Can I Charge a Laptop With a Power Bank? Yes!

Continue reading to learn more about how to charge a laptop using a portable battery, as well as the requirements and things to keep in mind.

Say goodbye to the days when you had to compete for those hard-to-find charging spots or had your laptop die just before a crucial meeting where you had forgotten your charger. Can you charge the laptop with a power bank? Yes, one must consider power rating, ports, and battery capacity when charging a laptop with a power bank.

But how much battery life does a power bank require to charge a laptop? This was explained below.

Can You Charge the Laptop With a Power Bank?

Yes, a power bank can charge a laptop. However, it depends on whether a laptop and a power bank are compatible. With chargers rated at 105W or even 135W in some models, laptops are high-power devices.

On the other side, most power banks come with a 5V/2A or a 9V/2A power output, which is not even close to what a modern-day laptop can require. This is why it’s crucial to establish a laptop’s charging rate in the beginning.

Power Rating

A typical Lenovo Ideapad requires 135W, a 15″ MacBook Pro charges at 87W, while a 12″ model might work with as low as 29W power input. So to charge each one of the above, one needs a power bank with either equal or more power output. A lower supply could result in the device not being charged or in the laptop’s battery being drained because power is being reversed from the power bank to the laptop.

Compatible Ports and Adaptors

There may be numerous ports on a laptop. A power bank that matches the power output rate and has a USB C output port can charge a laptop if it has a USB C charging port. With the aid of specialized adapters, it is possible to charge some laptops that still come with proprietary charging ports using a power bank.

The adapter attaches to the charging cable. Another option can be searching for a power bank with AC output.

Battery Capacity

The battery capacity of a power bank determines how many times it would charge a laptop. Select a power bank while keeping in mind that they offer output capacities of 70–80%. Simply put, one might need to purchase a 15,000 mAh power bank in order to charge a 5,000 mAh laptop twice. See Is 10000mAh Power Bank Good?

A heavy-duty power bank is the best option for someone who frequently uses a laptop for labor-intensive tasks like gaming or content creation.

Additional Tips When Choosing the Perfect Power Bank for Your Needs

While the aforementioned factors are most critical to picking the ideal power bank for your laptop charging needs, here are some other considerations that you should keep in mind too:

• Need quick charging? Look out for power banks with features that are able to deliver faster-charging speeds
• Using your laptop for intensive software applications like video editing or gaming? In order to handle the rapid energy consumption, choose a power bank with a higher capacity and power output. Alternatively, consider turning on energy-saving mode to help reduce energy consumption.
• Verify your airline’s policies if you intend to take your power bank on an airplane. It can’t go over 100Wh for Singapore Airlines.

Here is what you should know about traveling with your power bank and other batteries:

• Is a 20000mah Power Bank Allowed in Flight?
• Is a 30000mah Power Bank Allowed in Flight?
• Are Lithium Batteries Allowed on Planes?
• Are Camera Batteries Allowed on Planes?
• Are Drone Batteries Allowed on Planes?

How to Use a Laptop While Charging With a Power Bank?

It is best to leave the laptop off until it is fully charged when charging a laptop with a 5V/2A power output. To keep the laptop running, the power bank is unable to produce enough power.

The laptop can continue to run while being charged if you’re using the AC/DC or USB-C (PD) port. Due to the 20V power output of these two ports, this is the case.

However, there are a few things you should do:

• Work With a Program at a Time – The battery will discharge more quickly the more programs you have open on your laptop. The power bank won’t be able to keep up with the power loss, so you will end up losing charge. It’s best to only have one program active at once. So shut off everything else.
• Turn Wifi and Bluetooth Off – This is so because these two consume a lot of power, and having them ON while not in use will cause the battery to discharge more quickly.
• Reduce Brightness – If you have a “Low-power” mode then that will take care of it. If not, then lower the screen brightness on your laptop.
• Avoid Overheating – Batteries don’t do well in extreme cold or heat. Avoid overheating as much as possible to prevent damaged batteries. For the purpose of preventing the battery from overheating, your laptop has internal vents. Keep the vents open and avoid covering them with a book or pillow.

Final Words: Charge a Laptop With a Power Bank

Power banks are used for power output. So, as long as the ports are compatible, the power bank will charge anything. You can use a power bank to charge a laptop as long as the power bank has an AC/DC port or a USB-C port on the laptop.

Make sure you check the specific model of your laptop to be sure of the amount of wattage needed to run the device, as different laptop models consume various amounts of energy. Simply google to check your laptop specs.

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