Its the age old problem, your phone battery lasts longer then an app comes along that drains it quickly. I’m thinking of things like Periscope or Meerkat here, live video streaming that will take every drop of battery power. Then there’s the times that you can’t charge for a day or two, the panic and the feeling of helplessness as you try to conserve power.

The External Charger

External chargers have been around for a while, often bulky and heavy and a pain to carry around, but for avid phoneographers or videographers they’re a must have. In my experience these chargers have been nothing more than a rechargeable battery with a USB port or two.

Juice Weekender

The Juice Weekender is a little different and I have to say that these little changes make a lot of difference. Within the packaging is everything you need! So often I’ve had to go scrabbling through a draw looking for a lead to power a battery pack. The Weekender has one enclosed, first annoyance over.

Next there’s the need to take a USB wire with you when you go out, not with the Weekender however. This charger comes with the connectors built in! Made from durable (I hope) rubber the connectors for iPhone 6, iPad and Android phones flip out of the casing. When you’re done they fit snuggly away again.

Indicators

On the front of the pack there’s four lights that illuminate during charging that show charging progress. Interestingly the light go out when the pack is fully charged. When using the pack and you’d like to see what charge remains simply shake it to illuminate the indicators.

Charges

The manufacturer claims a fully charged Weekender will charge an iPhone more than four times and a Galaxy S5 twice, just enough for a day or two out playing.

Conclusion

Compared with other chargers I’ve used this is a tidy little unit. It’s rubber feel coating is reassuring but I can’t confirm how robust it actually is at present. I love that its a complete unit and I don’t need my USB lead with me too, a great charger to keep handy!

Find more details at the Juice website