Electronics Review: iLuv Micro USB Power Charger with Sync Cable for iPhone and iPod

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Charges my iPod anywhere I go

Cons: Doesn't need the glowing blue light

The Bottom Line: 

Charging on the go

Is so much easier with

This 3-in-1 kit

Charge Your iPod Anywhere in the States with the iLuv 3-in-1 Charger Kit

NOTE: This review was originally written in 2011.  With the release of the iPhone 5, the cable in this set will no longer work with the iPhone (and I'm assuming new iPods as well, but I don't know for sure).  Still a good set if you have older models.

I have gotten very addicted to my iPod Touch.  It's the first thing I turn on in the morning, the last thing I check at night, and used just about everywhere in between.  I wanted the ability to recharge it on the go, so I asked for some chargers for Christmas.  I got the iLuv 3-in-1 Charger Kit, and it's great!

The kit comes with three pieces, a charger that fits into your car's electrical outlet, a wall AC charger, and a cable that will sync your iPod with your iTunes account as well as connect to the chargers to actually charge your iPod.

The car charger is very small.  When I stuck it in the outlet in my car, just enough was left out that I could pull it out again if I wanted to.  If I planned to take it in and out of the outlet on a regular basis, I'd find that annoying.  Since I had already planned to leave it in the outlet, I like it.  It's not that easy to spot by just glancing in the car.  Plus it won't get in the way of anything else in the car.

The wall outlet actually has three USB ports.  This would be a great feature if I actually had multiple things I want to charge at once which rarely happens since the only other UBS charging item is my iPod Shuffle.  The plug part does fold into the charger to make for easier transportation.  There is a little blue light that glows when it is plugged into the wall.  I'm not thrilled with that, but I can certainly live with it.

Finally, there's the sync cable.  Like the other items in the kit, it is black.  While I plan to leave it in my car for charging there, I did use it to sync with iTunes once, and it worked perfectly.  The box says the cable is 39 inches long.  It's long enough to reach where I keep my iPod in my car, so it works great for me.

I actually had a car adaptor already, but I hated to use it because it made my iPod extremely hot to the touch.  Using the items that are part of this kit, the iPod gets a little warm, about the same as when I use the cable I got from Apple.  I haven't timed how long it takes for a good charge, but it feels about the same as when I charge with Apple's cable and my computer.

The box proudly claims the items in the kit were made for iPod but can also be used for you iPhone, a camera, or any MP3 player that needs an USB port to charge.

Yes, I've still had my iPod die on me inconveniently, but in the month I've had this kit, it's been so much easier to recharge it.  I'm very happy with it and plan to use it for a long time to come.