List Price: $39.95
Sale Price: $23.17
Today's Bonus: 42% Off
Hi,
Just wanted to say that I like the product and give you guys some info to help with your purchasing decision. I finally picked this one after evaluating several inverters (almost got the Duracell, I picked this one partly because I thought I read it had 2 USB ports..it doesnt, oh well). I liked that this one was small and also had a good amount of wattage for running or charging my laptop or phone while in the car. I ordered it on Nov. 23rd and it arrived around Nov. 29th. I just started using it a few minutes ago. I first plugged in my tiny MP3 player, it charged it just fine. Then I plugged in my phone's wall charger, and it charged. Then my computer, and that also charged without incident.
But I will tell you that when I plug the inverter into the DC outlet, it doesnt power on unless I press super-hard (when to begin with it was pretty much already pressed as far as it could go). But once I did, the (I guess normal) sequence of a red then blue lights came on-the light blue stays on. *This problem may have been caused by my outlet and not the inverter.*
I have read other inverter reviews saying they made a loud fan noise. Well, (I didnt care much anyway but..) Im happy to report that this Cobra inverter makes a low/subtle noise. It pretty much sounds like the hum of a vibrator, err umm, massager. :) But probably quieter than most of those. And its not a 24/7 noise (frequent, yes).
I just plugged in my MP3 player while using the laptop just to verify that it would charge both at the same time, and it did. So...so far I feel this is a good buy. *It works whether my car is on or off, but this may depend on your car. I had a car that didnt supply DC power when off, but a different car did*
UPDATE 10/19/09: The inverter fell apart a bit as of a couple of weeks ago. The tip where the fuse and stuff is, totally came apart. Fortunately, I was able to stick the tiny fuse back in and even without the metal screws (the plastic is a bit loose/broken, so it will not hold the metal pieces) it works just as it used to. Yes, its falling apart now, but getting consistent, proper fuction out of it (using it for hours almost daily for about 10 months), still makes it a good product in my eyes. I was just now at the Cobra website trying to find warranty information and it seems they have an inverter that has a car charger AND fuctions in battery form! So you may want to check that out as well.
UPDATE 11/4/09 I contacted Cobra about 2 weeks ago, asking if I could get the charger replaced by warranty and about 3 days later, i got a short simple, polite email saying that since I have had it for less than a year, they can mail a new one to me and to simply provide my address!! Its been over a week and I still dont have the new charger but its a free replacement so hey, im not complaining yet. When I called a couple of days ago to ask whether or not it had been sent, i was told no because it hadnt gotten to them from their factory or whatever. Then when I called yesterday, I was told that in the notes section, the technicial said he did mail it out about 7 days ago. The lady said she would have Another one sent out to me. So, i may end up with TWO chagers. How cool. lol I just hope atleast one of them shows up very soon. But anyway, I was quite pleased with their responsiveness and ease of getting the issue resolved...so I thought I'd tell you guys.
**UPDATE: I never got a replacement, even though it was within the warranty period. The customer service line kept telling me that they were going to mail it and when I'd call back asking about the status every couple of weeks, I was told that It was "still being processed" or that it was already shipped...Yet, I got zip, zero, zilch in the mail. Not the end of the world but I dont like laziness or dishonesty and I remember promising to give an update. Walmart usually has atleast One type of AC/DC inverter for around $25, so if you have a local one, you may want to simply try that**
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I have had The COBRA CPI for about a year and it hasn't failed yet. I have used it for my laptop and it has never given problem. It makes some whizzing noise but I'd expect all of these adapters to do so. The fact that it can be tilted to an angle helps too as for my car I needed that. Great product for the price.Best Deals for Cobra CPI130 130W Power Inverter with USB Port
I used this to power an iPod portable speaker unit in my car. It worked for a few hours, & then died. The led glows red, and there is no 120 volts AC output at the AC receptacle. The fuse checks good.The internal fan never actuated.
Honest reviews on Cobra CPI130 130W Power Inverter with USB Port
Handy to have. I use it all the time to charge and/or run things in my car while traveling. I use it with everything from a postable DVD player for the grandkinds to my computers and even charge my camera while going down the road.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cobra CPI130 130W Power Inverter with USB Port
I purchased this in Sept. 2011 and just now used if for the first time and it failed. Not acceptable coming from Cobra. Need an operational and reliable replacement.Paul
