Phone charger test

The mobile phone is probably the most essential ‘tool’ you need to carry in your car nowadays. Whatever trouble you get into, you can use it to call for help – whether that be the emergency services, a breakdown truck or a friend.

But mobiles are only useful if the battery is charged, so carrying an emergency power pack in your glovebox makes sense. You can pay £6 for a simple device or 10 times that amount for a comprehensive emergency system – your choice depends on what you need it to do.

Factors include whether it will work with smartphones and iPods, while a mini USB connection is also handy, as it can be used for a variety of phones – from Motorolas to BlackBerrys, as well as some MDA/PDAs.

The test We tried the chargers on a Nokia 6230i, an MDA Vario II (with a large, power-hungry colour screen providing more of a test) and a 30GB iPod, depending on the adaptors provided.

We wanted a flying lead connection, as this made the phones easier to use and reduced the chances of damage. As a minimum, we looked for sufficient power to make calls, while price was another consideration.

Verdict

The IWOOT wasn’t the best quality, but it did the job and had a range of adaptors, all for a bargain price. In second place, the Eze Charge worked well, but didn’t have a battery and couldn’t match our champ’s adaptors. The Power Monkey impressed and would be good for long-distance travellers.