Refreshing Review: Powerstick+ by PowerStick

I have been looking for {read: searching diligently} for an external power source for my mobile devices. I hate not having a way to charge up without always relying on a plug and an outlet. I wanted something well made, reliable, made close to home, sleek, and easy to carry. I travel a little and I often find that my iPhone needs a backup power source should I use it a lot on any given day.

While preparing to attend a conference recently, I was sent an external charger, the Powerstick+, for review. Powerstick is a Canadian company, and their products are all made in North America (a plus in my book). Several of their products have won CES awards for Innovation, and in addition, all their products are UL certified for the safety of not only myself but my gadgets as well. This was sounding more and more like the kind of product I had been searching for!

 

 

When the Powerstick+ arrived I was immediately impressed. The packaging that it arrived in was sleek and compact, and when I held the charger in my hand, it felt solid and sturdy. I had sent the company a special photo of my family and I on vacation (because the Powerstick+ can be personalized with a photo or graphic of your choice). I was so tickled to see them on the device when I looked into the box! Needless to say, I was more than happy to receive the charger and put it thru its paces. I used it both at home and away, and here is what I found:

The charger itself charges easily and quickly. Powerstick+ can be charged up via USB on a laptop or computer, or the wall, if you have a wall USB charging plug. I did each of the latter two, and it got a full charge in about 1 hour each time.

I got a full charge to my drained iPhone 5c in just about 1.5 hours. In addition, it still had 6 bars to spare (8 is fully charged) Incidentally, this easy charge was with the phone on. In fact, while recently at Disney World, I was able to charge the iPhone up a second time without fully draining the Powerstick+. The power retention on this device is pretty amazing.

This charger is super easy to use. There is an on/off button, and if you hold it down, it shows how many of the 8 bars of power are remaining at any given time. And the amount of bars will stay the same tomorrow or a year from tomorrow, until it gets used. The power in the Powerstick+ doesn’t drain away with inactivity!

The only drawback to this charger is that I didn’t have such a strong experience with charging the iPad after it was drained. I connected the Powerstick+ to my iPad 3, and then turned the pad off, thinking that would give it a better charge. When I turned the iPad back on, it had not charged up at all. The only thing that I can figure is that it needs to charge devices while they are on. I will try the Powerstick+ with my iPad again with it on and see what results I get. If the result is different, I will update this post.

Overall, I am super pleased with the performance of the Powerstick+. It is just what I need: reliable power in a sleek compact device. With a lifetime warranty on all their products, I’m pretty much sold on Powerstick. Their products range in price from $39 to $119, with $65 being the price for the one I tested. I encourage you to,take a moment a check out the range of devices they offer for you specific needs at Powerstick.com (by the way, you can only find their products on their website.)

I can almost guarantee you will find something that suits your powering needs!

I’m a fan,

Dee

UPDATE: I talked with my contact at Powerstick about the iPad issue, and this was her insight: