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When I leave the house, I always have a smartphone and smartwatch; that’s the minimum. Having the ability to keep them charged is a necessity. I’ve found some great deals on power banks for keeping them powered up no matter where you are. Some of these power banks will fit in your pocket and will top off a phone. Others fit in an EDC bag and will provide several full charges that could keep you going for several days in an emergency.
I’ve had a variety of power banks over the years for my smartphones. Whether it was to keep them charged through hours and hours of international travel or surviving an entire day of posting news from auto shows, I feel like they’ve been an integral part of my work kit for a couple of decades. Someday I’ll tell you kids the story of the time I was at the Geneva Autoshow and had to type all my stories on a Blackberry. Anyway, of the dozens I’ve had, all but a few very recent ones are trash. My advice, buy ruggedized power banks if you intend to use them hard. This ELECOM NESTOUT rugged power bank has 15,000 mAh worth of battery cells in it and is on sale for $52.99 on Amazon. It looks like a canteen for making mixed drinks, but also looks nearly bullet proof.
The myCharge 6,700 mAh unit looks less tactical, but equally as rugged. Both of these are waterproof and the myCharge is only $35.99 with coupon. And, a little more divisive, for $49.99 is the DeWalt portable charger. It looks like something a company would give out as a promotion. I think that’s cool. Some people may not want to pay a premium to feel like they’re advertising for DeWalt. Especially if their allegiance lies with a different brand.
Usually, I like power banks that just have USB ports and I can provide whatever cables are required on my own. If a built-in cable breaks or becomes obsolete, it takes down the whole power bank. This GOODaaa apocalypse preparedness unit is a whole different ballgame. Its goal is to be a self-contained unit that charges itself with solar or even a hand crank if necessary, so I feel the integrated cables are justified. Below that, I’ve posted a few different sizes and use case models of Anker power banks. These are all discounted, so it closes the gap between these and lower quality brands. I have a number of Anker products, and they’re all top-notch.
The last power bank I have listed is the AstroAI unit, which also happens to be a car jump starter as well. If you keep a power bank in your car, it may as well be able to jump-start it. I have one of these and I’ve used it several times for powering devices through USB. It even includes an adapter so you can use it to power devices that plug into 12v sockets. And at the very bottom, is for when the excreta impinges the rotary oscillator. The Garmin inReach Messenger handheld satellite communicator for $252.47 will get you out of a jam when you can’t make contact with anyone, no matter how charged your phone is.
More Deals on Power banks
ELECOM NESTOUT Rugged Power Bank, 15000mAh, 32W USB-C, Waterproof IP67, Shockproof for $52.99
myCharge Portable Charger Waterproof Power Bank Adventure 6700mAh for $35.99 with coupon
DEWALT Portable Charger, Power Bank, 10,000 mAh Battery Pack with USB-C for $49.99
GOODaaa Power Bank Wireless Charger 45800mAh Hand Crank, 4 Cables, 15W, 7 Outputs, 4 Inputs for $44.99
Anker Power Bank , Compact 10,000mAh Battery Pack with PowerIQ, 5V/3A, USB-C (In and Out) for $19.19
Anker 621(MagGo), 5,000mAh Wireless Power Bank with USB-C Cable, Magsafe-Compatible for $33.99
Anker Power Bank, 26,800 mAh with Double-Speed Recharging, 3 USB Ports for $42.50
AstroAI S8 Ultra Battery Jumper Starter And Portable 24,000mAh Powerbank for $94.99
Garmin inReach Messenger Handheld Satellite Communicator, Global Two-Way Messaging for $252.47 service subscription required
