Feb 10, 2019, 10:52 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: cheltzel

If you want to use USB C for more than charging, then these two posts are useful: 1 2.

When planning your charger loadout, do note the charger your laptop shipped with is not a requirement, a lower one will be fine. For example, https://9to5mac.com/2018/09/25/60w-u...-all-macbooks/ says

Quote:

the 87W charger filled up my 15-inch MacBook Pro battery more quickly than the 60W charger, but not by very much. After an hour and a half, the 87W charger added 76% battery while the 60W charger added 72%.

On the other hand, most laptops are not built to use higher wattage even if available. It won't hurt your laptop, though.

Buy chargers on Amazon at your own risk, they are known to commingle stock from every third party sellers. But, the chargers here do not have fakes (yet?) so even Amazon might be safe.

The smallest USB C chargers:

Mu One. 45W. Comes with UK, US, EU folding plugs. 96 x 55 x 14mm, 82g with the UK plug attached. 3.78 x 2.17 x 0.55 inch, 2.89oz. Manufacturer shop, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1PK1RP https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N1PK1RP
RAVPower GaN 45W : 72 x 54 x 14.9mm / 2.83 x 2.12 x 0.59inch, 75g / 2.65oz. This is a similar charger to Mu One only without the nifty plug heads. It is marginally cheaper, but without the unique multi-region folding plugs it isn't as good of an option for international travelers. Manufacturer shop, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9WMW6N
Innergie 60C (nee 55CC): 65W 60 x 30 x 30mm / 2.3 x 1.2 x 1.2 inch, 85g. While much thicker than the previous two, when the socket is hidden in a recess this has a much better chance to fit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBYVF4Q Also, a cable is available to charge legacy laptops https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBYL5KZ only compatible with the Innergie 60C. This makes the Finsix Dart fully obsolete, it started as a legacy laptop charger and a USB C cable was planned and reviewed two years ago but never shipped.

If you have more than one USB C device:

Satechi 75W: USB C 60W, USB C 18W, two USB A share 12W. 4" x 2.63" x 1", 11.14 oz. Manufacturer shop https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078864F15
LVSUN LS-PD87-2C sold as Hyperjuice 87W charger: two USB C and one USB A all three share 87W. 4.33" x 3.86" x 0.79", 8.32oz Aliexpress Hyper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KLWDY9C
Hyperjuice battery: 27000 mAh USB C 100W, USB C 60W, USB A 18W. 7.2" x 3" x 0.84" / 183.2 x 77.1 x 21.3 mm Manufacturer shop (although it goes through indiegogo, it is not crowdfunding, it's just a shop)
Maru & Masa Kickstarter: Maru is a 82mm/3.23" diameter bagel, 28mm/1.1" thick, 7.4oz, USB C 45W, USB C 18W, two USB A share 15W, three international AC sockets, nifty interchangeable international plugs. Masa is a battery 80 x 80 x 28 / 3.15" x 3.15" x 1.1" , 11.3oz 18000 mAh, USB C 45W, USB C 15W, Qi 7.5W, kickstand. Promised shipping: April 2019 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...e-yet-powerful
SuperTank & SuperPort 4 Kickstarter: SuperPort 4 is a 114 x 100 x 24 / 4.5" x 3.95" x .95" charger, weight not disclosed, USB C 100W, USB C 18W, two USB ports share 18W. SuperTank is a 27000 mAh battery w/ lots of features, 4.7" x 2.8" x 1.6", 17oz USB C 100W, USB C 60W, USB A 18W, USB A 15W all ports share 138W Promised shipping: May 2019 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ek-recharge-in
AlsterPlus Kickstarter: 7.4" x 3.28" x 0.85", 20oz / 568gr, 27000mAh battery with 2 x 100W USB-C + 2x 18W USB-A, lots of features. All ports share 156W.
Anker Atom PD4. Two USB C, two USB A all share 100W, USB A per port is 12W max. 4.1" x 3.3" x 1.3", 13.5oz. https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Chargin.../dp/B07VSMK849
MagicFox PD180. This is a DC-DC unit, it takes 12-28V 180W via a 5.5mm x 2.5mm jack or 100W max via USB- C input and provides three ports: USB C 100W, USB C 40W, USB A 40W. Size 3.15" x 2.76" x 0.53", 3.44oz. Possible interesting AC-DC choices: Lenovo 4X20Q88542 at 135W either from Encompass with very long ship times or from Japan via Rakuten, Lenovo-to-5.5mm plug adapter here. 4.65" x 3" x .83", 15.24oz. If that's not enough Razer has a 180W which, AFAIK has the right plug. Notably light at 14.82oz, 5.98" / 152mm x 2.87" / 73mm x 0.93" / 23.5mm. The MagicFox PD180 itself is, so far, China only, I had good experiences with Superbuy as proxy so https://www.superbuy.com/en/page/buy...832086035.html While the MagicFox PD180 itself is cheap, high wattage, quality, lightweight AC-DC adapters are anything but.

Getting multiple units from the small section can be more compact and versatile. It is expensive, though and requires plugging multiple devices. Recommended: power strip, wall tap, wall tap. Add USB A ports via slim chargers, Amazon list and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016XO41KQ/

Cabling wise, AmazomBasics and Monoprice is your friend. Do not use female USB C to USB A / micro USB adapters, these are explicitly forbidden by the USB C standard. Male USB C to USB A / micro USB is fine.

Outfitting your travel kit for USB-C

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Sep 29, 2020, 11:51 pm

#301

ikwia

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Anyone here have experience with ZMI zPower Turbo 65W USB-C PD Wall Charger? It looks to be a nice option if you need only a single 65W port. Just under 2" square and 1.1" thick, weighing under 3.4 oz.

Sep 30, 2020, 9:29 am

#302

nmenaker

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikwia

What was the best deal you saw in the early minutes? I saw $39 + $10 S&H for the 65W. Was there a better deal?

one 65W and 100W bought together for 98$ shipped.

Sep 30, 2020, 10:44 am

#303

richarddd

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikwia

The Wirecutter likes it https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...ptop-chargers/

I'm also looking at it, because it's well reviewed and very small. Is there anything good that's smaller?

Sep 30, 2020, 12:06 pm

#304

exp

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Is there a reason people are opting for these Kickstarter chargers from lesser-known brands instead of Anker or Aukey?

Amazon

Better price? Better specs (more amps)? Smaller form factor?

Sep 30, 2020, 11:20 pm

#305

ikwia

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Quote:

Originally Posted by richarddd

The Wirecutter likes it https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...ptop-chargers/

I'm also looking at it, because it's well reviewed and very small. Is there anything good that's smaller?

I hadn't seen the WC review -- thanks. That seems to be the smallest and lightest 65W available. Interestingly, it is NOT GaN.

Sep 30, 2020, 11:29 pm

#306

ikwia

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Quote:

Originally Posted by exp

Is there a reason people are opting for these Kickstarter chargers from lesser-known brands instead of Anker or Aukey?

Better price? Better specs (more amps)? Smaller form factor?

I've found that people are very particular about their chargers...some prefer to optimize size, some weight, some having only a single device regardless of how cumbersome it is, some like to travel with 2 for redundancy, etc. Some people care about color/aesthetics. Add on top of that different needs in terms of ports and capabilities, prices, strategies for working internationally (do you use an adapter? or does the charger natively support different plugs?) and you can see that there is a perfect customer for the huge number of chargers available. Personally, I have a charger suite that I use for all domestic travel, but a couple of options for international travel, depending on where I am going, if I will encounter strict carryon weight limits, etc. Plus, I carry different devices overseas vs domestically.

Looking at the 2 you linked to -- personally, I don't generally like the cord associated with the Anker...it adds clutter and potentially weight. Of course the cord has advantages, too, and there might be some situations where I prefer it. I don't know that I've seen the Aukey before. It is slightly larger than the original HJ 100W, and a bit heavier. It notably doesn't include the switchable plugs -- with the HJ, you can snap on a variety of international plugs so you don't need an adapter, and can travel with it configured just for the country you're headed to. Otherwise, it looks very similar, and is much cheaper. I am not sure when it came out, but I am pretty sure it was after the HJ, because when I investigated the original HJ, there wasn't anything comparable that was actually available (vs announced).

HTH.

Oct 1, 2020, 12:20 am

#307

Coolers

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikwia

One thing the NYT fails to mention is that ZMI is actually a Xiaomi sub-brand and has excellent build quality, better than Aukey and RAVPower IMO.

richarddd likes this.

Oct 1, 2020, 1:51 am

#308

ikwia

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolers

One thing the NYT fails to mention is that ZMI is actually a Xiaomi sub-brand and has excellent build quality, better than Aukey and RAVPower IMO.

Are you just talking about internal components? Or something else? (not trying to minimize the value of good internal components, just trying to get at what you mean)

Oct 1, 2020, 6:19 am

#309

Coolers

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I cannot speak to their internal components, but I've got 3 of their 45+18W 2A1C chargers around the house. Really solid plastic with no flex. The foldable plug feels as secure as the day I got it. This has been a failure point on my Anker and Aukey chargers.

Oct 1, 2020, 11:07 am

#310

richarddd

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikwia

Are you just talking about internal components? Or something else? (not trying to minimize the value of good internal components, just trying to get at what you mean)

ZMI USA is backed by a generous investment from Zimi Corporation. Zimi Corporation is the exclusive mobile power accessories supplier and a subsidiary of Xiaomi, Inc

https://www.zmi.com/pages/about-us

Oct 1, 2020, 11:31 am

#311

pseudoswede

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ESpen36

I'm waiting for a charger with 3 or 4 USB-C ports. Maybe 200w?

This popped up on my feed on Tuesday...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects.../omega-charger

Edited to add: sorry, this only has 2 USB-C ports, but it does meet your 200W requirement in a pretty small package.

ESpen36 likes this.

Last edited by pseudoswede; Oct 1, 2020 at 11:39 am

Oct 2, 2020, 11:44 am

#312

LordHamster

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ikwia

Looking at the 2 you linked to -- personally, I don't generally like the cord associated with the Anker...it adds clutter and potentially weight. Of course the cord has advantages, too, and there might be some situations where I prefer it.

I have a different Anker Unit that has a cord. While it does add to bulk and weight, is is excellent in two situations.

When the conference room table has a recessed outlet...sometimes it is hard to impossible to fit chargers with integrated prongs into the space.
When the hotel has only one outlet tucked somewhere behind a desk or bed.

Generally, I avoid issue #1 by carrying a 6-inch extension cord with me. Issue #2 is so rare I don't plan for it anymore.

ikwia likes this.

Oct 2, 2020, 1:12 pm

#313

exp

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Quote:

Originally Posted by LordHamster

I have a different Anker Unit that has a cord. While it does add to bulk and weight, is is excellent in two situations.

When the conference room table has a recessed outlet...sometimes it is hard to impossible to fit chargers with integrated prongs into the space.
When the hotel has only one outlet tucked somewhere behind a desk or bed.

Generally, I avoid issue #1 by carrying a 6-inch extension cord with me. Issue #2 is so rare I don't plan for it anymore.

If you stay in Airbnb or similar vacation rentals, you may be challenged to find a convenient outlet free. Definitely an issue sometimes with integrated prongs.

Oct 2, 2020, 5:52 pm

#314

ikwia

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pseudoswede

Thanks for pointing this out. This looks to be a better option for me than the new HJ,

Last edited by ikwia; Oct 2, 2020 at 6:00 pm

Oct 2, 2020, 6:11 pm

#315

ikwia

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I'm reading comments on the original HJ Kickstarter and I'm not really encouraged by what I'm reading. I actually haven't used my adapter, as I haven't traveled since I received it. Has anyone here used it? How has your experience been?