Phone battery charger reviews: Best portable power boosts

Superstorms that slammed the East Coast prompted many Southern Californians to take a hard look at their own emergency preparedness plans, including how to keep cellphones charged when the power goes out. With a flurry of battery-boosting devices landing on the market, I tested eight of the latest and most novel designs on a recent ski trip to Colorado, reasoning that besides a storm, earthquake or blackout, the last place you'd want to be stranded with a dead cellphone is on a cold chair lift, separated from your party when it's time for après Bloody Marys.

By Alissa Walker

March 1, 2013