Keeping all your devices powered up as you while away a long car journey is easy. Read our Lumsing 70W Extended Socket & USB Charger review to see how you can simultaneously power your satnav, smartphone, tablet and more. Also see the best portable USB chargers. The problem with every member of the family whiling away long journeys on their smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, portable DVD players, consoles and more is that as soon as the batteries run dry the screams of “Are we there yet?” start. With only one 12V socket (cigarette lighter socket) available from which to both charge your devices and power the satnav, someone’s going to lose out. Lumsing’s solution to the problem not only offers a 2100mAh USB output for charging your phone, tablet and other USB-connected devices, such as a camera, but splits your single 12V socket into three, with a total output of up to 70W available. I can plug in my satnav, my travel straighteners and the 12V- to 5V USB adaptor I used to need to charge my smartphone. Now I have a spare USB socket for my tablet, too. Or someone else’s phone, if they’re lucky. This Luming socket splitter is also useful if your 12V socket is in an awkward-to-reach position, serving as a 0.5m extension cable. This might come in handy if the kids in the back want to charge up their devices and continue using them, or even just so you can hide away the device if you find its bright LED distracting when driving at night. Sticky pads on the bottom of the device let you secure it in place so it doesn’t fly around the car as you boot it off at the next junction. The Lumsing socket splitter feels sturdy and well made, although the plastic casing is easy to scratch. Our review sample came in white; this 12V car charger is also available (and looks much cooler) in black or red. It didn’t get hot in our tests, and it did exactly as we asked of it. There’s very little here not to like, especially at this price. Read more about car tech and accessories over on Tech Advisor. Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
