FatCat’s PowerBar: Portable Battery Charger With Style

FatCat has designed a portable battery charger, the FatCat PowerBar 4200, that it hopes will meet your needs for recharging your iPhones and iPods as well as any other electronic devices you can’t live without, such as MP3 players, gaming devices, GPS devices and PDAs. It does that by including several interchangeable tips.

FatCat PowerBar 4200

The FatCat 4200 model offers 4,200 mAh of power. The output voltage is DC 5.0-5-5 V. The unit measures 4 x 2.4 x 5-in and weighs only four ounces. The package includes the charger, a master cord with two female connectors, four tips and a cloth carrying case. It is available in five colors. The MSRP is US$69.99, and there’s a two year warranty.

Color options

The 4200 will not charge devices that require a voltage range higher than 5.5V. It is not recommended for video cameras or laptops, but in an emergency an iPad 2 can be charged up to 50 percent capacity. It arrives charged and users are encouraged to charge it at least once every three months and before use, however, according to the specs, it retains 80% charge for a year (unused). It contains over-charging, over-discharging, over-current and short circuit protection. According to specs it will take between 4-7 hours for a full charge.

Using the product 

The PowerBar 4200 fits comfortably in your hand, even a small ladies hand. There is one USB port. When charging something, you use that units charging cable. This unit easily fits into any deep pocket or bag and at four ounces it is no burden to carry. It recharged my iPhone 4S from no power to full power in under three hours.

Do I recommend it? 

I do. This product should prove particularly valuable to those who use Apple products as well as other branded products such as cameras, GPS devices, or gaming devices. The fact that it will charge all those products while presenting in a small unit should be of interest to many. I also like the fact that it retains a charge for months when not used and it automatically detects when your product is charged and cuts itself off.

Product: FatCat PowerBar 4200

Company: FatCat

List Price: US$69.99

Rating:

Pros:

Charging unit is compact and holds charge for months.

Cons:

None noted.