One of the biggest concerns laptop users have is the short battery life of their devices. Of course, you can always connect your laptop to an electrical outlet, but there are other things you can do to preserve your battery power and make it last longer. Laptop batteries are expensive, so prolonging their life saves you money in the long run! Here are 15 tips to help you prolong your laptop battery life . . .

1) Invest in a good quality laptop charger

A good quality laptop charger is the first step in prolonging your battery life. A bad, or cheaply made charger can damage your battery and shorten its lifespan, plus it may not charge your laptop at full capacity. To find a quality charger, make sure you are buying from a reputable company with an excellent return policy.

You will want to invest in a smart charger that knows when to stop charging and starts up again when the battery life drops below a certain percentage. It is also important that the power cord be lightweight and durable so that it doesn't stress the connection between the charger and the power socket.

2) Keep your laptop clean

It's important for your laptop battery cleaning routine to be as consistent as possible. The dirt, dust and grime that accumulates on your computer over time will not only slow it down, but it can also cause permanent damage. Once a week is the minimum necessary amount of time you should spend on maintaining your laptop because the heat released by frequent use makes keeping it clean difficult. Here are some tips for a more successful, efficient cleaning routine:

1. Give your keyboard a deep clean by brushing off any particles from between the keys with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol or distilled water;

2. Clean the screen with an LCD screen cleaner and microfiber cloth;

3. Dust your monitor by wiping its exterior with a soft cloth and then using compressed air to blow out all the nooks and crannies where dust may have gathered;

4. Clean the cooling vents (the slats on the backside of your laptop) using a brush designed for this purpose if they appear clogged with dust- if they don't, make sure there is enough room around them so that air can flow freely through them;

5. Use compressed air (not a vacuum cleaner) to suck up small pieces of debris like hairballs in your trackpad- this can avoid scratches and keep it looking new longer.

3) Use power saving mode

If you are using a laptop, it is important to know how to prolong your battery life. Here are some tips on how to extend the battery life of your laptop:

- Turn off wifi and bluetooth. These two wireless connections can use up a lot of power in no time.

- Dim the screen brightness. This will make your battery last longer than if you had it at max brightness all the time.

- Unplug any external devices that you're not using, such as an external hard drive or DVD player.

- Avoid charging your laptop unless absolutely necessary because this will shorten its lifespan considerably and it's better for its health if you let it discharge first before recharging it again.

4) Reduce screen brightness

Screen brightness is probably the easiest thing you can do to conserve your laptop's battery life. Adjust your screen brightness according to where you are and what you're doing. If you're in a dark room, set it lower than if you're in a brightly lit one.

If you need the light from the screen for any reason, use an app like Flux (available for Macs and PCs) that adjusts the colors on your screen depending on what time of day it is. This way, even if your laptop is plugged in, at least it won't be as bright. And if you don't want to use Flux, just put your laptop away from direct light sources.

5) Keep your laptop cool

One of the easiest ways to help your laptop battery life is by keeping it cool. This can be done by using a laptop cooling pad, or by placing it on a hard surface (rather than a soft one) and making sure there's adequate ventilation. It's also important that you don't use your laptop on your bed or any other soft surface - this will cause the fan to work harder, which in turn will make your battery life shorter. If you need to use your computer while it's charging, make sure that you unplug it from the power source when you're not actively using it!

6) Avoid using unnecessary applications

1. - Turn off your wireless connection when you are not using it. The wireless connection drains the battery, and if you turn it on and then forget to turn it off again, you can use up a lot of power very quickly.

2. - Dim your screen as much as possible without making it difficult for you to see what is on the screen. The brighter your screen is, the more power is used.

3. - Close any programs that are running in the background that you are not using or need at this time so they do not run in the background unnecessarily draining your laptop's battery life away while you're working on something else

7) Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when not in use

Turning off WiFi and Bluetooth when not in use can save your battery life. For example, if you are on a train for an hour and don't need WiFi, then turn it off. This will conserve battery power. Bluetooth also uses up battery life so just remember to turn these both off when you're not using them.

8) Don't use live wallpapers

Live wallpapers are beautiful, but they can drain your battery life. Choose a background image that's simple and doesn't have a lot of movement. Also, turn off automatic syncing for wifi, bluetooth and location services when you're not using them. You can also reduce the brightness on your screen or plug in your laptop while it's not in use to save energy. And don't forget to shut down all programs running in the background once you're done using them!

9) Adjust your laptop's power settings

One of the easiest ways to lengthen your battery life is by adjusting your laptop's power settings. If you're using a Windows PC, open up the Control Panel and click on Power Options. Click on Choose what the power button does and then select Shut down when I press the power button.

If you're using a Mac, go into System Preferences and go to Energy Saver. Select Computer sleep and set it for a period of time that suits your needs. You could also select an option like Turn display off after __ minutes or Put hard disks to sleep when possible. This will reduce energy usage without putting much strain on your system at all.

10) Close applications when not in use

Close applications that are not in use. This will help save battery power and also free up memory on your laptop. You should close all of the programs that you are not using and turn off any unneeded features, such as background updates. Even if you think it is necessary for an app or program to run in the background, it might be worth turning off for a few minutes so you can get a few extra minutes of battery life.

11) Don't use battery saver mode all the time

Don't use battery saver mode all the time. When you're not using your laptop, turn off battery saver mode and let the laptop charge. If you're going to be using your laptop for a short time, give it 20-30 minutes after fully charging for a full charge before turning on battery saver mode. Also, make sure that your computer is not set to hibernate when idle or sleep when idle. Instead of hibernating, shut down the computer when you are done using it. This will prolong its life because it won't needlessly run programs in the background while inactive.

12) Calibrate your laptop battery

The first and most important thing you can do to prolong your battery life is calibrate it. This simple process will help the battery operate at its peak performance, which can make a world of difference in your day-to-day usage. You'll need to find out what the calibration date is for your particular laptop battery, but all you have to do is run it completely down until it dies.

Once this happens, plug the laptop in and allow it charge up completely before unplugging. Now, repeat that process two more times on separate days before using your laptop again. The third time you use your laptop with the calibration done, you'll notice that the battery lasts much longer than usual - sometimes twice as long!

13) Get a battery health check

If your laptop battery is not lasting as long as it should, the first step is getting a battery health check. This will tell you if your battery has any problems and how much time you can expect it to last. If you find that the problem with your battery is a software issue, there are plenty of steps you can take in order to prolong its life. Otherwise, replacing your battery may be necessary.

14) Update your laptop's BIOS

If your laptop is running out of battery power quickly, you might want to update its BIOS. This process should not take more than 5 minutes and can improve battery life by up to 20%. All you need is the right software, a USB flash drive and the instructions for updating your laptop's BIOS.

First, download the latest version of your laptop's BIOS from the manufacturer's website. The newest version of BIOS will have all the updates that are currently available for your laptop model. Next, turn off your computer, remove any external devices connected and then restart it by pressing F2 when prompted or until you get a text prompt as shown in Figure 1.

15) Use your laptop regularly

My laptop has been a vital asset to me for many years. It has allowed me to keep in touch with my family and friends, do my schoolwork and more. However, as an avid user of the device, I have noticed that the battery life is not what it used to be.