Let’s say you’re rushing to get to work, you’re in between classes, or you’re just one of those types who actually values his time and has better shit to do than sit around and watch his backup battery charge. Finally, you’ll no longer have to cross your fingers that you actually remembered to plug in the night before. The Pronto 5, which crushed its Kickstarter goal by more than seven times and is now available for pre-order, can suck up enough juice in 15 minutes to recharge an iPhone 5 (in case you haven’t upgraded yet). And its beefier big brother, the Pronto 12, can do likewise in just 5 minutes.
Both models can be recharged via micro-USB, but thrive when plugged into their own souped-up proprietary adapters. A handy dial on the front of the battery indicates how fast the Pronto’s being charged. (The other dial shows how much capacity is left.) Each battery can be fully charged in just one hour, which translates into a couple of phone recharges from the 5 and up to nine recharges (find a friend) from the badass 12.
Going the other way, they charge your devices at max speeds as well, up to 2.4 amps per USB output channel. The 12 has two of them, along with a 12V converter, so it can not only power up phones, tablets, drones, DSLRs and even laptops, but anything you’d plug into your car’s cigarette lighter.
Best of all, it’s solid, constructed with a one-piece anodized aluminum case. And the rubberized cap attached to its stretchy strap not only protects the ports when you’re not charging away, but acts as a convenient little stand when you’re mid juice-up.
Photos by Power Practical