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Power Bank Recommendations

ourcore

ourcore

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 4, 2012
132
2
Hey, guys,

I'm looking at buying a new power bank, and I've been searching through Amazon for days, but I thought I'd also check here for any recommendations.

I have an iPhone 6 and an iPad Air 2, so I'm looking for something with at least 10,000mAh, 5V/2.1 output, and two USB ports without being bigger than my phone itself. Passthrough charging would also be nice.

I had an Anker bank, but after two faulty units, I'm looking elsewhere. I'm leaning towards this one, but unfortunately, one of the USB ports only outputs 1A — not a complete dealbreaker, but I'm still comparing. Jackery's 12,000mAh Giant+ is also similar, but twice as expensive. I also looked at RAVPower's 10,400mAh Element, but the design is pretty off-putting.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers!
 
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I am looking for one that has a bright flashlight with multiple light output. When I go camping is when I need a power bank, and a good flash light at the same time. So why not get one that does both.
 
I've always wondered why they put flashlights on these things. Didn't realize it came from customer demand, but guess it makes sense. Never thought of using a battery pack as a flashlight :)

meistervu said:
I am looking for one that has a bright flashlight with multiple light output. When I go camping is when I need a power bank, and a good flash light at the same time. So why not get one that does both.
Click to expand...
 
ourcore said:
Hey, guys,



I'm looking at buying a new power bank, and I've been searching through Amazon for days, but I thought I'd also check here for any recommendations.



I have an iPhone 6 and an iPad Air 2, so I'm looking for something with at least 10,000mAh, 5V/2.1 output, and two USB ports without being bigger than my phone itself. Passthrough charging would also be nice.



I had an Anker bank, but after two faulty units, I'm looking elsewhere. I'm leaning towards this one, but unfortunately, one of the USB ports only outputs 1A — not a complete dealbreaker, but I'm still comparing. Jackery's 12,000mAh Giant+ is also similar, but twice as expensive. I also looked at RAVPower's 10,400mAh Element, but the design is pretty off-putting.



Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers!
Click to expand...


I recommend:
Poweradd™ Pilot 2GS 10000mAh External Battery Portable Dual USB Charger Power Bank with Quick Charge and Aluminum Body Design for iPhone 6 5S 5C 5 4S, Galaxy S5 S4 S3, Note 4 3, HTC One M8, Nexus 5, LG G3, other Smartphones and Tablets (Apple Adapters Not Included) - Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITILPZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ki1Mub01BFJTA
 
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Zman, thought you were a big Anker fan from previous posts - have you gone off them?
 
Ive been using the Power-Add 10,000 for a couple of months now and love it. Ive been able to charge my iPhone 5 Completely 5 times and an iPad mini 2 twice before the battery itself needs to be charged. its slightly bigger than my iPhone but its around the size of an iPhone 6. The build quality is fantastic and there is no plastic all brushed aluminum. I was able to get it off Amazon for around $20. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/Poweradd-Pilo...UTF8&qid=1419519374&sr=8-1&keywords=power+add
 
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Zmanbaseball2 said:
No, the op said that Anker was not working out. I recommended a different branded battery that works for me as well.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Out of interest, what Anker one do you recommend at the moment in the 15-20000mAh range? Not bothered about flashlight or anything, 2 USB ports would be good though. I was looking at this one: I see they do an E6 version that's just over 20000 now as well...
 
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alFR said:
Fair enough. Out of interest, what Anker one do you recommend at the moment in the 15-20000mAh range? Not bothered about flashlight or anything, 2 USB ports would be good though. I was looking at this one: I see they do an E6 version that's just over 20000 now as well...
Click to expand...


Yes. That's a good choice I have the 13000 and 25600 versions. They work great for me! Great stand by power for camping or power outages.
 
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Anyone know if NewTrent is still making battery packs? I've been a big fan of their products but their website no longer shows any at all.
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BB5GR0A/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/180-0908829-6737763
 
eclipse01 said:
Ankor and Jackery make the 2 best and most reliable
Click to expand...

"best" and "most reliable" are completely subjective.

they're both good brands.

The argument here is really that of the whole PC vs Mac. There are companies like Anker, Jackery, and 100s of others on Amazon that use cheap components, overstate their capabilities, and go for cheap, but work perfectly fine. We'll call those "PC" ... then there's Mophie which makes a better quality product, has higher-end distribution channels, and world-class support should something happen... but all of that comes with a steep cost... we'll call them "Mac"

Honestly if you just need power on the go, cheap isn't necessarily a bad thing... worst case if it dies in 6 months you replace it and it's still cheaper in the long run. I've always preferred Mophie because they're such high quality and if ever there is an issue, one phone call and they send a replacement.

However, lately I've been leaning toward a couple others... when I was in Bangkok last week I bought a model that looks EXACTLY like the form factor of the iPhone 6 and packs about 12,000 mah of power, and cost me $12...

... so it really comes down to personal preference. If you're in warranty, go for whatever gets you the most bang for your buck. Personally I think it's funny people carry around huge power packs. I just need to get 1 charge out of mine, so prefer light and compact.. but everyone is different.
 
Where in Bangkok did you get that? I know Bangkok quite well.

The one the Wirecutter recommends arrived and it certainly looked well built to me and is as steal at $26

I has a pass thru feature that will charge the phone first if it and the phone are both connected.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BB5GR0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

shenan1982 said:
"best" and "most reliable" are completely subjective.

they're both good brands.

The argument here is really that of the whole PC vs Mac. There are companies like Anker, Jackery, and 100s of others on Amazon that use cheap components, overstate their capabilities, and go for cheap, but work perfectly fine. We'll call those "PC" ... then there's Mophie which makes a better quality product, has higher-end distribution channels, and world-class support should something happen... but all of that comes with a steep cost... we'll call them "Mac"

Honestly if you just need power on the go, cheap isn't necessarily a bad thing... worst case if it dies in 6 months you replace it and it's still cheaper in the long run. I've always preferred Mophie because they're such high quality and if ever there is an issue, one phone call and they send a replacement.

However, lately I've been leaning toward a couple others... when I was in Bangkok last week I bought a model that looks EXACTLY like the form factor of the iPhone 6 and packs about 12,000 mah of power, and cost me $12...

... so it really comes down to personal preference. If you're in warranty, go for whatever gets you the most bang for your buck. Personally I think it's funny people carry around huge power packs. I just need to get 1 charge out of mine, so prefer light and compact.. but everyone is different.
Click to expand...
 
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steffi said:
Where in Bangkok did you get that? I know Bangkok quite well.
Click to expand...

MBK... they sell the ones designed to look like an iDevice in 1800mah all the way up to 20,000 mah.

If you knew BKK you'd know thats where I got it... ;-)
 
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