Ring Mini Power Invertor

When I am working away from home I always find the need to plug something in for charging whilst in the car. With just a cigarette lighter socket available I needed an adaptor to allow me to recharge my electrical items on the go. This is the reason for buying the Ring Mini Power Invertor, and I am certainly glad I did.

I am familiar with the Ring brand as I buy most of the household lighting bulbs from them. To be honest, before seeing this product available online I didn't know that they made car electrical accessories, though I am glad they do as I trust the brand for quality and value. I paid around £20 on EBay for the Ring Mini Power Invertor, though I do think this is a good price. I could understand if you think this is expensive, though I had no reservations as I trust the Ring brand.

First impressions could have been better, with the silver plastic invertor appearing slightly cheap and of poor quality. I were disappointed when I opened the packaging, though I were soon reassured when I got it working. Operation is very simple indeed, requiring that you plug the invertor into the car cigarette lighter and then plugging in the appliance of your choice. The connector that is inserted into the lighter socket can be adjusted in angle in order to accommodate the invertor. If your cigarette lighter socket is located in an awkward position then this could be an issue, though I find it simple enough to do. Once the invertor is in position you can then plug your mobile phone, digital camera or laptop straight into it. I usually use the invertor to recharge my mobile phone, or to plug the laptop in when I am in the motorway service station.

Although the Ring Mini Power Invertor doesn't appear to be up to much it does have a number of important features worth noting. Firstly, there is a built-in safety feature which protects the unit from a power surge, this in turn prevents any potential electrical issues with the cars electrics as a result of any such incident. It is also worth noting the compact design. Obviously it depends on the layout of your car dashboard/lighter socket, but the compact design allows the unit to fit into most cars, though as some power invertors have an adaptor on the end of a wire this could be an alternative for those that cannot fit the Ring Mini Power Invertor into place.

The maximum power rating of the Ring Mini Power Invertor is 75 watts, with a continuous power rating of 56 watts. This is clearly outlined on the packaging, though if you are confused by these two figures it is worth remembering that if you intend leaving something plugged in for a while then the power drawn is approximately 56 watts. To confuse matters further, this unit has a peak power rating of 150 watts, meaning it will happily power the majority of the electricals you would usually carry in the car with you. The invertor draws around 10-15 watts of power from the car battery. This may not appear to be a lot, but to be safe I always ensure the car engine is running when the invertor is powering anything.

The adaptor which connects the invertor to the cigarette lighter socket is spring loaded, meaning it will fit into a number of different cigarette lighter socket sizes. The design overall is well thought out, though this doesn't change my opinion of the first impressions. The silver plastic is tacky and cheap looking, and as this usually costs around £25-£30 I would have expected a little more in the way of looks.

To the sides of the power invertor are sets of 'gills' which allow the motor inside the unit to cool down whilst in use. Allowing air to circulate around the components is important, and I think this improves the overall look of the invertor. I did expect some noise from the invertor, particularly in warm weather, though this isn't the case, though I have noticed it can get a little bit warm when in use for a few minutes.

If you are always on the go then the Ring Mini Power Invertor could be perfect for you. Also, I would say that if you have a caravan and wish to charge additional items up due to lack of sockets then this could be another solution. Whatever your lifestyle I am sure a lot of people would benefit from this product. A lot of mobile phones come with a cigarette lighter socket, but it can be more convenient to take this single power invertor and your normal plug chargers. Overall I recommend the Ring Mini Power Invertor, though looks could be improved.