The humble power bank has become an invaluable tool not just in South Africa with our constant loadshedding, but around the world to keep your personal range of electronics charged up without the need to visit a wall plug.
With so many options on the market local tech distributor Syntech has pointed customers in the direction of the WINX GO Fast 20000mah Power Bank by highlighting five key areas to look into when buying one of these products.
1. Battery capacity
As with all battery products the capacity is one of the chief considerations as it determines how much you can charge and for how long.
For battery banks the most common capacities are usually in the 10 000 to 30 000 mAh range though units with differing amounts exist.
While bigger is sometimes better you should shop according to your budget and needs and not just buy the biggest out there, especially when we get to number two on this list.
At 20 000 mAh the WINX GO Fast option is in the sweet spot of capacity offering the ability to charge items like your phone multiple times over before needing to be charged up itself.
2. Size and portability
Battery size is directly related to the overall size of your battery bank. More juice means more battery you need to carry around. Even for those wanting a power bank for the house, the larger options can be a real pain to accomplish tasks like using your devices while they are connected.
Again the 20 000 mAh option is a great idea as it combines a lot of charge with a size that won’t annoy.
WINX has worked to make this small and sleek unit portable measuring in at just 15.2 x 5.8 x 2.5 centimeters and 350 grams.
3. Ports ports ports
Power is nothing if you can’t access it and again you need to find a power bank with the number of output ports to suit the number of devices you plan to charge at any one time.
Again, this varies but the WINX GO Fast 20000mah Power Bank offers two ports: one USB Type-A and one USB Type-C. This gives you many options for charging and it should easily accommodate everything from the newest phones packed with Type-C to Type-C charging cables to older devices that still rely on the gold standard of Type-A.
4. Keep things safe
No matter how careful you are, portable devices will eventually take a tumble and end up on the floor. For items like phones, you can turn to products like screen protectors and cases, but for battery banks it’s usually all on the manufacturer to build that protection in.
Here WINX delivers again with a black rubberised coating to absorb impacts.
We also have to recommend black or dark colour units as, speaking from experience, lighter colours like white get ruined rather quickly.
5. Not so unlimited power
While capacity is one thing, how quickly you can access that power is another. You may see many power banks with varying capacities but no mention of just how fast they can provide a charge. Many lower end devices will provide charge so slowly that you may find your devices dying anyway if you’re trying to use them while they are being provided with such little power from the battery bank.
Always check the tech specs to see the output power. Our WINX example for today has a generous 15W Fast charging option which may even be faster than the charger provided in the box of your device.
