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'Be prepared' - but make sure you buy quality goods

Marianne72

I wes getting smug about my preparations for 'dark days' [meaning, if electricity power is out] until I tried some of the equipment I bought, mostly after reading online reviews. The wind up radio looks nice and has a bright torch, but takes 15 minutes of exhausting winding for 3 minutes of power. The rechargeable desk lamps which charge from a usb socket, last about 30 minutes before needing several hours recharging. I am thinking of a power bank but reluctant to buy as I know nothing about them,

Does anyone know of a plastic desklamp around the £20 mark, with enough output to read by, that lasts longer time than the above? Any advice on powerbanks also welcome!

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  • Marianne72 said:
    The rechargeable desk lamps which charge from a usb socket, last about 30 minutes before needing several hours recharging

    I recently bought one of the lights that you wear around your neck for illuminating the book you are reading without bothering others much - For about 30 minutes charge it lasts over 8 hours (I haven't found its true life as I stopped after 8 hours).

    This has variable brightness, has directional, flexible ends to it (it is mostly a U shaped device) and can be surprisingly bright - great for when I have long haul flights and want to read without blinding everyone with the light reflecting off my bald head.

    Something like this is probably a better option as it uses a lot less power and is recharged quickly.

    Marianne72 said:
    Any advice on powerbanks also welcome!

    I've owned multiples of these, mostly because my ex wife kept borrowing mine when she was travelling and lost them.

    They have a rating in units of milli-amp hours which is how much power they supply over how much time - basically more is better.

    There is a good, current review of models on the market here:

    https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-portable-chargers-and-power-banks

    From an average 20 mAH pack I can typically charge my mobile phone from near flat - twice and still have plenty to recharge portable headphones or my reading light. Charge time is a few hours to replenish it. They typically have an output port of USB-2 (the classic style) and often USB-C (the miniature version that is becoming more common). You just plug your regular charging cable into it and connect to your device as you would a mains charger.

    One thing to be aware of is if you fly a lot, the security checks in some countries only allow ones with certain certifications to be used, otherwise they get thrown in the bin. It is worth checking the rules of the country you are travelling to and from.

  • in reply to Iain

    I have my eye on one of the big power banks that take 3-pin plugs, but I'm reluctant to buy anything until I move in case I have to put anything into storage for a couple of months. I don't know whether a storage company might refuse to take large power banks.

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