Name: Duracell myGrid Charging Pad
Brand: Duracell

Laptop Mag Verdict

The lightweight myGrid lets you power up to four devices at once, but setup and charging times could be better.

Pros

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Thin, lightweight design
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Charges up to four devices simultaneously
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One charger for many gadgets
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Less expensive than other induction chargers

Cons

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Slow charging
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Bulky clips
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Awkward phone setup
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More suited for desk or hotel room use

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There's nothing worse than trying to untangle a mess of cords in order to recharge your smart phone or other gadget. That's where the Duracell myGrig Charging Pad comes in: Using induction technology, it lets you declutter your desk by doing away with all those other cables. But does this $79 device make recharging electronics more convenient?

Design

The myGrid Charging Pad from Duracell is essentially an ultra-thin square metal plate with a black cylinder running along one edge. At the base of the cylinder is the power cord, which plugs into an outlet. Meant primarily for desk duty, the entire setup measures 8.5 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches and weighs 4 ounces. Still, it's not unreasonable to take the myGrid Charging Pad along on trips, considering it can charge up to four devices at once--sans wires.

Setting up phones to charge, however, is a little tricky. The Charging Pad comes with five different charging tips, two miniUSB and two microUSB (each set of opposing orientation), plus one proprietary Nokia connector. Tips are inserted into phone ports, to which is attached an arm that clips to the back of handsets using adhesive. Once connected, metal studs on the clip's opposite side make contact with the Charging Pad's metallic surface, creating a circuit.

It's not exactly an elegant arrangement, and the bulky clip detracts from a phone's otherwise sleek design. That said, clips can be placed anywhere there's room on the Charging Pad, and a magnetic clank along with a blue indicator light definitively lets you know you're charging. The Charging Pad comes with just one clip, but a Power Clip and Connector kit (holding one clip) retails for $34.99.

Performance

On our tests, the myGrid Charging Pad took a long 5 hours and 37 minutes to fully charge our completely drained HTC Evo Shift 4G. By contrast, we were able to do the same in a much shorter 3:38 using the phone's standard HTC AC adapter (from the same power outlet), and just 2:30 using the Powermat 2X Portable Mat & Powercube.

Verdict

The $79 Duracell myGrid Charging Pad conveniently eliminates the clutter of having multiple chargers, but between the complicated setup and long charge time, serious gadget freaks won't be all that impressed.