Mobile devices are awesome productivity boosters, until they run out of battery. Here's how to keep a universal backup in the office for when your mobile team run out of juice.
It’s bound to happen. Your outside team is in the office for the day and someone forgot their charger. With batteries running low, they need back-up power soon or they’ll be out of commission. Here’s what you can do in advance to ensure that everyone has access to power should they lose or forget their charger.
Multi-Port USB Charger
Since most mobile devices can be charged using a USB cable, you’ll want a good multi-port charger that has enough power to charge phones or tablets. Note that while phones will charge from a standard 5-Watt USB outlet, most tablets require 10-Watts, so choose a charger that delivers at least that much power per outlet.
The Anker Quick Charge 3.0 60W 6-Port USB Wall Charger fits the bill nicely with 6 USB ports and a total of 60-Watts of power output, a 5’ AC cable and an extremely small form factor, ideal for use in a meeting room environment.
USB Cables
For smartphones and tablets, there are three charging cables that you’ll have to have on hand; Micro-USB, Apple Lightning and USB-C. Choose a length that works for your specific room; we recommend the 10-foot length. That will give users a lot more flexibility as to where they sit as they charge their device.
Just make sure the Lightning cable you choose is MFi certified by Apple or you could get unexpected results or in a worst case a fire hazard.
Same goes for the Micro-USB cables, where a couple of extra dollars can render a more reliable product.
As for USB-C, just buy a two-pack of Micro-USB to USB-C adapters and you’ll be able to mix and match as needed.
Laptop Power
As is often the case, here you have Apple products and everything else. To support any generation of MacBook, simply keep a genuine Apple 85-Watt Magsafe power adapter on hand, along with a Magsafe 2 adapter. That way, one charger will power everything from the 17-inch MacBook Pro down to an 11-inch MacBook Air, and everything in-between. Except for newer machines that use USB-C, but we’ve already got that covered.
For every other laptop, you’ll need a universal charger with interchangeable power tips. Again, to ensure compatibility with as wide a range of laptops as possible, select a unit that delivers 90-Watts or more power.
Now that you’ve assembled your power kit, get a zippered gadget bag or even a resealable plastic container to keep everything organized and ready for action at a moment’s notice.