The HooToo TripMate Elite 4-in-1 device is a personal cloud, travel router, external battery pack, and dual USB AC charger all in one. The versatile TripMate Elite can be used on an airplane, in your hotel room, in the airport, or even in the car or train. It’s the perfect travel companion. The TripMate Elite’s price is $89.99.
The TripMate Elite is a powerhouse of functions. For Example, while on an airplane, you can plug a USB storage device into the gadget and turn it on to create a personal WiFi network through which you can stream videos, music, photos, etc. As soon as you get to your hotel room, you can plug the HooToo TripMate Elite into the wired Ethernet to create your own WiFi network that can be accessed by multiple devices. While you’re in the taxi on the way to the airport, and your phone is running low on battery power, you can plug it in to the TripMate Elite to recharge your phone’s battery. Or, once you get to the airport, you can find a wall socket and plug your TripMate Elite directly into the wall, and use it as an AC charger to recharge two USB devices at once.
The TripMate Elite even comes with a carrying case!
Another nice feature of the TripMate Elite is that if there is an available WiFi network that you can use to connect to the internet, you’re able to connect to the TripMate Elite’s WiFi network and then, through your personal WiFi cloud, you can also connect to the available WiFi network so you can still access the internet from your device. This way, you don’t have to make a choice between connecting to your personal cloud and the internet while you’re traveling.
The TripMate Elite reminds me very much of the power brick of an Apple Macbook with it’s square with rounded corners shape. Adding to the similarities, this portable router has power built-in AC power prongs so it can plug directly into a wall socket to recharge its built-in 6,000 mAh battery. The 6,000 mAh rechargeable battery has enough juice to fully recharge an iPhone around 3 times. The device itself is 3.2 inches by 3.2 inches by 1 inch thick and weighs 7 ounces and it can easily be thrown into a travel bag or purse.
The front and back of the TripMate Elite is plain and emblazoned with the HooToo logo and model information. The sides of the unit are where all of the functionality lies. On one side is the TripMate Elite’s power button as well as LED indicator lights for battery capacity, internet status, and LAN status. Another side houses all of the following ports: two USB ports (for both dual output or single input), microUSB input port, Ethernet jack, and tiny reset button. Each of the USB ports has an LED above it that lights up when there is a USB cable plugged in and active in that port. The other sides of the unit are mainly reserved for exhaust ports for heat as well as the side that has the unfolding AC prongs.
In order to access your personal cloud, you’ll need to download an app called HooToo TripMate from the App Store or Google Play. Although the app does not have the most attractive UI, it’s pretty intuitive and easy to use. As you can see in the screenshots below, you can see a list of the files on your USB drive, whether it’s MP3s or Videos. And you can stream those music or videos files through your personal cloud, directly to your iPhone or Android device. I streamed Bridesmaids and The Wolf of Wall Street from my USB thumb drive to my iPhone in 1080p HD quality perfectly. There were no hangups or hiccups and I was easily able to skip ahead or rewind. Didn’t I tell you that the TripMate Elite was perfect for traveling?
Overall, I’ve been very impressed with the TripMate Elite and can honestly say that it’s the best travel gadget that I’ve ever tested. This small device is truly a jack of all trades and is absolutely worth a try if you plan on traveling in the near future.
You can purchase the HooToo TripMate Elite for $59.99 right now on Amazon or NewEgg.
Source: The HooToo TripMate Elite was provided to me as a review sample by the manufacturer.
What I Like: Nice compact design; Provides multiple functions; Perfect for traveling; Large battery for longtime use.
What Needs Improvement: iPhone app could use some more polishing, but it works just fine.
