 1.8 times longer lifespan than other power banks in its category. It has all the usual safety features to guard your smartphone while charging.
The only glitch with ZenPower is that it takes a bit too long to charge and is relatively overpriced to its competitors.
Price to Value Ratio: 8/10
Features:
- Ports: One USB output
- Capacity: 10050 mAh
- Dimensions: 90.5 * 59 * 22 mm
- Weight: 215 grams
- Output Current: 2.4A
- Input Voltage: 5V/2.0A
You can buy it here. (Amazon)/(Flipkart)/(Snapdeal)
OnePlus Power Bank (10000 mAh):
OnePlus is known for its affordable yet premium smartphones. So, when OnePlus decided to launch its own Power Bank, we were pretty excited. OnePlus in turn has not disappointed us. OnePlus Power bank is a premium looking portable charger for your device. Remaining true to its unique design language, OnePlus has delivered one good looking and feature packed power bank. OnePlus has gone with a polycarbonate body which helps it to stay lighter at 220 grams.
One feature that makes it stand out from others is that instead of lithium-ion it uses a lithium-polymer battery which is more efficient and long lasting. Also, It comes with two output ports thus helping you charge two devices at once.
Price to Value Ratio: 8.5/10
Features:
- Ports: 2 USB output
- Capacity: 10000 mAh
- Dimensions: 142.8 * 72.6 * 16.2 mm
- Weight: 220 grams
- Output Current: 5V/2.0A (one device)/5V/1A (two devices)
- Input Voltage: DC 5V/2A
You can buy it here. (Amazon)/(OnePlus)
EasyACC Power Bank (10000 mAh):
EasyACC is an ultra-slim power bank which stands out from the crowd due to its unique color combination. The orange on black combination just looks gorgeous. It is a bit pricier than our other choices but rightfully so. It is compact and can fit into your pocket or bag easily. It has two USB outputs one rated at 2.1A which will help charge larger devices like tablets and one at 1.5A for your average smartphone. It automatically recognizes the device you have plugged in and output the fastest current to achieve the efficiency of original charger.
Price to Value Ratio: 8/10
Features:
- Ports: 2 USB output ( one at 2.1A and other at 1.5A)
- Capacity: 10000 mAh
- Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.8 x 0.64 inches
- Weight: 241 grams
- Output Current: 2.1A/1.5A
- Input Voltage: DC 5V/2A
You can buy it here. (Amazon)
Anker Astro E4 (2nd Gen-13000 mAh):
Anker AstroE4 is one of the top-rated and critically acclaimed power banks available in the market. It uses its own unique power IQTM technology, which recognizes the device it is connected to and output optimum current. It can output current up to 3A which comes in handy while charging the larger devices. It also recharges pretty quickly even with its large battery capacity. It has two output USB port to help charge two devices simultaneously. One of the best thing about this power bank is that Anker has enhanced the battery efficiency and now it can output almost 85% of its capacity. This gives a user access to almost 11000mAh of capacity which should be enough for any kind of user.
This is the costliest power bank on our list and certainly not for everyone. But, if you want a high capacity portable power bank with excellent efficiency and smart charging capability, you will find no other power bank better than E4.
Price to Value Ratio: 8/10
Features:
- Ports: 2 USB output
- Capacity: 13000 mAh
- Dimensions: 15 x 6.2 x 2.3 cm
- Weight: 295 grams
- Output Current: 3A (shared between the ports)
- Input Voltage: DC 5V/2A
You can buy it here. (Amazon)
We hope this guide will help you all to decide the best power banks for yourselves. You will not go wrong with any of the above choices. This article is going to be a part of series of articles under best smartphone accessories. Let us know in comments which smartphone accessory you think we should include in our reviews.
