[NewsPoster]

Most cars only feature one cigarette lighter (or DC port as they're called these days), which can be a bit frustrating if you're a household of multiple devices. So what are you to do if you're on a long trip with two near-dead phones? Snag the Y-Charge Quik and charge both, of course.

The Y-Charge Quik is kind of a genius little device, and we're surprised that we haven't run across one before this. It's the same concept behind an audio-splitter, except it splits your DC charging port's power to two USB ports. Those two ports can then be used to charge anything that can be charged via USB, including iPhones and iPads, tablets, wearable tech, cameras, etc. All you have to do is provide the cables.

The shape is either something you're going to hate or you're going to love. The two branches direct cords to either side, which means that you're not splaying cords out across your cup holders, or can easily direct the cords to either person sitting in the back seat. The trade-off, though, is that Y-Charge Quik is bulky, and sticks out quite a bit. It'd be easy to accidentally bump it or jostle it, risking potential damage to Y-Charge Quik or even to your DC port. So, if you're planning on using it, make sure you don't hit it with arms, legs, cups, tablets, or whatever else might get passed over top of or near it.

We had originally expressed concerns that the Tylt Y-Charge Quik providing too much power to smaller devices, but the manufacturer insists that it has filters in place to prevent from over-charging. This certainly makes us feel quite a bit better about plugging in wearable tech or charging cellphones and smaller smartphones.

So our verdict?We like it. We think that it's the perfect back-seat companion for families that have multiple iPads. Imagine having unlimited power to keep your iPads running when you've got a car with a couple of antsy kids on a road trip -- talk about a sanity saver! The Tylt Y-Charge Quik is available from Tylt's website for $40.

Who Tylt's Y-Charge Quik is for:
If you take frequent road trips with multiple devices, this little car charger just might save you a lot of headaches when it comes to kids who fight over the car charger.

Who Tylt's Y-Charge Quik isn't for:
No car? Just you? No reason to snag this!

-- Amber Neely (@SurferAmber)

[pottymouth]

$40? I got one that _looks_ just like it for like 5 bucks at Marshalls. Not sure of it's A rating, but it's enough to charge an iPad even while it's on doing GPS nav and audio streaming via cellular to the head unit via bluetooth.

[stainboy]

and for $20 i have one that has a 2.1A USB charging port, a second standard charging port, and it has a very low profile so it easily fits in the tray where my car's power port is located, and i can pretty much keep it there all the time. the only appeal i see this Y-Charge has is it's probably more difficult to lose a large purple "Y".

[Mike Wuerthele]

There are always cheaper and more expensive alternatives to nearly everything we review. Also, we generally list retail pricing, YMMV on lower and sale pricing.