Two major factors that must be considered when deciding how much mAh (power) you need in a power bank are usage and time. If you use your phone as much as the rest of us, then you are well aware of the woes of a drained battery. Nowadays, it is essential to have a portable charger readily accessible in order to skip the annoyance of searching for an available AC outlet.
Whether you refer to them as portable chargers, power banks, fuel banks, pocket power cells or back-up charging devices, one thing remains, they are a reliable source of reserve power.
Some people go for the biggest one possible to ensure they enough power for days, like ChargeTech's 54000mAh power bank. Some just want a little extra juice to get them through a jam, opting for something like ChargeTech's 10000mAh power bank. But how much mAh in a power bank is too much, or worse, not enough?
With that question in mind, we are going to help you narrow down your search to a portable charger that fits your particular lifestyle and power needs.
What is mAh?
Like we have mentioned in a previous portable power bank article, battery capacity is rated by milliampere hours (mAh), which is “the amount of capacity needed to let one milliampere of electrical current flow for one hour.” The more mAh, the more power a battery pack has to keep charging your mobile devices.
The more mAh, the bigger the device. So weight is a big factor. If you don't mind the weight, check out the 54000mAh power bank.
But what kind of portable charger works best for you?
We recommend you decide early on what you will be using the power bank for and what type of power user you are. Will you use the extra juice to occasionally top off your phone (light) or do you need a power source to set up a remote office (heavy) to get ahead of some work while on vacation?Once you are aware of your use cases, you can weigh the options.
Light
If you are just the occasional power booster, a more compact and lower capacity power source is right up your alley. Anything from the 5000-2000 mAh in a power bank will work best for you, but you must remember you will more than likely not have multiple options for power included with a smaller device. Chargetech's new 20k mAh power bank fits the bill here.
Related: How To Power A Camper with A Portable Battery
Mid-size
Mid-sized power banks are usually around the 25,000-30,000mAh range. These are portable enough to not weigh down your backpack when carrying it, but also hefty enough to provide enough power to last hours on end. ChargeTech's 27,000mAh power bank is a sleek, elegant option for those looking for a solid in-betweener.
Chargetech's new 730-C, a 30,000 mAh power bank, is also an excellent option if you do not need the AC outlet.
Heavy
If you need a higher capacity power source for a longer period of time, a portable power bank with a large mAh such as 54,000 mAh is the safest bet. With this option you do run the risk of sacrificing portability, so you must plan how you can store it for easy accessibility.
Nowadays, there are a variety of portable battery banks on the market that can easily fit in your backpack and offer multiple sources of power such as AC outlets and USB charging ports.
