This $40 battery ring is more useful than every portable charger I’ve tested

I have owned many portable external battery banks. I usually look at how much power they hold, how quickly they can charge other devices, and their size, but my last battery came with a benefit I didn’t know I was looking for.

Can you use your phone while charging?

There is a difference between an active battery and a passive battery

I’ve spent much of the last two years using my phone as a computer. During this time, it was essential that I kept my phone charged. I fell in love with a small Anker Nano battery that I could attach to the bottom of my phone. Since it was barely bigger than a stick of lip balm, I could stick it to the bottom of my phone while I worked, even if I typed while walking. I still slip this battery in my pocket on days when I’m not sure if my battery won’t survive long enough for me to return to my car, due to its small size.

This convenience became something I started paying attention to when shopping for a new battery. Batteries with built-in USB-C cables mean you won’t find yourself stuck with a fully charged battery but no cable handy to plug in your device (unless that built-in cable is broken). Still, these batteries tend to be large enough that I only plug them in when I’m sedentary. They can charge my phone while I’m at a table in the library or lying on my side on a bed.

iPhone users have the option of placing a slim battery on the back of their phone. If I was ready to put a case on my phone or owned a newer Pixel with Pixelsnap, I could do the same. Without this option, is there a larger battery than the Anker Nano that I could just as easily use while I’m actually using my phone?

I fell in love with the ring

A simple loop to pass your finger through

Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek

The Rorry Flow is not a battery that I came across by chance. The company found me and I was quite skeptical that their product would be anything other than another cheap battery bank. Yet, shortly after unboxing, it became the most practical battery in my house.

Some of this convenience I expected. The battery comes with a built-in wall outlet, so I don’t need a separate wall adapter to charge it. A digital display on the side makes it easy to see from across the room when the battery is ready to go.

Brand

Rory

Battery capacity

10,000mAh

The Rorry Flow is a portable 10,000mAh power bank with a built-in foldable wall outlet, 40W fast charging, 5W wireless charging, and a ring that allows the battery to dangle from a finger while in use.

What surprises me is what’s on the other end of the battery, a ring that I immediately dismissed as a keychain. I could see such a feature being useful to the predominantly female audience the battery is marketed to, but my keys aren’t attached to a wallet in my purse. They live in my pants pocket, where this battery would hardly fit.

This ring is instead marketed under the name LoopLink. Rorry’s website shows young adults around the world with their finger in the ring, allowing the battery to charge their phone while they take a selfie. Seeing this, I slipped my finger into the ring on mine and was blown away by the significance of this little innovation. I looked at a battery that could charge at 300 watts. Of course, but I find that a simple loop is really more useful.

Of course, this ring has other uses

After all, it looks like a key ring

Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek

Sure, the LoopLink is, ultimately, a keychain, but it’s a keychain that opens with a clasp. You can just as easily hang the battery on a thin strap on a messenger bag or on the belt loop of a pair of pants. If you’ve converted an old Android phone to an Android Auto display for your bike, this is the type of battery you can attach to the handlebars to keep that phone charged for the duration of your trip. Is this a use case most of us have? No, but we’re geeks: it’s also fun to have a battery pack that’s versatile enough for our experimental shenanigans.

For a capacity of 10,000 mAh, the Rorry Flow is relatively small, even smaller than some of the power banks we have placed in every room of our house with the same capacity. I only have one Rorry Flow, so I can’t say how well it handles the same level of abuse from my family, but as a companion that only I carry, it has served me very well.

What other forms can a battery take?

These days, you won’t get much attention by shipping a battery, even a large, fast-charging battery, that’s just a brick with a bunch of ports. I’m struck by how many batteries are now serving as wireless charging pads. But after having a battery dangling from my finger, I’m now on the lookout for batteries whose main technological innovation barely involves technology.

Brand

Anker

Battery capacity

5000mAh

This ultra-compact portable charger is designed for fast charging on the go. With a high-speed USB-C output, the Anker Nano Power Bank efficiently charges smartphones and small devices while easily slipping into pockets or bags, making it perfect for everyday use.