Power Gear

The TravelBuddy Is a Tiny Travel Charger Without Cables

If you want the smallest iPhone and iPad travel charger possible, and you don’t want to fool with cables, then the TravelBuddy is going to be your perfect solution. This compact wall charger makes it possible for you to plug-in anywhere and charge your iOS device. For as little as $30 you can get in on this Kickstarter project. The makers of TravelBuddy have already made it through one successful Kickstarter charging product, and they will be producing it in an Apple-Certified Chinese factory. Apple has already approved their initial design, so you can back this product with confidence — it’s not some fly-by-night…


Juno Power Konnect Two 9000 External Battery Has Power to Spare

Lesson 1: External batteries are a must-have item when traveling. Even if it just for a day. Lesson 2: Pay attention to lesson 1. Each time I disregard Lessons 1 and 2 I have issues. Most recently I DID have an external battery, but it was too small for my needs. The Juno Power Konnect Two 9000 External Battery isn’t.


Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger Review

Can you ever have too many USB ports available? That’s a silly question; of course you can’t, and that applies whether you are at home, at work, or traveling. So here’s something that’ll help take some of the burden off of your laptop’s ports, allowing you to travel with just one power source: the Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger. Measuring approximately 5.3″ long x 2.75″ wide x 1.25″ thick, the Lumsing charger is compact enough to fit into a pocket in your laptop bag, gear bag, larger purse, or briefcase, but it is powerful enough that it can charge up to five devices at once using USB…


JunoPower Kaebo Lightning Cable Review: Guaranteed to Last

I’ve mentioned that Kev recently upgraded his iPhone 4S and moved to an iPhone 6, which ultimately meant a cable upgrading crisis at my house. All of Kev’s 30-pin cables had to be upgraded to Lightning, which brought him nosing around my stockpile, so I was scrambling. Fortunately, I had the JunoPower Kaebo Lightning Cable in my queue. Fancy, right?


Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu: A Beautifully Intelligent Charger

Imagine charging your device and when done, automatically turning off power to prevent overcharging and protect battery life. What if the charger looked stylish and wasn’t an ugly block? How would you like an app that allowed you to see and monitor information about the level of charge your device was receiving?  With the Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu, it’s possible. At its heart, the Powerslayer is an extremely intelligent charger that rapidly charges both phones and tablets. It is UL certified with built-in surge protection, and continuous temperature monitoring. Built in microprocessor control “protects against overcharging and eliminates wasted power by turning off automatically when charging is…


Out of Juice? Pocket Jump Charges Dead Car and Phone Batteries!

This is a first for me; we’ve covered plenty of external battery packs on Gear Diary, but never one that was able to serve as both “an emergency vehicle jump-starter and portable power bank”, which is exactly what the Viatek’s new Pocket Jump does. You can back on Kickstarter for as low as $40 or get two for $70.


Quirky Pickup Power Provides Portable Power in a Strip of Brilliance*

Here’s a product that seems so brilliantly obvious that I wish I’d thought of it: the new Quirky Pickup Power is a three AC outlet power strip with a built-in external 4000mAh or 6000mAh battery charger that’s always ready to go. Starting at $99.99, you can keep your portable battery charged and ready, then pop it out when needed.


TYLT ENERGI 2K Travel Charger Review: Brightly Doubles Your Battery Life

Leaving aside Samsung’s cute commercial bashing iOS Device battery life, external portable battery packs are a reality of modern-day mobile living. Our devices are simply too power-hungry, and recharging on the go is a must. The TYLT ENERGI 2K Travel Charger is a stylish and convenient way to do just that. Best of all it costs under $40.


Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank External Battery: Slim, Powerful, & Cheap

Do you need a way to keep your phone or tablet powered when you are out and about? Then you should look no further than the Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank External Battery. Able to charge your mobile phone or tablet repeatedly without being plugged in again, the Harmonica Style Power Bank is slim, powerful, and at $21, it’s amazingly CHEAP. For just a smidgen over $20, you might expect some cheaply made hulk of plastic that weighs a ton and is, well, ugly. But the Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank is actually a very well made and classy looking tool. The battery’s packaging is…


HooToo TripMate Elite Is the Traveler’s Best Friend

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.


Magnector Magnetic Charging Adapter Proves Little Things Matter

The little things can make all the difference. The Magnector Magnetic Charging Adapter for Micro USB Cable is one example of this. Designed to turn a microUSB cable into a charging system for the Sony Xperia line of devices, I have one and absolutely love it. You may balk at the price, but it is worth every penny.



TYLT Syncable Charge and Sync Cable Review

Cables to charge and sync devices are a boring, uninspiring but important part of a modern mobile life. Every smartphone and tablet ships with one, so aftermarket cables may seem like a waste of money. But they are cheap, and many of us need cables in various locations. That’s where the TYLT Syncable Charge and Sync Cable comes in.


Lumsing Mini Portable Power Bank: 5200mAh of Energy to Go!

I love it when an external battery pack includes everything needed to charge and be charged in one package, and that is where the $17 5200mAh Lumsing Mini Portable Power Bank really shines. Not only does it have a built in microUSB for charging your phone, it also has a built in USB charger for charging the battery itself. Measuring approximately 3″ long x 2″ wide x 0.8″ thick,  the power bank is composed of shiny white plastic that is bisected by a rubber USB to microUSB cable that plugs into matching ports on the battery, ready to be unplugged when needed. But as usual, I…


The Incipio OffGRID Thin iPhone Battery Case is the Total Package

I love iPhone battery cases. They’re convenient because they provide an extra boost when your phone’s battery inevitably wears down, but most battery cases are bulky and heavy. Introducing the Incipio offGRID, a thin battery case for the iPhone 5 and 5s that provides an extra 180% battery capacity with minimal bulk. The Incipio offGRID retails for $79.99.


Duracell GoPower Wireless Charging Kit Review – Powerful Stuff!

It seems that I can almost always categorize my iPhone’s status as either “charging” or “needing to charge”. Being a mobile user is rough on my battery life! I recently got the chance to review the Duracell GoPower Wireless Charging Kit. Not only is it a battery case, but also includes wireless charging. The kit only costs $119.95 from Apple.


Amzdeal Moving Life 8,000 mAh Power Bank Review

The Amzdeal Moving Life 8,000 mAh Power Bank is another one of the newest high-capacity mobile chargers on the market. It’s thin and light, and it can recharge your smartphone up to 6 times before running out of juice. It’s also nicely designed in white and gray and comes with a carrying case; it retails for $69.90.



Cheero is Bringing its DANBOARD Mobile Chargers to the US Market

cheero, USA has just announced its new Power Plus version of the DANBOARD mobile charging device, packing 10,400 mAh of battery power into a small, and mighty cute package. Also available is the DANBOARD Mini, which is no slouch, packing 6,000 mAh of batter power. Cheero’s DANBOARD mobile battery packs are now available on Amazon.