Energizer Power Inverters Review

By George Harding

Say you’re in your car, not driving, but working on a presentation on your laptop and suddenly you get the dreaded message, “Your battery is very low.”  What can you do? Probably nothing, because you have no external power source for your laptop.

Here’s the solution – a power inverter by Energizer.

I received two inverters for review, each of which could fix your problem.

The first is the XC180, a so-called cup inverter, because it fits neatly into one of the drink cup holders in your car. It provides 180 watts of power, has 3 USB ports, has one wall plug-type socket and attaches to your cigarette lighter or power connection. It has a thermal fan that is ultra silent.

What can it charge? A lot! Anything that uses a USB port can be charged, along with your portable DVD player, boom box, an LCD monitor, your laptop, of course, and even an electric cooler!

What’s more, you can charge or provide power to up to 4 devices at once.

Built into the inverter are controls that will shut it down to prevent overload, overheating and short circuit.

The second inverter, the EN180, is a bit more capable. It also fits into one of the drink cup holders in your car, provides 180 watts of power, has one wall plug-type socket and has a thermal fan that is ultra silent. But this one has 4 USB sockets, so you can charge up to 5 devices at once.

The list of what it can charge is about the same as the XC180, and it has the same protective controls for overload, overheating and short circuit.

One application you might not think of, and might not be subject to, is the plight of those caught in the Superstorm Sandy debacle. Those that were fortunate to have one of these inverters could provide power to charge or run their mobile devices when normal power service was cut off.

A power inverter is a necessary and handy device to have during travel and in other situations as well.

Price about $30

www.powerbright.com