Any hiker or camper knows the importance of carrying portable power, and Anker and RAVPower produce some of the best charging electronics on the market.
Anker and RAVPower are two of the top power bank brands in Europe and North America.
They are known for manufacturing the same types of devices: power banks, USB hubs, power adapters, charging stations, charging cables, and car chargers.
All of their products are known to be high-quality, but you might wonder which manufacturer is better?
Below we compare the power banks Anker and RAVPower produce to see some of the similarities and differences between these two brands.
Anker
Anker is a well-established Chinese electronics company in the charging industry.
It was founded in 2011 and started developing replacement laptop batteries.
After a year, they changed their focus to battery chargers for smartphones and wall chargers.
Anker has grown since then as a global leader in charging technology.
They are best known for producing power banks, earbuds, headphones, charging cables, and other computer and mobile subsidiaries.
At first, Anker sold their products solely on the Amazon Marketplace, but now they sell at major retailers, such as Best Buy, in addition to their own website.
They have been the pioneer in developing top-quality power banks while providing excellent customer service.
They have subsidiaries in China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
They also have many sister brands, which include Soundcore, Eufy, Roav, and Nebula.
RAVPower
Another big name in the charging industry, RAVPower, was also founded in 2011 and quickly became known as a reliable brand.
They produce innovative products that often match or surpass the technology used by Anker at lower prices.
They also produce a variety of charging tools, such as power banks, car chargers, wireless chargers, and replacement batteries.
RAVPower’s products are designed using the latest technological innovations.
Though they offer lower prices than their competitors, they still produce high-quality charging electronics that make them stand out as one of the top names in the industry.
Comparing Anker vs. RAVPower
Both brands produce power banks and chargers that hold a lot of power and charge quickly.
They are both well-known in the charging electronics industry, and their products seem to have very similar specifications.
However, there are a few significant differences in comparing the two brands.
Charging Speed
Power banks from Anker that use PowerCore II technology can charge quicker than RAVPower models with similar specifications.
This Quick Charge technology rapidly charges up to an 80% capacity and then slows down as it fills up to 100%.
In comparing the RAVPower 20000 mAh power pack and the Anker 20000 mAh power pack, the RAVPower takes 9-10 hours for a full recharge while the Anker only takes 5 hours.
The Anker power pack quickly charges any device to 80% in the first hour, then takes the rest of the 4 hours to trickle up to 100%.
If you need a quick recharge while on a trip or in nature, Anker provides a superior power bank.
However, a Quick Charge charger may be required to use this feature.
Price Value
However, price is a significant factor in comparing these two power bank brands.
While they offer products that use similar technology, RAVPower is always cheaper than Anker in almost every power bank size and capacity.
They are still competitively priced, but RAVPower products provide lower prices for power banks with similar specifications as Anker portable chargers.
However, though the lower price may seem enticing, quicker charges may be worth spending the extra dollars if that is what you are looking for.
Warranty
Though RAVPower and Anker’s warranty life varies for different products, they both offer an 18-month warranty for their power banks.
However, RAVPower offers a 12-month extension if you register your power bank or buy them from the RAVPower website.
Amazon buyers can also extend the warranty on their purchases to 30 months.
In this category, RAVPower stands out with its extended warranty options.
What To Look for In A Power Bank
When you’re shopping around for a power bank, you want to invest in one that is reliable and can recharge your devices quickly wherever you are.
Whether you are camping, hiking, or fishing, having a power bank handy can be a beneficial tool to have, especially in case of an emergency.
There are a few important features to look for in a power bank before deciding on the one that is right for you.
Capacity
A power bank’s capacity is how much energy it can store.
The energy in power banks and batteries is calculated in milliAmpere-hours (mAh), and a higher mAh rating means the power bank can store more.
However, a power bank’s capacity will affect its cost. Consider first what kind of device you need to charge to decide how much capacity you need.
It may not be easy to calculate the number of charge cycles you will get from a power bank solely based on its mAh.
Other factors contribute to charge cycles, such as the battery’s voltage and the battery’s inherent inefficiency, which is the percentage of energy within the battery lost to internal components instead of charging your device.
This inherent inefficiency is generally at least 10%.
But in general: the higher the mAh number, the greater the number of charges possible for your devices.
Charging Speed
The charging speed is the rate at which a power bank charges.
Many of these portable chargers feature a quick charge, where they rapidly fill up the battery of your device to a certain percentage, say 50%, and then charge the rest of the 50% slowly.
That can be a crucial feature if you need a quick boost to find directions or make a phone call without access to any outlets.
Many newer Anker power banks carry this feature.
Cost
It is always important to know what your budget is before shopping for a power bank, but you want to invest in a high-quality product that will last.
Look at the specifications of different power banks and see if the cost to quality ratio is worth it.
Cheaper products are at risk of overloading and possibly damaging your devices.
Both Anker and RAVPower produce high-quality power banks for an affordable cost.
However, RAVPower power banks are almost always at a lower price compared to Anker products.
Size
Anker and RAVPower produce power banks of various sizes, from small portable models to large power banks meant to recharge your devices for days.
The ones in between are often pocket-sized and light enough to carry around while you travel.
Depending on the device you want to recharge, you will need to purchase the appropriate power bank size.
If you are looking for a power bank to charge your smartphone or tablet, you can choose a pocket-sized charger.
For a laptop recharge, you will need a much larger power bank to meet your needs.
The size of a power bank often influences how many USB ports it can offer.
If you want to charge multiple devices at once, you may want a bigger power bank with more USB ports.
This will make it weigh more, but compare the specifications of your device with the power bank to see if the output voltage of the charger is higher or equal to your device.
Life of Warranty
In order to ensure the quality and life of your electronic charger, the length of the product’s warranty is an important factor to consider.
A more extended warranty is always better to ensure you can replace your power bank if it shows any defects or gets damaged in the first several months of purchase.
What to Use a Power Bank For
Power banks can be used for a variety of devices.
They can power up almost any USB-charged device, such as smartphones, tablets, gaming systems, laptops, GoPros, and cameras.
Smaller portable chargers are great for smaller devices that don’t require as much power, but larger devices, such as laptops and cameras, need more power.
If you plan to use a power bank for several days to power up your devices, make sure it is fully charged and has enough capacity to last until the next recharge.
Generally, power banks can last for up to 5 years and keep stored energy for between 4-6 months.
Smaller, low-quality power banks won’t last as long as high-quality ones with a bigger capacity.
Summary
Overall, in the discussion of Anker vs. RAVPower, Anker power banks can recharge almost twice as fast as RAVPower chargers with the same specifications.
However, RAVPower products are more affordable and offer options for extended warranty.
So which brand is the best?
That depends on your specific situation and what you are looking for.
Anker has the reputation of being the leader in power banks on the market, but RAVPower produces high-quality products using innovative technology at a lower price.
No matter what you choose, both brands give you the best deals on power banks in terms of performance and quality.
You can consider some of these factors to help you find the best power bank to take on your next excursion.