tentseller

I think the word order of the sentence should be:

There are a zillion cheaply for sale from China on eBay.

docbert

And before you buy them, it's probably worth having a quick read through the following - http://www.arcfn.com/2012/10/a-dozen...-apple-is.html

chx1975

Hrm, I dislike any retractable cords, the retractable mechanism breaks, the cables break, it's actually very bulky... all sorts of problems. For that plug, http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=8985 is straight and cheaper, http://www.cyberguys.com/product-det...roductid=47158 is 90 degrees like the Amazon-sold one and even cheaper.

But the cheapest is http://www.amazon.com/Notebook-Power.../dp/B000BSLS0W and I am less afraid something breaks.

chx1975

Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work you can always hit them with it

chx1975

Quite. I can give you a sample from my younger more naive years when I bought a noname four port. The hard plastic shell burned through like nothing... I am lucky to know what to do with an electrical fire... Now that I looked, it seems for the kind I am talking about it is actually typical to burn?? http://www.saferproducts.gov/ViewIncident/1219045 here's a report. Ugh. Don't buy noname USB chargers, guys.

dtsm

You're right, mine arrived yesterday and very surprised at the bulk. I taped both ends with duck tape to strengthen the connections and will keep for use with my cpap unit.

Will try your suggestions to pair up with the Antec. ^

richard

got the Antec (thanks ScottC and it works pretty well. Not sure if it is quite as fast for my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 as the stock charger (which will charge a dead battery in 2 hours) but it does charge two iPads at the same time and two other things and it isn't heavy. I like, I like! If only it had six ports, lol.

tentseller

Why stop at 6 ports? A good number for me would be 12, that way we will only need on adapter on the next family cruise.

But with the popularity of the all in one outlet/switch panel at some of the newer hotels I would not be surprised if they add USB outlets to them soon.

junky

I bought the following USB Travel Charger from a recent IT show here in Singapore.








The packaging looks dubious but I have been using it on several trips to charge my iDevices and Jambox speakers. But it does not charge the Blackberry though.


It is quite similar to the one sold in Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Adapter...pd_sim_sbs_e_8

and

http://www.amazon.com/iFlash-Ports-C...643154-5571910

It is quite a useful device.

ScottC

2.1A total output - which means 500mA per port - which means not enough to charge most devices at full speed.

Cosby

I have this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...ls_o04_s00_i00

Charges a Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus and an iPhone 4s no bother. Used in UK and US and comes with UK, US and Euro adapters

thegasguru

Nice find. Good reviews, too. I ordered 2. Amazon wouldn't ship from the UK to the US, so I went directly to Arctics web site. I'll be very interested to see how big/bulky this thing is in real life when it arrives. I ponied up for the Fedex ship from Hong Kong, and they said it should arrive in 7 - 8 biz days, so....somebody remind me to report back here after I've checked them out.

thegasguru

OK, I (am ashamed to admit that) own all three of these travel charging devices:


The GMYLE 2 port charger (with retractable prongs and 1 hi powered 10W port and 1 standard 5W port)







The Skiva 4 port charger (with retractable prongs and 2 ports that are hi powered 10W)


The Arctic 4 port charger (with retractable prongs and 2 hi powered 10W ports)







I think all three of these are good chargers. For me, retractable prongs is a must for a travel charger. The Gmyle is very small - not much bigger than the Apple charger that comes with an iPhone or iPad. But it has 2 ports, one of which is a full 10W. I had used it for quite a while (actually, they are so small I usually packed 2), and it has worked like a dream. They are only $12 on Amazon, and mine have worked without a hitch. The fit and finish are just OK, but for the price, it's an excellent value.

However, like others, I had been waiting for a 4 port solution that also boasted a 10W port (or two), which I was expecting from Scoche, since they already had a 2 port solution, and had said their 4 port solution would come to market any day now. But then this thread lead me to the Skiva. This device has excellent fit and finish, and although the marketing can be a little misleading, my experience has been that with the proper capacity USB cables and selecting the proper ports on the Skiva, I can get 2 of the ports to deliver 10W, while the other 2 seem to deliver 5W. The ports are labelled - altho the labelling is a little confusing and hard to read. It's bigger than the Gmyle, but not twice as big, yet it delivers twice the recharging capability. It's an excellent device.

But man oh man...the Arctic! This thing is the bomb. Fit and finish is outstanding. It comes with multiple interchangeable prongs for international useage, and the standard US prongs are retractable. When exchanging the different prongs, they all snap into place all nice and snug...no slippage or sloppiness. The device is only 2inch by 3 inch, so it packs very very easily. The 2 hi powered 10W ports are clearly demarcated by an orange colored plastic housing that makes it very easy to see and use. It will easily recharge two 3gen iPads simultaneously, as well as 2 other devices at the same time. You can recharge 4 iPads if you want: two will recharge at the same speed as the Apple recharger would allow, while two more will "trickle" recharge overnight. Of course, for any other standard, non-hi-capacity device...ie, bascially all cell phones, etc...the two 5W ports are more than sufficient.

I'll be interested to see if my initial highly favorable reaction to this device holds up, but I'm nearly certain that it will. For now, I give the Arctic recharger my highest recommendation, especially for travel. It's just outstanding. I got mine direct from the manufacturer:
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/power/char...0/.html?c=2224

Cosby

Glad to see someone else rates the Arctic as highly as me! I also have Amzer USB retractable cables for all my devices which cuts the clutter.

thegasguru

I use Ziplinq. Costs a little more, and the retractable housing is slightly bulkier, but it extends to a full 48in (4 feet!), which I have found invaluable on numerous occasions in high-falutin hotels that are too dang fancy to bother with putting outlets within useable reach.