December 10, 2011 Gear Review: MyBlueBoost
A few months ago I reviewed a few small gadget chargers in a review titled Brigade of the Light Chargers. Since then, the Fueltanks I was using to charge and power my devices when not near an electric outlet started to work intermittently and I decided to look for something new.
It was then I came across MyBlueBoost. It claims to charge small devices such as Ipods, Android phones and Blackberry’s. I contacted the company and they sent me one for review.
It comes with either a retractable charger or a ten plug “octopus” cable depending on the device you need to charge (You order by telling them what kind of device you have and they include the right cable.) The Ipod Touch in the photos is there to give you size perspective and is not included.
In a nutshell: MyBlueBoost is easy to use, it does the job, what more do you want?
Oh, you want more.
Okay…the specs….it charges small devices (no tablets, just the small stuff.) It measures approximately 3 1/2” x 1 1/4” x 1 1/8” and weighs 3.6 ounces including the battery. As for the technical stuff, I suggest going to their website because there is so much information. They not only tell you how they developed this product and why they chose the things they did but they have both written and video instructions on how to use it. It’s a real “mom and pop” operation where the couple who owns the company are the ones you deal with.
When I got the product, I decided to use my retractable cables rather than the ones they provide to see if they would work. (By coincidence, one of the cables they sent was exactly the same brand as mine.) I tried my Ipod Touch, Kindle, Blackberry Bold and a small mini-USB speaker. All recharged with no problems.
The only downside I see is that there is no way to know how much charge is left in the device.
The big upside is that the rechargeable battery is replaceable. So many of these USB charging devices have batteries that can’t be replaced. Once the battery is dead, you have to buy a new device. And that’s costly. (They even suggest if you’re gong camping to take a second charged battery and exchange it when the first battery runs out of juice. I’m going to get a second one not for camping but in case I get stuck somewhere with a lack of adequate plugs, like an airport, and need to recharge or operate a device for a long time.)
I’m not going to go into how the thing works as they have done an excellent job with instructions and videos on their website.
Back to the nutshell….it’s small, it’s lightweight, and I can definitely see myself using this on my next long international flight. It’s already been repacked into my “electronics” bag for my carry-on.
MyBlueBoost comes with a recharging cable and a small blue carry bag. $39.95 to $49.95 depending on the number of cables needed. Assembled in the USA. As of this writing it is only available from the manufacturer.
Reader Comments (2)
BlueBoost seems like a good option but, from the Think Geek website I didn't see the point in getting the more expensive iPhone option or Multi option when I have plenty of connectors already. Could I just order the cheapest one and still use it on my iPod Touch? I'm assuming they sent you the basic set. Thank you Frank.
They actually sent me everything. However, if you notice in my review I stated that I used my own connectors rather than the ones they sent me and they worked just fine. As long as the connector for your Ipod Touch works, it should work with the MyBlueBoost. The people are supplying a retractable cord because it takes up less room than the regular type.
The other thing I like about the MyBlueBoost over the Fueltank is that is uses regular USB connectors rather than the proprietary ones from Callpod. If one from Callpod dies on you, as I've had a couple do, you have to get them from Callpod. If you're traveling this could be a problem. With the MyBlueBoost you just walk into any store and buy whatever cable you need.