{"id":13853,"date":"2024-01-22T12:36:32","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T11:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powerbank20.com\/?page_id=13853"},"modified":"2024-03-29T09:46:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T08:46:51","slug":"how-to-charge-a-power-bank","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/powerbank20.com\/en\/how-to-charge-a-power-bank\/","title":{"rendered":"How to recharge a Power bank the right way?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A power bank is recharged through a USB charger or power adapter<\/strong> (just like a smartphone).<\/p>\n

That is, connect one end of the charging cable to the\u00a0Micro USB or USB-C\u00a0<\/strong>input port<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0of the power bank<\/strong>\u00a0and the other end to the\u00a0USB-A or USB-C\u00a0<\/strong>output port<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0of the charger<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In addition, the most current power banks \u2013 especially high-capacity models \u2013 incorporate the\u00a0Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC) or Power Delivery (PD) fast charging protocol in their input port.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For this reason, we must differentiate between the 2 types of recharge that a power bank has:<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  • Standard Charge<\/strong>: it is the conventional charge that has any electronic device with a USB port. It works with a voltage of 5 volts (V)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  • Fast Charge<\/strong>: it is a new charging system that works with a higher voltage (9,<\/strong> 12, or 20V<\/strong>). It requires the use of a compatible charger and cable to communicate with the charging protocol of the power bank.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

    Now, which charger should I use to recharge a power bank faster?<\/em><\/p>\n

    Ideally, for a power bank to recharge as quickly as possible, it is necessary to use a charger capable of supplying a power (W) equal to or greater than that specified on the power bank’s input port.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    However, in practice, it is advisable to supply a\u00a0<\/span>higher power<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0to prevent the charger from overheating and deteriorating in the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Therefore, the first step would be to\u00a0identify the maximum power allowed at the input port of the power bank:<\/span><\/p>\n

    Typically, in\u00a0standard recharging (5V)<\/strong>, the input port of a power bank usually supports maximum power of 5 watts (W) (5V\/1A), 10W (5V\/2A), 12W (5V\/2.4A), 15W (5V\/3A).<\/p>\n

    While if the input port supports\u00a0Quick Charge (QC) and\/or Power Delivery (PD) fast charging<\/strong>\u00a0the power bank can charge at 18, 30, 45, and even 100 watts (W).<\/p>\n

    The following image shows the specifications of a 10000 mAh power bank:<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    We see that this power bank has 2 USB input ports and each of them supports a maximum power depending on the charging mode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Port type<\/strong><\/td>\nStandard Charge<\/strong><\/td>\nQC Fast Charge<\/strong><\/td>\nPD Fast Charge<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Micro-USB<\/td>\n10\u202fW max.<\/td>\n18\u202fW max.<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    USB-C<\/td>\n15\u202fW max.<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n18\u202fW max.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    The next step is to look for a charger that meets the following 2 requirements so that the power bank is recharged in the shortest possible time:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Its output ports can supply the maximum powers indicated in the table above.<\/li>\n
    2. It is compatible with Quick Charge and Power Delivery fast charging protocols.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Remember that for QC and\/or PD fast charging, it is also required that the charging cable<\/strong> is compatible with the protocol in question.<\/p>\n

      Normally, this cable is included with the power bank.<\/p>\n

      But, for example, if you buy a charger with fast charging and then use an old cable you have at home, then only standard charging will be activated.<\/p>\n

      Also, don’t forget other factors such as the\u00a0length, cross-section, and condition of the cable<\/strong>, which will also affect the charging time of the power bank.<\/p>\n

      Here is a case study with a power bank analyzed by our team:<\/p>\n

      Case study: recharging a power bank<\/h2>\n

      We will use the\u00a0Tronsmart Trim<\/strong>\u00a0power bank and a charger from the\u00a0Ugreen<\/strong>\u00a0brand that has the\u00a0green port<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0white port<\/span>\u00a0with\u00a0standard charging (5V):<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"recharge<\/p>\n

      The following image shows the technical specifications of the Tronsmart Trim<\/strong> power bank.<\/p>\n

      \"power<\/p>\n

      These specifications show the type of USB input port<\/u>: Micro-USB or USB-C<\/strong>, the charging voltages supported<\/u>: 5V or 9V,<\/strong> and the maximum values of current (A) and power (W)\u00a0supported by each port<\/u>:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Micro USB Input<\/strong>: 5V\/2A (10W) – 9V\/2A (18W)<\/li>\n
      • USB-C Input<\/strong>: 5V\/2A (10W) – 9V\/2A (18W)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        That is, this model can be recharged in both Standard Charge (5V)<\/strong> and Quick Charge (9V)<\/strong> through one of its 2 available inputs: Micro USB or USB-C<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        In the Standard Charge (5V)<\/strong>, each port supports a maximum power of 10W<\/strong> (5V x 2A). Therefore, we should use a charger that has an output supplying at least 10W.<\/span><\/p>\n

        In our example, we will use the standard charging port<\/strong> (white color) of the Ugreen charger that provides a maximum power of 12W<\/strong> (5V\/2.4A).<\/p>\n

        The Fast Charge (9V)<\/strong> system of this model can be performed using the Quick Charge 2.0<\/strong> protocol through the Micro USB or USB-C port, or the Power Delivery<\/strong> protocol using the USB-C port.<\/p>\n

        To do this, we must use a charger compatible with QC or PD<\/strong> to be able to supply the power bank with a maximum power of 18W<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        In this case, we can use the fast charging port QC 3.0 (green color) of the Ugreen charger that is compatible with previous versions of Quick Charge<\/strong> while for the Power Delivery<\/strong> protocol, it would be necessary to use another charger compatible with this technology.<\/p>\n

        In our tests performed with this model, the charging times obtained were:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Standard Charge 5V<\/strong>: 5h<\/li>\n
        • Fast Charge QC<\/strong>: 3h 30min<\/li>\n
        • Fast Charge PD<\/strong>: 3h 25min<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n