How to Choose the Best Portable Charger

For many of us, we don't have to stretch our imaginations much to picture living without a cellphone.

We spent the majority of our lives without one, never even thinking about what it would be like to carry a phone everywhere we went.

Now, of course, very few of us live without one. And we almost always take it with us when we leave our homes and have it nearby when we're indoors. This safety net has saved lives and added many conveniences to our day-to-day activities. 

But our cellphones and other electronic devices are basically worthless when they run out of juice. So, another essential item we should carry with us when we leave the house – and keep near us when we're home – is a charger.

Make sure it's solar

If you don't have a portable power bank for your electronic devices, you may want to seriously consider getting one. And if you do have one, you might want to determine whether it possesses all the qualities it should.

Today I want to discuss what to look for in a charger. Because once you decide which elements are most important, you'll be better able to choose the charger that's right for you. And acquiring one sooner rather than later means you'll be able to take it on your summer and holiday travels.

First and foremost, your charger should be solar-powered. Now, you want to be able to power it up through an outlet as well, but you also want to be able to charge when you don't have access to an outlet or during a power outage. So, it should have a built-in solar panel to take care of that.

The added advantage of being able to charge your power bank with the free rays of the sun is you'll never have to worry about the internal battery wearing out. 

Other important features

A second consideration when it comes to deciding on the right solar charger is the amount of power it produces. The more watts of electricity it can generate, the better. If it has at least a pair of USB ports, you can charge two electronic devices at the same time. Three is better.

Third, you want a solar charger with a built-in battery pack. A lithium-polymer battery that can store 8,000 mAh and pass TSA regulations for carry-on batteries is ideal.

Fourth, you want a solar-powered charger that is portable so you can carry it around in a pocket. 

Fifth, your solar charger should be compatible with whichever devices you want to charge. 

Sixth, your solar charger should be durable enough to withstand some bumps and drops. Make sure it's rugged to withstand the elements.

With frequent power outages pretty much everywhere you go, it's more important than ever to have convenient backup power at the ready. A pocket-sized power plant is the answer when other power sources are unavailable. Just make sure you get the right one with all the features you need.