![]() ![]() There are a few things worth thinking about when you’re shopping for a portable charger.Ĭapacity: The capacity of a power bank is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), but this can be a little misleading because the amount of power you get out depends on the cable you use, the device you are charging, and the charging method (Qi wireless charging is less efficient). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated June 2023: We added power banks from Ampere, Zendure, Baseus, Mophie, and INIU. Even if you're not living in an off-grid solar setup, good power banks will come in handy. I had a proper 12-volt battery bank in the bus, but since I was out and about much of the time, portable power was more flexible and let me take energy where I needed it rather than having to be beside a plug. That experience taught me that the key to solar power is good batteries. This obsession started when I (Scott) lived off-grid in a vintage RV, powered primarily by solar panels. To help, we've spent years working our way through all of them. There are hundreds of portable battery packs, and picking one can be confusing. But if you keep a battery-powered portable charger handy, all those situations are in the past. Be sure to check that whatever charger you're planning on using is compatible with NiMH batteries, which are the most common type (and the ones I recommend most in this guide).Ĭheck out our top picks to help you find the best, most-reliable rechargeable batteries that suit your needs and budget constraints, so you won't have to run to the store again the next time you need batteries.Portable devices have a Murphy’s law–like ability to run out of power at the least convenient moment: as you step on the bus, right in the middle of an important meeting, or just as you get comfortable on the couch and press Play. → ChargerĪ charger is a device that controls the flow of charge into a battery. Some brands use the terms “recharge life” or “cycle life” to illustrate how many cycles a battery can go through before it loses capacity. → CyclesĮach full charge and discharge of a battery equals one battery cycle. Most AA batteries are rated for 2,000 mAh, and AAA batteries are rated for 800 mAh. This is an abbreviation for milliamp-hours which is a measure of the amount of charge that is stored in a battery. Since these batteries tend to have lower storage charge rates, I recommend low self-discharge batteries for items you don't have to swap out batteries for frequently - like clocks. Low Self-Discharge batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that has extra insulation to prevent this and extend their shelf life. It's worth mentioning that NiMH batteries will lose at least 20% of their charge within 6 months due to self-discharge. NiMH have a high energy density but a reduced lifecycle, while NiCD batteries have a higher discharge rate. Nickel-metal hydride is a type of battery that's more efficient than nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries which were more common about 10 years ago. Instead, I'll leave you with common terms you'll probably stumble across in your search for the best rechargeable batteries. Before making the investment, you should think about what size and how many batteries you need.Īs much as I'd love to nerd out and explain how rechargeable batteries work, I'll save you the time and won't bore you with battery chemistry. You’ve probably realized that rechargeable batteries are more expensive than single-use batteries, but they’ll actually pay for themselves in the first year of use, even with the purchase of a charger. Best Budget Charger: EBL iQuick Independent Smart Battery Charger. ![]() Best Charger: eneloop Advanced eneloop Individual Battery Quick Charger.The Eco-Friendly Option: Pale Blue Rechargeable AA Batteries.Best High-Capacity Battery: eneloop pro AA High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries.Runner-Up: Energizer Rechargeable AA Batteries.Best Overall: eneloop AA Rechargeable Batteries.As if that weren't reason enough, they'll also save you money in the long run since you can reuse them hundreds of times. We all should be more mindful of green living, and making the switch to rechargeable batteries is an excellent place to start. More than 3 billion dry-cell batteries are purchased by Americans each year, and unfortunately, most of them end up in landfills. ![]()
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