Review: Chic Buds

Like many young women my age I’m wired to the hilt, always loaded down with my smartphone and my iPad and Nintendo 3DS. So when I was offered the chance to test out Chic Buds before E3 2015, I leapt at the chance. The show floor is intense and energy draining not just for me, but for my devices too. I needed a back-up power source and so with that in mind, I took one of their purses for a spin.

I was sent a bright yellow leather zip-up clutch-style pocket book, which features the Chic Buds’ chargeable battery inside a small liner pocket. It has USB hookups, both in and out, so your device can be attached with the help of a converter. You can also attach the battery to recharge it through a USB-compatible cord or through your laptop.

There are a few different purses in the Chic Buds’ line-up, and from the time I spent with mine, I wouldn’t recommend a small one. The clutch I was given was too slim to carry much more than my smartphone. With the size of my S4 plus its Otterbox case, plus the length of my converter cord, I didn’t have room for anything but my credit cards, a tampon, and a tube of lipstick. And not a big tampon–an O.B. By comparison, a powerbank is much more efficient and fits inside my coin purse.

The charge also wasn’t what I was expecting, tapping out after about four hours. I probably could have gotten more out of it if I’d put my phone into power saving mode (and arguably being a tech reporter does not fall under “typical use”), but for the size of the battery panel (a bit smaller than the faceplate of most smartphones) I did expect more than 4 hours at full power.

Taking a look at their products online, I recommend you buy one of their battery phone charging panels instead. For your money and time that’s probably the better bet. They’re cute and come in a variety of designs and cost less than the purses, which only come in a few styles. The flat design also allows you to carry your phone around while it’s charging. You can find them at the official Chic Buds website.

Disclosure: We received a single review unit of this Chic Buds accessory from the company for the purpose of this review. It retails for $49.99.