Well hello there, we will dive into travel gadgets and tech in my second blog post. Before we do though, my blog posts are not meant to be thorough reviews or broad market analysis. I will just talk about my experience using several gadgets to make travel more enjoyable.
With that preface, let's start then. Travel chargers, more specifically, USB travel chargers. I have used three types of those during my travels. I will discuss each one of them with their advantages and disadvantages on separate posts.
The first type is surge protectors with USB connectors, as the name implies, this would not just get you extra power outlets for your chargers but also provide USB ports to charge your devices directly. So, if you are a tech-heavy traveler, you might have your laptop, projector, external battery, tablet and mobile phone. All requiring its outlet to charge or work. Even the most tech-friendly hotels won´t provide you with enough outlets, not to mention that if you go to a remote retreat for an unconnected holiday, you would be lucky if you have just one. Unlike other types, they would allow you to charge or run devices that do not use USB to power them and also remove the need to bring your USB chargers.
Their main drawbacks are their size and weight compared to other portable like USB batteries and chargers or if you only have USB enabled devices. Even if there are mobile versions, it is still another gadget you have to bring to the trip, adding overall weight. Finally, their USB charging capabilities could get old quickly. For example, my USB surge protector only provides 1.5 amps of power. A power specification that most mobile phone chargers surpassed at least two years ago and with the increased battery size, makes your charging times longer.
Bottom line, if you bring a lot of devices that do not charge or run through USB, this type of gadgets can save you from carrying USB chargers and their extra weight. If you are more of an ultra-mobile or tech-light traveler, you might want to use one of the other two types of USB charging devices I will discuss in later blog posts. Cheers until then!
