Power play: three travel-friendly tech chargers and adaptors
These accessories will keep your favourite travel technology juiced up when you're on the go.
By David Flynn, July 28 2020
Eager to get back on the road and back in the air? We know you are, because we are too – and here’s some of the kit we’ll be packing to keep our travel tech charged up at every step of the journey.
Moshi IonGo 5K Duo
Moshi’s twist on the familiar portable powerbank recipe is that the IonGo 5K Duo has two inbuilt cables – one with a USB-C plug (rated at 5V/3A), the other with Apple’s Lightning connector (5V, 2.4A) – which tuck neatly away when not in use.
The IonGo 5K Duo is small enough to slip into your pocket or purse ahead of a long working day or a long night out.
The 5,000mAh battery will take even the biggest smartphone from zero to a full tank with juice to spare, and with up to 15W of power on tap it’ll also fast-charge the more recent iPhone models.
The Ion Go 5K Duo charges through the USB-C cable via any wall adaptor or directly from your laptop, but can also recharge your iPhone while the battery itself is being topped up.
It’s also a stylish package, wrapped in a grey faux leather (California-based Moshi refers to it as ‘vegan leather’) cover that closes with a decisive magnetic snap.
The warranty is another standout. On top of the standard two-year warranty, once you register the Ion Go 5K Duo this is extended that to a ten-year ‘repair, replace or credit’ global warranty. [US$75 from moshi.com]
Chargeasap Flash
Both for its 20,000mAh capacity and physical bulk, the Chargeasap Flash invokes a Crocodile Dundee “That’s not a battery pack, this is a battery pack!” reaction.
As we noted in our previous and more detailed review, the brick-like Flash packs enough muscle to fully recharge any 13” laptop or deliver around five charges for the latest large-screen smartphones.
The USB-A and USB-C ports support fast-charge for almost any device, with a wireless charger built into the aircraft-grade aluminium casing, for a total of 150W output.
The Flash is built around Tesla’s graphene composite battery technology, using four lithium-polymer-graphene cells manufactured by Panasonic.
Compared to conventional cells, their higher energy density packs 20% more power per square inch and also extends the battery cycle lifespan: Chargeasap claims the Flash will last “up to four times longer than standard batteries”, and backs this by a two-year warranty. [US$299 from Chargeasap.com]
HyperJuice 100W GaN USB-C Charger
The HyperJuice is a compact road-ready AC adaptor for the latest laptops which rely on USB-C battery charging, although of course it can also be pressed into service for USB-powered smartphones, tablets and other accessories.
It’s wonderfully compact, taking up same space as a pack of poker cards thanks to the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor material that’s both smaller and more efficient than the equivalent of regular chargers.
The HyperJuice also doubles as a versatile ‘travel adaptor’ which plugs straight into AU, US, EU and UK sockets.
The HyperJuice 100W GaN USB-C Charger: four ports, plenty of juice, no waiting.
The two USB-C ports are rated to pump out 100W each, with an additional 18W on each of the two USB-A ports, with support for Power Delivery 3.0 and Quick Charge 3.0 if your device works with those fast-charge technologies.
As a result, this is probably the only adaptor you’ll need to take with you: it can even handle a meaty 16 inch MacBook Pro. [US$99 from Hypershop.com]
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.