Let’s face it – we live in a digital world. Most people can’t function without their smartphone or tablet in their hands at all times. Personally, I don’t care. Half the time I don’t even know where my phone is. My kids on the other hand sleep with their phones right next to them at night. Even my husband will get up in the middle of the night when “nature calls,” and can’t go back to sleep until he checks Twitter. Seriously? Nothing is that important that it can’t wait until the morning.
When you have all these devices it’s imperative that you have the means to recharge them whenever possible.
I found out the hard way the importance of having the best power bank charger or back up power source for your smartphone. I came home from a trip on the West coast. It was late at night and car service was going to pick me up to take me home. My phone had died and I had no way of contacting them to let them know where I was waiting for them. I had to look for a payphone to make a collect call to my husband. He had to be the in-between person between me and car service. It was horrible! From that point on I won’t leave the house without a way of charging my phone.
Most people have portable chargers of some sort. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Personally I keep a lipstick size one in my purse and one in my car that plugs into the cigarette lighter.
The company 1 by One has taken portable chargers two a whole new level. Their Smart Portable Car Jump Starter Powerbank for Smartphones & Digital Devices not only charges your smartphone, tablet and other devices, but it can also jump start your car.
1 by One sent me one to review.
The set comes inside a portable carrying case. The entire “kit” is lightweight and easy to tote around. It’s also small enough that it will take up very little room in your car. You could keep this under your car’s seat or even in the magazine pocket found on the back of some car seats.
Inside the kit you’ll find the charging unit, the plug to charge the charging unit and jumper cables. The only thing it doesn’t have, which I wish it did, was a charging plug to allow you to charge this device on-the-go from in your car. In order to charge it you have to plug it into a wall outlet.
First and foremost let me talk about the charging unit and charging your phone, tablet or similar device.
There is a USB opening on the charging unit that will allow you to plug in your smart phone, tablet or other device. You must already own the necessary cable. It does not come with one. You can use the one that came with your device or pick up a spare one. Most stores carry charging cables (Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, Radio Shack…).
As far as a charger goes, this unit works great. It does exactly what you would expect it to.
I will continue to charge my phone from the charger that plugs into my car’s cigarette lighter outlet. However if that is not possible I will certainly use the charger from the Smart Portable Car Jump Starter Powerbank.
This charger would be great for people who enjoy hiking and camping and other outdoor things were a wall outlet or car outlet is not readily available.
This charger (powerbank) can jump start your car’s battery.
I cannot tell you how many times I have had to call for AAA because my car battery was dead. Usually it’s the overhead light in the car that was left on.
I don’t know the first thing about charging cars or where to plug things in. I leave that up to my husband or AAA person.
What if there was no one around to assist you with jump starting your car? What if AAA was unable to get to you in time? Sometimes they can take upwards of an hour to get to you. When you are running late for work that is not always doable.
I have seen units that you can buy to jump start cars but they are big, bulky and expensive. This littler charger can do the work of those very same devices.
The only way to test this was to have a dead car battery. That was a bit of a dilemma. I would have to intentionally let the battery die in my car. I was reluctant to do that because what if it didn’t work? I can’t wait a long time for AAA to come and jump start my car for me. I have to get to work.
I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I even kept an eye out for neighbors in our condo complex that might have needed a jump but I never saw anyone.
To be honest to date I have not been able to test out the car jump feature. I cannot provide you with an honest opinion about that.
The unit also does not start cars with high power or diesel. My car is not diesel. I am not sure what power it uses (high? average?).
I did check out reviews from others on Amazon.com in regards to the ability for this device to jump start cars. You can find the device here on Amazon – 1byone 9000mAh 12V Multi-Function Smart Portable Car Jump Starter Powerbank for Smartphones & Digital Devices.
I read the reviews (it has 4.1 stars out of a possible 5 on Amazon). Many people commented in their reviews how well the device jump started their cars. The products reviews are 80% four star (which is the highest) and only 7% one star, so that tells me its a pretty good device.
I like the idea of having a viable mean to jump start my car if/when I need it again. Often I park my car next to the wall (the front of the car facing a high wall) which makes it hard for a traditional car-to-car jump. I like the idea of knowing I have this device in my trunk to help me get my car started so I don’t have to wait an hour for AAA to show up.
I also like having portable charging power for all my other devices, especially when a car or wall outlet is not available.
I neglected to mention that the device also has a built in flashlight, which is another very handy feature, especially if you find yourself broken down late at night.
Overall, for the feature and the price (currently $76.99 on Amazon) it’s a handy product to have on hand in case of emergencies. This would also make a great gift for a new car owner/driver.
For more information visit the product page on Amazon (the link is above). For more information about 1 by One visit 1byOne.com. The sell other really cool techie devices.
What do you think about the Multi-Function Smart Portable Car Jump Starter Powerbank? Does it look like a product you would want to own?
Kimberly
*I received a free product to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.