If your car’s...

If your car’s cigar lighter socket can’t cope with charging all your portable electronic gear – whether it be MP3 digital music players, mobile phones or sat-navs – then this is the perfect device for you. It’s the CarPlan Power Plus 12v Multi Socket, and unlike most rival set-ups, it can be fixed to the dashboard thanks to an adhesive mounting plate on the rear.

The Multi Socket and its plug feature a neat, compact design, so they are ideal for use as an extension lead if a gadget’s cable doesn’t reach the cigar lighter. There’s a power light to make it easy to check connections, and we liked the coiled lead, which helped to keep clutter to a minimum. When stretched, this measured an impressive 80cm in length, so you can mount the Multi Socket pretty much anywhere you want in the front of the cabin.

We put the Power Plus through its paces by running three devices at the same time – a mobile phone, a sat-nav system and a digital camera – and it worked without any problems. The only thing you need to remember when using it is to keep an eye on the load – if the level exceeds seven amps, the CarPlan device won’t work. Nevertheless, it’s a neat and effective piece of equipment.