REVIEWED: Innergie LifeHub three-way USB hub
Super-quick, but cumbersome USB hub will appeal to power-users and gadget addicts
Walk around any airport in the world, and we guarantee that you will find a cluster of travellers standing or sitting on the floor near spare power outlets, greedily filling their phones with an extra few percent for an upcoming flight. If that’s you and/or your family, this made this-for-three USB power hub could be just the ticket.
Three metre cable
The Innergie LifeHub is a simple product. A droplet-shaped, palm-sized product with three USB slots, it’s connected to a power socket by a 3m long cable. Each of those USB slots is fitted with a 2.1-amp, so they’re able to recharge any tablet computer. The other upside of the 2.1-amp is that a smartphone can be recharged at twice the rate (at about 2% a minute if you leave the device alone).
Extra clutter
However, as useful as the Innergie LifeHub may be, it does come with a lot of clutter. As well as a 3m-long cable – hardly the stuff of travel dreams but very convenient (especially in hotel rooms with wall sockets are long way from the bedside table) – there’s a yo-yo cable-tidy (called a CableCradle Manager) to wind it all up on, a power pack and, on our sample, a European two-pin plug. Hmm. It all weighs about 305g.
Lacks a battery
Fast charging and conveniently long cables are one thing, but the Innergie LifeHub needs another feature, perhaps a built-in battery or something that gives it something extra for travellers. It also needs a soft bag to live in when not in use – without it the LifeHub can dominate a carry-on bag. We’re also slightly concerned about the name ‘LifeHub’, which implies that life is now about sitting around in groups of three playing with smart devices. If that’s the way you travel, it’s probably time to reappraise rather buy extra cabling.
Power-user appeal
Travel, just as life in general, is becoming more and more dominated by smartphones and tablets for many people. However, most solo travellers and couples will find much better, smaller and hugely more space-saving ways to keep charged while on the go than the Innergie LifeHub. However, families, power-users and those wiling to pack more stuff for an easy life on holiday might find the Innergie LifeHub a useful addition to a gadget arsenal.