Ergonomics and Design
Ecosol says that the Powerstick is ergonomically designed. It seems that manufacturers can get away with that statement with just about any product these days. I guess the slight curvature in the Powerstick’s profile earns it that privilege. While larger than most USB flash drives these days, I’d say that the Ecosol Powerstick has about the same proportions as the Corsair Padlock USB drive. The industrial black and silver motif works quite well, but don’t expect this to win any fashion awards.
The USB connector is protected by a clear cap, but I found it very unfortunate that there is nowhere to stow this cap when you are charging the Powerstick. It would have been very nice if the cap could just stick into the other end or something. Maybe Ecosol could have taken the sliding USB approach and ditch the cap altogether. Whatever the case, I have the feeling that most people are going to lose the cap within the first little while.
You’ll notice that there is a fuel gauge on the Powercell. This helps you see exactly how much juice you have left. The display stays off until you press the single button, which is also used to “activate” the charging process. The jack at the other end, which looks almost like a 3.5mm audio jack, is where the various adapters can be inserted.
Conclusion
Priced at about $70, the Powerstick Universal Portable Charger by Ecosol is not exactly the cheapest solution on the block. At the same time, it’s probably one of the most universal solutions, offering you no fewer than nine adapters (my box had 10 for some reason). The battery tops up fairly quickly and it can pump out the power at a reasonable pace as well. Usability and portability are good, assuming that you don’t need to carry all the adapters with you all the time.
My two primary complaints regarding the Ecosol Powerstick are that the internal battery has a relatively capacity and there is no USB cap management system. If Ecosol addresses these two concerns (and lowers the price a bit), they could have a pretty decent product. It would be even better to throw in a free USB wall adapter so the Powerstick can be charged through a regular outlet too.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Plenty of adapters for universal charging
- Fuel gauge is kitschy, but useful
Cons
- No USB cap management
- Relatively low 750 mAh max capacity
- Kind of expensive
Overall Rating: 7.0/10
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