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This car charger doubles as an emergency device

Nitecore VCL10 car charger.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I’m usually very good at reviewing and highlighting products that I find useful, but sometimes things fall through the gaps.

One such product is the Nitecore VCL10 car charger. I’ve had this for a few years, and I’ve overlooked it because it lives in my car, and I always forget to bring it indoors.

Also: The best wireless car chargers

“Not another car charger!” I hear you say. After all, I do like my car chargers.

But this is a car charger that I keep in my car less for charging — although it’s a decent enough charger — but more because it’s a great safety tool to have when I’m out and about.

Before I explore what’s special about the Nitecore VCL10, let’s look at what it offers as a USB charger. 

Nitecore VCL10 tech specs

  • Port: 1 x USB-A
  • Input:
    DC 12V 2.5A (Max)
  • Output:
    DC 5V 2.4A (Max)
    Quick Charge 3.0: DC 3.6V-12V 2.4A (Max)
    Quick Charge 2.0: DC 5V/9V/12V 2.4A (Max)
  • Color: Black
  • Dimensions: 78.5 x 24.5 x 23 mm
  • Construction: Polycarbonate
  • Weight: 44.5 g
  • Impact Resistance: 1 meter
  • Certifications: RoHS, CE, FCC and CEC
  • Safety features: Overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, and short-circuit protection, and transformer loss compensation (TLC) voltage smoothing

OK, so a pretty decent single-port USB charger.

But wait, there’s more!

On one end of the VCL10 are white and red LED warning lights.

Also: My 3 must-have car accessories

A single button is used to switch between the white work light and strobing red safety light.

Red strobe light in action.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Built into the VCL10 is a photodiode light detector that can sense the change in ambient lighting and alter the flash of the red warning light from 1 Hz (1 flash per second) to 10 Hz (10 flashes per second) if an approaching vehicle is detected.  

The head can be tilted by a 90° angle to allow you to aim the light where you want, and there’s also a magnet to allow it to be attached to a car’s bodywork.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The white light has an output power of 25 lumens, giving it a 7-meter beam, and has a runtime of about 3 hours, while the red strobe is rated at 350 mW (which is pretty bright), and has a 20-hour run-time.

And the great thing is that because the VCL10 lives in the car’s 12V accessory port, it’s always charged up ready for use.

Also: The 5 brightest flashlights   

But wait, there’s even more!

On the other end of the VCL10 is a tungsten steel emergency glass breaker, which could be used to fashion an escape or help rescue someone else who might be trapped in a vehicle.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Granted, this isn’t something you’re going to need often — or probably at all — but better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

The Nitecore VCL10 is a great in-car safety tool.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

And because it lives in your car’s 12V accessory port, it’s always close to hand and unlikely to get flung around the vehicle in the event of a crash.

You can buy the Nitecore VCL10 on its own, or, you can buy it with a rechargeable LED headlamp, giving you the perfect in-car safety kit to deal with breakdowns or flat tires. 

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