How to Create Your Own Portable Charging Station

We carry more tech around with us now than we ever did before. From our smartphones to our headphones, we have multiple devices that help us with our work, help to keep us entertained and help with our creativity … all throughout the day. But all these devices need power, and we can’t always guarantee we’ll be near an outlet to get them charged up when they run out. This is where a portable charging station comes in.

With a portable power station, you can keep all your devices powered up so they’re ready to go all day. When you build your own portable charging station, you can adapt it to your needs and your devices, so it works for you. If you want to create your own bespoke charging station, read our expert advice to make sure it’s right for your needs.

There are a few different factors you should think about when creating your bespoke portable charging station.

Devices

Before you build your portable charging station, consider what devices you will need to charge. You’ll probably have a smartphone, you might also have Bluetooth headphones, perhaps a tablet or e-reader. You could have other devices such as a digital camera, handheld games console, or smart watch. You’ll likely have a whole assortment of tech that you carry around with you that you’ll want to keep charged throughout the day. Look at how each device gets power – perhaps it uses USB-C, or USB-A, or wireless charging. Your Apple devices might require a Lightning cable. Your portable charging station should be able to accommodate all these types of charging, so you can use one station to power all your tech.

Battery capacity

Your portable charging station will need to hold enough power to keep your devices charged throughout the day. You should consider what sorts of device you want to keep powered. Your smartphone will use more power than an e-reader, for example, but your Bluetooth headphones will need a lot less.

Battery capacity is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). Portable chargers will have varying mAh, ranging from 2000-5000 mAh for smaller power banks, up to 18,000+ for large portable power banks. Most modern smartphones will require a power bank with around a 5,000 mAh capacity for one full charge.

Portability

A portable charging station is no good if you can’t carry it around with you. You may see portable charging stations that consist of a large, heavy box containing a battery. But this would be a major hindrance to have to pop in your bag if you’re going out for the day. Instead, you will want a portable charging station that’s sleek and light enough to fit into your backpack or briefcase whilst still holding enough power for your devices.

You should also think about whether you need to travel with your portable charging station. If your power bank has a mAh between 27,000 mAh and 43,000 mAh, you will need to get approval from the airline to travel with it on board a plane. Portable power banks above 43,000 mAh are not allowed on planes.

Charging speeds

If you’re topping up your devices’ batteries when you’re out, you’ll probably want the fastest charge possible. A fast charge will mean your device is back up and running and in your hand so you can get on with your day. So, you’ll want to consider the charging speeds for your portable charging station. Many smartphones support fast charging, which enables them to charge at a quicker rate than normal charging. To utilize this function, you’ll need to use a charger and charging cable that also supports fast charging, so make sure to look at the specifications of your accessories.

Flexibility

Your ideal portable charging station will be flexible and adaptable. This should include giving you options to recharge the power bank, so you’re never stuck without power. You should have choices to find whichever method suits what you need at any given time. For example, MAGFAST power banks offer various ways to get power in, including Qi wireless charging, USB-C, micro-USB and one unique way – our ‘snap-to-charge’ technology. This allows you to simply snap any MAGFAST power bank onto any other, to allow the charge to pass through into the device that needs it.

Number of power outlets

A useful portable power station will allow you to charge multiple devices at once. You shouldn’t have to wait for one device to finish charging to be able to charge another. For optimum efficiency, you should be able to use multiple ports on your portable charging station to power up different devices at the same time. Ideally, this would include charging via cables and also via wireless charging.

Pass-through charging

You should look to make sure your portable power station allows for pass-through charging. This means that you can charge up your power station at the same time as charging your device. It can save a lot of hassle when both your device and your power station are low on power. You simply need to find a way to charge your power station, whether via a wall outlet or another power bank, and connect your tech, to get everything charged at once.

Extra features

The best portable charging station will offer additional features that basic power banks do not. For example, a quality power station will have a clear display so you can see how much power is left in the bank, as well as showing how much the connected device is charged. This will make it easier for you to see when your portable power station will need recharging and also when your devices have enough power and can be disconnected and used.

You can create your very own bespoke charging station with MAGFAST’s family of premium chargers. Simply pick the chargers and power banks that suit your needs and build the ultimate charging station.

Extreme

MAGFAST Extreme is our beast of a portable power bank. With an 18,500 mAh battery capacity, it has enough power to keep all your devices going throughout the day. MAGFAST Extreme can act as a portable power station even on its own. It has multiple ways to get power in, so you’ll never run out of power. It also has many ways to get power out, including Qi-certified wireless charging, USB-C, and USB-A. Plus, with the dedicated jumper cables and the 12volt 500amp port, you can even jump start your car. MAGFAST Extreme’s built-in mini-cable has the option to add adaptor tips, so you can use it for micro-USB and also Apple Lightning.

With MAGFAST Extreme, you can power multiple devices at once, with three USB outlets, plus the built-in cable. Extreme is the world’s first portable charger that features three Qi wireless charging zones, so you can charge your smartphone, your friend’s phone and your headphones all at once via state-of-the-art wireless charging.

Air

If MAGFAST Extreme isn’t enough for your perfect portable charging station, you can expand it. MAGFAST Air is our gorgeous Qi wireless charging stand. For power, simply snap it onto MAGFAST Extreme or any other MAGFAST charger and you can view your phone at an optimum 69° angle. This is perfect if you need to use your phone whilst it charges, or if you’re on a plane or train journey and want to watch a video on your phone but need to keep it powered up.

Time

If you own an Apple Watch, MAGFAST Time is an essential part of your portable charging station. Time includes all the usual MAGFAST features, such as fast charging via our built-in USB-C, our stunning LEDelicious lights to show the battery status, and ‘snap-to-charge’ magnetic technology. But Time also has a motorized platform designed specifically to be used with an Apple Watch. With the platform, you can use Time vertically, horizontally or in nightstand mode. Time has enough battery to keep your Apple Watch charged for up to two weeks. But when you need more power, you can simply connect it to another MAGFAST charger as part of your charging station.

Discover MAGFAST’s family of chargers to start building your own bespoke portable charging station. Attend our demo to find out more about what makes our chargers so fantastic, and you’ll be entered into our monthly prize draw to win $1,000 of premium tech products!