🔋 How to choose a power bank on Temu: capacity, power, safety

How to choose a power bank on Temu: how many mAh you need, why real capacity is lower than stated, what power a phone and a laptop need, and how to avoid fakes.

A power bank is a basic necessity in Ukraine, especially in winter. Temu has hundreds of them, from tiny ones to “50,000 mAh for pennies”. Here's how to pick one that will really help.

How many mAh you need

5,000 mAh — about one full smartphone charge. Light, fits a pocket.
10,000 mAh — 1.5–2 phone charges. The best everyday choice.
20,000 mAh — 3–4 charges, or a phone and earbuds for several days of outages.
30,000 mAh and more — for a family, tablet or laptop; heavy, from half a kilogram.

Real capacity is always lower than printed on the case — by about a third. That's normal: some energy is lost when the battery voltage is converted to USB voltage. So from 10,000 mAh expect about 6,000–7,000 mAh for your phone.

Power and fast charging

For a modern smartphone look for Power Delivery (PD) or Quick Charge and at least 20 W.
A laptop needs a USB-C PD port of 45–65 W — and check what power your laptop accepts.
It's handy when the power bank charges via USB-C and has several outputs to charge two devices at once.

How to avoid fakes

Weight tells the truth. A 10,000 mAh battery weighs about 180–250 g. If a “30,000 mAh” one weighs 200 g, the number on the case is made up.
A price that's too low for a big capacity is a warning sign.
Read reviews, especially 1–3 star ones: customers often write how many phone charges they really got.
Choose products rated 4.5★ and up with many reviews — that's how we pick products for our electronics catalog.

Safety

Don't leave a power bank charging on a bed or sofa and don't cover it.
If the case is swollen, gets very hot or smells — stop using it.
On planes, power banks go only in carry-on luggage; without airline approval — up to 100 Wh (about 27,000 mAh).