Hansonl/Shutterstock We may receive a commission for purchases made through links. Gadgets are only useful when you can actually use them, and if you’re out and about frequently, chances are you’ll find yourself without the exact gadget or tool you need at that moment, all because they were too big and clunky to carry with you that day. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way, and not all devices are too big and cumbersome to take out of the house. There are actually all kinds of cool mini devices out there, from rechargeable handhelds to small microphones and more, that you can load up your bag or pockets with so you’re well prepared for next time. Belkin is a brand that offers tons of mini portable devices designed to be carried with you wherever you go, whether you’re a daily commuter, a frequent traveler, or a student trying to prepare for long study sessions at the library. The Californian company’s offerings vary widely, from wireless chargers and adapters to accessories for other technologies, such as AirTags or even Nintendo Switch 2. Among its long list of products, you can easily find many high-quality devices to take with you on the go without feeling too overwhelmed by them on the go. UltraCharge Pro Laptop Power Bank 27K Being able to take your laptop and work or study anywhere is great, especially if you are someone who normally works from home. Something that’s not so great, however, is trying to find an outlet when you’re away from home. The UltraCharge Pro Laptop Power Bank 27K is Belkin’s take on a super-powerful battery pack that can charge much more than just your phone. You can charge two laptops at once along with an additional device like a phone or smartwatch, in case you’re working with a friend. As you might have guessed from the name, the power bank uses a large-capacity 27,000 mAh internal battery. Belkin estimates this means the battery should last around 22 hours when charging a MacBook Pro 14, although exact mileage may vary. It also offers flexible charging, with power up to 140W when charging one device, 240W for two devices, or 238W when split across three devices. You might expect a power bank like this to be huge, but it’s not much different from your average power bank. It measures approximately seven inches long and three and a half inches wide, with a depth of just one inch, so you can still conveniently store it in your laptop bag before heading out. It’s also designed to be TSA compliant as a carry-on, so you should be able to take it on trips without too much trouble. However, some users have noted that the bench can be a little heavy, so be sure to respect the weight limits of your luggage. Wireless Stage Microphone Capturing audio outside of the studio doesn’t have to mean lugging around big, heavy recording equipment all the time. If all you want is something to record podcasts or vox pops with, or help improve the audio of your videos, then a set of portable lavalier microphones should do the trick. Belkin’s Stage Wireless Microphone Set offers a pair of small, lightweight lapel microphones that you can attach to your clothing, necklace, or virtually anything else with the built-in magnetic clip. The kit comes with two omnidirectional microphones, each with its own six-hour battery life, and a protective case that doubles as a charger, offering up to an additional 36 hours of charge. In addition to the case and microphones, the package also includes two magnetic clips, a USB-C cable, and a USB-C receiver that allows you to connect your microphones to your phone, tablet, or laptop. This receiver works wirelessly with the microphones, offering a transmission distance of up to 100 meters. If you are an avid audiophile, these microphones may not be enough in terms of depth and sensitivity. However, if you plan to use them for content creation, or just to make sure your home videos sound as good as they look, without spending a lot of money or carrying more equipment than necessary, then these microphones are a solid choice. Plus, at only about an inch wide, they’re really small, so they won’t take up much space in your bag. Magnetic Charging Camera Grip and Power Bank It’s no secret that you can now get all kinds of different gadgets and accessories that help make your iPhone camera look amazing. One example is Belkin’s Stage PowerGrip Magnetic Camera Charging Grip with Power Bank, which combines all sorts of different features to make your snaps and videos more stable while keeping your phone charged on the go. At less than five inches long and about three inches wide, it’s impressive. It magnetically attaches to your iPhone via its built-in wireless charger and connects via Bluetooth to unlock its full capabilities. Once connected, you can use the built-in shutter button to take photos or start recording videos directly, without needing to reach for your phone’s touchscreen and risk blurring the image. It also works as its own tripod. As of this writing, the grip has an average user rating of 4.2 stars, with several reviews noting how much it helps keep videos stable, even with the shakiest of hands. Using your phone’s camera can quickly drain the battery, so the fact that the Stage PowerGrip doubles as a power bank is nice and helps set it apart from other grips on the market. It has a capacity of around 9300 mAh and according to the product listing, it should be able to charge your phone 1.6 times. Alternatively, if you’re not too worried about your phone’s battery, you can also connect your other devices to it via its retractable USB-C cable or its USB-C output port. The only downside is that it’s a little pricey for what it is, $79.99. RockStar USB-C Audio and Charging Adapter If you prefer to use wired headphones instead of their Bluetooth counterparts with your phone, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in a conundrum because you’ll eventually have to unplug your headphones to charge your phone. With the right device, like the Belkin USB-C Audio and Charging Adapter, you don’t have to end up in that situation at all. The adapter works as a splitter by essentially turning your single USB-C input into two. That way, you can charge your phone, tablet, or digital laptop and use its USB-C port to easily listen to music or take calls, at the same time. It allows up to 60W of pass-through power at a time, so it may charge a little slower than you’re used to, but it could be a game-changer in a pinch. Both USB-C ports offered by the adapter can be used as a power source or as audio output as well, so you don’t have to worry about using the wrong input. It is also compatible with products with Android and Apple operating systems, such as iPhone and iPad. Overall, users seem pretty happy with the adapter, averaging 4.4 stars on Belkin’s website at the time of writing, although a couple of reviews note that the device can be a little fragile or unpredictable, so handle it with care. 5K Magnetic Wireless Power Bank with Stand Powerbanks are always useful to take with you wherever you go, but they can quickly become an inconvenience thanks to their size and weight. Plus, they’re useless if you forget to pack the cable too. Portable magnetic wireless power banks like the Belkin BoostCharge quickly solve both problems at once while also serving as a stand for your smartphone. BoostCharge has a capacity of 5000 mAh and delivers a maximum of 7.5 watts wirelessly or 10 watts of power over USB-C. It’s a small, discreet device that sits on the back of your phone, making it easier to charge while in use compared to more traditional portable batteries and cables. It also comes in four different colors (black, white, pink, and lavender) to match your device perfectly. However, there is a small problem with BoostCharge: your phone may not be fully compatible with it. At a minimum, you can only charge certain brands and models of phones wirelessly, while others have to use the USB-C connection port. For example, certain Samsung devices cannot connect to the charger wirelessly. You should be fine if you have a latest-generation iPhone or Pixel, but it’s worth checking the full list of compatible devices on the BoostCharge page via Belkin’s website before purchasing. How we choose which mini gadgets to highlight Vladimir Sukhachev/Getty Images Belkin has lots of different gadgets and accessories on offer, so we put some thought into how we select which items to highlight. First, we narrowed down our options by avoiding simple accessories like cases, cables, and screen protectors, arguing that they don’t actually meet the “device” requirements. Next, we carefully considered the size and weight of each product to ensure that any of the devices we chose were small and light enough that it wouldn’t be too awkward to throw in your bag or pocket. Similarly, we didn’t choose any items that should be used in a specific location, like a car dashboard or with a plug, because then you wouldn’t be able to take them anywhere you wanted. We also select devices with a reasonable user rating. At the time of writing, everything we chose had a minimum user rating of at least four stars on the Belkin website. In the case of the Stage wireless microphone, there were no user reviews directly about the product itself. So, to make sure it was a viable inclusion on the list, we looked at professional reviews of the product, along with user ratings for the Stage Creator Kit bundle, which includes the microphones. The package has an average user rating of 4.9 stars out of five, with many reviews praising the microphone’s quality, usability, and build.
