In my ongoing quest to never again leave the house without my iPhone, I’ve tried to adopt the zealous-organizer habit of using a landing strip inside my front door. This island of unclutteredness is supposed to give me a place to stash my can’t-forget-’ems--I’m thinking the modern trinity of keys, wallet, and phone, or anything essential that regularly hitches a ride in my pocket. Once I’ve fully trained myself to deposit those items there without fail, I’ll be more apt to remember to take them every time I leave. And avoid running around searching for my keys while the carpool idles outside and considers leaving my lagging behind… well, behind.

Plug it in, plug it in.

Adding a Bluelounge Refresh multiple-gadget charging station to this landing strip has really helped--its 9.5x5.6-inch rubberized tray holds my gadgets while mostly hidden connectors and cables keep them all charged. The tray can’t fit more than three or four gadgets--iPhone, iPods, digital cameras, Bluetooth headsets, external iPhone batteries, cell phones--but it includes six connectors in all and comes in glossy black, white, or bright pink.

The Refresh’s connectors include two 30-pin iPhone/iPod plugs, a mini-USB, a micro-USB, and two standard-USB sockets that you can use to connect any other device with your own cables. It’s basically a smaller version of the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary includes eight brand-specific plugs for various cell-phone manufacturers, but the Refresh sticks to USB, which is quickly becoming the standard. The Refresh also provides about half as much surface space as the Sanctuary, and its rubberized tray doesn’t fit snugly into the base with a reassuring click. It just rests on top while ably hiding the cable clutter underneath and keeping your gadgets from sliding around. The charging station gets its power from a “wall wart” AC adapter, but Bluelounge thoughtfully includes interchangeable tips for power sockets in the USA, the UK, and the European Union.

The Refresh is pretty expensive for simply giving you a dedicated place to charge your devices without having to unplug and replug various chargers from a wall. Of course, if your wall socket is under a desk or otherwise difficult to access, the convenience factor alone could be enough to make it worthwhile. And for scatterbrains like us, anything that coaxes us into a reliable routine for remembering our gadgets--our fully charged gadgets, even--is worth a look.

Refresh
COMPANY: Bluelounge
CONTACT: www.bluelounge.com
PRICE: $89.95
REQUIREMENTS: iPod, iPhone, and/or any other gadgets that charge via USB.
Attractive and convenient. USB sockets and iPod, mini-USB, and micro-USB charging tips included. AC adapter works in the USA, UK, and European Union.
Expensive. Tray doesn't fit securely in the base, just rests on top.