When was the last time you got excited about a car charger? Well, it’s hard to remember. Simply because it has never happened. At least, not to me.
I have a built-in USB port in my car, that charges my phone during those long journeys. However, the primary job of that USB port is to accommodate the pen drive loaded with hundreds of songs. Obviously, I have to sacrifice listening to songs, while on a drive, to charge my phone before its battery dies on me. Quite a hassle.
I considered a few car chargers, with single and dual USB ports, and various sizes. Nothing appealed to me for a few good reasons:
- They were not so good-looking
- Prettier ones were expensive, and had only 1 USB port
- Confusing ampere rating that may overload my car’s electrical system
- No value for money (cheap build-quality for the price)
I thought I should be content with that single USB port. Until, ZUS from No NDA Inc., which I got to try recently. In short, I can say that the search for THE car charger ends here.
The ZUS’ package itself was quite good. The ZUS looks like a mini light-saber handle. The ZUS’ build quality is just fantastic! But, that’s not why I like the ZUS for, and there are quite a few I’d like to mention.
The Design
ZUS looks futuristic and well-designed. The all black finish blends well and adds a bit of contrast as well — just to my liking. And, that’s not all. The ZUS is designed in Germany, and conforms to US military standards. What does that have to do with a car charger? Well, I can charge two dissimilar devices, such as, an iPhone and a power-hungry Android phone, and be at peace that it will not melt or catch fire upon electrical overload. It’s rated at 4.8A, and it’s good enough to handle 2 power-hungry devices. It’s difficult to ignore how premium it felt upon holding it in my hand. I think the Titanium coating and German Bayer material should make it durable.
The visual appeal continues when plugged into the car charger port — the built-in LED lights up the ZUS just to the right amount that it paints the 2 USB ports and perforations on the top. Looks really elegant in the dark.
Charging Speed
ZUS’ product page says that the charging speed is 2x. May be this is relative to the other car chargers. I tested it with my iPhone 5S and my wife’s Moto X, and the charging speeds were much better than the respective company’s stock chargers. In my opinion, this exceeds my expectations. Here are the charging times from ZUS product page:
Car locator
ZUS helps you find your car. Once, I forgot to keep a visual cue on where I had parked my car as I was already late for a late night movie. After the movie, I was finding it quite a task to remember where I may have parked my car. It was 2 a.m, and it was a frustrating experience.
ZUS addresses this common issue by storing the car’s location automatically. Of course, you have to download the app on your iPhone or Android and connect via Bluetooth. It’s as simple as that.
The next time you park your car and move away from it, you will get a notification on your phone that the car’s location has been saved. I just checked how the locator works, and it’s quite intuitive. The ZUS app points you in the right direction with an arrow, and also indicates the approximate distance in feet or meters (depending on your preference). NEAT!
I never thought I’d be reviewing a car charger on my blog. ZUS, is one of a kind, and I had to review it.
ZUS has raised about $273,000 via Indiegogo, and will retail at $49. However, it’s now available from Amazon at a teaser price of $29. Just go grab one while you can.
To find out more about ZUS Car Charger and Car Finder visit : http://www.nonda.co/products/nonda-zus-smart-car-charger
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