The Best Portable Chargers for Students -

There are many different brands and types of mobile chargers in the market currently. I took a look at the top-rated mobile chargers for phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, while keeping in mind the needs of a student.

A Note on Charging Ports

Depending on the type of device you have, you might need to purchase an additional cable to connect your device to these chargers. For those of us who are not tech-savvy, this is a very general explanation of the technical names and terms for these devices.

Input ports on a mobile charger bring power TO the charger. This is not where you plug your device in, but where you plug the charger into the wall to be recharged.

Output ports on a mobile charger bring power OUT of the charger, into your device. This is where you plug your device in.

USB-A – this is your classic USB port. The majority of portable chargers have these types of output ports (Most devices come with a USB-A to your device input port convertor cable).

Lightning – this is the type of input port used by newer iPhones. It is an Apple specific type of port and is not used by any other type of device. A few of these portable chargers have input lightning ports (meaning they can be charged with a traditional iPhone charger).

USB-C – this is a type of port used in newer non-Apple devices (Samsung Galaxies, Google Pixels, etc.). It is comparable to the lightning port because of its charging speed and shape.

USB-micro – this is a type of port used by older non-Apple devices. Many of these portable chargers use USB-micro ports as input ports.

The following chargers were ranked in five categories: price, battery storage size, charging power, number of ports, and physical size/shape.

Top Ranked Charger:

Jackery Bolt 6000

The defining characteristic of this charger is that its design incorporates an attached lightning cable and an attached micro-USB cable. With its compact style, its high-powered charging rate and its decent price tag, this charger is a convenient and easy-to-carry mobile power solution.

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Honorable Mentions:

Poweradd Pilot 4GS

This charger was one of the most powerful chargers on the list: charging devices at 3A per each port (three times faster than a normal iPhone charger, which charges at 1A). Equipped with two USB-A ports, lightning and micro-USB input ports and a lightweight design, this charger is a cheaper and equally powerful alternative to others on the market. This charger also holds slightly more battery power at 12,000mAh.

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Getihu Portable Charger Real/Aibocn Power Bank 10000

Both of these chargers share similar price tags and designs. Within $2 of each other, both of these chargers include two USB-A ports, a charging power of 1-2A per port and 10,000mAh of battery space. These two portable chargers are your cheapest alternatives.

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Click here to view the Aibocn Power Bank 10000

Unique Designs:

Poweradd Slim 2

At 1.6oz, this was the lightest and smallest portable charger on the list. This charger has a unique cylindrical design and resembles a tube of lipstick. It is ultimately portable and discreet, and at a low price tag, this charger is great for one to two phone charges on the go.

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Solar Charger 20000 Power Bank

For the environmentally conscious, this portable charger can be charged by outlet and by solar power. This charger is also weatherproof, a perfect addition to the avid outdoorsperson’s tech gear.

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iWalk DBL3300L

This charger is built solely for Apple devices and features a design that attaches directly to a device without a cable. This design makes the charger very portable, and a compact, cordless alternative for Apple device users.

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