GoPower for Apple watch cuts the cords

It’s not often that I open one of my packages on the doorstep, but since I had an idea of what was inside, I was eager to see the Kanex portable Apple Watch charger. Up to this point, portable chargers I’ve seen for the smart watch are basically caddies to store your charging cable that came with the device.

Kanex refers to its GoPower Watch charger as the “first cordless portable charger for Apple Watch,” which is what caught my attention. True to their word, it is portable (3.07-by-3.22-by-1.0 inches) with no need for any Apple Watch charging cable, theirs or yours. Just lay your watch on top of the battery, which has the charging plate just like on the end of the Apple Watch charging cable.

The system has an internal 4,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which should charge the watch up to six times. In addition, there’s a 1A USB port for connecting your own cable to charge a smart phone. They can be used simultaneously. There’s an LED indicator on the front and the battery itself is charged with a microUSB cable.

A great internal feature called smart priority charging allows you to connect your watch for charging while the battery itself is hooked up to be charged. This pass-through technology gets your devices charged and then works on the battery power. The portable charger is Apple MiFi certified, allowing you to expect quality performance and reliability for charging all Apple Watches.

kanex.com, $99.95

BLUETOOTH EARBUDS

With Apple removing the headphone jack from its iPhone 7, Bluetooth earbuds are going to be much more common. Besides cutting the cord connection, another daily chore will be added to users’ lists: charging the Bluetooth earbuds, which typically last for 4 to 5 hours before the battery needs help.

The myCharge PowerGear for earbuds carrying case is a perfectly timed solution for charging the earbuds on-the-go while keeping them safe and easy to find when not in use.

The exterior (4.2-by-3.5-by-0.9 inches) is a hard-shell material, so it will protect the contents while in a pocket or backpack. The interior has a soft fabric lining, so nothing will get scratched while keep the earbuds in place with a friction-fit closure.

A 1000 mAh battery is built into the case to safely charge the ear buds with safe cell technology. Use the built-in microUSB cable to connect from the battery to the earbuds, and then zip the case shut. It’s that simple. Earbud charging is typically pretty quick; in my case, Jabra Sport Bluetooth earbuds took less than an hour.

mycharge.com, $39.99

SMARTPHONE STAND

Your iPhone, Samsung or just about any smartphone or smaller tablet model is sure to work with the Distil Union Stanley Stand.

The leather desktop stand bends to landscape and portrait angle, keeping your charging cable in place in a pass-through slot. There’s not a lot to it besides being incredibly functional and an attractive accessory with a leather and felt exterior surrounding a solid steel-core constructed base.

The steel is bendable, but I found the shape fine right out of the box. A 6-foot USB extension cable is included and is compatible with the USB charging cable your device came with.

distilunion.com, $59.99 and available in aqua, black, brown, gray, lime and red

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 11:01 AM with the headline "GoPower for Apple watch cuts the cords."