With Black Friday coming and the hot shopping season, there will be many deals. One accessory that I highly recommend is an external battery pack. Asus sells the ZenPower which is just $19.99 for a 10050mAh portable battery. You can get smaller external battery packs which are lighter and more portable. In fact you can get an external battery charger that is the size of a lipstick! These types of accessories see huge discounts and sale prices. One issue to consider is how long these external batteries can hold their charge. If you go with the super small battery banks, it means they will drain while sitting around your house and if you grab it and head out, there is a chance that it may be at 50% charge or worse. It becomes a bit tricky. However if you go for a bigger capacity there is more room for error, or you can afford to lose some of the charge while it sits and you will still have enough charge left if you take it out with you. Most times when you grab the external battery you’re in a rush. If you end up out of battery on your device and plug into your external charger only to find that it’s dead too, imagine the frustration!
Here is a quick rundown and shopping guide:
- A 12000mAh battery bank is heavy, but it’s very useful. The model that I own has two usb ports so you can charge two devices at one time. This is about the maximum size that I would recommend and it is heavy. For long trips though you can’t beat it.
- The Asus ZenPower is a 10050mAh external battery so it will be slightly lighter but will still have enough charge to fill up a couple devices.
- A 6000mAh battery is an ideal weight and size. Going smaller than this means you will need to worry more about battery drain while it sits.
- Mini portable chargers with 3200mAh are obviously the lightest and most convenient. However you’re going to need planning so that you charge this up so that when you really need it there is some charge left on it.
Price wise you shouldn’t have to pay anything more than $30 and most of the 12000mAh battery banks should be around $20. It’s a wise investment because it’s useful for more than just your ZenPad. Smartphones also require constant charging especially if you’re pushing them with HD video and or video games.
