Hello all!
I am going on vacation soon and do enjoy going camping as well.
I do not have a lot of battery knowledge so I was wondering if anyone had any decent power bank / portable battery recommendations that would work well with a framework 16?
I just want to make sure I do not buy something too weak / strong and accidentally blow up my laptop or something.
I am looking for about 8 hours of backup power for when I am a whole weekend away.
All the best
Robert
You’re never gonna get 8 hours of backup power with any power bank that’s legal to take on a plane (up to 100 Wh) if you don’t just idle with the screen all the way off. You’d need a dedicated power station (something like the Jackery Explorer 240) to reach those numbers. For reference, my Anker PowerCore III Elite with 94.72 Wh gets drained in about an hour if I draw 87 W from it (its maximum output) which the FW16 can easily draw. If you only do light work, my experience is that the laptop uses around 20 to 30 W (on Arch Linux running Hyprland) which would drain the power bank in about 3 to 4 hours. But your mileage may vary, you might have an ultra-efficient OS which only draws 10 W. In that case you could actually reach your 8 hours.
My laptop draws on average 7W during light load. My Anker Prime battery provides ~100Wh extra, netting me an extra 12-15hrs or so of battery life. The Anker Prime also supports high watt output, so it can handle high CPU load as well. There have been some reported issues with the Anker 737, so I would recommend against that product until those are resolved.
An additional note regarding batteries on planes in the US.
With airline approval, passengers may also carry up to two spare larger lithium ion batteries (101–160 Wh) or lithium metal batteries (2-8 grams). This size covers the larger after-market extended-life laptop computer batteries and some larger batteries used in professional audio/visual equipment. There is a limit of two spare batteries per person for the larger lithium ion batteries described above (101–160 watt hours per battery. For more information, see the FAA regulations on batteries.
I highly recommend UGREEN’s 145Wh power bank. I’ve taken it all over the world and have never had any issues.
I have a Jackery, they work very well.
If you mean the Ugreen Nexode 145W, that one has 25 000 mAh which corresponds to 92.5 Wh which is below 100 Wh. And in the EU, you need a transport authorization for power banks with > 100 Wh and ≤ 160 Wh. Excerpt from EASA:
You are allowed to carry portable electronic devices (such as watches, cameras, phones, laptops…) that contain lithium metal or ion cells or batteries for your personal use under the following conditions:
- They should be carried in your carry-on luggage, although they may be in your checked baggage if needed as long as you take measures to prevent unintentional activation.
- The battery must not exceed a Watt-hour (Wh) rating of 100 Wh or 2 grams of lithium content (the first limit is for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and the second for lithium metal batteries, which are usually not rechargeable). To calculate Watt-hours, just multiply the battery voltage by the Amp hours (Ah), as the Wh rating is not marked on them.
- If the Wh is higher than 100 but not higher than 160, you will need an approval from the operator to carry the item. It is not allowed to transport any item which battery exceeds 160 Wh.
Ah, you’re right. It’s < 100Wh.
- If the Wh is higher than 100 but not higher than 160, you will need an approval from the operator to carry the item. It is not allowed to transport any item which battery exceeds 160 Wh.
It’s the same for the FAA. It doesn’t mean you need personal approval, it just means that it’s up to the airline (and it looks like most US airlines, at least, are happy with up to 160Wh).