There’s not an iPhone user among us that hasn’t found his device running out of power just when you needed it most. Wouldn’t it be great to have a charger you could keep in your pocket, purse, or backpack that wouldn’t take up much room, but would always be available when you needed a quick charge for your device? Enter the myCharge Energy Shot.
Overview
The myCharge Energy Shot is a compact portable charger that is about the size of a 5-Hour Energy Drink. I can say that, because the Energy Shot is cleverly packaged to look just like a bottle of the popular energy shot.
The clever packaging holds the myCharge Energy Shot portable charger, a recharging cable, and a small booklet of instructions.
While the Energy Shot comes out of the package charged, I plugged it into the nearest USB charger I could find to let it charge fully. (You’ll need to supply your own charger, although almost any USB port in a storm will work.)
After fully charging the Energy Shot, I ran my iPhone 5s down to around a 10% charge, and then plugged it into the Energy Shot. (iOS device users will also have to supply their own 30-pin or Lightning cable, as the short cable that comes with the Energy Shot is strictly micro-USB only.)
The Energy Shot fully charged my iPhone in just a few hours, about average for a portable charger of this type. I used my device during charging, which extended the charging time a bit. However, the charger supplied power when I needed it, and worked as advertised. (Devices with larger batteries, such as the iPhone 6/6 Plus, will likely only get a partial charge from the Energy Shot.)
The Energy Shot’s internal battery is a Lithium Ion power source, rated at 2000mAh. The USB port delivers 1.0A output. The size of the Energy Shot is what I really liked. It comes in at 3.94 in x 1.56 in, and only weighs 0.25 lbs. The Energy Shot can easily be toted around in your purse, or even your pocket.
The battery level is easily checked by simply shaking the Energy Shot, a solid green light indicates the unit is fully charged, and ready to give your device a boost. Yellow means it’s about half charged, and Red indicates the charger itself needs to be charged.
When the Energy Shot needs a recharge, the included micro-USB cable can be used with any USB charging port. Although I wish the length of the cable was a little more substantial, as the short cable makes charging the Energy Shot from a mobile device charger plugged into the wall a bit of a challenge.
Verdict
I found the myCharge Energy Shot worked as advertised. It charged quickly, and was able to supply a full charge to my iPhone 5s before needing to be recharged itself. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced portable charger that doesn’t take up much room in your kit, the myCharge Energy Shot bears a closer look.
Rating: 4.0/5.0[rating:4.0]
Price: $19.99 – Available at Walgreens, Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and other retailers.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Gives your device a quick boost when it’s needed.
- Easy to use charge level indicator.
- Small, easy to carry around with you.
Cons:
- The micro-USB cable that comes with it could be longer.
For more information about the myCharge Energy Shot, visit the myCharge website.
