One of the innovations that our popular 22″ Expandable Rollaboard®, features is on-the-go charging for electronics. The luggage has an external USB port and a dedicated, zippered Power Bank pocket on the side designed to hold a battery pack. This means you can charge your mobile phone or tablet while you’re waiting for your next flight.
You’ll need to provide your own charging cable, which you connect to the external USB port on the back side of the bag, just below the Powerscope extension handle. That port connects, through a hard-wired connector cable inside the bag, to a separate battery pack placed inside the Power Bank pocket.
However, our bags do not come with a charging battery. So what should you consider when purchasing one to drop into the pocket whenever you travel? A wide variety of chargers are available on the market, and each has its own pros and cons. In our opinion, sufficient power for charging multiple devices is the most important consideration when looking to utilize this feature of the luggage.
You want to look for the number of milliamp hours (mAh) the battery has. The higher the number, the longer the battery will last between charges.
So, you’ve purchased the 22″ Expandable Rollaboard and the battery to suit your needs. Here are a few tips for making the most of this feature:
- Be sure to charge the battery once you’ve reached your destination or returned home from your trip.
- Consider purchasing a battery pack that has an “auto sleep” function so that it works only when a device is connected to it. Otherwise, they just drain quickly because they’re on all the time in order to be useful.
- Create a routine to remind you to repack your battery pack once it’s charged. One veteran traveller suggests sticking a baseball or other large and noticeable object in the pocket to remind you to pack the battery before you leave home. The idea is when you see the baseball, you’ll remember why it’s in there, and find the battery.
- Keep the charging cables for the electronics you plan to charge in the suitcase at all times so you don’t find yourself without the necessary cable. Consider keeping one or two dedicated cables in the suitcase so you are never without them.
