Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger reviewed: a day-to-day must have

One of the year’s best gadgets so far is one you won’t see coming, thanks in part to just how useful it is. What is Belkin’s Hybrid Wall Charger, and why will you want to take it everywhere?

We’re perpetually excited by the latest technology, but sometimes we’re surprised by the little ideas that make a big difference.

In a world where phones don’t often make a full day of battery life, especially a few months into ownership, it’s not unusual to expect that you’ll need to bring a wall charger or a power bank everywhere you go. After all, keeping your phone powered is important, because your life is likely on that device.

It’s your connection to the world, and it includes your contacts, your email, your web access, your entertainment, your way to navigate the world and your way to pay for things. Keeping it powered and working is a priority, and so carrying the right accessories and peripherals to keep it working means a power bank or a wall charger.

But what if it could be both? With Belkin’s latest gadget, you can do just that, and it might just be the gadget to keep in your bag at all times.

What is the Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger with Power Bank?

Belkin’s names have always been long and detailed, and the same is true of this one, which largely says what it is once you get past the branding.

Simply put, this is both a charger and a power bank, with the unit offering two USB ports (Type A and Type C) inside of a brick that houses a 5000mAh battery and the circuitry to charge devices directly. You’ll also find international adaptors in the box, with four international plugs, plus a USB-C cable, handy for today’s devices.

The charger offers 25W charging when plugged into a wall, but switches back to 20W when it’s a power bank using the 5K bank inside.

What does it do?

The idea is certainly simple enough, as well: plug the BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger into a wall when you want to charge two devices and you have a port, but then when you don’t lean on the small power bank inside.

There’s a little more to this charger than regular models, and frankly we’re surprised we’ve not seen something like this sooner.

Does it do the job?

With 25W of power on offer as a wall plug across two ports, it means Belkin’s BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger can handle two phones, or even a phone and a tablet, handy if you happen to carry both. You may be able to use it with a laptop, but the speed of charging will likely be slower.

As you charge your devices using your cable, the power bank inside is also getting recharged, essentially killing two birds with one stone.

When you’re not near a power plug, the built-in power bank is a handy way to top up your phone’s battery life, and theoretically anything else that supports the power delivery PD3.0 standard.

There are a few LED dots at the bottom acting as a power meter for the battery itself, not to mention a button for you to see how much life is left, and you simply just need to plug in your devices to get that boost of battery. It couldn’t be any easier.

Don’t expect the 5K power bank to be useful when charging a laptop, though.

In testing, we found that while it will connect and even show a recharge cycle is happening, both the 20W output maximum and limited amount of power in the bank means your laptop probably won’t benefit remarkably. Rather, you might want to rely on a meatier power bank for laptops.

What does it need?

That’s one thing Belkin could add or change for the next version, with a larger power bank for folks who want a laptop charger to also come with a battery.

But aside for a little more power — which would be super handy for travellers keen to charge more than just their phones — we think it needs a pouch in the box.

It’s a small addition, of course, and one you could probably go without, simply loading the BoostCharge combo charger and bank in a part of your luggage where accessories and peripherals normally go, but a little pouch would be handy, if only to bring together the extra international travel plugs it comes with.

Is it worth your money?

But priced at $119.95 in Australia, we have to say that absolutely yes, the Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger is totally worth the money, simply because of what it provides.

In one pack, you can charge two devices using a 25W power adaptor from a wall, and also recharge a phone when no power port is nearby using a fast charging 20W maximum.

It’s clever.

Yay or nay?

It’s so clever, that the Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger with a 5K power bank inside is an easy recommendation.

We’re left asking ourselves “why hasn’t anyone made this sooner”, because it makes so much sense. Why carry a small power bank and a wall charger for your devices when they could just be the same device.

This just makes so much sense. It’s a day-to-day must have that we’ll be keeping with us all the time. Laptop owners will likely need a little more, sure, but folks relying on their phone will love this combo. Highly recommended.