There are several factors that can determine how long a 10000mAh power bank can last. Furthermore, this question can be interpreted in two different ways:
- how long can it last per charge (i.e. how long can it power a different device)
- how long cait it last per lifetime (how many charging cycles)
In this article, we’ll discuss mostly the first topic: how long it can power other devices. If you’re more interested in the lifetime duration instead, please check out this article in which we discuss this topic in detail.
The Real Capacity of a 10000mAh Power Bank
Before we discuss charging times, we need to get into some details about the real capacity of a 10000mAh portable charger. As it turns out, the actual capacity depends on its battery efficiency and other factors such as voltage output.
When you buy a power bank, the manufacturer usually claims to have a battery with a 10000mAh capacity. However, this is not true. The power bank may be 10000mAh, but you can only get about 7400mAh from it. Why is this?
The majority of the power banks we use today are made with Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries have an average voltage of 3.7V. Now the issue is that the required USB standard output value is 5V. In order to transfer the current from the power bank to our devices, the power has to supply 5V and not 3.7V. So there is a huge energy loss in the process of a 3.7V-based power bank supplying energy in 5V.
It’s important to clarify that 3.7V is the nominal voltage, which is not the exact voltage of the battery at all times during discharge. The voltage will typically range from about 4.2V when fully charged down to around 3.0V when fully discharged.
Therefore, the actual capacity of a 10000mAh power is lower. For the purposes of simplicity, we will go with a value of 7400mAh (although it can vary from power bank to power bank). If a power bank truly had 10000mAh, it should be able to charge an average smartphone about 3 to 4 times and not 1.5 to 3 times. To know more about the actual capacity of a power bank, click here. From now on, this will be our benchmark because it’s more realistic.
Please note, the actual capacity that you can get from a power bank depends on its efficiency, which can vary between different power banks and under different conditions. While 74% efficiency might be a typical value, it is not universal, and in our article, we chose it as a realistic example.
How many hours can a 10000mAh power bank continuously charge a device?
The amount of time a 10000mAh power bank can charge a different device depends on the power that the device is drawing from the power bank. Given the estimated real capacity of the portable charge of 7400mAh, here’s what you can expect according to the device you’re charging up:
- 7,400 hours in a device that uses 1mA
- 740 hours in a device that uses 10mA
- 74 hours in a device that uses 100mA
- 7.4 hours in a device that uses 1000mA
- 0.74 hours in a device that uses 10000mA
Please note these are general estimations. Real numbers might depend on a number of different factors that might affect discharge times. However, these examples should be good enough to create a reasonable expectation from using a 10000mAh portable charger.
How many times can a 10000mAh power bank charge a smartphone?
The number of times a 10000mAh power bank can be used depends on the capacity of the smartphone. Here are some smartphone models with the most common battery capacity, and their estimated charging times:
| Phone Model | Phone Battery Capacity | Estimated Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 6 Pro | 5003mAh | 1.4 |
| SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 3 | 4400mAh | 1.6 |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | 4352mAh | 1.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | 3700mAh | 2 |
| Apple iPhone 13 Mini | 2406mAh | 3 |
Please note that these examples are oversimplified. The estimate does not take into account the efficiency of the power bank or the phone, nor the power used by the phone during charging, and it assumes that the phone battery is fully discharged at the start of charging. In reality, these factors can significantly affect the number of times a power bank can charge a phone.
How many years will a 10000mAh power bank last?
A power bank’s lifespan depends on the battery’s quality and how you use it. According to the manufacturer, some Li-on batteries have a recharge cycle of 500 while others have a recharge cycle of 1000. The recharge cycle is how often you have to recharge the power bank.
The capacity of a power bank goes down the more times it is recharged. Generally speaking, you can expect a capacity decrease of 20% after 500 recharge cycles. So depending on how often you charge it, you can estimate its lifespan before the capacity starts dropping significantly.
A general estimation is that a 10000mAh power bank can last between 3 to 5 years at an optimal level. Usually, manufacturers specify the minimum amount of chargers a power bank expects to last. Please note that this is an approximation. The number of years a power bank can last depends on a variety of factors including the quality of the cells, how often it’s used and charged, the conditions it’s stored and used, etc.
How fast will a 10000mAh power bank recharge itself?
There are a few factors that determine how fast a power bank can charge itself; here they are:
Power Source
In many cases, the power source at which you are charging your power bank is the first factor determining how fast it will charge. Some power sources charge faster than others—for example, a wall outlet and car outlet. A direct wall outlet will charge a 10000mAh power faster than a car outlet, but you can mitigate that problem by using a power inverter.
Potential energy
Some companies increase the amperage or vary the voltage to increase the amount of electricity to make a device charge faster. Most fast-charging standards change the voltage rather than increasing the amperage.
Charging components
Depending on what cables or chargers you use to charge your power bank, it can charge faster or slower. A good quality charger or cable can charge your 10000mAh power bank in about 1 hour and 30 mins if the other factors also align. But a faulty or poor-quality cable or charger will take longer than 2 hours. This is because there might be some resistance on the cable, blocking electricity from flowing freely to your power bank.
Fast charging technologies
If the power bank comes with fast charging technologies (i.e., Qualcomm Quick Charge, Power Delivery, iSmart, etc.) then it will recharge faster than regular power banks. Furthermore, charging ports count too with USB C being much better than the old Mico USB charging port.
How fast will a 10000mAh power bank charge a phone?
In general, a power bank can fully charge your phone just as fast as a regular wall outlet adaptor can. But some factors determine if a power bank can charge your phone faster or slower than that.
Phone battery capacity
Your battery capacity also determines how fast the power bank can charge your phone. Different phones have different battery capacities. The bigger the battery capacity of your phone, the longer it will take to charge.
Charging components
The power bank can charge faster or slower depending on the cables you charge your phone with. With a good quality cable, the power bank can charge an average smartphone for between 30 to 1 hour. However, a faulty or poor-quality cable may take much longer. This is due to the possibility of cable resistance, which prevents currents from flowing freely to your power bank.
Fast charging technologies
The fast charging feature also determines how fast your power bank can charge your phone. If your power bank comes with fast charging technologies, you will likely have your phone fully charged 30 mins faster.
What are some excellent 10000mAh power banks?
Power banks with a capacity of 10000mAh are possibly the most common. They are portable, inexpensive, and can charge a typical smartphone at least 2-3 times. If you’re looking for the best 10000mAh power bank, check out this curated list.
Conclusion
The bottom line is, your power bank lasts longer or shorter depending on how often you use it. We do not advise recharging your power bank more than once per day. This will potentially weaken the power bank, regardless of the battery capacity. Under normal circumstances, your 10000mAh power bank should last up to about 3 years or more.
