When it comes to travel, there is always the need for USB wall chargers. The question is how many you want to carry and if they are really designed for travel. For me, when I’m on the road, I have a separate charger for my Nexus 6P, my Nexus 9 and my Fitbit Blaze. That’s a lot of cables and a lot of chargers. Then the team over at iClever sent me their recently redesigned dual-port USB wall charger. I now carry one less wall charger.
The iClever BoostCube series is actually made up of several different models but the one they sent me to review, the IC-WB21W, is perfect in so many ways. It is truly designed for travel with folding AC prongs and a compact design. Recently the team at iClever sent me this newly redesigned charger to review and I’m quite pleased with what they have done with this simple yet important accessory.
Specifications
The IC-WB21W measures 56 x 47.5 x 28 mm in size. In old money, that is 2.2 x 1.87 x 1.1 inches. It weights 70g or 2.47 ounces. For perspective, those of you who have seen the 12W charger for
iClever BoostCube 2-Port Charger
iPads, it is roughly the same size. The front of the BoostCube has two USB-A ports. Both of these support 5V and 2.4A for charging devices and can do so simultaneously so you can charge two devices efficiently. Both ports also have iClever’s Smart ID technology built into them. This technology assures efficient charging of your device and also has over charging protection.
The two AC prongs of the BoostCube are hinged and fold up into the chassis for both protection and easy storage when not in use. The hinge is firm so when you do have the AC prongs extended, they stay that way to make it easier to plug it into the wall socket.
Form Factor & Design
iClever has done a great job on the overall redesign of this BoostCube. You would expect that this type of accessory would be compact, and it is, but they did a great job with the overall look of it. The gloss white finish of the body and light grey of the front and back gives it a stylish, modern look. It doesn’t look like an ugly wall adapter frankly and that is a good thing in my opinion. iClever also did a great job in the overall design of the folding AC prongs. The hinge is well constructed as I mentioned and when you have them folded into the chassis, they stay put. Given that the company is positioning this accessory as a travel accessory, keeping those prongs in place whether extended or retracted is important.
When the iClever BoostCube is plugged into a wall socket, the USB ports are backlit with a blue LED so you can find them easily in low light. As an added bonus, this serves as a good night light in dark hotel rooms. 🙂
Charging Performance
Any charging device is only worth its parts if it charges your devices efficiently. The iClever BoostCube does it quite well. I tested it on a recent trip with both my Nexus 9 tablet and my Nextbit
Blue LED Lighting on the USB Ports
Robin. I was able to charge both devices at the same time and both charged slightly quicker than they do with other USB wall chargers. Perhaps more importantly, neither the BoostCube itself nor my devices got hot during the charging process. The Nexus 9 and Robin did get warm right at the battery location on each device, but not excessively so and certainly not uncomfortable to the touch.
Conclusion & Recommendation
Having used the redesigned iClever BoostCube for the past couple of weeks, I highly recommend it, especially if you travel and need to have fewer charging adaptors in your bag. The folding prongs make it less prone to snagging or breaking in a laptop bag. But even you don’t travel, having the BoostCube in the kitchen, family room or even guest rooms, gives easy access to charging your devices when you need it. Its sleek design means you won’t have an eye sore sticking out of a wall socket either.
iClever backs up their products with an 18 month warranty and a 30 day return policy. At the time of this writing, the BoostCube is $9.99 on Amazon.
