There are many features to consider when one plans to get a power bank. The most well-known and important among these features are things like energy capacity, input/output amperage, ports and size.
However, there are many other less known, but cool features that power banks can have. Since the external battery pack market is pretty heavily saturated, many manufacturers have started including little extras to entice buyers. This type in particular, is designed for stationary use, to be placed where a stop contact placement would be awkward.
While one should avoid being swayed by such extras unless it offers you high utility or saves you money, it’s good to know the full range of what you can potentially have before making your decision.
Read also: 6 Ways in keeping your power bank durable
Ports & Charging Features
While a power bank’s ports and charging feature by no means are considered an “extra”, there are many other things to know other than the amount of port that it has or its input/output amperage.
- Simultaneous charging: not all power banks come with this feature, so if it does have it, you can connect your device with the power bank and at the same time charge the power bank with the mains, providing conveniences and saving time.
- Type of ports: note that USB ports are not the only type of ports that a power bank can have, some of the other port types that a power bank can have include MicroSD slot and LAN port. For example, Vivan 9000mAh IP-F09 includes them so you can open files in your MicroSD card and flashdisk through your PC, while its LAN port allows it to doubles as a Wi-Fi router.
- Devices that it charges: smaller capacity and cheaper type of power of power banks usually only allows smartphone charging, but other type allows charging of larger devices that ranges from laptops to drones. Some specific high capacity types even have ports that allow them be connected to cars and act as jumpers!
Safety
Important, yet nevertheless often overlooked, a power bank’s safety feature is not very well known among the average power bank users. To those who prioritize the longevity of their devices, safety features are essential to educate upon. Some examples of these are Short-circuit Protections, Overheat Protections, Input and Output Over-voltage Protection as well as Overcharge Protections.
- Short-circuit Protection: a short circuit occurs when current travels along an unintended path, usually caused by water spillage. This feature give protection by detecting short circuit occurrences and turning off the power bank immediately.
- Overheat Protection: this feature monitor the power bank’s temperature and can stop charging when the temperature is at an unacceptable level.
- Input and Output Over-voltage Protection: this feature safely stops discharging immediately when the device requires abnormal current to charge.
- Overcharge Protection: this feature terminate charging when battery is at full energy, can increase device longevity for those who tend to charge their devices overnight.
LED Indicators
You use battery packs most often when you’re traveling, and since you’ll likely have the battery pack in hand when you’re rooting around in your bag or luggage looking for cables and whatnot in an unfamiliar setting, the burst of light can come in handy.
Another useful feature, with a much more practical application than a flashlight, is indicator lights. These LED indicators can, when the main button on the pack was tapped, display the remaining charge in your power bank in a simple incremental display.
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