One of the most common issues that faces both individuals and families with multiple iOS devices is “how do you find enough outlets to charge them?”.
Sure, if you are at home you could spread your devices around various rooms in your house, but that usually leads to misplaced devices. What if you are traveling? In my own personal experience, I generally can only find one (maybe two if I’m lucky) open outlets in most hotel rooms I’ve stayed in. And with a total of six iOS devices among our family of four (two 4th gen Touches, one iPhone 4S, one iPhone 5, one iPad 2 and one iPad 3), you can imagine that the charge-time balancing act can get rather tricky while trying to make sure that everyone is fully charged and ready to go.
Over the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of using the Ventev wallport r2200 dual usb universal rapid charger both at home and while traveling. It certainly helps alleviate some of this stress and does so with style and speed. It allows you to easily charge two iOS devices (both can be iPads) from a single standard wall outlet. Because each of the USB ports on the wallport r2200 operates at 5V, 2.1A and outputs 10W of power, that means that you can actually charge two iPads (or combination of iPads, iPad minis, iPod Touches and iPhones) at the exact same time with no reduction in charge time from Apple’s standard 10W power adapter which comes with the iPad 2 and iPad 3 (the 4th get iPad was just recently upped to a 12W adapter, but the wallport will charge this device just fine).
Whether or not a 10W, 2.1 amp charger actually charges an iPhone any quicker than its stock (5W, 1 amp) iPhone power adapter is a hotly debated topic. While I don’t have hard and fast numbers to support one side or the other, it definitely seems that anytime I’ve ever charged my iPhone with my iPad power brick (and the wallport r2200) it definitely seemed to charge a little faster, but whether or not this is actually the case is still up for debate. However, one thing that IS indisputable is that because each port on the r2200 charges at a rate of up to 10W, it means that it is the perfect travel companion to be able to charge whatever iOS device you happen to have.
The wallport r2200 is fairly compact and easily fits into any bag. The twin power prongs collapse down for easy travel and it works with all of your existing iOS device USB cables, and non-iOS devices as well.
So let’s talk price…
One of the most remarkable things about the wallport r2200 is that despite the obvious high-quality build materials and benefits it affords over Apple’s stock chargers and cables, it is actually less expensive per-deivce than Apple’s offerings. The wallport r2200 charger alone (no cables) will cost you $30, but is capable of charging two devices simultaneously, whereas a single additional iPad or iPhone power adapter will cost you $19 (no cable included). Ventev offers a bundle deal which comes with the charger and a single 30-pin cable for $35. Individual cables can also be purchased for 30-pin cable ($20), Lightning cable ($25). Right now there doesn’t appear to be a charger / lightning cable bundle available.
While Ventev’s lighting cable is about $6 more than Apple’s, the build quality of this cable is far superior. Ventev’s cables are nice and thick and come in a variety of colors to suit your particular style or for easy identification when more than one cable is being used. Over the past few months I have used a number of non-Apple branded cables and these have got to be some of the highest quality ones I’ve used to date. As I said, they have a nice, thick rubbery coating, but to maintain compatibility, the head is still that standard size, fitting easily into my 30-pin and lightning LifeProof cases (which is generally one of the more difficult cases to use with 3rd party cables).
In Conclusion:
If you are looking for a reasonably priced alternative to Apple’s (overpriced) stock USB Adapters that will allow you to charge multiple iOS devices from the same outlet, then look no further than the Ventev wallport r2200. Unlike many of the cheap multi-USB port wall adapters you’ll find on eBay or Amazon, the wallport r2200 really IS capable of charging even two full-size iPads at their full 2.1 amp, 10W requirements. Excellent build quality and easy to transport, I highly recommend the Ventev wallport r2200 as an ideal solution to your multiple iOS device charging woes.
