At first glance, the Pickup Power looks like the most inefficient power strip ever made, with a trio of outlets on one side and none on the other. Except, it turns out, that’s the trick that makes this power strip more useful than others.
Developed over at Quirky, the other half of the strip that doesn’t have any outlets actually contains a removable power brick that you can slip in your pocket for charging your mobile gadgets while on the go. When you get home, simply slip it back into its designated slot on the strip and leave it there until the next time you need backup power on the road.
Sure, you can just use a regular power strip and a separate external battery charger, but the lack of wire mess when charging the Pickup Power’s pop-out battery bank sure makes it a worthwhile option. The power strip, which comes with built-in surge protection, measures 11 x 3 x 1.4 inches, so it should be easy enough to hide under the Artifox Desk if you want it out of the way. Unlike most traditional power strips, it’s actually pretty good-looking, so you can set it down on the desk for easy access without creating an eyesore. The battery comes in two capacities: 4,000 mAh, which comes with one USB port, and a larger 6,000 mAh with two USB slots.
Available in black and white colors, the Pickup Power retails at $99.99 for the 4,000 mAh model and $129.99 for the 6,000 mAh version.