Stop hoarding chargers and buy a power bank already

Every time I’m at an airport I marvel at the number of grown people I see sitting on the dirty floor, tethered to an outlet. All I can do is chuckle and think “these people aren’t sitting in first class either,” as I join them to top off my phone before takeoff.

What we need is a power bank. Like this 13,000 mAh wireless-capable, USB-C 60W one from Omnicharge, the Omnimobile 13000, for example.

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Features:

• Wireless charging at 10W (Fast Charging)
• USB-C input at 30W
• USB-C output at up to 60W
• USB-A Fast Charging port

That all means you can charge a USB-C device (such as a Macbook), a USB-A device (such as just about everything that uses a standard USB charger), and a wireless-charging device (such as my C3PO-colored Samsung Galaxy S7).

13,000 mAh is enough to charge most phones a few times over. In my experience I was able to charge two phones and three sets of headphones – making this perfect for travel. Your mileage will vary depending on what you’re charging. Also, be aware that not all laptops will support USB-C charging, so make sure yours does before you buy a bank for it.

Nearly all of us are beholden to our gadgets  — we may as well spend $69 on a power bank to save us some dignity at the airport. And anywhere else we’ve embarrassed ourselves just to squeeze out a few more minutes of screen time.

If you’ve ever imposed on a cashier to awkwardly beg for access to an outlet, texted for half an hour on a phone connected to a charger plugged into a receptacle in a public restroom, or walked around asking total strangers if they had an iPhone just to borrow their power adapter: buy a damn power bank already.

The Omnimobile 13000 is perfectly adequate. It supports Fast Charging, which means it’ll charge most devices as fast as they can possibly be charged. It’s pocket-sized, sort of. It’s a tiny bit too bulky for comfortable pants-pocket wear (you know how those hip young people love their skinny jeans). But then again, it’s way more comfortable to have this rounded square chunk in your front pocket than a 2-pronged charger.

Either way, you can shove it in your jacket pocket, glove box, or carry-on bag. It’s an innocuous device and you’ll probably thank yourself for having the foresight to purchase it. It’s currently available for a $69 pledge on Indiegogo, where it’s raised more than 300 percent of its goal. It should begin shipping in April.

Here’s a few other power bank options available on Amazon:

• AUKEY USB C Power Bank, 20000 mAh Portable Charger
• Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Charger
• MIPOW Portable Wireless Charger, Ultra-Compact Qi 10000mah Power Bank

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