Packing all the features we liked before (the cool lantern mode, the easy-clean body) the XL Plus brings with it 2 crucial improvements that we were begging for last time we looked at this product. Firstly, the Plus ships with it’s own battery rather than relying on you to supply the USB power source of your choice. Sure, most outdoor enthusiasts have several battery packs laying around (I know we do!), but still I want to open a product and have everything it needs to work right there in the box! Much more importantly, the Plus now includes 3 additional magnets that allow you to hang the strand in almost any configuration. Let me explain…

The last Luminoodle we got came with two magnets – one on each extreme of its 5ft. This was convenient if you wanted to hang it up, but only if you wanted to do so in a straight line. Now with three additional magnets, each slidable down the length of the strand, allow for some really great applications. Our favorite was in the engine bay of our project car. With this 10ft rope light, we were able to completely surround the engine bay rather than a single directional light source. This made finding parts and adjusting connections a breeze, and is going to quickly become a feature I can’t remember how I lived without it.

The Luminoodle XL Plus picks up where its predecessor left off and runs it all the way to the goal line. This is the perfect trifecta of a great working product, a great looking product, and a great startup company that only you are cool enough to know about. All kudos to the Power Practical team, they are on a run and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

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We’ve all been there – our phone is in the dreaded single-digits of battery charge and we know the end is nigh. You’ve got a USB and your laptop, but you’re going out for the night in an hour and need as much charge as you can get in that 60 minutes so your phone makes it past last call. Plug the USB into the laptop, then plug it into your phone, then feel the relief wash over you as your phone begins to charge. But not so fast kemosabe. You’re going to be seeing those single digit charge numbers for quite a while. What’s the deal with that? Despite letting it charge for the hour, you never break 10% charge, your phone dies at the bar, you loose your friends, wander home alone, and wind up in your bathtube missing a kidney. Like I said, we’ve all been there.

You could have avoided this fate, and can still save your one remaining kidney if you’ve got a Practical Meter. This handy little device offers a quick readout of how much power your device is actually getting as it charges. In our example, you’d soon see that the data cable you’re using to charge your phone with is throttling the power transfer and you’re never going to get anywhere with it. An even better use case is with portable solar panels while you’re camping or hunting zombies. Rig up the Practical Meter to the solar panels, then rotate the panels till you see the most amount of power being supplied to your preferred device. No more guessing or praying to the sun gods. Genius.

And that stupid data cable that doesn’t allow for fast charging? Well the company behind the meter, Power Practical, has thought of that. Included with the Practical Meter is their Fast Charge cable that not only provides the fastest charge times regardless of power source, but also comes packing three different device plugs (Micro USB, Mini USB, and the larger iPhone dock style). It’s like they’ve thought of everything.

I’ve tried all kinds of combinations of the Practical Meter, power sources, and the Fast Charge cable. All I can say is, they work. And work well. If you’ve got power problems with your devices, whether mobile charging or solar-powered fun, I cannot recommend the Practical Meter enough. It’s hard to review something that just plain works.

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