Treo BatteryCradle Review & Special Offer

Like me a great many Treonauts choose to add a spare Treo battery to their accessories kit (see Top 10 Treo Accessories) so as to ensure that they’re always fully powered while on the go.  I personally have over two dozen batteries and I naturally always try to keep a few of these fully charged at all times.

Until now I have relied principally on the very good and elegant Palm Cradle Kit to do so since it conveniently includes an internal battery charger that can be used with literally all Treo batteries.  Additionally, when I travel I also carry the Seidio Portable Battery Charger – unfortunately though it does not accomodate the new slimmer Treo 680/750 battery.

Given the fact that the Palm Cradle Kit was actually the only available option to charge a spare Treo 680/750 battery I was particularly curious to review the new Mobi Treo BatteryCradle (pictured above) which now offers an alternative that also has the benefit of charging all Treo batteries.

The main difference between the Palm Cradle Kit and the Mobi BatteryCradle is that the first simultaneously charges your Treo and a battery using either USB (requires ExtraPower Cable or similar Sync&Charge cable though) or AC power while the BatteryCradle needs both its USB and AC power cables to be plugged-in to simultaneously charge your Treo and a battery.  Simply, the BatteryCradle’s USB cable charges and also HotSync’s your Treo while the AC power cable is used exclusively to charge your spare battery.

From a product design perspective I still feel that the Palm Cradle Kit offers a more appealing solution with a more elegant and streamlined form as well as a dedicated HotSync button.  Having said this, the BatteryCradle is certainly not unattractive (just a bit plain) and offers the benefit of separate indicator lights for both the Treo and the battery.

I believe that the BatteryCradle will appeal primarily to Treonauts who want to use it attached to their PC to charge and HotSync their Treo while also charging a spare battery as well as to those who are simply looking for a cheaper standalone battery charging alternative to the Palm Cradle Kit (for example to use by their bedside).

The Mobi Treo BatteryCradle is normally priced at $29.95 ($10 below the Palm Cradle Kit) but a special offer running until Friday, March 9 has further reduced this to only $24.95 making it an even more appealing buy.  If money is not an issue I would personally still choose the Palm Cradle Kit but if you’re more concerned about your budget there’s no doubt that the BatteryCradle now offers a worthy alternative.

Treonauts always identify the best value…