• EBL 3.7V Li-ion Rechargeable Batteries — 3000 mAh
• Kiminors 3.7V 18650 Rechargeable Battery — 3200 mAh

Our recommended 18650 battery charger: XTAR VC2

About 18650 Batteries

What are the advantages of 18650 batteries? They are 3.7-volt lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged and are compatible with a wide range of electronics, including laptops, digital cameras, flashlights, and even electric car batteries.

Panasonic, Sanyo, Samsung, and LG are the top level 18650 cell manufacturers, making long lasting cells in a standard size (18 mm by 65 mm) that fits all 18650 compatible devices. Chinese knockoffs are available for cheaper but are prone to shorter lifespans and aren’t always uniform in size. As a rule, be wary of “protected” 18650 batteries, which have small circuit boards at the bottom that do not fit some electronics, such as flashlights.

High-drain batteries are safer and designed for high current devices, such as vaporizers. They are also less wasteful, meaning they have a longer life cycle and can last for more recharges.

18650 Battery Chargers

The best part about 18650 batteries is that they can be recharged. That means you will need a reliable charger to keep them energized and in working order. I like the XTAR VC2 charger because it has an informative LCD screen display.

The LCD screen tells you the real mAh capacity of your batteries, so you can make sure they are getting the advertised amount of fill or identify when they are losing efficiency.

The post The Best 18650 Batteries appeared first on Reactual.

Brightest Bike Light: Niterider Pro 3600 Lumen Light

The Niterider 3600 Pro is a 3600 lumen light made in the USA. This light has two chambers, and each chamber contains three Cree XML LED bulbs.

Niterider have a great reputation, and I’ve found their lights to be very durable — they’ve survived a few falls onto pavement from my bike.

This light is very bright and projects a wide beam hundreds of feet. A unique feature of this light is the included DIY software, which allows you to customize the settings it to your needs.

Brightest Bike Light With Built In Battery

Note that the light’s beam is just too bright to use in an urban area, unless you greatly step down the intensity! If you feel you’ll be doing this, you might consider the 1800 Lumen Niterider or the 1200 lumen Niterider.

The post The Brightest Bike Light appeared first on Reactual.

Currently, the best rechargeable C-size battery is the ELB 5000 Battery. A pack of 6 costs $24.

About C-Size Batteries

Although they are no longer as popular as they used to be, C-size batteries are one of the most common alkaline batteries today. They have kept the same dimensions (50 millimeters by 26.2 millimeters) since 1926 and are used in medium-drain electronics such as toys and instruments. Disposable 1.5V alkaline dominated the C battery market for years due to its high capacity and long shelf life.

Rechargeable C-size batteries are rapidly gaining marketshare over their throw-away counterparts, thanks to crucial technological advances within the past decade. Instead of alkaline, they are using 1.2V Nickel-Metal Hydride Chemistry (NiMH) that allows for greater capacity that doesn’t atrophy after long stretches of inactivity. Whereas in the past rechargeable batteries would drain by themselves via discharge even when they weren’t in use, they now retain up to 85% of their charge capacity for months at a time. No more pulling out a rarely used flashlight the night before a camping trip only to find that the charge has evaporated in your garage.

Of all the rechargeable batteries on the market, ELB offers the best C-size battery. The 1.2V NiMH cells have a 5000mAh capacity, almost as much as the standard 8000mAh of disposable alkaline batteries and much higher than other NiMH cells, and close to the capacity of a lithium cell.

For a charger, I recommend the Maha PowerEx MH-C808M. This smart device can charge 9 C-size batteries at a time.

The post The Best Rechargeable C-Size Batteries appeared first on Reactual.

The Best Overall Charger: The Maha Smart Charger

Maha’s Smart Charger can charge any combination of 1 to 8 batteries. You can mix and charge AA, AAA, C, and D sized cells simultaneously on individual charging circuits.

Each battery size also has its own fixed contact charging points (i.e., not a spring). An LCD display shows the charging and conditioning status of each rechargeable battery.

Maha’s chargers can restore batteries to optimal performance by repeatedly charging and discharging them.

It also has intelligent charging technology and overcharge protection.

It is available from Amazon for around $40.

The Most Affordable: The Maximal Power FC999 Universal Rapid Charger

The Maximal Power FC999 Universal Rapid Charger is versatile and reliable. It has a microprocessor to intelligently monitor and control the charging cycle in each charging port for overcharge and short-circuit protection.

It is capable of charging a wide range of batteries, namely: AA, AAA, C, D, N, 9V, Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride), Ni-CD (Nickel Cadmium), RAM (Rechargeable Alkaline Manganese), and even Alkaline (previously Non-Rechargeable).

It’s available on Amazon for about $30

The post The Best Battery Chargers (For D and C Size Batteries) appeared first on Reactual.

PowerEx MH-C808M “Ultimate Professional” Charger

The MH-C808M charger by Maha can charge any combination of 1 to 8 batteries. You can mix and charge AA, AAA, C and D sized cells at the same time on individual charging circuits. Each battery size also has its own fixed contact charging points (i.e. not a spring). An LCD display shows charging and conditioning status of each rechargeable battery.

Maha’s chargers can restore batteries to their optimal performance level by repeatedly charging and discharging them. It also has intelligent charging technology and overcharge protection. It comes with an international AC adapter, and short-circuit protection.

The PowerEx MH-C808M is available from Amazon for around $90.

PowerEx MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger

The PowerEx MH-C9000 charger is now our pick for an inexpensive battery charger. This charger has four independent slots for AA or AAA NiMH or NiCd batteries. It can provide charging current from 200 to 1000mA for 4 cells, or up to 1800mA for two cells. Just like the Maha Ultimate Professional charger, each battery is independently charged. It also features battery analysis and refresh functions.

Under testing, this charger has proven itself to be superior to the LaCrosse charger (our previous recommendation) — see the Amazon reviews for the MH-C9000 for more information.

The PowerEx MH-C9000 is available at Amazon for about $50

LaCrosse Technology BC-1000 Alpha Battery Charger

The LaCrosse Alpha BC-1000 Charger has sophisticated monitoring circuitry that controls the charging process, and it is also capable of “reconditioning” batteries by running a series of discharge-recharge cycles.

The charger shows battery voltage and charge status on its digital display. It has four separate charge channels so you can charge one, two three or four batteries at a time – even on individual charge programs. This allows you to test one battery while charging the others. It comes with four AA and four AAA batteries, four battery adapters (which convert AA sized battery to C and D sizes) and a carry case. Note, however, if you want to charge C or D size batteries, you’ll want to get the Ansmann chargers below.

Available from Amazon:

• LaCrosse BC-700 Charger – $36
• LaCrosse BC-1000 Alpha Charger – $60 (same as the BC-700 but includes four AA  & AAA cells, plus the four C + D-cell converters)

The post The Best Serious Battery Chargers appeared first on Reactual.

HooToo updated its popular line of iPhone flash drives earlier this summer to incorporate the speed of USB 3.0 and improve design. The HT-IM003 model is housed in a durable aluminum alloy case and wins out in terms of functionality and design.

It’s slim, sleek, and sturdy. It weighs just a quarter of an ounce and is about 2″ long. On one end sits the standard USB 3.0 drive, with the lightning end on the other. This time around the lightning connected is protected by a cap that is attached by a key-ring. The connector is extended by 4mm which is just enough to work around thick protective cases. That’s a pretty important function, as it’s a pain in the ass to take off a phone case every time you want to use your device.

USB drives are not known for their fast speeds. But USB 3.0 technology gives the HooToo a significant boost over previous models. The drive hits 80 MB/s read and 30 MB/s write speeds on USB 3.0, with some user benchmarks surpassing advertised speeds. That’s good enough to transfer a full HD movie in less than a minute. Unfortunately, lightning port speeds are still stuck in the dark ages, with top read speeds of 30 MB/s and write speeds of 10 MB/s. That means moving large amounts of data from your Apple device to the drive will take a while, but still much faster than uploading to the cloud or sending via email.

HooToo uses a free app called iPlugmate to work on your device. The app has a simple interface that automatically segregates your files based into pics, music, videos, etc. It supports most common file types, including wav, mp3, avi, mkv, doc, pdf, and ppt. You can stream your files directly from iPlugmate while it is attached, which frees up valuable storage on your device. The app lacks any security features, which is disappointing.

Best 2-in-1 iPhone USB Drive: RAVPower Charging Cable

HooToo just released the RAVPower Charging Cable, a 64GB external storage device that doubles as a charging device. It’s the perfect 2-in-1 plug-in for viewing high-usage content like HD videos and picture slideshows.

The RAVPower cable delivers transfers files at a similar clip to the External Storage stick. That means the USB 3.0 port gets 80 MB/s 30MB/s, while the lightning port chugs along at 30 MB/s read and 10 MB/s write. It also operates on the iPlugmate app, which lets you stream most common file types directly from the drive.

The design differs in a couple ways. First, the metal USB 3.0 and lightning ports are connected by a soft rubber cord. This 5 inch long device is flexible, with no unwieldy clip. While the design is convenient, both ports are uncapped. This opens the possibility of them snapping in a purse or briefcase, which is a disadvantage compared to the standard drive. But its functionality as a charger offsets this restriction.

The post The Best USB Drive For iPhones/iPads appeared first on Reactual.

You can take a picture of your friends sliding into the ocean at Citta del Mare (southern Italy), using the Olympus TG-4 Waterproof Camera.

You can use your Swimbud Waterproof Headphones while swimming outside the Hotel Piccolo Portofino in Italy.

You can listen to jams near the ocean at the Rockhouse in Jamaica, using Ultimate Ears UE Boom (portable waterproof speakers).

You can charge your gadgets next to the pool at the Frechman’s Reef Hotel in St Thomas with a Unifun Waterproof External Battery.

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The post The Best Waterproof Gear For The Summer appeared first on Reactual.

The Details

Portable electronics are only as useful as their battery life. If you get caught away from a power outlet with a low charge and no external power source then it doesn’t much matter what other specs your device has. But an answer is out there. Portable chargers are an inexpensive and convenient answer to one of the modern world’s little frustrations. They are ideal for vacationers, business travelers, and just about anyone who is worried that their cell phone or tablet might not make it through a full day of extensive use.

But what should you look for in a portable charger? It depends on what you need. If that need is to simultaneously charge multiple devices, veer toward high capacity chargers.

The capacity of a battery is expressed in milliampere-hour (mAh), a unit of electric charge  that measures power delivered over discharge interval. The higher the mAh, the larger the charging capacity. A 3000 mAh portable charger will charge an iPhone 6 once. A 20000 mAh charger will fill the phone 7 times.

Lower mAh batteries will recharge a device quicker than their high capacity competitors, so go with them if you prize speed over quantity. They also are smaller and lighter because they have less cells.

Ruggedized and waterproof options are also available for those who need to recharge their phone or tablets on the beach.

Ultimately, try and strike a balance between value, portability, durability, capacity and speed.

Best Overall Portable Charger: Intocircuit External Battery

Durable, compact, easy-to-use and lighting fast, Intocircuit’s portable charger is the best all around external power source on the market. It has Samsung Grade A Lithium-ion cells that supply over 1000 lifetime charges.

This is the best balance between charge capacity and speed. It is rated at 15000mAh, which is enough to charge an iPhone 5S 7 times. The 4.8 dual USB output is 2.4A per port, as well as a respectably fast input of 5V/2A.

We also appreciate the brushed metal exterior, which provides the lithium ion battery cells with better protection. Since it uses a material that is more durable than the standard thick plastic, it has increased portability.

The Intocircuit also has smart technology that automatically detects what device charges at and adapts to maximum speed, so you don’t need to worry about cross-referencing your device with the correct USB charger. LED lights also indicate how much charge is left in the battery, eliminating some of the annoying guess work.

The Intocircuit External Battery is available on Amazon for around $37.

Best High Capacity Charger: MMSA Power Bank

MMSA Power Bank has 20,000mAh of charge, which is enough to refill an iPhone 6 7 times and a Samsung Galaxy S5 5 times. It has a 5V/1A input and an impressive four USB outputs, enough to charge the whole family’s portable electronics at once.

This is also quite a bit lighter than other 20k batteries on the market. High capacity chargers tend to run on the heavy side, because they house larger batteries than their smaller counterparts. High capacity chargers also are slower, but this is one of the faster ones on the market. Still expect it to take a 5-10 hours before you get a full charge on most phones and tablets.

The MMSA Power Bank is available on Amazon for around $35.

Best Hyperspeed Charger: Patriot Fuel

If want one device charged fast, use a hyperspeed charger. Look at a charger’s output to determine how fast it can charge your portable device. A 1A (5W) charger is the slowest, 2A (10W) cuts the charge rate in half and a 2.5A (12.5W) charge is one of the fasted currently available. Recharge speeds also depend on the cord. Newer Apple devices are outfitted with lightning charging cords and some Android devices work with Turbo chargers.

The Patriot Fuel is outfitted with a 2.5A USB output for hyperspeed charging. It has a 9000mAh capacity and two USB ports (1A and a 2.5A). It has a built in self-monitoring system to prevent under or over charging and to optimize charging efficiency. It can get smartphones back to full charge in around 1 hour. It also comes with a 2 year warranty.

The Patriot Fuel charger is available on Amazon for around $25.

Best Waterproof Charger: Unifun Waterproof External Battery

This dustproof, waterproof and rugged charger is perfect for use in the great outdoors. It is IP66 waterproof rated, which means it is totally dust-proof and protected against string water jets and waves. The 10,400mAh lithium polymer core provides up to 1,000 lifetime charges, and each charge will refill an iPhone 4 times. It has 2 USB outputs.

Rechare your iPhone 6 Plus 5S, 5C 4 4S, iPad Air/iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy S5 S4 S3, Google Nexus 7, cameras, and tablets at the ski lodge, on the beach, poolside, camping, at a construction site, or in the desert with this durable and waterproof portable charger.

The Unifun Waterproof External Battery is available on Amazon for around $17.

The post Portable Chargers With Longest Battery Life 2016 appeared first on Reactual.