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Provides: Interchangeable simultaneous charging of up three devices
Developer: IDAPT
Minimum Requirements: 110v wall outlet, compatible digital devices
Price: $49.99 (the IDAPT I2 model is available for $34.99)
Availability: Out now

The IDAPT I3 is a great idea, as any family with more than one family member will tell you. With different people come different personal digital devices, and those devices need to be charged. You’re likely not hurting for wall outlets, but they’re not always convenient to access. And then there are the cables that frequently get misplaced. And what goes to what? Is this a Game Boy Advance charger cable? Do we even still have a Game Boy Advance?

The IDAPT looks to solve cable confusion and clean up your countertops by providing a single unit that conveniently and cleanly charges most of the popular devices you use on a daily basis. It measures about 4.3” deep by 6.6” wide by 1.2” high, and sits snugly on a countertop or desk with four wide, rubber feet to hold it in place. The back side contains the on/off switch and a power socket for the adapter, but these present a couple minor problems with the I3.

First, there’s nothing on the device to indicate when the power is on. You’ll want to conserve electricity by leaving it off when you’re not actively charging anything, so it’d be nice to have an LED light to indicate when juice is flowing. It wasn’t uncommon for us to sit our devices on the tips and then walk away without even seeing that the device is off and nothing is being charged. I’m told this is being addressed in future models.

Second, the power cord is quite long, which is great if you need it. In my case the I3 sat less than a foot under its outlet, so I’m still stuck with wrapped up cables lying on the counter. Either including a shorter cable or providing a tuck-away area in the unit would solve this issue.

It’s the interchangeable tips, however, that make the IDAPT models so useful, so let’s shift focus to that. The unit ships with six tips: iPod/iPhone, mini USB, micro USB, Sony Ericsson 2, Samsung 4 and Nokia 2. The number of tips you can add to this is pretty impressive (visit idaptweb.com for currently available tips). I added Nintendo DSi, and should have added the AA/AAA battery, too.

To use the tips, you simply push them into their socket until they latch in place. To release them, push the buttons on each side until they pop out. They sit securely, although the whole unit itself feels a bit flimsy. The plastic (available in black (more of a charcoal gray), pink, silver and white) isn’t quite as nice or heavy as it looks in the photos, making the unit seem cheap, but it does the job nonetheless.

There are two more things I don’t like about the I3, neither of which are deal breakers. First, the included tips are an odd mix, and it’s unlikely you’ll use more than two of them. I’ll never have any use for Sony, Samsung or Nokia tips, for example, and currently don’t for the USB tips. Considering my household has two iPhones and two iPods, however, I’d love for there to be an Apple version boxed and ready to go with multiple iPod/iPhone tips prepackaged (additional tips run $9.99 plus shipping). If you buy the IDAPT I3 online, you can custom order four total tips (instead of prepackaging six) to get exactly what you want for the same price, or go up to 10 prepackaged tips for $64.99).

Second, it makes me nervous when my iPhone is standing up with only the dock connector for support (don’t even think of charging an iPad with this). Because of the interchangeable nature of the device, I get that IDAPT couldn’t put any support behind the tips, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…I’ll just have to place it where it’s unlikely anyone will bump into it. Also, although IDAPT provides plenty of room between tips, that doesn’t mean they’ll always sit well on the device. As you can see in my photo below, the DS tends to weigh down a bit on one side, and wouldn either hang off the edge or bump into the other tip in the back row.

But I’m a fan of the IDAPT I3 despite these complaints. Fact of the matter is that it’s the most robust and convenient method of charging multiple devices I’ve ever tried. It cleans up clutter, and it’s easy to use. More importantly, it’s likely to grow with you. As you get new devices, you can simply add new tips…provided IDAPT supports them (I’m still waiting on a Nintendo DSi XL tip). Until then, I’m sure there’s another outlet I can use somewhere in this house.