Apple provides a power adapter with each iPhone and iPad. For the more power-hungry iPads, you get Apple's 12W USB Power Adapter, which has an output of 2.4 Amps. Apple's power adapters work well, but you need a separate power adapter for each device. iClever's BoostCube power adapters let you charge multiple devices with a single power adapter. The company sent me free review samples of two of its BoostCube devices, one with two USB ports and one with three USB ports. I have been trying them out for the last few weeks, and they both work well.
The 2-port model has a 24W capacity and the 3-port model has a 36W capacity. Both models output 2.4 Amps, the same that you get with Apple's current 12W USB Power Adapter. So a BoostCube should charge your devices just as fast as the Apple power adapter does. (If there is any difference in speed, I didn't notice it in my use.)
Like the Apple power adapter, each BoostCube has an outlet plug that folds up or down, perfect for carrying it with you in a purse or briefcase without scratching something else.
To accommodate the additional ports, these BoostCube devices are slightly larger in width and height than the Apple's power adapter, although they are all the same depth. I measure the Apple adapter at about 1 3/4" x 1 3/4". The 2-port BoostCube is about 2 1/8" x 2 1/8". The 3-port BoosCube is about 2 1/8" x 2 5/8".
There is a slight difference in weight versus the Apple power adapter. I measure the Apple adapter at 2.35 oz., the 2-power BoostCube at 2.95 oz., and the 3-port BoostCube at 3.9 oz. In normal use, however, I barely noticed the increased weight.
For that very small increase in size and weight, you get a power adapter that is 2x or 3x as useful. It is nice to not have to carry multiple adapters to simultaneously charge an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. (The devices use what iClever calls SmartID technology to deliver the right output to your device — so an iPhone would get the 1 Amp it needs while a larger iPad will get the full 2.4 Amps that it can use to charge.)
It is also nice to have multiple USB outlets to share with others. I was in a meeting last week in which another attorney was already using the only available power outlet to charge his iPad, but once I swapped out his Apple adapter for the iClever BoostCube 3-power adapter, he and I were both able to charge our iPads with an extra port available for someone else to charge their iPhone.
The BoostCube also has one feature that the Apple adapter doesn't have. There is a small blue LED light inside of the adapter. When it is plugged in to a working power outlet, you can see a small amount of blue light coming out of the outlets. This gives you a confirmation that the adapter is indeed getting power, so you know that it is plugged in correctly. This can also be useful in a hotel room when you think that you have plugged in to a working power outlet, only to discover later that the outlet was controlled by a wall switch that was in the "off" position so you were not charging at all.
You should already have the Apple power adapter that came with your device, so to that extent it is "free," but if you do need to buy a second adapter, another advantage of the BoostCubes is that they are cheaper. Apple sells its 12W power adapter for $19, but you can get the 2-port BoostCube on Amazon for $11, and the 3-port model for $17.
The iClever BoostCube multi-port chargers are useful accessories for anyone who uses an iPhone or iPad.
Click here to get iClever BoostCube 2-port from Amazon ($10.99)
Click here to get the iClever BoostCube 3-port from Amazon ($16.99)
