Like many of you I use my iPod everyday, whether I’m walking around campus or commuting to work I always have those infamous white buds hanging out of my ears. In fact I use my iPod so much I find myself constantly draining the battery, especially on the newer iPod’s like the touch which sport a large bright display. So when I stumbled upon Energizer’s Energi To Go, which allowes you to charge your iPod on the go, it peaked my interest.

The Energi To Go is a small like dongle that attaches to the iPods proprietary 30 pin connector found underneath most iPods.

It is very straight forward to use and the connector is adjustable to fit practically any iPod. Energizer even offers a short video demonstration on their website. You can also find a more in depth list of features here. It is marketed towards use with 4th and 5th gen iPods, 1st and 2nd gen Nano’s and Apple’s long forgotten Mini; however with my tests I was able to have it work with the new Nano with video and iPod Touch.

This little device is perfect for people who travel a lot, go camping or to the cottage, commute to work, or find they are not alway near a computer or outlet to charge their iPod.

The way it works is that the dongle holds 2 AA batteries which is what powers the actual iPod. In my tests I got 2 full charges of my iPod touch, and about 4 charges on my Nano. Users with older iPods could expect between 2-4 charges depending on the model. A complete charge should take between 2-3 hours.

The Energi To Go not only allows you to charge your iPod but also offer a secondary source of power for extended play. Full sized iPod can expect around 32 hours of total play, while Nano users can get up to 46 hours of total play. One important thing to note here is that these numbers are measured using Energizer’s e² Lithium batteries; which do in fact make all the difference. I used a pair of cheap, no name batteries with the Energi To Go as well and they simply did not cut it, so for best results look to some of the higher end batteries.

I only have one small complaint with the unit. I find it slightly bulky if I want to use it while playing. If you are like me and are constantly changing what you are doing, like checking your email and switching music, than attaching it to your iPod may prove to be cumbersome. However If you toss it in a bag or pocket than you may not run into any problems. I found it most useful to use it as a charger, so that when I needed my iPod, it would be fully charged and ready to go, without using a computer or wall outlet.

This summer my Energi To Go will be used constantly as I plan to travel Europe and will be on the move taking planes, trains and automobiles where charging my iPod would normally not be an option. Overall I found the Energi To Go to be a solid and very useful little gadget. US residents should be able to find it at major retailers, while Canadian residents should keep an eye out as it’s launching this month at a suggested retail price of $29.99.

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Paul is Altgn's token Canadian. When he's not oogling over electronics and Apple he's probably out drinking beer, eating beaver tails, riding moose, watching the leaf game or all the above.
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