We’ve all been there before, your waiting on a text from someone important, your favourite song is about to drop or your relying heavily on google maps and then the unbelievable happens: Your phone dies. Only a few short years ago this would mean running into every establishment asking if they had a certain phone cord and if you could hang out at the bar while it charges. Not anymore, portable power banks are here. Before we get into why you need a power bank, let’s chat about what they even are.
The Technology
We’re not going to get all Bill Nye on you and lecture about how batteries work in case you’re interested, here is a summarized version: Power banks are comprised of a special battery in a special case with a special circuit to control power flow. They allow you to store electrical energy (deposit it in the bank) and then later use it to charge up a mobile device (withdraw it from the bank).
Types On The Market
- Universal Power Bank: These come in many sizes and varieties which can be tailored to your device requirements and to your budget.
- Blue Tooth Enabled Power Bank: Looking to run speakers and connect your music? This style of power bank is for you.
- Solar Charged Power Bank: These power banks have panels that can trickle-charge the internal battery when placed in sunlight. It’s known to not be as fast but hey, it’s eco-friendly and we like that.
How Many Charges Does A Power Bank Hold
This is a loaded question. You see, power banks come in all sizes and power bank capacities (this is the nerd term for “how much charge”). The power bank capacity should be stated on the packaging of your power bank but the power requirements of the device requiring the charge are not. So how many times a device (phone, tablet, computer, etc) can be charged cannot be accurately determined. This all being said, you should be able to get a few full phone charges of out of one power bank before it needs to be re-charged itself.
And finally…
Why You Need A Power Bank
There are a number of life moments that really can’t be missed as a result of your phone being flat. We’ve gathered a few to showcase when a power bank would really come in handy…
- Matched with Tinder dream girl/guy
- Sent a message to the wrong person.
- Need to check your bank balance to see if one more beer is possible.
- Phone flashlight required for navigating stairs.
- Going to be late for work.
- Lost all your homies while shredding the mountain.
- Being chased by a bear and require assistance.
- Your friend has lost their phone at Garfinkels and would like you to call it.
- The music at the party sucks and you know your playlist is way better.
- Directions to that little corner of Emerald that you never even knew existed.
If you’ve decided that a portable power bank is something you need in your life, just come on by McCoo’s, we’ll sort you out.