Energizer Energi To Go

Power sources while traveling can and will always be a pain in the butt to find. Airports have outlets few and far between, and trade shows are usually worse still. For the mobile device user who relies on battery power, this will frequently be the cause of much stress on the road. One option is bulking up on spare batteries, but for every device that might not be an option. The other option is a universal power source, providing both AC power and DC power from its own internal battery. Energizer's solution to this problem is the Energi To Go Portable Power Outlet.

Energizer Energi to Go Portable Outlet Specifications

• Output Continuous Power 480 watts
• Output voltage 120 volts
• Output Waveform Modified Sine Wave
• Input voltage 13.2 to 15V
• Internal Battery 4000mAh
• Average Charging Time 4 hours
• Weight: 1lb 4.5oz

Setup

Setup for the Portable Power Outlet is plugging it into a wall to charge, and nothing more. When the red charging indicator on the power switch turns off the outlet is ready to power your devices. Users also have the option of charging the device inside an automobile with the included 12v power jack.

In Use

To use the Portable Power Outlet for AC powered devices, the instructions tell you to turn the device on for 5-10 seconds, and then plug in your device. This method does not work for me, and it will only turn on the AC output if I have the device plugged in while the outlet is off, then I turn it on.
When the outlet was functioning properly, it worked great for a wide range of devices. Some of the estimated runtime claims were on the high side, but it was better than nothing. Powering my Lenovo T60 notebook, it managed to operate for 50 minutes. With a Dell 1525, the runtime was better coming in at 70 minutes. With a living room lamp drawing 50w of power, it worked for just under 45 minutes.