After more than two years with next to zero travel, the family and I have been on the road more than ever lately, with recent trips to Disneyworld, Arizona, and Nevada and upcoming trips to Costa Rica and hopefully somewhere in Europe this summer. With all that travel, I’ve become somewhat of an expert at knowing which devices need to come along for the adventure and which accessories, cables, and adapters are needed.
Actually, that’s a total lie. I routinely bring too many cables and adapters every time we travel and often bring the wrong mix of cables, meaning we’re all sharing the same USB-C to USB-C cable for the whole trip. In contrast, countless USB-A cables and adapters sit silently in the bag, wondering why they were forced to come along (or maybe that’s the kids???).
Ok, so I may not be the best at packing light when it comes to tech and accessories, but I have found some must-haves, making the task of charging devices far easier while on the road.
Anker has gone from a plucky accessory start-up to a big-time player in the accessories game and has an incredible breadth of products available for great prices on Amazon. Two devices I can no longer travel without are Anker’s 533 PowerCore 10K wireless power bank and their 736 Nano II 100W charger. Discover why these two devices are essential for your travels. Keep reading to learn more about their features and why they’re a great addition to your road trip setup.
Anker 533 PowerCore 10K Wireless Power Bank
First up is the wireless power bank. The battery sports a 10,000 mAh battery, enough to charge Google Pixel 7 two+ times or the iPhone 14 three times.
The first thing I really enjoy about this power bank is its size. I have or have had larger banks in the past with 20,000 mAh or 26,000 mAh batteries, and while they are great, they also weigh a lot. The Anker PowerCore 26,800 (seen below), which I usually bring on camping trips where plugging in is often not an easy feat, is more than double the size and weight and is less than flattering when you’re trying to jam it into your pocket to charge while on the go. On the other hand, the 533 is shorter and narrower than my Pixel 7 and only a few millimeters thicker, making it easily pocketable.
The 533 only features two ports, one USB-C and one USB-A, which may not be enough for some, but again, this is a smaller pack made for light and effortless use while on the go. The 533, despite having only two ports, can still charge 3 devices at once thanks to also offering Qi wireless charging on the top of the battery. I’ve recently started using Ankers Soundcore Liberty wireless earbuds, which feature wireless charging. Being able to drop the earbud case on the battery while also plugging in my Pixel is incredibly useful and convenient. Having this option also keeps the USB-A port free if I need to top up another device like my wife’s phone.
The power bank can also act as a standalone wireless charging pad by connecting power to the USB-C port while on your desk. This way, you’re charging the 533’s battery while also powering up your earbuds or smartphone wirelessly.
The 533 may not sport the biggest battery or the most amount of ports, but it does what I need it to do in a very small and portable package. If you’re looking for a new power bank, give this one some thought. It’s pretty affordable, too, costing between only $68 and $75 CAD on Amazon.
Anker 736 Nano II Charger
My second new favourite tech-travel companion is the Anker 736 Nano II charger. Of course, I have countless single-port USB-C and USB-A chargers, but one thing I would often find when traveling, regardless of whether it is at a hotel or an Airbnb, is that there are never enough plugs in convenient locations to charge your devices.
What I like about this particular Anker charger is that it has three USB ports (2 x USB-C and 1x USB-A), allowing me to charge my Pixel 7, Surface Pro 8, and one other device simultaneously. Anker, however, didn’t simply stick three ports on this adapter and call it a day. The adapter can deliver up to 100W of power to a device through its USB-C ports but using Ankers PowerIQ 3.0 technology, the adapter will scale its power output for each port. For example, When my Surface Pro 8 is connected to the laptop port, it provides 100W power delivery. However, as soon as my Pixel 7 is connected to the phone port, the ports scale to a 60W/40W setting, allowing both devices to charge safely while still giving priority to the laptop and its higher charging demands. Check out Anker’s handy diagram below, showing how each port is affected based on what ports are in use.
Overall, the Anker devices have made my travels enjoyable and stress-free. I can’t recommend them enough for anyone needing an easy and efficient way to charge their devices on the go. Having trusty tech accessories can enhance your travel experience, and these two products have done just that for me, exceeding my expectations every time.
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