There’s good news for travelers when it comes to keeping their phone and other devices charged while on the road. On my recent trip to Argentina, I carried just three products, totaling just over $100, that kept my devices charged all the time: A UGREEN Power Bank, an Anker wall charger, and a portable battery for the phone. These, along with a few cables, were the only products I needed to keep my phone, computer, watch, and iPad charged.
With these three devices, you no longer need worry about being near an outlet in the airport, in the plane, in an Uber, or out sightseeing for the day. Together they give you freedom to travel without concern and cover essentially all eventualities.
There are many similar products from other companies, but these are the specific ones that I found to provide good value, have excellent reviews, and work reliably. The costs listed are based on May 8 prices and represent even better values than what I paid when I purchased them at different times over the past year or so.
UGREEN Power Bank – The first product is the UGREEN 100W 20000mAh Power Bank, Nexode Portable Charger. It’s a hefty but streamline battery pack with three USB Ports. It’s close to the maximum capacity that you can carry onto a plane, yet it’s less than half the size of a paperback book. What’s special about this model is it can charge any of your devices, from a watch to a phone to your computer, and do it very quickly. It’s very well made, nicely finished, and has a large clear display showing you its remaining capacity. It also charges an iPhone or Android at their maximum speed. In my use I was able to recharge my iPhone from under 20% to 80% in about a half-hour. It had enough capacity to recharge my MacBook completely. It comes with two short USB-C cables and a soft carry bag. $60 from Amazon. In the event of a power outage, it can keep your phone running for an additional few days.
Anker Wall Charger -The Anker 735 USB C Charger is a three-port portable charger that can charge a notebook (including 14 and 15 inch MacBooks or a Lenovo X1), a phone, and a third device from a single outlet. It works on 120 to 240 volts, and for Argentina I just needed a simple $3 plug adapter. And it’s what I used to charge the power bank.
It’s about twice the size of an Apple phone charger, yet can charge any notebook up to 65 watts in power. It’s the only charger you will need for all of your devices. It charges at high speed and adjusts the charge depending on how many devices are plugged in. I purchased it when it first came out for about $70, but it’s now on sale at Amazon for just over $30.
iPhone MagSafe Charger– The INIU 10000mAH auxiliary battery (a mini-power bank) snaps onto the back of an iPhone with MagSafe and will charge it fully up to two times – no cables required. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket attached to the phone, or to leave it in a purse or bag to charge. I carried this with me during the day and snapped it onto my phone a few times to top off the battery.
There are many products in this category, but this is the one I’ve used for a year and like a lot. I originally paid $40, but the price keeps dropping and it’s now on sale at Amazon for $18. A similar product under a different name is just $14. It can also charge an Android phone or other device using a cable.
Not too long ago we carried a bulky notebook charger and seperate chargers and cables for each of our other devices. We are finally at the point where we can rely on a single charger and the same cable to work for all our devices, and a portable battery that can become our power source on the road. It only took 20 years and a big push from the European Union to get Apple, the last holdout, to finally use USB-C connectors on their products. More convenience for us and fewer electronics and cables in landfills.
