What a power bank costs — and when renting wins

Two ways to avoid an empty battery

You can buy a power bank and carry it, or rent one from a station when you need it. Both are valid; they suit different people.

What an owned power bank really costs

Beyond the purchase price, three costs are easy to forget:

• Ageing: lithium cells lose capacity and deliver less than the label after two or three years
• Weight: charger plus cable in your bag every day, including the days you do not need them
• Upkeep: a power bank you forgot to charge is worth nothing when it matters

What renting costs

At Dead Batt stations: 15₪ for the first hour, a 30₪ cap per rental day and a 70₪ deposit released after return. No subscription, no signup fee.

The simple arithmetic

If you run out once or twice a month, occasional rental costs less than buying, replacing and half the time forgetting a device at home.

If you charge away from home daily — camera operators, drivers, field staff, guides — buying a large power bank pays off, with rental as a backup.

The cable question

Power banks in the network have built-in Lightning, USB-C and Micro-USB cables, which solves the most common failure: having a charger but not the right cable.

Who should do what

| Situation | Better option |

|---|---|

| Out of battery once a month | Rent |

| Charging away from home daily | Buy |

| Shopping day, event, city walk | Rent |

| Long trip without stations | Buy |

| Short-stay visitors | Rent |

Summary

There is no single answer, but "what does a power bank cost" is worth pairing with "how often do I actually need one".