Belkin Power and Go travel adapter review

Need power on the move?

17 July 2008 16:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

Notebook performance may being improving all the time but portability is often marred by battery life. If you travel a good deal, you'll be looking for multi-purpose charger that can be used in a number of locations.

Consisting of a main powerbrick, which is capable of powering any laptop up to 17 inches in size, the Power and Go comes with one end that can be hooked up to one of 12 supplied power adapters covering all the main manufacturers on the market.

The other end can be connected to either a standard power socket or you can add a cigarette lighter adapter for use when on the move. There is a tidy cable wrap design to the powerbrick, which we found took up less space in our briefcase than a standard charger.

Curiously, there is a warning on the back of the package that states that while the powerbrick will run Dell laptops it won't charge the battery. Sadly, no reason is offered for this. So, best to check with the company website that your notebook works with this charger before buying.

The charger also includes an integrated USB port, so you can charge any peripherals, such as MP3 player or smartphone, at the same time as your notebook.

The power brick is the same size as a standard notebook charger, so it doesn't necessarily add to your overall carrying weight. The extra adapters make it bulkier than we were expecting, though.

Verdict

The Belkin Power and Go is a great way to charge your notebook when traveling. To get the most from it you'll need to pre-plan how and where you're most likely to use it.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Belkin
Price as reviewed: £60
The good: Input for USB, supports all major notebooks
The bad: Big, mains adapter is attached
Quick verdict: This is a large powerbrick that can be used with a cigarette lighter, making it versatile and easy to use
Score