You are looking for a power bank, and many products have in description mysteriously sounds words “Pass-Through Charging.” Is it another marketing trick to catch customer attention? Or maybe it is an actual useful technology? Read more to find out.
Pass-through charging allows charging a power bank and other devices at the same time, which are connected to the power bank. This feature is incredibly useful if you have only one adapter, but you need to simultaneously charge your power bank and other electronic devices.
Definitely, minimalists and people on the move would love this feature. If you are a busy person, maybe a businessman, use two phones and a laptop, going from one place to another; an ability to charge all your devices simultaneously would save up your time and space.
Minimalists who travel lightweight and carry only essential things would love it. It is worth remembering that most power banks have multiple ports.
Outdoorsmen, mainly hikers, and cyclists would benefit from pass-through charging. While spending time in the wilderness, away from civilization, and not having an opportunity to charge your electronic devices, a combination of portable solar power and a power bank would save them. In good and sunny conditions, solar energy could be accumulated in a power bank to be used when it’s needed throughout the day.
No, not all of the power banks have this feature. This technology requires a special internal design because it can be quite dangerous. Why is it dangerous? You can find it in the chapter below.
If you are interested in a pass-through feature, manufacturers write it down in a product’s description.
Every rose has its thorns; pass-through charging is not an exception. The energy that goes through a power bank and charging simultaneously even a few more devices and a power bank itself creates significant heat. Therefore, it can be dangerous for a power bank’s battery itself and batteries of connected devices.
Power banks have life cycles, which are somewhere between 300-1000 charges - all depending on a model. It is mainly caused by the charging process when the heat is generated. In consequence, the battery’s capacity depletes. During pass-through charging, more heat is generated, and this is more harmful to a battery.
If you decide to buy a power bank with pass-through charging, you must remember that these power banks are more vulnerable to damage and battery capacity depletion.
Maintaining a battery on a high level for a long time is crucial to match the input and output power levels. It will decrease the overheating to the minimum. A quality charger, which matches a power bank’s current needs, is the best solution to sustain a power bank’s battery capacity.
Please remember to use only power banks which have pass-through features. Charging any power bank while charging through it a mobile phone will most likely lead to overheating a power bank; consequently, it will damage it.
Last but not least, use pass-through charging only when it’s needed. If you are not in a rush, or you have a second adapter, use it. You will charge your devices faster and keep your power bank in better shape for longer.
Yes, it does. It allows charging the power bank itself fast and also charging the plugged devices equally fast.
RAVPower Turbo 20100mAh Portable Charger 3-Port is an example of a power bank that can be charged fast and charge fast and has pass-through technology.
The Pass-Through Charging technology is, without a doubt, a very convenient feature of a power bank. The possibility of charging a few devices simultaneously, with only one adapter, can help people in rush and minimalists. It has flaws, though - mainly overheating, which leads to damaging a battery. However, if used sensibly, it can charge your devices and stay alive for a long time.