Curing Charger Clutter

Wooden valet from Brookstone, with six docks.

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Thursday, March 22, 2007

After a long day, I often toss my phone aside when I get home, then usually can't find it, or its charger, when I need them again. Multiply that hassle in households where iPods and BlackBerrys reside, each dependent on its unique charger.

Gradually, the marketplace is finding ways to tame this tangle with charging stations designed to refuel a litter of devices.

One is the multi-charger station from Space Savers ( http://www.spacesavers.com). The faux-leather desktop docking station is equipped with slots for four devices, plugged into their chargers as usual with wires hidden below ($29.99, power strip not included).

Abner Wright, president of the Web-based Space Savers, says he was initially skeptical about the organizational caddy but adds, "It's remarkable how well it's selling."

Other options include the wooden valet from Brookstone, which has a six-outlet power strip ($75, http://www.brookstone.com), and a more utilitarian version from Smarthome, with a power strip for three devices ($19.99, http://www.smarthome.com).

Kathleen Hom