For my last two trips to Europe, I had a Jackery Bolt 6000 portable power bank that was heavy and took forever to not only charge itself, but also my Android phone.
Want to have something on hand so I can charge throughout the day during my upcoming tour.
Any recommendations?
I use Anker chargers. They work fast and will charge ,my phone several times
I second Anker charges - I have one in my purse all the time - it holds it charge for months if needed and will charge the phone 3 x easily. If I had to replace it I'd probably buy this one https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-13000-Portable-Charger/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q
My husband bought me an Anker charger for my trip to Israel in 2017 and it still works like a charm. Highly recommended!
Another Anker user here. I’ve got this- charger and power bank in one.
Ankers are great, but weigh differently. My two port charger is definitely several ounces heavier than the one port charger. I don't know if Amazon gives anything but shipping weights, but you're going to be carrying it around all day, I'd check the manufacturer's website or call them.
@scudder Aren't power banks and chargers the same thing?
Nev er heard of jackery. You're looking for a portable battery or a charger?
See my Belkin link above. Looking for a power bank/portable charger. Same same.
"THE ANSWER IS A PORTABLE CHARGER.
A lightweight power bank or mobile battery pack that you can carry anywhere."
yes, another vote for Anker!
To clarify, I'm not looking for an extra battery for my phone, I'm looking for something that can charge my phone and other devices while on the tour bus. 😊
Sounds like Anker is the clear winner here, and I appreciate everyone's input!
Jill, Often conflated, but power banks and chargers are not the same thing.
-A charger plugs into an electric socket and accepts a USB cord to charge the device while connected to the wall. (These are ‘sized’ in watts delivered, meaning charging speed. 18W is ideal for faster charging via USB-C cable.)
-A power bank is the portable, rechargeable battery you can plug your phone into for a recharge— while not connected to an electric socket. (These are sized in watts, as above, and also in storage capacity as mAh. 10,000mAh is probably the biggest I’d want to carry around, but that would recharge an iPhone two times. More than I’d really need in a day.)
"18W is ideal for faster charging via USB-C cable"
Yeah, I carry 2 Apple chargers - the 18W / USB C charger for my iPad and a 10W / USB A charger for my iPhone because I don't like charging my iPhone that hot with the 18W block.
@scudder. Power bank 😊
I'm also a big fan of Anker powerbanks -- between myself and my spouse, we probably have 4 or 5 of them now (used for different scenarios). They're great. They do get heavy though, so think carefully about just how big (heavy) you really need.
Being who I am, when I first bought one I went out and got the biggest, most powerful Anker powerbank that I could find: the mighty Anker PowerCore 26800. It's a beast, bringing a full 26,800mAh of juice for your toys. It can charge 3 devices at once, and charge devices repeatedly. Just what you (think you might) need for your long, multiple, globe-spanning flights with long layovers. It's even better (for her) if you have a spouse who is hungry for power, but reluctant to carry a heavy powerbank around herself. But it sure is heavy. Eventually it dawned on me that maybe I didn't need to schlepp around such a heavy piece of gear just to keep my phone and iPad charged up, and others (ahem...) in my traveling party could carry their own if they really wanted to stream videos of Korean soap operas on their phone for many hours at a time (turns out, she does, and I don't use my phone all that much when I'm away from an electrical outlet). Having learned that lesson, I have slimmed down to a different, perfectly-capable but not-quite-so-heavy model (an Anker PowerCore Slim 10K, its 10,000mAh is more than adequate for me). I bought two of them. Perhaps it's best feature is that she now has one of her own.
My advice is to get one that meets your real-world needs (just barely), not necessarily one that will let you power all of Los Angeles after the Russkies take out the power grid in a cyberstrike.
Also be aware that, surprisingly, your powerbank may draw extra scrutiny when going through airport security. In all my recent travels, the thing that hung up going through security most consistently, has been having a powerbank in my carry-on. The US TSA inspectors never care (no comment...) but the diligent security staff in European and Asian airports have all been flagging this for careful hand inspection. These days I travel with a seriously large carry-on bag chock full of electronics, multiple cameras, a bunch of charging blocks, MANY cables, scuba gear, a drone, and several mysterious-looking odd electronic devices -- probably looks like I'm on my way to a terrorist trade show. The xray belt always stops when that bag is going through the scanning box, I can see staff gathering around, pointing to the screen, switching the color scheme and changing to whatever alternate views they have, mumbling concerns... OK, I get it: my toys look unusual and worrisome.
Invariably, the bag comes out and is picked up by one of their inspectors for a closer look, as they pull me aside, I always hear them ask... "Powerbank? Please show me." When I do, they look carefully at it for the power rating (this is regulated, and limited -- I've read that Chinese airlines are particularly strict about exceeding their allowed capacity). Once they find the teeny tiny technical rating on my powerbank, they are satisfied, they hand it back to me, and they have zero interest in any of my other electronic exotica, so I can reassemble my bag and move on. Maybe it's the powerbank combined with all the other odd stuff, maybe it's just me and the vibe I give off, maybe it's my dear spouse standing next to me impatiently and rolling her eyes. But you may find having your powerbank along will add a brief stop at the xray machine and some personal attention from a polite foreign airport security agent (if so, maybe pull out your powerbank and drop it in the little plastic tub along with your phone/iPad/laptop).
@david Thank you! Both helpful and hilarious info!
Invariably, the bag comes out and is picked up by one of their inspectors for a closer look, as they pull me aside, I always hear them ask... "Powerbank? Please show me." When I do, they look carefully at it for the power rating (this is regulated, and limited -- I've read that Chinese airlines are particularly strict about exceeding their allowed capacity)
10,000 is the max for flying through a Chinese airport from memory - pre-covid - if the capacity is not clearly marked on the battery they will confiscate it.
I usually get screened in my local airport for my camera batteries. They want to make sure that the 2 spares can't inadvertantly touch terminals - I keep them in separate locations so I'm fine -having them taped or in separate plastic bags would be OK too.
And of course all batteries MUST be in carry on NOT in checked bags or your will lose them
My sister bought me an Anker powerbank. I didn’t even know what it was, but I was glad I had it when I was on my last tour. I also appreciate it when I lost power during the last thunderstorm!
Please forgive my ignorance...I just bought a T-Core power bank with the intention of taking it in my carryon to London. ( I was aware I couldn't pack it in checked luggage). The instructions booklet includes:
Product model 20000 M
Input 5V (I assume that means 5 volts?)
Capacity 10000mAh 37Wh
Affixed to the Amazon package was a sticker: " Lithium ion batteries - forbidden for transfer aboard passenger aircraft."
Online I just read "The battery limit is 100Wh, so it depends on the voltage of the power bank as well. Most power banks are 5V."
Does my power bank meet that requirement? (I don't know how to analyze the product specs to figure that out).
I looked at Anker items for this, but I ended up buying this one for our recent Europe trip:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BYKLGYW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I found this on a "best bargain power bank" list. It worked great for me. I like the size, the color choices and the price. Most of the colors have a sizeable coupon bringing the price down even more. Only downside (for me) was that it the older micro USB port/cable for charging. But I decided it wasn't a big deal, and it wasn't.
I’m a big fan of Mophie power banks. I’m on my 3rd one (over 8 years). As I buy new, more powerful phones, I buy new, more power Mophie. I bought a Halo at one time and did not like it since it would shut down before a charge was complete. I did return a Mophie because it was double the weight advertised on Amazon; more than I wanted to carry.
The best one is the one that you have on your person when needed, fully charged.
Just do some browsing on Amazon for sizes, prices, brands. They go on sale pretty often (as in July 4 weekend).
@phred That's how I came upon the last one I had...and it sucked. Lol
Another Mophie user here.
Happy with it ,20,800mAh variant got it for long camping trips but carry in everyday life too.Made myself popular with folks with flat batteries when I lend it out
FWIW I took this one on my recent trip and it worked fine (and did not prompt extra security screening). It charged an android and iPhone while out during the day and still had juice left when we got back. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QXV6N1B/
Also, make sure to adjust settings on your phone to stop apps from running in the background and also constantly searching for wifi - two giant drains on power I found. I only ended up needing my bank a couple of times once I figured that out.
I used to use Jackery power banks but switched to Anker a few years ago and love it! I got the Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Bank × 1 at Costconext.com (discounted brand items for Costco members) and it works great for me. I really need a power bank with the amount of photos I take and maps navigation, and this one really pulls through. You will get at least 2 full phone charges out of the charged power bank and the charging is lightning fast - faster than my regular phone charger.
I've never had a problem taking it through security either.
@Elizabeth - there are online calculators that you can use to determine your watt hour, if it's not on the label.
