Always on the go? Use a Car USB Charger

Cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players and so on… These need charging from time to time and if you’re always on the go, you may not have ready access to an electrical outlet which you can use to charge your portable devices. If you’re in your car most of the time, do get a Car USB charger so that you don’t have to face the hassle of rushing to find the nearest electrical outlet to avoid having your cellphone or your digital camera die on you at an inconvenient moment.

All you need to do is to plug this charger to the slot for the cigarette lighter jack in your car. And since most of the portable devices now can be charged with a standard USB connection, you simply insert the USB end of the charger to any available USB port in your device. When you plug the car USB charger to your device and to the cigarette lighter jack in your car dashboard, the charger will light to indicate that it is charging your device.

And voila! You’re already charged and good to go.

You may thing that a car USB charger is only useful to people who are on the road most of the time, like taxi drivers or truckers. But really, each one of us will find this device useful to help us deal with our busy lifestyle.

First and foremost, the main reason why you’re getting a car USB charger is that it makes it easier for you to charge your portable gadgets even when you don’t have access to an electric outlet.

Also, charging takes time. If you’re rushing to go to work, you can actually make use of the time you drive from home to work to charge your cell phone or MP3 player. Thus, you can relax and drive, even with heavy traffic, knowing that you’re at least getting something done.

Plus, this device is small and compact enough to easily fit in your glove compartment or your change slot (in the dashboard) to allow for easy reach. That way, you can take a moment to insert this device even as you are waiting for the red light to go green.

You will do well to get a car USB charger in all of your cars. That way, you have the solution for your charging “emergencies” while you are on the road.

Here are some things you should check out before you buy your car USB charger:

-          Compatibility. Make sure that your charger is compatible with your device. This is fairly easy since most gadgets allow you to charge their power with the help of a standard USB connection. However, the newest iPhone may not charge using the old version USB chargers. A good choice is one that is able to charge a number of your devices. There are also USB chargers that can only charge just one of your devices.

-          Number of slots. Now, if you’re particularly busy and have a whole bagload of gadgets, the number of slots is an important consideration. There are some chargers that actually allow you to charge two gadgets at the same time.

-          Indicator lights. You should get a car USB charger that has indicator lights to give you the status of the charging and whether the source has sufficient power to do the charging. A good car USB charger has an LED indicator light to tell you what’s happening with your devices.

-          Protection. Ideally, your car USB charger should be able to protect your device against power surges or inconsistent power levels. Remember, even when your device is able to withstand inconsistent electricity coming in, this can still affect the life of your device, so that its lifespan is not as long as can be expected. Also, a good charger will provide circuit breaker protection.

You should also consider whether you want to have a charger that can work for both a standard AC outlet and a 12v socket. There are some car USB chargers that do.