Portable power packs are, for many of us, a way of life these days. Smartphone battery lives might be improving, but as we use our phones for pretty much everything, even the largest, highest capacity device will struggle to get through a whole day. However, it would be better if power packs were easier to use. Right now there are about six in Test Pit Towers acting as paper weights as nobody has charged them. Well, that is an issue firmly addressed by the ttec Power Stones.
What we have here is a pack containing two 5000mAh portable batteries. They each have a full-sized USB port into which your charging wire can be plugged, and also a Micro USB port to receive a charge themselves. But what makes the ttec set different is that they come with a charging dock that uses contact points to pass the power. You literally just drop in the packs and they start to charge.
Why is that good? Well, it means that there is never an excuse not to charge your damn power pack. The dock comes with a decently long USB cable, so you can find a nice spot for it, plug it in, and leave it there. No chasing around looking for the right wire to charge the pack; just plop it straight on and in about 90 minutes it will be full.
That might sound like a gimmick, but the Power Stones themselves (so named as they have a rough, speckled grey outer coating) are good batteries. Each with a capacity of 5000mAh, they will lend an extra full charge to even the biggest of smartphone - two, if you have a smaller, less power-guzzling model.
And, as the packs have Micro USB ports as well, you don't have to worry about being unable to charge them when away from the dock. Plus they are small enough in size, but big enough in capacity, to be genuinely useful gadgets to have on your person.
But the biggest benefit here is always having a charged portable battery to grab as you leave the house. We had ours positioned by the front door for just that reason, and they really did help. And when we returned from a long, power-intensive day, we just dropped the Power Stones casually onto the dock (either way) and knew they would be ready for the morning.
A great performing product, with a well thought out bit of problem-solving. Hats off.
£39.99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk