Product review: Rolvse Ravpower USB C Charger, GaN 65W 4-Port Desktop USB Charging Station with 2 USB-C Ports + 2 USB-A Ports PD Fast Charger

 This charger has 2 USB A and 2 USB C ports.  I liked the form factor of this charger and the fact that it has a long cord. The size of the charger is 1.6" by 1.6"  and 3" long. The power cord is 56" and it is detachable.  You need to provide your own charging cables; none come with the charger.

Here are some numbers from my Pixel 6 Pro and Moto G phones:
Pixel 6 Pro (battery level 69%): using type-A to type-C cable 1154mA at 4.09V - 4.7W
Pixel 6 Pro (battery level 69%): using type-C to type-C cable 3209mA at 4.19V - 13.44W

Moto G (battery level 68%): using type-A to type-C cable 1124mA at 4.09V - 4.6W
Moto G (battery level 67%): using type-C to type-C cable 1977mA at 4.19V - 8.28W

The charger is PD 3.0 compatible and has CE certification. The charger supports PD and PPS protocols, and the USB-C ports support fast charging for Android and ISO phones. When I charge multiple devices, the charger gets warm but not hot.  

When using one device on USB-C port: maximum output using PD is 65W
When using one device on USB-A port: maximum output using QC 3.0 is 18W
The charger does load sharing, grouping C-port, and A-ports. The maximum power provided by each port varies depending on how many devices are plugged in.  


How much power your device draws depends on the specific device and the charge level when you are charging. I also saw the difference between the different charging cables I used. This difference was particularly significant using type-A to type-C cords. The max outputs listed above are the theoretical max possible. None of my devices come close to the max, including Pixel 6 Pro, which can theoretically charge at a 22W rate using Type-C to Type-C cable. Nevertheless, the rate I am getting from this charger is better than from other (older) chargers I own.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Digital Alarm Clock + Power Strip + USB Charger

I got this hub for work, where I have limited desk space.  This hub gives me three things I need: AC extensions, USB outlets, and a clock. The ANCEO hub is 4.5" x 4.5" in size. It has three AC outlets and four USB outlets.  The front of the hub is a digital clock and alarm.

The clock can be dimmed or totally turned off if the clock functionality is not needed.  This hub has a battery compartment if one desires to have a backup for time settings if there is a power outage. It takes two AAA batteries. Batteries are not included. Batteries are only needed during a power outage to preserve time settings. I use the hub without the batteries.

USB port specifications: 45V/Max 2.4A per port

Overall, a pretty nice hub, especially if space is at a premium.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: AGPtek 5V 21W 1Ax4 USB Ports 110V-220V Input Portable Power Strip

The AGPtek travel extension cord is aimed at the international travellers visiting USA. It takes appliances which have different international plugs and allows them to work in American outlets.  Since the outlet on the plug is American it is not the right plug for traveling abroad as you would need another converter.



The strip also has 4 USB outlets. However when I measured them with a current monitor I discovered that they are delivering only the USB rate of current (which is half as slow as the AC rate).

Because of this speed limitation I don't see this power strip being used by people who already have appliances that have US plugs. The cord is useful for international travelers in USA so they can use their devices that otherwise would not work in American outlets. I don't see this strip being useful to Americans as it is easy to find USB converters that perform better.

Here are the current monitor rates for those who like the technical details for Nexus Phone, Android OS.
port 1: current monitor ~~~~~ 0.42A and 4.95V
port 2: current monitor ~~~~~ 0.42A and 4.95V
port 3: current monitor ~~~~~ 0.42A and 4.95V
port 4: current monitor ~~~~~ 0.42A and 4.95V
(for comparison a good charging monitor result for this phone are 1.00A/5V)

I would pass on this power strip for the US-based buyers, but it is useful for international visitors.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Uni Home WiFi Smart Power Strip

This smart power strip has a potential of being a 5 star product if not for the unfriendly user face on the registration portion of the app that controls it. Setting up the strip was painful but once the set up is done the power strip works well.

The smart power strip requires no hub, it has a built-in hot spot that can be paired with a phone or devices like Alexa and Google Home.  Once the power strip is paired one can turn the power strip on and off using the phone, as well as set up a schedule and count down timer for when the outlets or power strip will turn on  and turn off.

This power strip has four AC outlets and four USB ports.  The app allows one to control either all outlets on the power strip or each outlet/port individually.

Limitations:
1. The power strip only works with 2.4 GHz WI FI networks
2. The app does not show power consumption
3. Devices that consume more than 1250W cannot be plugged into the strip

The name of the app is "Ama home" by Binglei Ye and it is available from Google Playstore. There is also an app for an iPhone.

Issues with the app:
 (1) The keyboard covers the 'register' button, it was difficult to hide the keyboard and complete registration without entering extra characters. The app inserted extra characters into the re-entered password requiring me to start over many times
(2) The app requires one to register an email address and during my multiple attempts the app would inexplicably insert spaces into the email address which cases the email I entered to become an invalid email addresses and I had to start over
(3) Only letters and numbers are valid in the password, no special characters are allowed

My video shows how I connected the WI FI and added the power strip to the known devices. You can also see scheduled operation and manual turning on and off of the device plugged into the table.  The power strip works well, so don't give up if your registration is painful.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: iProducts Universal Laptop Charger with USB Charging Station

iProducts charger  is a universal charger with one laptop port, two smart ports (blue), and four regular ports (white).  The charger is compact (3.5" x 2.75" X 7/8")  and light (4.75 oz).  Its size and weight is excellent for traveling. On the negative side the port markings are written in very small font in the back and are hard to read. However, once you know what they are the color coding really helps.

The 10 laptop tips are marked to be compatible with major brands (I am including a photo with manufacturer's card that identifies the plugs).  However, even though Lenovo is listed it did not fit my laptop (Lenovo W530).

One of the connectors worked with a digital clock that I lost the connector for, so I was very happy with this unexpected bonus.

I tested two Nexus Android phones -  Nexus 6p takes type C connector and Nexus 5 takes a micro USB connector.  Both worked but not at optimal rate I have seen for each phone.

• Type-C connector on regular port, battery level 43% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 1050 mA max, 690 mA min.
• Type-C connector on smart port, battery level 39% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 880 mA max, 750 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 30-40% was around 2000 mA.

• Micro USB connector on smart plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• Micro USB connector on regular plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 80% was around 1000 mA.

Overall, I thought the charger was OK - very good size and weight for travel, but  for my phones the charging was not optimal.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: USB Desktop Charger, GMYLE High Speed 40W 8A 5 Ports Power USB Adapter with Smart Charging Technology

I really like this charger. It is quite compact for being able to charge 5 things at the same time. We own a number of mobile devices from different manufactures, we have Android devices, Apple devices, Samsung devices. Google (starting with Jelly Bean 4.21) figured out the Apple protocol and starting with that release is able to draw the optimal charge on ports designed for Apple. My Nexus devices work well on different ports for most chargers, but the same is not true for my Apple devices and my older Samsung Tablet.

And now we see that some of the better chargers are beginning to add intelligent technology to the chargers so can figure out the optimal protocol to use for each device on any port. This GMYLE wall charger is one of this new breed.

I tested this wall charger using a current monitor with my Android phone and iPad Mini. I ran my tests with each devices on every port while it was the only one charging, as well while the charger was charging three tablets and two phones. The charger provided optimal charging on every port on every test. Impressive! I am including details below for those who like to see the technical details.

➨ Test results
======================
--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.04A/5.15V
Port 2: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 3: 1.03A/5.14V
Port 4: 1.04A/5.14V
Port 5: 1.04A/5.14V

--------------------------
✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.02A/5.15V
--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (the only device charging)
--------------------------
Port 1: 1.64A/5.05V
Port 2: 1.61A/5.05V
Port 3: 1.51A/5.05V
Port 4: 1.59A/5.05V
Port 5: 1.56A/5.05V

--------------------------
✔ iPad Mini (with 6 other devices charging)
--------------------------
1.55A/5.15V
--------------------------

To summarize this charger did well charging my 5 devices at the same time as well as one at a time. The charger is compact in size and takes up only one spot on the power strip.
size: 3.5" x 2.25" x 1"
weight: 5.70 oz
AC cord length: 59"


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Micro USB To USB Cable, 4 Feet / 1.2 Meters Premium Lighted Micro USB Charger With LED Connector

This is a flat micro-USB cable with a tip that lights up when it is plugged in.  The light is blue as long as the cable is plugged in.  It does not change color (some cables are one color when the device is charging and another color when the device has been fully charged).  I measured the functioning of the cable with a USB meter and it is performed at optimal level for my Android phone. I really like cables that light up, I can always find them even if I am trying to plug in the device in a pretty dark room.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Powerextra Smart LCD Display Dual Channel Charger for Sony NP-FW50 Battery

I am using NP-FW50 with Sony Nex-5N camera.  It is a power hungry camera and I always carry a lot of battries.  There are two things I like about Powerextra charger:

1) it can charge two batteries at the same time

2) it is not a wall charger like my SONY charger, but it use a USB cord.  My SONY charger takes up two slots on the power strip, where as Powerextra battery needs just one USB slot and my power strip has several built-in USB slots, so I gained four outlets as I normally used two SONY chargers side by side.

I appears to charge the batteries in the same amount of time as my OEM charger.  However its design fits into  my set up much better than the SONY charger.  Note: batteries are not included in the package, only the battery charger itself.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JIEGU PowerLine+ USB-C to USB 3.0 cable Data Sync and Charge , for USB Type-C

I got a set of Jiegu cables of different length for my Nexus 6p Android phone.  These cables are thick braided cables, they have a neat apperance and perform well.

The maximum rate 3.1 type-C cables can get is 1500 mA. I tested the phone with battery between 43% and 59%.  In this level of battery the phone uses rapid charging if possible.

In addition to use the braided type-C cable, I also tested converter from mini USB cable to type-C cable.  Below is a table representing the results of my tests.

36" black cable phone was charged at max of 890 mA
36" black cable phone was charged at max of 960 mA
36" black cable phone was charged at max of 960 mA
10 feet silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 810 mA
pink mini cable with converter charged at max of 850 mA
pink mini cable with converter charged at max of 940 mA
6 feet silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 600 mA
10 feet feet black cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 1310 mA
36" silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 1060 mA
36" silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 1150 mA
36" silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 1020 mA


Silver cable 10 feetType C to USB A 2.0 LRTCA02S_3
Black cable 6 feetType C to USB A 2.0 LRTCA02B_2
Silver cable 6 feetType C to USB A 2.0 LRTCA02S_2
Silver cable 3.3 feetType C to USB A 2.0 LRTCA02S_1
Black cable 3.3feet Type C to USB A 2.0 LRTCA02B_1
Black cable 10 feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTC03B_3
Grey cable 10 feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTCA03G_3
Black cable 6 feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTC03B_2
Grey cable (6+3.3) feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTCA03G_2
Black cable 3.3 feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTC03B_1
Grey cable 3.3 feet USB-C to USB 3.0 LRTCA03G_1

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JIEGU USB Type C Adapter, USB C to Micro USB Adapter 2 Pack

Jiegu adapters allow me to convert a regular micro USB cables to work with a phone that has type-C port. Sometimes when I travel it is a nice backup to have as I have many more micro USB cables than type-C cables.

The maximum rate 3.1 type-C cables can get is 1500 mA. I tested the phone with battery between 43% and 59%.  In this level of battery the phone uses rapid charging if possible.

pink mini cable with converter charged at max of 850 mA
pink mini cable with converter charged at max of 940 mA

For comparison purposes, here are the results with Jiegu 3.1 cable:
36" silver cable (3.1) phone was charged at max of 1060 mA


JIEGU USB Type C Adapter

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Copper Dual USB Car Charger 3.6A/18W by GONGNIU

This a compact charger which feels heavy and well mae.  It is metal and weighs 2.1 oz. This charger makes good tight contact with the car port and stays well seated even on bumpy roads.  I like that it has a clear LED indicator that is is plugged in (a blue ring around the edge).  It has two ports with a maxiumum output of 2.4A (if both ports are used total max is 3.6A).  Of coruse, what each device draws depends on that specific device, not all phones are cable of drawing 2.4A.  For example, my  Nexus 5 draws a maximum of 1A, however Nexus 6 was able to draw the max.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger

I purchased this La Cross battery charger in January 2014. It has been in daily use since the day I bought it. It is holding up well and continues to work well after this constant long term use. I like that it can charge an odd number of batteries, charging different types of batteries at the same time (e.g. AA and AAA).

The display for each battery shows the mAh of each battery so you can see when the battery is aging. It has a "refresh" feature that will bring dead rechargeable batteries back to life. Batteries without this feature just no longer charge them. This feature alone made the charger pay for itself as I was able to bring rejuvenate batteries back to life rather replace them. Refresh is a fairy long process (as needs to fully discharge the batteries and then re-charge them multiple times).

Summary: reliable over many years, clear display for each battery, very useful refresh function.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Pawtec Retractable Micro USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B Cable Extends to 3 Feet

This charging cable works well charging my Android phone at an optimal rate (based on current monitor measurements).  The retractable mechanism works well - I have been using the two cables I have since 2015 and both still retract and expand reliably.  Both cables are in daily use for this entire period.

The retractability of the cord is handy especially for my MP3 player with external speaker which I have permanently plugged into a power bank. This cord helped me got rid of the dangling wire. When the cord is extended to its back it is 36" long. To retract it from that position you need to yank on both end to trigger the retracting mechanism.

Current monitor results:
black cord: 1.02A / 5.05V (excellent)
white cord: 1.02A / 5.09V (excellent)
(for comparison this is on par with the best charging monitor result for this phone 1.00A/5V)


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Tiergrade 3 port Car Charger Adapter

We usually travel with a lot of gadgets so a 3 port car charger is very useful to us.

I checked each port using Nexus6p while its battery was 33% full keeping all other variables (what apps are running, whehter the screen is on or off, and so forth the same). At 31%-33% full level Nexus 6p uses rapid charging if possible.  Nexus 6p does not suppor QC charging so that port performed the worst, the 2.4A port quite well.

QC 3.0 port: 1610 mA / 4.077V
middle 2.4A port: 2300 mA / 4.14V
top 2.4A port: 2270 mA / 4.15V

The charger fits into the port tightly and does not unplug easily. Overall, pretty good charger.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: BESTEK 30W 4-Port USB Charger Charging Station Wall Charger with USB C Port and 3 Type-A Ports

Side by side comparison with Google wall charger that came with Nexus 6p

This wall charger has 4 ports: one type-C port and three USB ports. I am using this wall charger with Nexus 6p (type-C USB connection) and Nexus 5 (type-A USB connection).

To judge how well this wall charger works I compared its performance with the type-C charger provided by Google that came in the package with Nexus 6p.  You see the results in attached photos, they show that Google charger charged the phone somewhat faster but Bestek is only slightly under performs.

For Nexus 5 both mini USB ports worked in line with other wall chargers.

This wall charger is shaped as a semicircle and comes with a breaded cord that has a regular size power plug. The regular size plug takes up only one slot on the power strip.

Even though it gives up some charging speed to Google charger it is convenient that it has both mini USB and Type-C ports especially when I travel.  For comparison Google charger is a dedicated one c-port charger.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Oittm USB-C Charger with Type-C Port & 2 USB Ports

This wall charger has 3 ports: one type-C port and two USB ports. I am using this wall charger with Nexus 6p (type-C USB connection) and Nexus 5 (mini USB connection).

To judge how well this wall charger works I compared its performance with the type-C charger provided by Google that came in the package with Nexus 6p.  You see the resuls in attached photos, they show that Google charger charged the phone faster.

For Nexus 5 both mini USB ports worked in line with other wall chargers.

This wall charger is 3.75" x 275" x 1" thick. It has a long cord with a regular size plug which takes up only one slot on the power strip.  Even though it gives up some charging speed to Google charger it is convenient that it has both mini USB and Type-C ports especially when I travel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Vitovill HXY-H4 Universal Intelligent Multifunction LCD Battery Charger

My review is for the 18650 charger by Vitovill.  This listing combines several chargers and my review is for 4 bay Vitovill charger. Batteries were not included.

This charger is able to charge Li-ion, LiFePO4, Ni-MH and Ni-CD rechargeble batteries.  To select the right mode you need to the button above each battery for 10 seconds.  You can also select the charging current (500mA or 1000mA) by quickly pressing the button.

Short press the button A/B/C/D 1S: Select of charging current 500mA or 1000mA. Long press on this buttons switches between Li-ion battery and LiFePO4 battery mode.  

The battery has protection from inserting the battery in a wrong direction (wrong polarity) and overcharging.  In attached video you can see me put in a battery the wrong way.  When I did that the battery screen displayed "Err".  Nice!

I like that the charger charger allows me to charge an odd number of batteries at the same time. Some of my devices run on a single 18650 battery, so the fact that can handle recharging single batteries is very useful for me.

This charger is fairly large, its size is 5.5"L x 4"W x 1.25"H. The AC cord is 36".  The display on the battery is nice - it shows which typy of battery it is charging, it shows the voltage, and how long the battery has been charging.  The battery charger shuts off after 4 hours.

These batteries were provided to me with a special discount for testing and review as part of the new product introduction.  I like it!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Safemore Smart 8-Outlet with 4-USB Surge Protection Power Socket Tower Power Strip

This review is for two level power strip with 8 AC outlets and 4 USB ports.  This tower power strip has a 74" non-retractable power cord with a regular sized powe plug.

I love tower power strips because they have a small footprint and because they outlets are so well spaced out. This tower power strip has no problems fitting my eneloop charger next to each, where as in many regular shaped power strips each of the battery chargers can cover up 2 or 3 outlets.

I own several power strips and this power strip fell a bit short in a couple of areas.  First, the fit and finish if power strip is bad.  The USB panel sticks out 1/8" away from the body at the top of the strip. When I looked at the stock photo the panel appears to be flush with the other panel, so mine just has sloppy workmanship that was not caught by quality control.   The second issue, is that my phone only gets USB power on all 4 ports, none of then provided AC power.  This is not an issue that I have encourtered in other tower strips.


This power strip is provided by Safemore.  Getting a free product for testing does not make me like any better than if I purchased it with my own hard earned money. I still love the shape of this power strip, but workmanship and slow charging rates detract from my overall satisfaction and I thought the product was OK - works but not the best of the breed.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: WANLONGXIN 899 USB Charger Portable Multi USB Port Rapid Charger 6 Port USB Socket Fast Charger with LCD Display current monitor

A geek like me loves chargers that have a built-in meter so I can see how well the charger works. I normally use a hand held current meter, measuring one port at a time. This meter shows me the information for each port at once. To see how well the built-in meter is working I measured the readings with my hand held meter as well as Android apps that show me charging rates on the device itself. The results are not always identical but they are close enough for a good estimate. It is certainly good enough for at home non-scientific applications.

How did it charge? It did really well for all of the Android phones: Nexus 5, Nexus 6p, and Posh phone. It charge iPadMini at 0.93A, which is below optimal. My iPadMini charges the fastest when it can draw more than 1A. Since most of my devices are Android, this charger is a good match for my needs.

The wall charger is 3 3/8 c 3 3/8" x 1 1/2". It has a 57" long AC cord which has has a regular size wall plug. It weighs 8.4 oz.

I have been using this wall charger for several weeks, it is powering devices on each port. It works well well without getting overly hot. I like that it takes up only one slot on my power strip and has a reasonably sized AC cord.

This wall charger was provided for evaluation and review. Getting a sample does effect what I say. I have a history of leaving critical reviews on regular basis whenever the product deserves it. Whether I had a good experience or bad experience you will hear exactly what happened.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: PriTek Surge Protector [UL Listed] 6-Outlet Overload Protection Power Strip Charging Station with 4 USB Charging Ports

This review is for two level power strip with 6 AC outlets and 4 USB ports.

This tower power strip works very well in tight spaces. It has a very small foot print yet accepts large plugs next to each other. The AC outlets are well spaced out. I can plug in several Eneloop battery chargers next to each other without problems. I like the all black color as it makes the power strip almost invisible.

The strip has a 73.5" power cord (not retractable) and a regular size grounded power plug.

I tested the 4 USB ports with a current meter and my Android phone. The phone was charged at the optimal AC rate on each port.

This power strip is provided by Pritek for testing and review. Getting a free product to test does not prevent me from leaving critical reviews when the product warrant it. However, this is not one of them.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★