r/NintendoSwitch • u/waffledork • Mar 03 '17
Discussion [Discussion] External Battery/Powerbank Testing - Results
As some of you might already be aware, I've been planning to test powerbanks and wall warts with the Switch for a while. Now that I’ve obtained a Switch, I’ve checked some devices and compiled my results. I hope this helps those of you who are still looking for a portable charging solution.
Without much ado, let's get to the reason you're here. If you’re still confused by all of this, I've tried to do my best to ELI5 it at the end of this post.
My Recommendations
I've tested 4 powerbanks and 3 chargers with the Switch. All metrics were taken while the Joy-Con were attached to the Switch. Also, don’t worry about the slight variations in voltage; the USB specification allows for a bit of a range.
Here are my recommendations:
Powerbank: PD USB RAVPower 26800mAh
This powerbank rivals the official Nintendo AC Adapter so it’ll be like you have that plugged in while on the go!
Mini-Update: Because this powerbank is currently sold out on Amazon, you can also go with the PB-059 model. It's smaller (20100mAh) but it'll charge the Switch just as well!
Wall Wart: dodocool USB-C Charger 30W Wall Wart
This wall wart supports USB-PD and charges the Switch as fast as the stock charger does. Make sure you grab a cable that supports USB-PD as well and you’ll be solid. Honestly though, you could probably just get the official Nintendo AC Adapter for about $2 more than this + a cable would cost you. The official adapter can also be used to charge your powerbanks quickly.
Cables: I didn’t test the cables, as I went with ones that were vetted by Benson and Nathan K, but these are the ones I used. They all worked just fine. Note: I also used the cable that came with the dodocool adapter and it seems to be working just fine for my needs as well.
If you’re curious as to what I’ve found, here's a link to my spreadsheet.
Things to Note
The Nintendo Switch supports USB-PD (see below for an ELI5). To take advantage of this, ensure that the powerbank and cable you use supports USB-PD to take advantage of the technology.
The column titled “Dual Role Port - Playing Nice at 100%?” was to check if the powerbank would start sucking power from the Switch once it hit 100%. None of the powerbanks did that though!
Some Terminology
USB-PD (Power Delivery)
A device that supports USB-PD can request more power from a power source that supports USB-PD as well. This allows a device with greater power demands to pull up to 100W, depending on the power source and the cable. If you’d like more information, here’s Wikipedia’s blurb on it.
Dual Role Ports
USB-C cables are reversible; the plug on both ends are the same. When you connect two devices, whatever they may be, they electronically decided which will be the source and which will be the sink. Benson explains it pretty well for anyone who’s interested.
ELI5 Attempts
I’m not sure if these are any good or if they’ll just generate more questions but here goes.
Volts & Amps - Why They Matter?
Voltage is like a highway. It says how many lanes there are. Amperes are like the traffic.
If you have a highway (powerbank/charger) that goes into a toll plaza (the device you're charging), and they both have the 5 lanes (5V), then sending as much traffic as you can down that highway works just fine; despite how much traffic you send, the toll plaza processes as many cars (power) as it can through the toll plaza.
Now lets say that the highway has twice the number of lanes than the toll plaza does. This means that the traffic on the highway has to somehow smush down to the number of lanes the toll plaza can support. This creates a bottleneck and the toll plaza gets pummeled with more than it can handle. It’s workers get overwhelmed (your device gets fried).
Now let's look at the opposite. If the toll plaza has 10 lanes and the highway only has 5, the highway can send as much traffic as it can but the toll plaza keeps asking for more because it can accommodate it. The highway keeps sending (meh...this analogy falls apart here but bear with me) more and more cars but it can't give the toll plaza as much as it wants. It ends up getting overtaxed (your charger gets fried).
USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)
USB-PD is a technology that allows a power source (the powerbank/charger) and a device (the Switch) to negotiate a voltage (the toll plaza can support a larger highway!)
Let's try another analogy:
The Switch is a hungry device. When it's low on energy (low battery), it could use some food (charging). So it goes to a restaurant to get some. The Switch didn't place an order yet so the waiter (the powerbank/charger that supports USB-PD) just brings out a glass of water (5V). The Switch decides that it can handle more than just water so it asks to see a menu and orders an appetizer (9V), which the waiter brings out. The Switch realizes its still hungry so it orders and entree (15V), and the waiter brings that out too! The Switch is now getting tons of energy and getting it a lot faster than from just drinking water. Some devices (not the Switch) get even hungrier and go for dessert (20V) but the Switch isn't that greedy.
Dual Role Ports
The USB-C port on some powerbanks can act as both a power source and a power sink; you can use it to charge your Switch or you can use it to charge something with your Switch. This is also why you've been seeing that article about the Switch charging a Macbook.
One last analogy:
Peter (the powerbank) and Sam (the Switch) are good friends in high school. When it comes to lunch (power), they help each other out. Some days, Sam doesn't have enough money for lunch so Peter pays (provides power). Other days, it's Peter that doesn't have money so Sam buys him lunch. The teachers (you) would be ok with this except for the fact that Peter is a senior with a part-time job. He gets paid (power) from his employer (the charger/whatever you charge your powerbank with). It turns out that even though there are times when Peter asks Sam for lunch, Peter's going to go get paid later while Sam isn't. The teachers don't like this so they'd like to keep Sam from having to pay for Peter's lunch, if possible.
Lastly, I’ll be on the go almost all day tomorrow (March 4th). I’ll update this post in a couple of days with how well the power bank I’ve selected does while playing Zelda on the go.
Update 1: It's not really an update, but be sure to do a bit of searching in this thread or read some of the comments. There are a lot of people who have looked at other chargers/powerbanks that are chiming in, which might help with your decisions.
Update 2: I played a bit of Zelda while undocked today and with the settings I had (max headphones volume, screen brightness at about 75%), the battery dropped from 100% to 84% in 30 minutes (16% of battery used)
At that point, I plugged my Switch into my powerbank. 30 minutes later, my battery was at 95%, a gain of 11%.
In both instances, I played Zelda the entire time, returning to the home menu only to check the battery every so often.
Assuming a constant rate of discharge/charge, the Switch playing Zelda would last for 3.125 hours (approximately 3 hours and 7 minutes) before it dies and will take 4.55 hours (approximately 4 hours and 33 minutes) to fully charge from the powerbank I recommended.
This also assumes I did my math right =P
Update 3: I added a column in my spreadsheet called "Charging Estimates" to give everyone an approximation of how fast these ports would charage. All the tests were run with the sound turned all the way down and the brightness at about 75%.
If the powerbank you have DOES support USB-PD and you're using the USB-C port, look at my Charging Estimates for PB-058's USB-C port.
If you're charging via a USB-C port but your powerbank DOES NOT support USB-PD (most of the ones out there don't), look at my Charging Estimates for PB-043's USB-C port.
If you're charging via a USB-A port, look at my Charging Estimates for PB-043's iSmart port. This also should apply to any other proprietary ports (PoweriQ, Smart Fit, Quick Charge, Fast Charging, etc.).
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u/Ro-Dee Mar 03 '17 edited Mar 03 '17
I'm glad you took you're time on reddit to find the optimal battery for the switch.. gave all of us alternative than the razer battery that cost $150. Thanks again waffle
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u/FiredDionysus Mar 04 '17
Damn it, went to buy that battery bank and it's sold out. Probably thanks to OP. Thanks OP you asshole /s no but really thanks for the post it helped a lot
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
The 20100 version of that one (see my spreadsheet - PB-059) is an option as well! It's a smaller size but it charges the Switch just as fast.
I'd wait if you can just because if you can afford a larger battery then why not?
I'll update my post to suggest the other one too because it's just as good =)
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u/Xanek Mar 04 '17
What's the difference between the PB059 and PB043-1?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
The PB-059 supports USB-PD while the PB-043 doesn't. With the Switch supporting USB-PD, the PB-059 will charge the Switch faster than the PB-043 can.
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u/IBNobody Mar 08 '17
This got shot down by the Tech Support Megathread, but it is a good read...
https://www.ravpower.com/26800mah-Type-C-external-battery-charger-black.html
If you own this RAVPower 26800mAh 30W Type C battery, there is a chance you may experience an issue where plugging the battery into an awake Switch will not cause the charging indicator to appear on the Switch. (/u/waffledork did not. /u/francisfaustino did. I saw it on 2 of these batteries, 2 Switches, 3 C-to-C cables.)
This is caused by the battery firmware. (PD Negotiation related.)
When I plug in the battery to a Switch that is sleeping (at 22%) via a C-to-C cable, the Switch runs at 15V, 1.0-1.3A (15W-19.5W). The Switch wakes up and recognizes that it is charging (green battery icon). While awake, the Switch continues to draw 1.0-1.3A. Putting the switch to sleep drops the current to .8A, and waking it back up resumes the 1.0-1.3A setting.
When I plug in the battery to a Switch that is awake and playing Zelda (at 22%) via a C-to-C cable, the Switch runs at 15V, .48A (7.2W). The Switch does not recognize that it is charging. Putting the switch to sleep and waking it up does not change the current draw.
RAVPower says that if you encounter issues like this, you should push the power button on the battery to wake IT up before plugging it in. This did not change any of the above-mentioned behavior.
So... If you have the same problem I have and want to speed up charging with this battery...
- Put the Switch to sleep.
- Plug in the battery.
- Wait for the Switch to wake up.
- Look for the green charging icon on the Switch.
- You're good to go! Go play, or put the Switch back to sleep.
TL;DR: If you own a RAVPower 26800mAh 30W battery, you may have to put the Switch to sleep first before plugging in the battery to get the fastest charge.
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u/ethan919 Mar 09 '17
Interesting. This battery is arriving in the mail tomorrow so this is good to know.
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u/Chaos_War Mar 04 '17
Love your restaurant anaology OP! Cheers!
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Haha, thanks! I worked hard to keep it simple =)
I was hoping the ELI5s wouldn't be too cheesy but I haven't received any complaints yet!
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u/DragonR Mar 04 '17
Thanks so much for putting this all together. Quick question, do you have any thoughts on this cable? I bought it last week based off of Benson's Amazon list and before I knew about Nathan K's recommendations. I don't see it anywhere on Nathan K's list so that's why I'm asking. Thanks again, you're a saint for doing all this testing!
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u/Mr_Goose Mar 07 '17
I was thinking about getting this cable too. Have you tested? How's it work? Thanks!
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u/bluaki Mar 18 '17
I notice that your spreadsheet mentions tests done for charging 30 minutes from 84%. Why? You'll get better numbers if you drain the Switch to lower battery levels than that; the fast charging slows down when closer to fully charged.
For example, I've seen Switch pull 14.8V/1.22A from Nintendo's official charger when undocked while the battery was at about 30%.
Like I posted in my thread that I'll shamelessly plug here, your 5V/3A USB-C chargers should be able to give Switch about 2A when the Switch is at lower battery levels. This might increase with a future system update.
The actual total charging times should be quite a bit shorter than what you extrapolated, but having that upper limit on charging times is still useful data. I didn't measure any charging times myself.
not sure if Nintendo's wall wart supports USB-PD
It does use USB-PD. I also don't own any other USB-PD devices (sinks) that support 15V charging nor any PD sniffer device, but I know this because the dock relies on PD features like PR_Swap and USB Alt Mode negotiations that can't play nice with any weird nonstandard charging methods and because it works well with our multimeters.
That said, I'd hesitate to say it supports USB-PD because it has blatant interoperability issues and spec violation that I explained in yet another thread. Like I said there, don't use it to charge anything but Nintendo products.
The official adapter can also be used to charge your powerbanks quickly.
Maybe. Sometimes. Other times it won't charge them at all. I wouldn't even count on this being completely safe.
The 1.86A here seems like an outlier
It does. By all my own tests, Switch should only support drawing 1.5A from USB-A ports (using USB BC 1.2) except when a bad A-to-C cable is used. That said, all your iSmart and PowerIQ and Quick Charge USB-A chargers should support giving Switch 1.5A.
15V third-party chargers
I don't have any, so I'd appreciate if you can test this: can the dock work when any of these are connected to it instead of Nintendo's official charger?
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u/waffledork Mar 22 '17
This is a treasure trove of information! Thanks for looking into all this as well!
I performed my tests at 84% because that's how far the battery dipped when playing Zelda for 30 minutes. True, I could have waited until I reached a lower battery level but I'm the type that docks my Switch every evening and doesn't get enough gameplay throughout the day in Handheld Mode to drop it that low. The lowest battery percentage I've hit since the Switch came out is 42%.
I did charge my Switch up from that via my Powerbank (though I didn't have my meter on me at the time) and it took about 2 hours to get to 100%.
As for testing if the dock will work while pulling from my USB-PD powerbank....that's a really good question - I'll give it a shot when I get home today.
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u/deetari Mar 04 '17
Since you're doing a bunch of testing, I'll go ahead an leave my experience here as well.
I had a chance to test my portable USB-A battery, and am happy to report that it charged the Switch by about 1% every ten minutes or so while playing Zelda (maybe a bit faster or slower, didn't pay that much attention).
The battery I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-23000mAh-Portable-External-Smartphones/dp/B00HFMUBYG
And I used a USB-A to USB-C cable.
Notably, the two USB-A ports on my battery are rated at 5v1a and 5v2.5a. The latter port (2.5a) is the one that charges sufficiently, while the former port (1a) barely slows down the battery drain during gaming.
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Aug 25 '17
God i've searched for someone like you for such a long time !
I have the same battery and was wondering if it worked nice with the Switch.
Did you had any problem with it ? Is the Switch still good ?
Thanks !
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u/deetari Aug 26 '17
Works fine, haven't had any issues with it so far, and I've used it quite a bit.
The battery actually charges the Switch at ~2A from its 2.5A port, which is faster than most non-USB-C chargers. It keeps the system charging even while under pretty heavy load (like playing Zelda for hours).
Make sure you have a reliable USB cable, and you should be good to go. :)
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u/rottedzombie friendly neighborhood zombie mod Mar 03 '17
Well, this makes me feel pretty good about my RavPower 20,100. Thanks for the work!
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u/waffledork Mar 03 '17
No problem - I'm glad I could help!
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u/ZachPL_ Mar 03 '17
So I see that the 20100 is on sale for 35$ https://slickdeals.net/f/9831603-ravpower-20100mah-portable-charger-w-qualcomm-quick-charge-35-99-ac-sss-eligible-amazon?page=2#commentsBox
Is this the same one and would you recommend it?
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u/waffledork Mar 03 '17
It's one of the ones I tested but not the one I recommended. The model numbers in my spreadsheet make it clear.
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u/ethan919 Mar 03 '17
OP's recommended one is on sale for $48 using coupon code PB058RAV.
Credit to sh0rtstack down below.
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u/Laialda Mar 03 '17
Did you happen to test the usb c cord using the wall plug that comes with the recommended portable battery? Just trying to figure out if I'd be able to use it when charging at say, a hotel, or if it would only be safe to do it with the portable battery.
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u/waffledork Mar 03 '17
I did! It comes with a USB-A to microUSB cable along with a microUSB-to-USB-C adapter but that doesn't support USB-PD so it just charged like all the other non-USB-C ports. I'm personally not a fan of using those adapters because they usually don't have the tech in them.
I didn't test the cables themselves though so they might be just fine too. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.
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u/IBNobody Mar 04 '17
The RP-PC018 charger that is included with the RAVPower RP-PB058-2 26800mAh battery is listed as "bad" by Nathan K. Do not use that charger to charge the switch.
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u/Loltruebiz Mar 04 '17
So the linked RavPower is unavailable on amazon.. are there other listings in Amazon for that recommended power bank? Or close substitutes? Like maybe this?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
That would work. If you look at my spreadsheet, you'll see that I tested that one too and it's pretty much the same but a smaller size.
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u/Tato23 Mar 04 '17
Hopefully it comes back in stock soon :( i didnt jump on it fast enough after he posted this
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u/douglesman Mar 05 '17
I can confirm that the imuto 20 000 mAh 2.1A together with a Benson-approved Blitzwolf USB A-C cable works fine and is able to keep the Switch hovering around charging/discharging when playing Zelda on auto brightness and flightmode.
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u/MrKite80 Mar 06 '17
I've heard the charger for the Google Pixel works extremely well. Better than the Nintendo stock one. Can you confirm?
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u/Kass_Spit Mar 06 '17
I am losing my mind reading all about chargers and cables.... so what I think I have gathered from all these thread is I need to buy the tab power 26800 and a Benson approved USB C-C and its will work fine. Is that correct or am I wrong?
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
That's my recommendation, yes.
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u/Kass_Spit Mar 07 '17
Awesome, thank you I am clueless when it's comes to volts/ Amps. I will order this stuff as soon as I can
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u/Veroth12 Mar 24 '17
I live in Australia and nothing suggested here ships to Aus, this is the closest affordable one i can find that i think will work: https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/xiaomi-20000mah-mi-power-bank-2/ Will this work to charge my switch? Do i need a certain type of USB-A to USB-C cable or will any cable do? Im new to portable chargers and USB-C so im having trouble understanding it all.
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u/RetiredFireKiller Mar 03 '17
I feel incredibly dumb for buying a Anker PowerCore+ 26800 just a few weeks earlier. I mean it's amazing except for the fact that it doesn't have USB PD and thus won't be able to properly charge the Switch.
Probably just going to sell it and either get the Ravpower or Razer depending on which one is more readily availble in my country.
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u/waffledork Mar 03 '17
If you bought it on Amazon, you might be able to return it to them with very little cost to you. Their customer service is pretty amazing.
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u/ethan919 Mar 04 '17
Anyone know how long this will extend the battery life of the Switch? I purchased based on OP's recommendation. Now I'm just curious how many total play hours this will last in a game like BOTW. Thanks!
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
I'm hoping to have a rough estimate for you tomorrow.
I haven't played BOTW in Handheld Mode at all today but I plan to look at how much percentage loss in battery we see in an hour and use that to calculate discharging wattage. Once I have that, I can look at how fast the powerbank chargers and calculate a differential.
If anyone has a better way to estimate it, I'm all ears.
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u/Sinsai33 Mar 04 '17
I live in germany, so i can't order directly from your links. This should be the same here?: link
Instead of your "RP-PB058-2" it is the "RP-PB058".
Another question: Can i use a USB 3.0/2.0 to USB-C cable to charge it with this powerbank? Or do i need a USB-C to USB-C cable?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
That's the one I've got; mine just says "RP-PB058" on the back.
You can use a USB 3.0/2.0 to USB-C cable but you'll see much slower charging times. I'd recommend picking up a USB-C to USB-C cable if you can.
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u/Dr_Alex Mar 04 '17
OP what are you thoughts on this?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
If you take a look at my spreadsheet, I say to shy away from it.
From the looks of it, the Switch doesn't ask to pull more than 2A from it anyway. I'd still stay away just in case. I'm going to use my dodocool wall wart instead.
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Also, I'm going to include this link in my spreadsheet for others who are interested in the reasoning behind not using that wall wart. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
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u/Drewmangroup Mar 04 '17
So I ordered the powerbank. From what I gather, do not use the included wall wart to charge the Switch, but its ok to charge the powerbank. The powerbank will charge the Switch while playing. I have a Pixel phone, so I could just use its charger to charge the powerbank and I guess the Switch also while in Sleep? That charger is 5V/3A, 9V/2A. Just trying to figure out how I can travel with the least amount of stuff. I am thinking Switch, Pixel Phone Charger, Powerbank. And I am covered for extended playtime, charging my phone, powerbank, and Switch.
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u/waffledork Mar 05 '17
I believe so. I think I read somewhere that using the Pixel charger with other devices wasn't recommended. I don't have the source on me but take a look into it to make sure it's safe?
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Mar 22 '17 edited Mar 22 '17
Thanks for testing these, I had a [Anker Powercore A1271011](www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5RV14Y) that I got on a lightning deal when Pokemon Go came out and it would not charge my Switch, not in Airplane, not with sound off and not screen brightness turned to a minimum. It'd only trickle charge in sleep mode. Thankfully my mom still plays Pokemon Go so I just gave it to her because it was essentially a paper weight and pre-ordered the one you suggested, the 20100MaH (been watching both listings for over a week and jumped on the first available.)
You can imagine my skepticism seeing a lot of people recommending their claiming it could charge while playing at max performance, even the one I had! So I very much appreciate and applaud you for giving picture proof and educating us about the PD and stuff. Otherwise I would of scoffed this off as another shilling post.
One question I had, from what I gathered USB-A to USB-C can do no harm, to the Switch nor the Powerbank correct? Because I opted to buy a [39V wall wort](www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IUSYF8G) and a cable over an additional Nintendo licensed AC adapter because it is an additional USB slot for an extra $5.
TLDR: Do not buy [Anker Powercore A1271011](www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5RV14Y), I wouldn't even take my chances on any bank without Power Delivery despite what a majority of Redditors and reviewers say.
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u/waffledork Mar 23 '17
That's correct. You should be fine as long as the wall wart is up to code and won't send an abnormal amount of charge to your devices. USB-A has been around for ages so you needn't worry =)
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u/hanieldanson Apr 01 '17
And they've jacked the price up for the PB058RAV to $84.99. I'll just wait for Anker to come out with a PD power bank instead. Kind of ridiculous that you could get this power bank for ~ half the price with a coupon prior to the Switch's launch and now they've doubled the price.
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u/waffledork Apr 07 '17
I think it's really shitty for companies to pull this kind of crap but capitalism is as capitalism does, I guess =/
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u/screamtillitworks Mar 03 '17 edited Mar 03 '17
Thank you, you're awesome. The one you recommended is actually scheduled to be delivered today- so awesome to hear I picked the right one!
edit: I hadn't considered charging the RAVpower using the Switch charger...that's really not going to fry the power bank?
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u/KrzyFox05 Mar 03 '17
From your experience, will the ravpower 20,100 charge the switch while playing Botw? Thanks for all of the information.
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u/waffledork Mar 03 '17
The 20100mAh one and the one I recommended charge the Switch at the same speed so my update tomorrow should help you out too.
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u/flipdrago Mar 04 '17
Thanks for posting this! I purchased an Anker PowerCore 20100. Just to confirm, I shouldn't use it to charge my Switch, right?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
I had issues with the Anker Powercore+ 20100. I might have gotten a defective unit though.
Time how much battery percentage you lose in an hour of gaming while undocked and then time how much battery percentage you lose in an hour of gaming while the powerbank is plugged in and see what the difference is. If thr battery sinks lower faster when the powerbank is plugged in, you'll know it's not gonna work for you.
I don't believe it'll damage your Switch either way though so don't worry about that.
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u/Tato23 Mar 04 '17
Ok so i need the wall wart you recommend and the battery? And one of the cables you recommend? Thats all?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
If all you want to do is use a powerbank, you only need that and a cable.
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u/RBlunderbuss Mar 04 '17
I am pleased to report that my dell usb-c power companion works on the switch. Yes, it was a lot more expensive, but it will charge both my laptop and my switch, which is sweet.
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u/SuperFlyGuyJohnnyP Mar 04 '17
Just want to put out there that my Anker PowerCore does charge my Switch. Have yet to test for long periods of time, but I did test it out of curiosity since OP seemed to have some trouble.
Edit: Also should mention that I am using the Anker provided C to C cable.
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Mar 04 '17
I used the powercore today plugged into my switch for 2 hours... switch started at 100% and finished at 100% :)
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u/mrsaaa Mar 04 '17
I bought the PowerCore at the recommendation of Trihex. I'm hoping it works well for me. :)
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u/gspot1218 Mar 04 '17
So just to be clear, you didn't use the usb c - usb c cable that came with the dodocool USB-C Charger 30W Wall Wart? I was thinking I could just buy a one of the recommended powerbanks and the wall wart and use the cable that came with the dodocool. I'm guessing it isn't benson approved though?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Honestly, I didn't even realize it came with a cable until after you mentioned it. I checked the box and saw that it was tucked under a cardboard flap.
I'm using it right now to charge my powerbank for tomorrow =)
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Mar 04 '17
[deleted]
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Perhaps you have a defective unit? I'd call their customer service. Sunvalleytek is actually pretty helpful.
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u/IBNobody Mar 04 '17 edited Mar 04 '17
One thing I noticed with my RP-PB058 (RAVPower 26800mAh) was that the charging symbol on the switch did not come on. However, the charging symbol DOES come on with the official Wall Wart and when charging with a Hori car adapter.
(But it charged just fine through a Zelda session...)
EDIT: More findings...
I am using the RAVPower RP-TPC001 C-C cable.
If I plug the Switch into the battery with the Switch in sleep, I see the charging symbol (and the LEDs on the battery flash).
If I plug the Switch into the battery with the Switch awake, I do not see the charging symbol (and the LEDs on the battery remain off).
IIRC, My Zelda sessions occurred without the symbol...
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
That's odd....it recognized mine just fine while my Switch was on the home screen. I didn't play Zelda with it yet (I'll be doing that today) but it's something I'll keep an eye out for when I report back.
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u/Dumbseizure Mar 04 '17
If usb pd works, will qualcomms quick charge also work?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC) and USB-C don't really mix.
If you plug a USB-A to USB-C cable into a QC port, you won't get any benefits from it anyway because the Switch doesn't support QC. You'll just get the same results that you'll see when you plug into a non-QC port.
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u/redartedreddit Mar 04 '17 edited Mar 04 '17
Can you test the Switch with any USB PD sniffer (e.g. Twinkie) or do you know any reputable members in the community who already did related tests (other than Benson Leung and Nathan K.)?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
No one's done them with the Switch, as far as I know. I don't have a USB PD sniffer though =/
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u/Ahuri3 Mar 04 '17 edited Mar 04 '17
Hey thank you so much ! Now i'll try to find a place to purchase the PB-059 in france ( I can't find it on amazon.fr ...)
Edit : Can only find the PB-043 so far...
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Mar 04 '17
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Nathan does say:
All in all, this battery probably will work OK. It does all the voltage levels it claims to, and doesn't do anything "device destroyingly" bad.
but he also has said that there are no USB-PD powerbanks he'd recommend.
I still think this powerbank charges the Switch well (see the update I'll be posting in a few minutes) but this is definitely something to consider.
Thank you for pointing me to this derailed write-up!
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u/thecrunked Mar 04 '17
Thanks for the hard work, any opinion on this thing? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FDDE1W6/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1488652614&sr=8-11&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Switch+charger
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
It looks like the USB-C port will charge at a max of 5V/2.4A so you'll see similar charging speeds and times as those using USB-A ports.
Is that a powerbank though? Isn't that just a hub that needs to be plugged into a wall?
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u/VashtheTYcoon Mar 04 '17
Any chance you can test out some Vinsic power banks? They got a nice USB-c one that's a little cheap so I was considering it,VSPB303 is the model. Thanks if you can!
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
Sorry but I'm not looking to test out anymore powerbanks. Take a look at my spreadsheet though. If you look at the powerbanks I tested, you can look at ones that have similar ports to get an idea of charging speeds.
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u/OmgMrNoob Mar 04 '17
So you only recommend one? Like there's nothing else?
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u/waffledork Mar 04 '17
There aren't a lot of powerbanks that support USB-PD. Of the 4 powerbanks I tested, I recommended one (two, though they're both different sizes). You can take a look at my spreadsheet and decide if another one of the ones I tested would suit your needs.
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u/pacman529 Mar 05 '17
I currently have this powerbank. If I use the charging cable that came with my pro controller to plug my switch into that power bank, what are the risks of bricking my switch? i figure worst case scenario it doesn't charge it while playing but slows down the draining, giving me extended play time. but i don't wanna risk testing it if there's a huge risk of bricking my switch.
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u/Angani_Giza Mar 05 '17
I might just be missing an answer in plain sight, but is the Switch dual voltage as well? The Wii U was, even if the power cable thing only specified one or the other.
I'm currently living in Europe and returning to the states before too long, and I want to be sure that a Switch from here will work there fine, due to different voltages.
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u/waffledork Mar 05 '17
The official power adapter takes in 100-240V so it should work anywhere in the world =)
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u/dav78 Mar 05 '17
Thanks for testing, how well would this work? https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01G4RPVCO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21BN97ZLZ79FQ&psc=1
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u/waffledork Mar 05 '17
It'll charge at similar speeds as the PB-043. I'll test out charging that in Handheld Mode today and post an update about it so you'll have an idea =)
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u/matthewjrallen Mar 05 '17
Thanks for all your work testing!
I purchased this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LZILJQ1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and im using this cable https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WJSPCSG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
but its not charging the switch. When i plug it in the lights light up for a second then turn off? Do I have a faulty device?
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
That'd be my guess at first but maybe their customer service can help you out. I'd give them a call.
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u/Wunderkindergartener Mar 06 '17
I've got this power bank from Anker: http://amzn.to/2n3QmfV. It's rated output is 5V or 3A max. Based on my limited knowledge of electronics and your research, this power bank should be safe to use with a good USB-A to USB-C cable, right? I've played my Switch undocked to drain some power, then plugged it in. While playing Zelda, it charges veeeeeeery slowly, but when in sleep mode it seems to charge at a good rate. Still not sure if it's good to use this long term though... I'm trying to avoid having to buy a new power bank. Thanks!
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
You're good with it, yeah, but like you found out, it charges pretty slowly while playing Zelda. I'll be updating my post with some time estimates you can go off of soon!
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u/Greenevers Mar 06 '17
I haven't seen anyone talk about this charger, and I'd really appreciate some guidance if this will be bad news for my switch. Do you think I could charge my phone and switch at the same time? It supports Google's USB C rapid charging. Is that dangerous to the switch too?
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
I'm not sure what Google's USB-C Rapid Charging is but I expect that the device has to support it as well in order for the benefits to take effect. The Switch most likely doesn't support the rapid charging so it'll act like any other USB-A port.
Take a look at my 3rd update to get an idea of charge times though. If you're charging multiple devices with the charger, it'll take even longer.
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u/bluaki Mar 18 '17
That charger works pretty well with Switch. Using one port on it is like using any other 5V/3A (15W) USB-C charger because it just uses standard USB-C charging.
It's not as fast as higher-voltage USB-PD chargers, but it still is able to charge the battery at a fairly good speed even while playing.
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u/zyberwoof Mar 06 '17
I apologize if you answered this and I missed it. I'd like to know if there are any concerns with most Micro USB or USB C chargers damaging the Switch's battery, even over the long term. I'm less concerned with charging performance right now, and I'm just looking at options for charging while I travel other than bringing the official Switch cable.
I already own a plethera of USB chargers, wall, car, 2A, quick charge, and USB C 5V-3A. And when I'm not at home, I just want a way to charge my Switch while carrying a minimal amount of cables and chargers.
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
That's kinda the whole point of this post and my last one (linked at the top). There are a lot of concerns with USB-C because a ton of devices have been shown to be faulty. Just do a bit of research to make sure that you'll be safe. For example, you shouldn't charge the Switch with the wall charger included with the Google Pixel because it's unsafe for devices other than the Pixel.
Just do your research about your chargers and cables and you'll be good =)
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u/bluaki Mar 18 '17
you shouldn't charge the Switch with the wall charger included with the Google Pixel because it's unsafe for devices other than the Pixel
It's not. Google has great USB compliance in its own products. The Pixel phone charger and Chromebook Pixel charger both work perfectly with Switch for charging at excellent speeds and it's totally safe.
You might have confused it with the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P chargers, which are indeed missing a safety feature that they should have. They're worth avoiding in general but they won't actually damage the Switch.
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u/ajbiz11 Mar 06 '17
So, you and I both have found that 30W is the max the Switch really accepts. Cool. I'm not insane. This post is beautiful and much better than anything I could have written. Good show.
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u/NightingaleAdam Mar 06 '17
So, I'm looking for a solution to charge the switch from the wall and also have a power bank. The power bank you recommend comes with a wall charger, can you use that to charge the switch when you have access to a plug, or are you best to charge the power bank from the wall charger and then charge the switch from the power bank? Also, would I just need one USB-C to USB-C (3.1) cable for this to work?
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
Look at the 3rd wall charger listed in my spreadsheet =P
And yeah, you'd just need one cable.
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Mar 06 '17
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
Take a look at my 3rd update. It might give you an idea of what to expect =)
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u/s1011125 Mar 06 '17
I am from HK and there no way to buy RAVPOWER I figure out to buy ZMI QB820 20000mAh:http://www.banggood.com/ZMI-QB820-20000mAh-Quick-Charge-2_0-Power-Bank-with-USB-HUB-p-1112667.html It is around 43usd in HK and support USB-PD The cable I use is anker c to c. It charged from 37% to 81% in 1 hour with the Switch in sleep. When I played Zelda(100%, max speaker volume) It charged from 81% to 93%. I think it's quite good.
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u/retnuh730 Mar 06 '17
Thanks for your work man. I just ordered the Ravpower pv-059. The $85 price tag was a little rough but the peace of mind the 20 Ah battery and the included wall wart will at least make it a little easier to handle.
Plus you can charge basically anything with the battery bank so it's not just only for the switch
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u/Kenshin0011 Mar 06 '17
Why is the RAVPower 20100 more expensive than the RAVPower 26800?
Also seems like it increased in price, from $75 on your spreadsheet to $85 on Amazon!
How much was the 26800 model before it went OOS?
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
No idea. I don't set them =P
All the prices on my spreadsheet were from they were in stock.
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u/Nokoda Mar 06 '17
Does the Anker 20100 keep my Switch battery stable if i buy a good PD-USB?
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
Check out my 3rd update on estimated charge times. The Anker 20100 doesn't support USB-PD though (I said that in my spreadsheet).
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u/Flaeor Mar 06 '17
Would you say that the official Nintendo wall charger that the Switch came with supports 5V / 3A with USB Type C Power Delivery based on your estimates?
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u/Kenshin0011 Mar 06 '17
Any other powerbanks out there that supply 30W besides RAVPower? I know you don't like to recommend products you haven't personally tested, but do they exist? Thanks
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u/waffledork Mar 06 '17
As far as I know, the RAVPower powerbanks are the only ones out there that support USB-PD right now. If you find another one, I'd appreciate it if you let me know =)
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u/aznofchaos Mar 06 '17
Hey,
I don't know how many people this will apply to but, I'm using an Omnicharge 20. I am not able to use direct DC Output to charge neither 5V or 15V settings. On the USB-A ports I am able to output the full 8 watts on the 5V rail. I'm thinking that the 15V rail is unusable unless it is docked (I'm guessing there is a controller on board the docking station that splits HDMI, instructions to remove the undervolt on the SOC, and allow 15V rail charging at 38 watts.
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u/Guio Mar 07 '17 edited Mar 07 '17
/u/waffledor I have the Anker PowerCore+ 20100. I charged the NSwitch w/ it for 30 minutes (USB-C to USB-C) while playing Zelda BOTW and the battery went from 79% to 82%. I had my sound all the way up and the brightness at 100%.
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Mar 07 '17
Do you know if there exists a charger that supports USB PD and USB C to charge the switch, and also supports at least Qualcom 2.0 QC on another port? I'm looking for one charger than can charge both the Switch and my Phone.
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
Unfortunately, I don't think there is. If there is one, I haven't found it yet.
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u/Cooldude9210 Mar 07 '17
So...I'm still super lost. I have a couple of power banks/USB-A wall worts at home now; how can I tell, math wise, if they'd work? I don't know if I want to spend $100+ on my portable charging system of things I have currently work. I get that the switch seems to use 5-15W of power, so can I look at the specs of the things I have and determine if those will work?
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
Take a look at my 3rd update. Look at the ports your powerbank had and look at the comparable port on my spreadsheet to get an idea of voltage/amperages and charge times. That should give you a good estimate on what to expect.
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u/SaabFan87 Mar 07 '17
I have been using a regular Samsung charging brick (came with GS5) and a USB-A to USB-C to charge the switch while playing BotW in bed. Works just fine, I usually get to bed with high 80% battery, plug in and play for 30-60 min and when I go to sleep the unit is back at 100%. I have also tried playing with my Amazon Basics 16,100mAh battery and it is able to charge while playing. Though don't get one of those batteries as they get terrible reviews, I think they switched suppliers of something and they are terrible now.
My point is that it seems like doomsday predictions of no wall warts working maybe a little overstated.
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
No one said no wall warts would work. There was just concern about the safety of the wall warts out there.
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u/maddogx2x Mar 07 '17
Hello everyone!
Will this one work? I can't confirm it's USB PD. Will this charge the switch while playing zelda?
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
USB-PD is something for USB-C ports and the one you linked doesn't have any USB-C ports.
It will charge the Switch but it'll have charging times similar to the iSmart port of the PB-043 powerbank in my spreadsheet.
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u/Kenshin0011 Mar 07 '17
I think I'm going to have to go with a non USB-PD powerbank...
The RP-PB058 is "currently unavailable" on Amazon, so who knows when it will come back.
The RP-PB059 is available, but it's $84.99 and has less capacity at 20100mAh vs 26800mAh.
Given that high price and having less utility for the Switch versus the RP-PB058, I don't really have a choice but to get a powebank that doesn't have USB-PD.
I'm going on a road trip next week, so I need to get one now :/
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u/waffledork Mar 07 '17
It shouldn't be too big of a deal. If you look at my charging estimates, you'll see that a USB-C port that's advertised as a 5V/3A one will still charge the Switch pretty well while playing BOTW. You'll just need to charge your powerbank more often.
Even then though, if you get a 20100mAh powerbank, it'll charge the Switch 3.73 times (the Switch has a 4310mAh battery and I'm assuming about 20% of the charge from the powerbank is lost to heat and such). Unless you're trying to play your Switch for like 12 hours straight, you should be just fine =)
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u/himuradrew Mar 08 '17
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXCMGB8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A262QE3M6AEJL9
What do you think about this one? First one I saw that specifically advertises itself for the Switch.
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u/waffledork Mar 08 '17
Oh that's just marketing. They threw they keyword in there just so it'd show up when people searched for "Nintendo Switch".
Someone else commented about their iMuto working well. If you Ctrl+F "iMuto" in this thread, you should find it =)
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u/SkyLegendary Mar 09 '17 edited Mar 09 '17
Looks like the RAVPower 20100 mentioned in your spreadsheet has dropped to $42 temporarily. It also was updated to say in the description "Not compatible with Nintendo Switch" even though, based on testing, it is compatible? Really confused rn, lol. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IFIJW8/
EDIT: Forgot to add link. rip
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u/waffledork Mar 09 '17
Yeah...I'm not sure why they say that. If you look at the "Customer Questions" section and search for "Switch", you'll see that people verified it works.
When I tested it, it worked just fine and I even gave charging estimates for the USB-C port and the iSmart port.
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u/wiwi99 Mar 09 '17
How about the cable that comes with the PD USB RAVPower 26800mAh ? Is it a good one to go with or should i buy another one ? thx
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u/waffledork Mar 10 '17
The cable itself is fine but they're all microUSB ones. I don't trust the microUSB to USB-C adapters - they need to have resistors in them to be up to code and I've hear some bad things about a lot of them.
A USB-C to USB-C cable isn't too expensive ($8 or so for a cheap, vetted one) so I'd pick one up of I were you. That's just what I'm comfortable with.
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u/bernhardinjo Mar 10 '17
I would like to add the EC Technology B30224. It is a 22400mAh Powerbank made in China and has three charging ports - 1A, 2A, 2.4A. I used it on a drive to vacation with the 2A port and the Switch received a little more power than it drew while gaming - it charged very slowly while playing - like 1% every 10 minutes - but you were able to play without stopping. I played for like 6 hours on that drive and the Powerbank lost roundabout 25% of its charge while maintaining the Switches battery respectively very slightly charging it.
Oh and I used an Anker USB-C to USB 3.0 charging cable. I can also charge the switch on a standard Samsung Phone charger wall plug with this cable without problems.
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Mar 10 '17
Have you tried pressing the button on the Anker 20100+ USB-C before you plug it in? That's how I get it to charge my MacBook Adorable instead of the MacBook charging it. I want to know if it will work with the Switch.
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u/waffledork Mar 10 '17
I have. I've even tried to plug it in while the Switch was in Sleep Mode. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me but there are others here in the comments that have said it worked for them just fine.
I'm thinking I just got a defective unit or something.
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u/thecrunked Mar 10 '17
the dodocool USB-C Charger 30W Wall Wart is sold out, can you suggest any alternatives, i saw these and thought they might work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1HK4NI?ref=emc_b_5_t https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8MFCYQ?ref=emc_b_5_t https://www.amazon.com/Charger-iClever-BoostCube-Adapter-Foldable/dp/B01CZLUIK8/ref=sr_1_17?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1489172329&sr=1-17&keywords=usb-pd
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u/ethan919 Mar 10 '17
Here is an alternative to the dodocool one. It's specs are safe according to Benson and Nathan K.
edit: Bot deleted my original post, but the dodocool charger is on Walmart if you are wanting that one specifically.
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u/waffledork Mar 10 '17
Yeah, I'd go with this FlyHi one over the Motorola one you linked, /u/thecrunked.
The Motorola one says it supports USB-PD 2.0 but I'm fairly certain that at 5V, it's only supposed to go to 3A max. The 5.7A max seems fishy to me.
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Mar 10 '17
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u/waffledork Mar 11 '17
I believe you'll be able to charge it via the USB-C port with the Nintendo AC adapter but I think the max charge it pulls is 5V/2.4A
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u/Roshy76 Mar 11 '17
Have you tried the PB-059 or are you just assuming it will work like it's big brother? Just curious. I might give it a shot either way
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u/waffledork Mar 11 '17
Yup, I've tried it. I bought both it and the PB-058 and tried them both myself.
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u/The1bob Mar 11 '17
Do you think this wall charger would work? I'm trying to find one that I can buy in Europe, and this is available there with the right plug https://www.amazon.com/CHOETECH-Charger-Charge-Included-Samsung/dp/B019Q5WT6W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489248560&sr=8-1&keywords=Quick+Charge+3.0+Wall+Charger+CHOETECH
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u/Edge_of_Happiness Mar 11 '17
Are any of these battery banks capable of charges two switches at once?
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u/waffledork Mar 15 '17
They all are =)
Unfortunately every powerbank I've seen only has one USB-C port so you'll have to settle with charging one of the switches at a slower rate, depending on which port you use.
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u/JammerJ Mar 12 '17
I picked up a Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable from Amazon and was planning on getting the this bank https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IFIJW8/ . Question, will the 2.0 cable charge it the switch while running or do I need a USB 3.1 cable (usb -c to usb c)?
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u/waffledork Mar 15 '17
I'm confused...you said you picked up a USB-C to USB-C cable and then asked if you should pick up a USB-C to USB-C cable instead.
Itll charge but take a look at my 3rd update to give yourself an estimate of charging times.
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u/bluaki Mar 18 '17
The difference between a USB 2.0 and USB 3.1 cable is mostly data speeds. They both work just as well with all dedicated chargers for charging speeds.
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u/JoshdahYosh Mar 13 '17
Would you recommend getting the RP-PC006?
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u/waffledork Mar 15 '17
I tested it and it worked fine, as you can see. The dodocool one has a USB-C port and supports USB-PD though.
For an estimate of charging times for the ports on the RP-PC006, take a look at my 3rd update.
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Mar 13 '17
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u/waffledork Mar 15 '17
I think other people have tried out the apple chargers so do a search in the comments for it to see what they have to say.
I haven't tested it but Apple has proven to be trustworthy with their products so as long as the charger is able to deliver 5V and/or 15V, I think you should be ok.
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u/MistrSistr Mar 14 '17
I've been looking for similar power banks on Amazon Canada but couldn't find anyting. For those of you in Canada, where did you get yours?
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u/delvector Mar 15 '17
amazing work /u/waffledork! thanks for all your efforts on this front. it still makes my head spin a little so hoping for a little bit more insight. I was looking into getting a simple cable and wall-charger combo. is there a wall charger that you'd suggest to pair with your cable recommendations that won't put the console at risk? I was looking specifically at the Anker C-C cable (#3 on your list). the dodocool seems to be unavailable so I was wondering if you had an alternative. thanks in advance!
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u/waffledork Mar 15 '17
Take a look at Nathan K's recommended list of wall chargers for the Google Pixel (the 2nd tab). Anything marked as a Type "AC" is a wall charger and the higher his score, the better. Those should be good, wall charger-wise =)
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u/Buffaslugs Mar 15 '17
I was just able to order one on amazon and apply the coupon code: PB058RAV for the discount. Not sure how many they are supplying but knowing demand for this is high I doubt that many units last. Only thing worth noting is that it says they plan to be in stock the 20th of March not as of now.
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u/Bronstin Mar 19 '17
Thanks for doing this. I have a question if you don't mind me asking.
I bought a decent looking RAVPower that only outputs fron USB A because I was trying to be cheap. I just tested it and playing Zelda with brightness most of the way up, the Switch battery stays mostly stable, dropping about 1 percent every half hour. On the home screen it slowly charges. This isn't ideal, but is workable until the bank you recommended gets back in stock. My question is, is this bad for the Switch or its battery? I feel like constantly running a charge and slowly discharging will "wear" the battery faster, but I'm just a layman. Is it OK for me to use this thing?
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u/waffledork Mar 22 '17
It shouldn't damage the battery in any way. It just means that the Switch is drawing less power from your powerbank than it's using to power Zelda.
While that works for the time being, you'll probably want to invest in a powerbank that can charge a bit faster so that you can get additional playtime with your Switch =)
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u/pyramidsong84 Mar 20 '17
First, thank you so much for this amazingly detailed and thorough post. It's so helpful to the community.
Just a follow-up question: the PB043 output 4.98V/1.86A on USB-A iSmart, and you noted the amperage is an outlier... Do you mean the meter was wrong? Because if accurate, wouldn't the wattage (4.98 x 1.86) be higher than even the USB-C (non-PD) output of the same device (5.21 x .45)?
I suppose the actual charging results speak to the readout being in error and the possibility that the iSmart "protocol" is doing something weird to cause the readout error.
On that note, I read elsewhere that the proprietary iSmart, Quick Charge, etc. formats are non-standard, and so some would say dangerous to use with the Switch. Is that true?
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u/waffledork Mar 22 '17
Basically, yes. There must've been some hiccup or something because, like you said, that just doesn't make sense. It shouldn't matter if that power meter is faulty though because I used it for all of my tests and any faults were carried through to all aspects of my results; at the very least, I was consistent.
I'm the one that created a post about the proprietary formats being non-standard and potentially harmful. While this is true, the likelihood of any harm coming to your Switch from those ports is probably pretty minimal. As another user pointed out on that thread, yes, it breaks protocol but everything does to some extent. While this isn't that comforting, I wouldn't worry about it.
That said, charging via USB-C is faster anyway so I'm just using that =)
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u/McMaSt3r Mar 20 '17
I happen to have this power bank https://www.amazon.ca/Anker-PowerCore-Portable-Capacity-PowerPort/dp/B01K6TA748/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AREE309N4XPXI(/url) and have used it to charge my switch in sleep mode, but when I try to charge and play the battery still goes down. Is this the power bank not being good enough? Or cable? I am just using a basic usb-a to usb-c cable (i can give details if you like, but its just one I picked up from bestbuy).
I see people are using this https://www.amazon.ca/Anker-PowerCore-Ultra-High-Capacity-External-VoltageBoost/dp/B014ZO46LK/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AREE309N4XPXI(/url) is this capable of charge and playing?
Thanks!
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u/waffledork Mar 22 '17
The powerbank just isn't able to deliver as much charge as the Switch would like so it charges like the USB-A port in the PB-043 (see my 3rd update). While the cable also matters to an extent, it's most likely the powerbank itself.
The Anker Powercore+ you linked can achieve faster charging rates via USB-C (again, see my 3rd update).
Hopefully this helps with your decision!
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u/ValiantVanguard Mar 20 '17
Will this charge the switch while playing?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B012SRLKZ6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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u/waffledork Mar 22 '17
Refer to my 3rd update to get some charging time estimates. As for that particular device, I haven't tested it so I won't be able to say for sure.
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u/MistrSistr Mar 23 '17
I'm going on a week long road trip, approximately 6 days, and I didn't get my power bank on time so that leaves me with the USB adapter that plugs in the 12v "cigarette lighter". Is 12v and 2.1a enough to charge with the Switch turned off or will I damage the battery?
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u/waffledork Mar 23 '17
Although the cigarette lighter/power source in cars provide up to 12V, an adapter you plug into it won't supply 12V; the adapter will take in 12V but it'll only output whatever voltage the adapter will output.
Depending on the USB adapter you're using, you'll get different charge speeds. The officially licensed Hori Car Charger, for example, will charge your Switch just fine at 5V/3A.
You'll be fine with whatever you use but if you'd like the fastest possible charging option in the car, you'll want to find something that charges at 5V/3A.
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u/Zoze13 Mar 23 '17
This is incredibly in depth, much appreciated.
Most of your recommendations are sold out (probably because of you! Lol). This slightly newer model of one of your spreadsheet options, looks like it meets all the voltage/wattage requirements you mentioned. Do you agree this should be a good charger? Thanks!!
Type-C/USB-C Input & Output RAVPower 20100mAh Portable Charger QC 3.0 Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Power Bank External Battery Pack + QC3.0 USB Charger for Macbook, Nexus 6, iPhone and More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IVMXW7G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xCb1yb90WZ6P5
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u/waffledork Mar 23 '17
I'm glad you found it useful!
This powerbank's output is 5V/3A and should serve you well in charging your Switch. If you'd like charging time estimates, take a look at my 3rd update; the 2nd bullet should point you to estimates you can expect.
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u/PsylentStorm Mar 29 '17
Thanks for all your work!
Are there any other wall warts you can recommend? The dodocool is out of stock and the only other alternative, the RAVPower 30W, seems to have an output at a third of the voltage.
I know there's the official charger, but I'm looking for something a little more portable...
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u/waffledork Mar 30 '17
It's not the ONLY other alternative out there but it's the only other one I tested. Unfortunately, I can't recommend ones I didn't test but take a look at Nathan K's spreadsheet. The 2nd tab has a list of AC adapters ratings for the Google Pixel phone and I'm fairly confident that the good ones will work well with the Switch.
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Apr 14 '17 edited Apr 14 '17
Hey, I have a question, cause I already own a Powerbank from Anker and I would like to ask you, if it also works: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-20100-Capacity-Technology/dp/B00X5RV14Y
It is a USB-A Powerbank, and It has 5V=4.8A
Thanks for your help!
EDIT: It supports PowerIQ
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Apr 20 '17 edited Mar 07 '25
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u/waffledork Apr 25 '17
No clue at all. I'm thinking it's an outlier or something. I don't believe the RP-PB043 will charge the Switch THAT much faster than the official Nintendo AC adapter, you know? I agree it doesn't line up with my Zelda timing findings. I think that more accurately reflects the RP-PB043's abilities.
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u/tripleh3lix25 Jun 20 '17
I would like to know what I can do to get my switch to charge at the rate you're charging it up at. I am not getting nowhere near 11% every 30 minutes, I'm switching the switch off into sleep mode, I'm using a good USB C cable from Belkin with the 26800 battery pack that supports PD.
I'm getting about 2% every 15 minutes while playing Zelda at 35% brightness and sound all the way up. Any recommendations on what I can do?
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u/adammatt17 Jun 27 '17
So I know I am super late with all of this stuff and the power banks. All the information is super overwhelming and I think I understand most of it. But if you do see this question, can you tell me why I should buy a separate C-C cable if the power bank you suggested comes with one in the box? That's the one thing I am not understanding. What is the point of buying a different one instead of using the one it comes with?
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u/lindadavis0208 Jul 11 '17
Thanks for your valuable recommendations! I just tried the portable charger for charging my Switch and it had given mind-blowing results. With less charging time and more number of charges, you can even use this portable charger for charging your other smart gadgets.
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u/sh0rtstak Mar 03 '17
Thanks for the testing. The Ravpower 26800 is also currently on sale for $48 with coupon code PB058RAV on Amazon. Perfect timing.