In my travels during the earlier part of 2015 I found myself in hotel rooms with inaccessible power plugs, a lack of USB charging ports, and desks with recessed power strips that didn’t take the power box for my laptop at all. It was all a bit frustrating really, and in one hotel I had to resort to charging my laptop on one side of the room and then using it at the desk on battery power. Hey it worked, but it’s not the usual way I like to work. I have previously carried a Belkin multi-power strip when I’ve been traveling, but the bulk of the thing meant it got left home more often than it was taken. They are great in the office, but not so great on the road.

Enter PowerCube. I recall the exact moment I first saw one in a shop, and it was a direct a-ha moment for me. I got the idea immediately; it would be the perfect addition to my travel supplies. It was a week or two later that I actually purchased one, and it’s been incredibly useful in the trips I have done in the second half of this year. I really like the USB charging ports, as it allows me to charge USB devices without having to use my computer (and with an iPhone, iPad, and FitBit Charge when on the go, I don’t really want all those cables protruding from my laptop when I’m trying to work in the evening). I also like the way the PowerCube allows me to use New Zealand plugs when I’m traveling for every device except the PowerCube itself. All I have to do is convert the plug on the end of the PowerCube to suit the host country and I’m good to go. I don’t have to carry multiple conversion plugs for each host country. And finally, I like how it means I don’t have to carry separate charging blocks for my iPhone or iPad; I can just trust to the PowerCube to charge those devices when necessary.

Net-net: highly recommended.

While I currently only have one PowerCube for travel, looking at the PowerCube web site, there’s a number of other products I could put to immediate use in the office. For example, the PowerCube Remotes would provide a way of turning on all my desk lamps with a single switch. There’s some nice design thinking there that’s gone into something as apparently simple as a multi-box. I like that.