Cigarette Lighter Adapter
Nowadays, cigarette lighter adapters in cars are used much less for cigarettes and much more for our multitude of portable gadgets requiring power from the car's battery. Not that long ago, all cars came fitted with a cigarette lighter. Today, they are fitted with the adapter for use with other electronic equipment such as cell phones, GPS systems and even mp3 players. If you want a cigarette lighter in your car you usually have to request it, especially with newer models.
Having power at your fingertips can be invaluable many times. You know those moments when you have to make an urgent call but can’t because your phone is dead? Or when you really need to get somewhere and the batteries on your mobile GPS have given their last breath? All you have to do is whip out your cigarette lighter adapter and you’re in business again.
The main advantage of a cigarette lighter adapter has to do mainly with the fact that you have power on the road. It makes you completely mobile since you can charge almost everything from you cell phone to your mp3 player. You can even find cigarette lighter adapters with inter-fitting plugs so that you can us one adapter for all your equipment. Another great use for them is that they connect your GPS unit to your car, supplying power for your unit. This way, you can save a lot of money on batteries every month for your mobile GPS unit.
There are also cigarette lighter adapter splitters available, if you have a larger number of 12V DC products you need to plug in. You can purchase either two or three way splitters which basically give you two or three sockets so you can plug your phone, your GPS and your laptop in, for example, at the same time.
One such splitter is manufactured by Wagan. The Wagan EL9794 is an excellent 3 way socket extension that also has the added advantage of having a long extension cord so you can place it anywhere in your car.
Another great unit is the Prolynkz PMA-006 4-in-1 Car Power Adapter which includes not only 2 cigarette lighter adapters but also 2 USB ports as well. This allows you to power a number of devices at the same time and the USB ports make life much easier for charging certain units, especially DVD players and mp3 players that have a power cord with a USB.
TeckNet also offers a good unit which comes with a three way cigarette lighter adapter as well as one USB port. The TeckNet WF-0096 is a robust unit with an extension cord plus the plug that fits into your car socket doesn't extend out so far as to be in your way while driving.
Of course, you can purchase regular cigarette lighter adapters to charge your cell phone from cell phone manufacturers like Nokia, Apple, and Sony, among other cell phone makers. GPS manufacturers, such as Garmin, also manufactures cigarette lighter adapter.
There are also a few manufacturers who specialize in making accessories such as cigarette lighter adapters for all types of cell phones, mp3 players and other units. One of these is Belkin, which manufactures adapters for iPods, iPhones and a variety of other units.
In the age of information, it is paramount you stay connected and mobile, and a cigarette lighter adapter offers you complete freedom. And think of all those long car trips with the kids. What better way to make sure they stay entertained, and quiet, by making sure their laptops or DVD players are fully powered. Who doesn't want to escape the dreaded "are we there yet?" rants from kids?
