Home wallbox power or portable plug-in value: evec VEC01 vs ChargeHere

Display / screen quality

Winner: Product B

The ChargeHere portable charger explicitly includes a smart LCD display, which is a genuine usability advantage for a portable unit. It likely gives clear feedback on current, charging status, and delay settings, making it easier to monitor at a glance. The evec VEC01 listing does not mention a display, so based on the provided information, Product B wins this category for visibility and user feedback. For a device you may unplug and move around, that screen is especially useful.

Performance

Winner: Product A

This is the biggest difference in the comparison. The evec VEC01 is a 7.4kW single-phase wall charger, which is roughly over twice as fast as the ChargeHere’s 3kW 13A UK 3-pin charging. In practical terms, the evec can add around 25-30 miles of range per hour depending on the car, while the ChargeHere is closer to 8-10 miles per hour. If you drive daily or have a larger battery, the wallbox is vastly more convenient and better suited to overnight replenishment. In UK terms, that means you can recover a typical commute in a single evening rather than leaving the car plugged in all day.

Build quality and design

Winner: Product A

The evec VEC01 is a dedicated wall-mounted home charger, which usually means a more robust installation, tidier cable management, and a more permanent setup. It is also untethered, so you can use your own Type 1 or Type 2 cable, which is helpful if you change vehicles or want a cleaner wall-mounted appearance. The ChargeHere is portable and IP67 waterproof, which sounds impressive for weather resistance, but its core design is still a plug-in travel charger rather than a fixed home energy appliance. If you want a neat, long-term solution on the house wall, Product A feels more substantial and better integrated.

Battery life

Winner: Tie

Neither product has a battery, so there is no battery life to compare in the normal sense. If we interpret this as how gently they charge your EV battery, the ChargeHere’s 3kW output is inherently gentler and can be useful for low-demand overnight charging, but EV batteries are designed to handle much higher rates than that. The evec’s 7.4kW output is still well within normal AC charging limits for most UK EVs and plug-in hybrids. So on battery health, this is effectively a tie.

Price and value for money

Winner: Product B

At £135.99, the ChargeHere is £179 cheaper than the evec VEC01, which is a huge gap. If you only need occasional charging, a backup solution, or you’re not ready to pay for a wallbox install, Product B is much easier to justify. The evec’s higher price can still be good value if you use it regularly, because faster charging saves time and improves day-to-day convenience. But on pure upfront cost, the ChargeHere is the clear winner and the lower-risk purchase.

Features and flexibility

Winner: Product B

The ChargeHere includes adjustable current, smart LCD display, delay start, IP67 waterproofing, and an 8m cable. That is a strong feature set for a portable charger, especially if you want to charge from different locations or manage load on a household circuit. The evec VEC01 is more focused: it is a 7.4kW untethered wall charger for Type 1 and Type 2 vehicles, which is excellent for home use but less flexible if you need portability. If your priority is options and convenience away from a fixed wall point, Product B offers more built-in versatility.

Overall user experience

Winner: Product A

For most UK homeowners with a driveway or private parking, the evec VEC01 delivers the better everyday experience. A dedicated 7.4kW wall charger is simply more convenient, more professional, and far better suited to regular charging than a 3kW three-pin solution. It also aligns better with real-world UK usage: home charging overnight, lower hassle, and less dependence on public chargers, which can be expensive and unreliable. The ChargeHere is excellent for portability and budget, but it feels more like a practical fallback or occasional-use charger than a primary home charging solution.

Overall summary: choose the evec VEC01 if you want a proper long-term home charging setup with much faster charging and a cleaner installation. Choose the ChargeHere if you want the cheapest, most flexible option and can live with slow 3kW charging from a standard socket. For most drivers doing regular mileage, the evec is the better buy; for occasional users or renters, the ChargeHere is the smarter value pick.