The Mogix 10,400 Portable Power Bank is an external battery charger with dual USB outputs, that lets charge your devices on the go, two at a time.

The charger arrives in the box fully charged, which is a nice touch. It’s sleek black design is simple, yet stylish. Measuring 5.3′ x 3′ x .5′ (13.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 1.25 cm), and weighing in at just 6.5 ounces, it’s not much bigger than a cell phone, and quite a bit smaller than most comparable power banks.

The power outputs are 2.5 and 2.1 amps, which is quite a bit slower than plugging your device directly into the wall. (My phone flashes me a “Slow Charge” warning each time I plug it into the Mogix.)

The input is unspecified, but is probable only 1 amp, as it charges very slowly. The official website claims that it takes 10 hours or more to fully charge it, if the battery is fully depleted.

It has a convenient LED light display that tells you how much charge is left: four lights is full, three lights is 75 percent, and so on. There’s a button you press to check the charge level, so the lights don’t need to stay on all the time. It’s also designed to turn itself when not in use, so you don’t waste power by accidentally leaving it on.

The Mogix seems to have plenty of power. After using it to charge my phone and my son’s tablet a couple of times, it still has about 50 percent charge. For most people, it would be more than enough to get you through a long drive, or a weekend at the lake, even if you have a few devices in use.

And being able to plug in two at a time can be a lifesaver for parents!

If you’re more than just the “average user” – i.e. one of those people on your phone 24/7 – the Mogix could still come in very handy, quadrupling your battery life so you’re free to roam, not chained to a wall socket.

It’s small size and light weight makes it highly portable, easily fitting in your purse or the pouch of your backpack. But it’s just a bit too big to carry comfortably in your pocket. Mogix offers another, smaller “slim fit” model – but it has only one output and half the power. The slimmer size isn’t worth the loss of power, or the dual charging capability (which is my favorite feature, and the main selling point).

The bottom line: the Mogix power bank is an attractive and affordable way to extend the life of your phone and other devices. It is lighter, slimmer and sleeker than other power banks with comparable features, while the price ($22.99) is still competitive.

But how useful is it? That depends.

How many electronic devices do you use every day? Cell phone, tablet, digital camera, not to mention your partner, your kids, and their phones and tablets. Most of these devices are equipped with a battery that lasts all day – with light usage.

But with our increasingly connected and digitally dependent lifestyle, most of us use our devices for texting, calling, GPS, emails, Web browsing, updating social media, finding a restaurant, and on and on.

That’s not light usage. And your favorite devices won’t last long under that kind of abuse.

If you are constantly on your smartphone, and away from home all day lone, or if you have multiple devices that get used a lot while on the go, then the Mogix might just be your new best friend.

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