Portable USB Battery Chargers

‘Gadgets’ were likely top of the wish-list for most tech-minded geeks this Christmas, me included. And thankfully, Santa out did himself this year – with portable USB chargers.

USB Wrist Band Charger

First off, my house mate received a USB Wrist Band Battery able to charge a number of portable devices on the go. This Dragon-Ball-Z-esque wrist band charges via USB (say, from your laptop) and comes with 9 interchangeable connectors including Nokia II (2mm), Nokia I (3.5mm), Mini USB (for Motorola/HTC/Dopod/MP3/MP4), LG, Samsung i900, Sony Ericsson, Sony PSP, NDS Lite, and Nintendo Dsi.

Despite looking as though you are trying to relive the perceived future of the 1980′s, the Wrist Band Battery does serve a very useful purpose, and I’m sure I’ll get the chance to chuckle at my house mate’s expense when he dons his portable power.

Lenmar Solar Powered USB Charger

Next up, I was lucky enough to receive a Lenmar solar powered USB charger with an external Powerport USB battery, and although it’s slightly larger than the wrist band counter part, it certainly looks more professional. The bonus with this device is not only being able to charge directly via sunlight as well as USB, but also having the option to charge up a separate battery for extra-emergency use.

Manufactured by Lenmar, the device claims to ‘works with all USB-compatible portable electronic devices’, tips compatible with major brands are also included. As of yet I haven’t come across a device it can’t power, so far I’ve tried various Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and HTC cell/smart phones, Rim’s Blackberry, the iPhone and iPod, the Sony PSP, a bunch of MP3 players, even USB powered computer speakers. I don’t have access to any Sony Ericson cell phones, also I haven’t had the chance to try out any digital cameras or the Nintendo Dsi, however I’m pretty sure there are supporting connectors for these devices.

Ecosol Powerstick USB Charger

Lastly, my better half got to tare open the wrapping paper to uncover an Ecosol Powerstick USB charger. This slim rechargeable battery pack resemble most other USB devices in is long, thin form-factor.

The Ecosol also ships with 9 connectors for Apple, Micro USB, Mini USB (Blackberry), Sony Ericsson, LG, Samsung, Nokia and Palm Treo devices. It take about 90 mins to charge up and yields around 60 minutes battery life depending on the device. Unfortunately there is no solar power charging , like the wristband battery the Ecosol charges via USB, however it’s sleek design and small dimension make for a much more practical device.

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