Charged up for travel: seven power banks for smartphones and tablets
From handbags to cars and from solar power to built-in cables, a power bank is becoming increasingly important for any kind of travel, long-haul or short. Here’s how to choose the right one for you
PUBLISHED : Monday, 20 June, 2016, 8:02pm
UPDATED : Monday, 20 June, 2016, 8:01pm
Monster PowerCard
Power banks are always a trade-off between size and charge. This 68g, handbag-friendly, credit card-sized battery (HK$249, hmv.com.hk) has an ultra-small capacity of 1,650mAh, so it’s only suitable only for a quick top-up.
The best apps and gadgets to deal with long-haul boredom
Victorinox Gear Power Bank 9000
Unusually square-shaped and weighing in at 200g, this highly packable 9,000mAh battery’s (HK$990, Victorinox, Times Square, Causeway Bay, tel: 2831 8591) dual USB slots can refuel a tablet as well as a smartphone several times over.
How to take great smartphone travel photos: tips from Hong Kong photographers
Techlink Recharge iPhone Cup Holder Dock
Designed to fit into a car’s cup holder and to keep any iPhone 5 or 6 steady, this dock (HK$470, hk.mobilefun.com) has an Apple Lightning connector, though you do need to connect the dock to a car’s 12-24V output port. Also includes 3.5mm jack to hook up to a car stereo.
Mophie Powerstation Plus 3x
Although at 5,000mAh it’s not going to cater for a family of devices for very long, this expensive, 159g battery (HK$798, Apple, ifc mall, Central, tel: 3972 1500) stands out by including a choice of microUSB or Apple Lightning cable. Better still, it stows it away inside a compartment for tangle-free travel.
Solartab
While most power banks are charged up from a wall outlet, the iPad-sized Solartab (HK$753, mysolartab.com) gets its power from a 5.5W solar panel. It charges up its whopping 13,000mAh battery by day and can send it to phones or tablets simultaneously. However, this eco-friendly choice weighs 768g.
NoonTec POWA
Ideal for long trips, this 220g box’s 10,000mAh battery (HK$499, Broadway, Times Square, Causeway Bay, tel: 2506 0228) can recharge most smartphones five times over. Also compatible with tablets, it takes six hours to fill.
PNY Power T82
For business travellers after a sharp-looking, slim battery that still has plenty of charge, a good solution is this brushed metallic 8,200mAh battery (HK$429, fortress.com.hk), which has USB inputs for phones and tablets. Just 14.8mm slim, it weighs 206g.
Most Popular
Viewed
- 1
![Mercato restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong to close after refusing rent rise – Wednesday is last day]()
- 2
![Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial watch in 18-carat pink gold, hammered and satin-finished, with white opal dials. Complemented with an 18-carat pink gold Polish mesh bracelet.]( "Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial watch in 18-carat pink gold, hammered and satin-finished, with white opal dials. Complemented with an 18-carat pink gold Polish mesh bracelet.")
- 3
![Marvel’s three biggest Asian superheroes during Stan Lee’s time]()
- 4
![A Very Fine Natural Pearl and Diamond Triplestrand Necklace, Clasp signed Verdura Paris.]( "A Very Fine Natural Pearl and Diamond Triplestrand Necklace, Clasp signed Verdura Paris.")
- 5
![Stonemason Morm Pum, who has been working in temple restoration since 1993, stands on top of a scaffolding at West Mebun temple, Angkor, Cambodia, before work on it was halted. Photo: Enric Catala]( "Stonemason Morm Pum, who has been working in temple restoration since 1993, stands on top of a scaffolding at West Mebun temple, Angkor, Cambodia, before work on it was halted. Photo: Enric Catala")
Shared
- 1
![Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial watch in 18-carat pink gold, hammered and satin-finished, with white opal dials. Complemented with an 18-carat pink gold Polish mesh bracelet.]( "Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial watch in 18-carat pink gold, hammered and satin-finished, with white opal dials. Complemented with an 18-carat pink gold Polish mesh bracelet.")
- 2
![A Very Fine Natural Pearl and Diamond Triplestrand Necklace, Clasp signed Verdura Paris.]( "A Very Fine Natural Pearl and Diamond Triplestrand Necklace, Clasp signed Verdura Paris.")
- 3
![Improving your core strength will help maintain the health of your spine – shaped like a letter ‘S’ to provide balanced support for the head and upper body – which contains more than 100 joints. Photo: Shutterstock]( "Improving your core strength will help maintain the health of your spine – shaped like a letter ‘S’ to provide balanced support for the head and upper body – which contains more than 100 joints. Photo: Shutterstock")
- 4
![Mercato restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong to close after refusing rent rise – Wednesday is last day]()
- 5
![Stonemason Morm Pum, who has been working in temple restoration since 1993, stands on top of a scaffolding at West Mebun temple, Angkor, Cambodia, before work on it was halted. Photo: Enric Catala]( "Stonemason Morm Pum, who has been working in temple restoration since 1993, stands on top of a scaffolding at West Mebun temple, Angkor, Cambodia, before work on it was halted. Photo: Enric Catala")
Commented
- 1
![Cathay Pacific has said the cyberattack, in which data from 9.4 million customers was accessed, lasted more than three months. Photo: EPA]( "Cathay Pacific has said the cyberattack, in which data from 9.4 million customers was accessed, lasted more than three months. Photo: EPA")
- 2
![The Discovery Bay Marina Club told members in August they would need to move their boats out by December 31. Photo: Roy Issa]( "The Discovery Bay Marina Club told members in August they would need to move their boats out by December 31. Photo: Roy Issa")
- 3
![China launches a hypersonic aircraft, the Starry Sky-2, on a test flight on August 3. The craft could carry nuclear warheads at six times the speed of sound. Photo: Science and Technology Daily]( "China launches a hypersonic aircraft, the Starry Sky-2, on a test flight on August 3. The craft could carry nuclear warheads at six times the speed of sound. Photo: Science and Technology Daily")
- 4
![Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center right, inspects an honour guard with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a visit at the Istana in Singapore on Monday. Photo: Reuters]( "Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center right, inspects an honour guard with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a visit at the Istana in Singapore on Monday. Photo: Reuters")
- 5
![New satellite images of hidden ballistic missile bases suggest North Korea’s claims to be eliminating its nuclear weapons are a deception. Photo: CSIS/Beyond Parallel/DigitalGlobe]( "New satellite images of hidden ballistic missile bases suggest North Korea’s claims to be eliminating its nuclear weapons are a deception. Photo: CSIS/Beyond Parallel/DigitalGlobe")
You may also like
Dispelling 5 common misconceptions about Cantonese opera
In partnership with: Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Exquisite jewels and rare watches from Phillips make top-drawer gifts
Sponsored by: Phillips Auctioneers
Comments: