01 · Convert everything to watt-hours.
Milliamp-hours without voltage is marketing; watt-hours are the unit airlines and physics use. Every capacity claim is expressed in Wh, or the article labels it incomplete.
Methodology · version 1.1
Safety and compatibility first
Version 1.1 took effect September 22, 2026. This transparency revision adds the two-score policy; it is not a silent rewrite. It applies to every Power review, guide and comparison.
02 · Separate claimed output from sustained output.
Peak wattage held for thirty seconds is not laptop-sustaining power. We note whether output claims describe peak or sustained delivery — and which ports share the total.
03 · Check the printed rating against airline limits.
The 100Wh threshold decides what flies in the cabin. Packs without a printed Wh rating are flagged as security-desk risks, because the number on the unit is what the agent reads.
04 · Treat onboard displays as claims until verified.
A screen reports what the firmware thinks the battery holds. Display accuracy is assessed from owner reports and published tests, never assumed from the product page.
What we check in power
Wh math and label presence: capacity converted to watt-hours from the cell voltage, and whether the rating is actually printed on the unit.
Per-port output allocation: what each port delivers alone versus what happens when every port is loaded at once.
Protocol support: USB Power Delivery, PPS and proprietary standards — and what “fast charging” genuinely negotiates with the reader’s devices.
Airline compliance: the 100Wh carry-on rule, the 100–160Wh airline-approval zone, and why spare batteries belong in the cabin, never in checked baggage.
Weight versus capacity: the ratio that decides whether a bank is bag gear or pocket gear — and whether the reader will actually carry it.
Longevity signals: cycle-life claims and self-discharge behavior from owner reports, since a bank that fades in a drawer fails the job it was bought for.
Scoring gate
Hands-on lab-test score: Given only after physical testing by the editorial team under a documented, repeatable setup.
Research-based editorial score: Editorial judgment drawn from published review consensus, specification analysis and third-party hands-on reports — not a measurement. It follows the article’s ranking, pros, cons and verdict; products lacking an honest basis for differentiation are marked Not scored.
Why versioned and dated
Methods decay. Products change, standards move on, and a testing page written three years ago describes a world that no longer exists. Versioning and dating keep this page honest about when its practices applied — and force a review before they go stale.
Evidence honesty means showing your work: the sources reviewed, the claims labeled as claims, the gaps left visible. A methodology should make conclusions checkable, not impressive.