One of the standard, go-everywhere pieces of gear in my suitcase is a power strip. That’s because I got tired of searching behind beds, nightstands and desks in hotel rooms looking for plugs to power and charge all the gadgets I carry when traveling.
Two companies, Voltage Valet and Kensington, are making power strips even better for road warriors. Not only are they light and compact, but they offer another bonus—USB ports for charging more gear!
Kensington’s Portable Power Outlet is a solution that turns one outlet into five. There are three AC plugs and two USB outlets. I’m able to charge my MP3 player and smartphone at the same time using the USB plugs, with three AC plugs still open for the laptop, Bluetooth headset, a charger for camera batteries and other gear.
The AC cable wraps around the power strip for neat packing and it weighs less than half a pound. The plug unit is about four and a half inches tall, three inches wide and just over an inch deep. The list price is $24.99.
One limitation with the Kensington is that it works with a maximum of 125 volts, making it less useful for international travel. But Voltage Valet’s PS2 Travel Power Strip solves that problem by handling up to 240 volts. The PS2 does not convert or reduce voltage to the AC plugs. So be sure whatever you plug into it can take the higher voltage if you’re in a country that uses 240 volts.
The Voltage Valet model has one USB charging port, instead of two on the Kensington unit. The PS2 weighs half a pound and measures about five and a half inches high, two inches wide and one and a half inches deep. The cord wraps around the strip and plugs into one of the AC outlets for easy carrying.
The price is comparable to the Kensington at $25.00. Voltage Valet also makes a big assortment of plug and voltage adapters that are part of my gear on every international trip.
Either of these power strips would be fine for travel in the U.S. But if you’re traveling in other countries, the Voltage Valet PS2 gets the nod because of its ability to handle higher voltages.
Get Kensington’s Portable Power Outlet at Buy.com or get it at Amazon.com.
For now anyway, the only place to find the PS2 is at VoltageValet.com.
