For Christmas I received a new power bank and wire. I had asked for these because I didn't want to buy them myself as the pair aren't the cheapest out there. But as I need the juice for my phone constantly it was a requirement. The battery on my phone doesn't last as long as it should so it is quite the necessity. I thought it might be helpful for others to share my opinions and what I have found out about these products.
Why choose Anker? I opted for Anker as an obvious and immediate choice because they are very well known, easy to find and read up on. The brand is well established and there are reasons that their products have good reviews. I trust this brand and I know others who have also invested in their products and speak highly of them.
Anker Powercore 20000
The power bank itself, now this unit is not light weighing much more than some other options. As I am carrying around in a backpack not my pocket the larger heavier style does not come as a negative to me. The products to be a little heavier to accommodate for it's power. On a recent iPhone it provides up to 5 full charges which for anyone should be plenty for one day. The power bank has two USBs meaning you can charge multiple devices at once, the only time I really use this is for my iPad or camera alongside my phone, but should be noted anyhow.
However, due to the large capacity the power bank takes a very long time to charge fully. The charge level is indicated by the 4 lights on the front it being fully charged sheen all 4 lights glow blue. The charger takes several hours to charge fully so it generally is best to charge overnight but you need to remember to do it because it does not work as effectively as a last minute thing. The weight and log charge time are the only real downfalls I can find in this product.
The portable charger alone comes in at about £30, mine was bought from Amazon. £30 sounds like a lot if you are not going to use it often but for me who uses it everyday it does not break the bank. There are some cheaper lower capacity Anker power banks which h might be worth looking at if you think you only need 1 or 2 chargers maximum, but for a long trip a larger power is necessary. Find yours here at https://amzn.to/2Q41Z7U
Anker Nylon Braided Wire
Now the accompanying wire. If you have had an iPhone ever then you have probably seen more wire than the apple store. Like me they have snapped, torn or just generally stopped working. If you roll them up to put in your bags the bends in them also often cause them to stop working.
A solution is this Anker wire, the wire is strong and does not easily break. Due to the braided material the wire will also not get knotted up in your bag or pocket. The wire is 1.8m/6ft long so I can easily roll to the other side of my bed if it is plugged in at the socket and I am not constantly restricted by a 60cm wire.
The wire alone is about £7-£10 depending if you can find deals or not, personally I found a pack of two which was £16. So I now have one at home and one always in my bag so I never forget it. This may seem pricey for some for a wire but this will last a long time and personally I was on my 4th wire of the year so I would prefer to spend more and it last longer. You can find this wire cheap at Amazon https://amzn.to/2SxloQ0
As a pair - This is a reliable set, the wire and portable charger coming in around £40. Maybe ask for as a gift if you don't want to spend the money on a practical item rather than a luxury item. If you are looking for sturdy and strong this is definitely there choice.
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