Tips for Saving eReader Battery Power

eReaders are amazingly convenient, portable, and useful. But they are, of course, based on electrical circuitry like so many of today’s innovative digital technology gadgets. That means that you need to have a steady source of that juice, either by plugging the e-reader gadget into an electrical outlet or by charging it with some kind of other device. But it can also help if you know a few tips and tricks to reduce how much energy the device uses. That way you can help conserve its power and enable it to stay charged for longer periods of time in between recharging it.

To help with all of that, here are some useful tips about saving e-reader power, plus some insight into how to shop for portable battery chargers.

Features that Consume Lots of Juice

To help figure out how to save electrical power, it is handy to know which kinds of activities or features on an e-reader use up the most electricity the fastest. Some of the major energy-drainers are videos, apps, streaming Internet content, video game playing, and the use of Bluetooth…even if it is to connect a wireless keyboard. How bright you set you screen is another, because it is basically just a light that stays on the whole time you read. So if it does not sacrifice eye comfort and page visibility, consider lowering the brightness level setting on your device.

Turn Off All the Apps You Don’t Use

Oftentimes you may use an app and then switch to some other activity on the device – like checking email or reading. But unless you turn off each app you start after you are finished using it, the app continues to run in the background. That can eat up lots of your battery charge. One way to be sure they are turned off is to just turn off your device and then reboot it. That should clear off all the energy using apps and give you a fresh start.

Portable Power

Regardless of what kind of e-reader device you use, whether it’s a Kindle, a Kobo, a tablet, an iPad, a laptop, or some other gadget, portable power is convenient. That way, even if you are consuming lots of power, you’ll have a reliable source of back-up energy to recharge your e-reader. But it’s important to realize that to get a faster charge, and have more power stored and ready to use, you need a portable charger with larger storage capacity.

How to Measure Battery Pack Power

The way that this capability is measured in in units called “mAh” which stands for milliampere hour. Electricity measurement can be very technical, but you don’t have to worry about all that. The main thing to understand is that the more mAh a unit has, the longer it can hold a charge and the more charging power it will have before its battery needs recharging. Smaller power packs may have 2,000 mAh ratings, while bigger ones have ten times that much. But as usual, the more power you want, the more the units will usually cost.

Price Comparisons for Portable Battery Chargers

There are power packs for around $20 that can recharge a smartphone over several hours, or they can “top-off” a gadget that is not at 100% power. But the smaller units drain their own energy faster before they, too, need recharging. For those who can afford the investment to buy a more powerful charger, it can pay you back with added convenience when you need a faster or stronger recharge. The company named Anker is a good example. Anker is one of the leading brands when it comes to portable chargers, and they typically offer high-quality products in sizes and models to fit many budgets and preferences.

Two Solid Recommendations

Anker also makes at least two rather powerful portable chargers that are highly recommended and get consistently high customer satisfaction ratings. The Anker PowerCore+ 10050 Premium Aluminum Portable Charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge delivers 10,050 mAh, and it also comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology…for faster recharging. You can find it for around $35 at stores including Amazon.com that sell computer and smartphone electronics and accessories. To double that capacity, the Anker PowerCore+26800 Premium Portable Charger is a fine solution. For about $80 it offers 26,800 mAh, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, and has built-in multiple charging ports. That way you can charge more than one device at a time.

Other Helpful Tips

There may some less reputable manufacturers that do not list accurate mAh numbers – or those that inflate them unrealistically. Before you invest in a charger, it’s always a good idea to read online reviews written by actual customers or unbiased experts. To do that on Amazon, filter the reviews posted using the filtering option, so that the only ones displayed are ones posted by “Verified Purchase” only. Decide how much power you need and what your budget for a portable charger is, and then shop around to find something that will work for you.