We’ve all been there… you’re out on the road, away from your charger when the worst case scenario hits… your cell phone battery dies. As the parent of a three year old who likes to use my phone to keep himself entertained while we’re out, this happens to me more often than I like to admit.
Luckily for people like us, there are products to help. Let’s take a look at a few portable power devices. Or as I like to call them… Lifesavers.
First up is the Energi 2K Travel Charger from Tylt. This is the one I keep on me the most. It’s small and I can throw it in my pocket.
It’s got built-in prongs so you can plug it in to charge without needing a separate cable. The 2,200 mAh battery and 1 amp circuit allow you to charge most smartphones. In fact, it can replace your existing phone charger. It will charge you device first, then it switches and charges the internal battery, so you can grab it and take it with you. The Energi 2K from Tylt sells for about $40.
Next up we have the GoPower Pack from Kanex. They have three models. The one I have is a bit heftier, with an 11,000 mAh battery that they say will allow you to charge your phone up to 4 times without having to recharge the battery pack. With this one, you can charge two phones at the same time. One of its USB ports is 2 Amps, so it’s powerful enough to charge your tablets as well. Another neat thing about this one, is the built-in kickstand, that you can use to watch videos while you juice up.
The Kanex GoPower Pack comes in three levels, starting with a 2600 mAh battery, at about 30 bucks, a 6,000 mAh for about 50 dollars, or the 11,000 mAh for about 70 bucks.
One of my favorite phone accessories has always been battery cases. I have used these for several years, from different manufacturers. One of the more recent one’s we’ve used is the Mota Battery Case. What I like about the battery cases is you don’t have to remember to bring your external battery pack with you. Since it’s attached to your phone, you’ll always have it. It does make your phone a little more bulky, but I don’t mind that trade-off when it means I have a much longer battery life. The case also serves to give your phone some protection from scratches and the occasional drop.
It’s got a single button on the back. Pushing it once will let you know how much battery charge you have, and holding it in will start and stop charging of your phone.
The Mota Battery Case is available for the iPhone 4, 5, 6 and 6 Plus as well as the Samsung S3, S4, S5 and S5. They’re a bit pricey, at about $100 but again, that peace of mind knowing you’ll have a battery that lasts all day may be worth it to you.