Tomorrow I leave for a trip that should be fun and exciting. Unfortunately, I am constantly worried about my battery during the trip. No, I am constantly anxious.
Yes, nowadays phones last all day on a charge. Usually. But what if my phone doesn’t? What if my kid doesn’t shut down their tablet properly and leaves the screen on in their backpack for a few hours?! What if the charger on the plane isn’t working?!! All exceptional cases for sure, but I still worry.
But there are ways to combat these feelings, and all you need are three. So, without further ado, here are the three battery-boosting gadgets (and only three) that I pack on every trip:
Multi-charging cable: $12
Forgetting the right charging cable used to be a huge stressor for me. Not anymore.
Check out this inexpensive multi-charging cable: It has a USB-C plug on one side and four charging tips on the other: one for the Apple Watch, one for older Android devices (Micro USB), one for USB-C devices, and one for Apple devices that use Lightning, including pre-2024 iPhones.
I bought one for each member of my family, and it’s the only cable they carry in their bag – no more clutter and no more forgetting cables.
Anker Wall Plug/Backup Battery: $40
Of course, you need something to plug that multi-cable into, and for that I use this very good Anker wall charger .
It has two USB-C ports that can charge multiple gadgets simultaneously, but the best part is that it also charges the built-in backup battery while it’s plugged into a wall outlet.
This means that even if someone’s gadget inevitably powers down when they get on a plane, the plug itself still has enough stored power to easily charge many portable gadgets, including many laptops.
I use it at home to connect my watch to my phone at night, meaning it’s always charged and ready to go.
Emergency AA/AAA battery charger: $8
When the inevitable happens (which in my case was only once), I’m all for this little emergency charger that takes AA and AAA batteries.
This is for real emergencies, and I can tell you first hand that it’s pretty much useless when it comes to charging your phone, other than for a short call or two or replying to messages.
But this product uses easily available batteries and comes with a charging tip for any kind of mobile phone, which is useful in a pinch. I bought this product and will keep it in the packaging so I don’t lose the tip, hoping but thinking I’ll never have to use it again.
Enter your entry for this year’s Next Big Things in Tech Awards before the final deadline on July 12th to recognise your technological breakthroughs.
Sign up here for notifications about the Next Big Things in Tech Awards.
