Sharge: The Revolution in Power Accessories
The drawer next to my office desk looks like a graveyard, littered with dark, plain chargers, cables, and power banks. However, few have tried to reinvent the wheel for power accessories. So it’s no surprise, then, that while they have become more powerful, they look and work the same way they did when I bought my first computer ages ago.
Over the last few weeks, however, I’ve had more strangers come up to me and ask me about the power brick I was using than ever before. As it turns out, there’s one company doing things very differently: Sharge.
Here’s what makes the Chinese brand’s accessories so compelling.
The Ultimate Power Bank
Sharge’s power accessories keep pace with the endless design revolutions the devices they power have undergone. Of the three I’ve been testing lately, the Retractable 3-in-1 10,000mAh Power Bank particularly stands out. It pays homage to the iconic Braun Audio 300, cleverly repurposing the usual charging components to mimic the classic turntable’s design.
The top half of the sleek, white brick, for example, is housed in a glass enclosure. Underneath, on one side, a round retractable cable represents the player’s platter, while a power button is meant to recreate its controls and knobs. The flat, clean surface next to the cable also houses a little LED dot-matrix screen that displays the power bank’s charge. As the name suggests, this isn’t just a power bank, either. The other half functions as a traditional power brick, featuring foldable plug prongs on the bottom and an additional USB-C output port.
It goes beyond aesthetics, too. Some of the little details Sharge has paid attention to offer practical solutions to common charging pain points, like the flat, 27-inch retractable cable, which never tangles, and the attached lanyard, which makes carrying it around easier.
It’s far from perfect, however. The Sharge 3-in-1 is at least twice as thick as most 10,000mAh power banks, and that often deterred me from sliding it in my pockets on nightouts. Plus, the extra bulk also means that sometimes when you plug it into a wall outlet, it can fall out a bit, loosening the connection, and even pause charging. Unlike my standard, dark brick of a power bank that has taken countless tumbles over the years, I was scared of dropping Sharge’s 3-in-1 as well, especially given the glass enclosure. Lastly, the output maxes out at 30W, so while it can top up your tablet and phone simultaneously, it’s not compatible with laptops.
A Groovy Fast Charger
The Sharge accessory that did end up in my day-to-day travel essentials is the Pixel 140 wall adapter. Like the retractable power bank, this also draws inspiration from a vintage design – in this case, the Braun T3 Radio.
In that spirit, one side of the adapter features speaker-like grilles, but as opposed to the radio’s music output, it reimagines them as a dot-matrix screen. When turned on, it acts as a funky CRT and shows you the ports’ real-time power output.
There are two buttons next to that: an orange one (an ode to the radio’s orange-themed lettering) that you can use to cycle between the current power output of the three ports, and another to switch up the display text’s orientation. You don’t have to worry about plugging it in a certain way just to get text that’s readable.
The Pixel 140 has been a joy to operate and watch at my bedside, and the good news is that it can go toe-to-toe with the hardware of its traditional counterparts. It has a 5th-generation GaN chip and supports an output of up to 140W. It gets distributed when you plug into multiple ports, but even with all three firing, you can fast-charge a laptop and two phones or tablets (67W:30W:30W). The folding pins coupled with 5th-gen GaN have also allowed Sharge to pack it all in a surprisingly compact form factor, while offering ample space between each USB-C slot.
A Unique Ultra-Compact Power Bank
The third accessory I had a chance to try is the Flow Mini 2, a stylish, mini portable charger that almost becomes an extension of your phone.
It’s no bigger than a camera film roll and has a unique, transparent outer shell that immediately stands out from similarly-sized power banks. I also like that because of its cylindrical, ribbed shape, it’s comfortable to grip, and doesn’t overheat if you’re using your phone while it’s plugged in.
Sharge has made the most of the Flow Mini 2’s size with a couple of thoughtful design elements. Its USB-C port is modular, and you can swap it out for, say, the included Lightning one instead. There’s an additional USB-C cable attached to it, which doubles as a lanyard. On the front, you’ll find a nicely tactile orange key that lights up the power indicator LEDs.
It has a 5000mAh capacity and delivers power at a maximum of 22.5W, making it ideal for quickly topping up most smartphones.
With all three of these accessories, Sharge has proven that you can make stylish, retro-inspired accessories that don’t compromise on performance. Next time you’re in the market for a power bank or fast charger, consider skipping the generic options and going for one of these instead.
