The Energizer 180W Cup inverter is a useful little gadget for powering a whole bunch of electronic devices on the go. It's important to be aware of its limitations, but 5 stars for the price and functionality.There have been a bunch of reviews about how this works day-to-day, but since no one has yet discussed the technical aspects of the inverter it's worthwhile reviewing them instead.
First, while there's nothing in the documentation regarding how many amps this puts out, as this is rated 180W it presumably can supply up to 15A between the USB ports and the AC adapter. That's an important number, as most cigarette lighter fuses aren't rated above 15A. This means that this a. won't blow out your car fusebox and b. does have reasonable limits as to what devices can draw from it. However, the AC outlet has enough juice to successfully run most electronics short of something like a laser printer. This also includes a second adapter with direct-to-battery alligator clips if you're so inclined to bypass the cigarette lighter.
Second, the 2.1A draw for the USB ports is shared between all four ports. A 2.1A output on a single port will charge nearly anything quite quickly. However, if you have 4 devices plugged in, you're going to be running at 525 mA per device, which is actually not awful and more or less what USB 2.0 is rated at there are a bunch of nominal 'quick charger' adapters that provide this output. (Keep in mind that some older devices may require trickle charging at 200 mA, which this can't do.) Bottom line is that this will keep most modern devices at fairly stable charge levels while they're plugged in, but if you've drained the battery on 4 separate devices and plug them all in to recharge, it may take a while.
Third, this is a modified sine wave inverter, which at this price point is expected. (Pure sine inverters start at $200 and up.) For almost everything you'll likely plug into this device modified sine wave power is ok; you can't use something like an alarm clock or a drill, and you definitely wouldn't want to plug in very sensitive electronic equipment or an expensive stereo.
Finally, what's important to note about any DC-to-AC inverter with most 12V car batteries is that this is not something that you'll want to run with the engine off if you're going to use it for more than an hour or so. A standard 12V car battery isn't designed to repeatedly discharge to low levels, and doing so will dramatically shorten its life. If you really want to run an inverter off a 12V battery for extended periods of time, you're much better off replacing your lead acid battery with a deep cycle model that's designed to fully discharge. Otherwise, this is best either used for brief periods of time or when your engine is running.
Regarding load capacity, there are limitations even though four USB ports and one AC port are provided. The USB ports are limited to a shared (total) capacity of 2.1 amps. This is okay for cellphones but recent iPads and other tablets may need the full 2.1 amps to charge correctly. The AC outlet specs indicate loads up to 180W continuous and surges up to 360W can be handled. Based on objective reviews of other inverters making similar claims I'd be somewhat dubious until someone does an independent certified test. Energizer provides no data on test conditions (SEE UPDATE BELOW).
Safety features are noteworthy though I haven't tested circuit loading/overheat protection. Under voltage (10.5V) and over voltage (15.5V) circuit cutoffs should protect this unit and your car battery. Despite these you can run down a car battery if not careful. Unit overheat sensors also provide additional protection. The owners booklet contains "Safety Guidelines" and "Warnings and Cautions". Please read them and adhere. These inverters are not toys but serious electrical devices which can damage auto electrical systems and do some serious personal harm.
Overall, I rate this unit Very Good. Very much recommended.
UPDATE 22 May 2013: I now rate this unit FIVE stars and EXCELLENT. I've changed my rating and title but leave the body of my review much unchanged so you can see how fast Energizer responds to customer concerns. I was contacted immediately after posting this review by a very knowledgeable Energizer Customer Support Rep...impressive! He wanted details on the connector issue. Turns out I was not pushing the connector cable into the inverter unit with enough force. Once I did this the connector seated very firmly. I was initially concerned about breaking something...no worry.
We also discussed the max wattage and power specs. I will quote..."Regarding the claims, this inverter was actually tested by a third party lab METLAB, as you will see on the bottom of the unit the label had the MET mark which is in compliance to UL458 for the US and CSA22.2 for Canada." Extensive testing backs up the claim this unit can output 180 Watts continuously for an extended period without overheating.
In summary, I'm impressed with Energizer's quick response and assistance. I'm now even more impressed with my inverter. This is a thoughtfully designed nice piece of equipment which delivers what it promises, but there are limitations. An iPad charger is unlike most other USB chargers in that it delivers 2.1 Amps (or 10.5Watts) in order to properly and promptly charge the device; obviously with this 2.1A charger, an iPad will use up all the available current by itself, making it sort of pointless to plug in other devices simultaneously. I tried this out by plugging an iPad 3, iPad Mini and an iPhone into this unit and watching video on the iPad. While when it started, the devices claimed to be charging, but they quickly figured out they were not and lost the lightning bolt battery icon, or got the "Not Charging" label where the battery typically would be. So, just because you have 4 USB ports, doesn't mean you can charge 4 devices. Far from it. You should be able to charge 4 low power devices simultaneously as standard USB devices draw at most 0.5A apiece.
Installation was quick. It popped right into my Civic's cup holder, and while the power plug was a bit stiff getting into the cigarette lighter port, it did go in with a bit of firmness. Fine for charging multiple cell phones on road trips. I spend a lot of time commuting. Some device is always running out of juice. This Energizer Cup Inverter is an amazing solution. It fits into a cup holder so now I don't have cables draped all over the place. Its 110 outlet charges my computer before I get on a plane and is perfect for devices that have their own special charger (like the Xoom tablet) instead of USB charging. The device has 4 USB charging plugs as well. It has multiple protection circuits to protect it and you car. It is well vented and delivers plenty of juice.
The device not only hits on all cylinders it goes beyond expectations. Energizer includes a separate cable to connect to an external battery. This is perfect for camping and other activities where you can simply plop down a batter and provide electrical power for radios or other devices.
Great product. Great price. Will equip all of my vehicles with it.My inverter is very helpful, for a business person like myself is always on the road, this little toy keeps all my business gadgets charged up at all times of the day. Size is small enough to fit into the cup holder, and it is very easy to use. Thumbs up...
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