New Trent TravelPak+ Review

Hey there.  Not too long ago, I received an Email from our good friends at New Trent and asked if I would be interested in joining their VIP program (still in beta).  I jumped on the chance to be able to participate.  I'm a huge fan of New Trent and their products so to be able to join their VIP program and help spread the word about New Trent was an opportunity that I simply could not pass up.  As a VIP member, I received a welcome package.  The package included a New Trent T shirt and the New Trent Travelpak+ External Battery Charger.  I've spent some time with the Travelpak+ and am now ready to give you my thoughts and tell you about my experience with it.  But first, some technical details about the New Trent Travelpak+.

• Lithium-ion polymer battery
• Dual Outputs: 5V/3.1A max (2 USB Ports)
• 7,000 mAh Capacity at 3.7V
• 0%-100% charge in about 5 hours
• Size: 3.75 inches x 2.5 inches x 1.5 inches

The New Trent Travelpak+ plugged in and charging

The New Trent Travelpak+ comes with the charger, a micro USB cable and the instruction manual.  Because the Travelpak+ has 2 USB ports, you can charge up to two devices at once.  Also, you can use to charge any device as long as you have the corresponding USB cable.  That pretty much means that you can charge anything with the Travelpak+ as long as you have the required USB cable.  2 features that really make the Travelpak+ stand out are the LED indicator lights and the AC prongs.  There are 4 LED lights that indicate how much charge the Travelpak+ is currently holding.  4 full lights would indicate it's closer to full capacity.  Since there are 4 lights, I simply assigned each light to mean 25% capacity so that I could quickly and easily get an idea of how much charge is left.  1 light would mean that capacity is anywhere from 0% - 25%, 2 lights 25% - 50%, 3 lights 50% - 75%, and 4 lights 75% - 100%.  But where the Travelpak+ really earns major points is with it's AC prongs.  Other external battery packs require you to charge them a separate charger.  This New Trent Travelpak+ eliminates the need for a charger since you can simply plug it in to an outlet to charge.  How awesome is that?!  And since the LED indicator lights come on when plugged in, you can quickly and easily tell how much charge your Travelpak+ has before grabbing it on the go.  No more will you need to charge with a charger!  Now on to my experience.

As soon as I grabbed the New Trent Travelpak+, I loved it's design.  It's sleek and well built.  On the back of the Travelpak+, the AC prongs are nicely tucked in so that you do not have AC prongs sticking out of the Travelpak+.  That's perfect for when you are traveling or storing it away.  It's much easier to stash away a nice, small box instead of a box with delicate AC prongs sticking out of the back. Since you can pull out the AC prongs when needed and tuck them away when storing, it's eliminates any worry of damage.  A huge plus in my book.

The AC Prongs fold in and out!

I pulled out the AC prongs and plugged it in to charge.  I simply can't stress enough how much I love that.  Having to charge an external battery with a charger was a pain for me.  Why?  Well, because I need that charger to, you know... charge my stuff.  lol  I have several cell phones, MP3 players, tablets, and other devices that need charging that having to "waste" one charger to charge a battery pack, well...  sucked.  With the Travelpak+, I didn't have that problem.  I simply plugged in and let it charge and I still could use my charger for charging my devices.  Another huge plus for the Travelpak+.  I let it charge for a bit and decided to test it out on my phone and Kindle Fire.  I plugged in the USB cables and plugged in the micro attachments to my devices.  I pressed the on button for about 2 seconds to turn on the Travelpak+ and... VOILA!  I have power!  I was glad to see that even while using my Kindle Fire while charging with the Travelpak+, the battery life on the Kindle Fire was increasing.  I've had other chargers that just couldn't handle charging a tablet while it was in use so I was glad that this external battery passed that test.

Now, because I have so many devices, it's essential for my family and I to carry an external battery wherever we go.  The Travelpak+ did not disappoint.  We carried 2 USB cables with us and managed to charge up the Kindle Fire, a smartphone, and my digital camera all in one sitting.  The last thing you want to hear while at a family gathering is, "My camera died" so when I pulled out the New Trent Travelpak+, it kept the camera and the pictures going.  But the best part?  When I noticed that I only had one indicator light left, I simply asked if I could plug in my charger for more power.  NO NEED TO PLUG IN A CHARGER TO CHARGE THE BATTERY PACK!  Again, that feature is well worth getting this external battery pack!  As long as you have an outlet near you, you will have power to charge your Travelpak+.  LOVE IT!

The back of my awesome New Trent T Shirt!

The only downside?  No carrying case or pouch to store it in.  It would be nice to have a small bag of some sort to place the Travelpak+ and cables inside and avoid having cables stashed in your pocket.  It's a small thing and definitely not a deal breaker.  There are many external battery packs out there.  Many of them hold more power than the Travelpak+, but what's the point of more power when you cannot readily and easily charge your external battery pack?  In this day and age, everything is digital and everything is plugged in.  Don't be left without power.  Take a serious look at the New Trent Travelpak+ and when you do, I know you'll want to pick one up for yourself.  Later!