Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger comes in a small package.

The top USB port of the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger is what the company refers to as an +IQ USB jack. It automatically detects the power requirements of your smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, digital camera, etc., and safely “fast” charges the connected device with up to 2.1A. The bottom USB port forgoes the extra smarts and simply outputs 1A, which is suitable for smaller smartphones and other modestly sized USB-powered devices, or trickle charging larger devices.

The specs for the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger.

I’m happy to say that the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger has replaced the less feature rich charger (1A max, single USB port) I was using in my car (a Toyota Prius) with my Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Using the Lifeguard charger’s top port, I can say that my iPhone 6 Plus definitely charges noticeably faster, plus there’s the added convenience of the second port being free for when a passenger needs a charge as well. (On a side note, you may ask why I don’t use the car’s USB port. It’s because it’s in a somewhat inconvenient position and I prefer to use my phone over Bluetooth rather than in iPod connectivity mode.)

The 1A, single USB charger I was using was adequate.

The Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger outperforms what I was using while only being marginally larger.

Special thanks to Lifeguard for the review unit.

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The diminutive Lifeguard Mini provides 3000mAh capacity from its Samsung battery (which is rated for more than 800 recharges) with a 5V 1A output. As a point of reference, the 3000mAh battery is slightly higher capacity than that found in large phones like the Apple iPhone 6 Plus and slightly lower capacity than that found in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. That means that even the largest phone can usually be charged to at or near its full capacity within 1.5 to 2.5 hours. A helpful indicator light provides charge status.

Lifeguard Mini size comparison versus an Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

The Lifeguard Mini comes bundled with the device, a manual, and two 5.9″ mini cables: a standard micro USB cable that both charges the Lifeguard Mini itself and can also be used for any other micro USB device (like most Android devices, or devices like the Sony PlayStation 4 controller, which I used for testing) to connect to the Lifeguard Mini, as well as a lightning cable that can both charge and sync (the latter when connected to a computer) for Apple iPhone 5 or newer devices (it works great with my iPhone 6 Plus).

The attractive aluminum shell, available in a variety of colors (mine is Navy Blue), helps with accidental drops, while the 18-month money-back warranty should provide additional peace of mind. From its professional packaging to the quality and size of the device itself, I have no hesitation in recommending the Lifeguard Mini if you’re in the market for a portable power source.

Thanks to +LIFEGUARD for providing the review unit.

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