Feb 10, 2019, 10:52 am
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
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:
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.
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
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%.
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.
- 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.
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
Sep 27, 2021, 7:15 am
#481
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,839
For 45W you still can't beat https://www.ebay.com/itm/294196414194 much better form factor than cubes for packing, negligibly higher weight. https://www.amazon.com/Mu-Notebooks-.../dp/B07N1PK1RP same charger with international plugs. If 45W is enough this charger is impossible to beat. Except for the rather high price and Mu is now gone.
Wow, surprising if Mu is indeed closing shop. They really should have gone for a volume play to find a buyer for their UK plug design.
The rest of it... each user has a preference on design. I can see its usefulness if a plug point is behind a cupboard / bed, but these days plug points are usually easily accessible. Some may be recessed, so the Mu One‘s US plug design works against it.
The rest of it... each user has a preference on design. I can see its usefulness if a plug point is behind a cupboard / bed, but these days plug points are usually easily accessible. Some may be recessed, so the Mu One‘s US plug design works against it.
.I still use both the Duo and the Mu One single USB C, and all I really need was exactly what Mu Two was promising, dual USB c simultaneous charging in a slim form factor with UK, EU & ideally US prongs. Sadly I haven’t found anything that meets that bill in one product. The only solution seems to be multiple dual usb c chargers for each plug type, or carrying a standard international wall adapter. Both of these annoy me, but I’m still not travelling enough to force me to change, probably until early 2022 when hopefully the technology will have moved on (and the inevitable supply chain issues are better, although that sounds like it will get worse before it gets better).
Sep 27, 2021, 9:43 am
#482
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
Sep 29, 2021, 4:10 pm
#483
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,621
I figured I'd post this here. I'm constantly going through USB cables. I almost always use Anker, but after awhile they do seem to start acting up. To their credit, Anker is very good about replacing them.
I came across these a few months back: I've not found anything quite like them.
Flat braided cable, flexible strain reliefs, but most importantly -- illuminated connectors! The satin metal grips definitely feel upscale compared to anything else I've used. The edge-lit connector doesn't keep me awake at night either, as once it's plugged into my phone/tablet, the light is shining towards the device and not into the room. BUT the connector is great when I'm digging around the floor of the plane/car or trying to plug my phone back in without having to reach for my glasses. They also have a nice rubber cable tie which doesn't catch on everything like velcro can.
The only downside I've found so far is they only come in one color, red with black braid. I wish they had other colors since they also sell MicroUSB cables which are identical.
I've bought 3x packs of the USB-C and 3x packs of the MicroUSB. So far, so good.
I came across these a few months back: I've not found anything quite like them.
Flat braided cable, flexible strain reliefs, but most importantly -- illuminated connectors! The satin metal grips definitely feel upscale compared to anything else I've used. The edge-lit connector doesn't keep me awake at night either, as once it's plugged into my phone/tablet, the light is shining towards the device and not into the room. BUT the connector is great when I'm digging around the floor of the plane/car or trying to plug my phone back in without having to reach for my glasses. They also have a nice rubber cable tie which doesn't catch on everything like velcro can.
The only downside I've found so far is they only come in one color, red with black braid. I wish they had other colors since they also sell MicroUSB cables which are identical.
I've bought 3x packs of the USB-C and 3x packs of the MicroUSB. So far, so good.
Sep 30, 2021, 3:31 am
#484
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,347
I'm curious -- when Anker replaces them, do you need to send them the inoperable cable? If so, do they cover shipping? For many cables, given the cost and hassle of return shipping (if they don't pay), I'd likely just buy another cable.
Sep 30, 2021, 3:34 am
#485
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,347
I came across these a few months back: https://www.amazon.com/Charging-INIU...dp/B08J3VBHM9/
I've not found anything quite like them.
Flat braided cable, flexible strain reliefs, but most importantly -- illuminated connectors!
I've not found anything quite like them.
Flat braided cable, flexible strain reliefs, but most importantly -- illuminated connectors!
Thanks for pointing these out!
Last edited by ikwia; Sep 30, 2021 at 3:54 am
Sep 30, 2021, 11:25 am
#486
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,621
The biggest issue I've had are with their longer cables where they'll only charge at 500mA.
Oct 19, 2021, 9:27 pm
#487
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
I guess my specific wishlist for the power bank is:
- Type C port w/ USB-PD 12V out (great if also 20V)
- Low weight - below 200g, & the lower the better
- At least a 2nd USB-A/-C port
- Pass-through charging, or quick charging e.g. like the graphene battery linked above has
Passthrough seems to work fine, and it also charges my Lenovo laptop via I believe 12V (18W) - it does have some coil whine, but that ilia normal and it’s anyway more meant for the just-in-case situations. Overall, happy with the purchase; it will be great for travel when that picks up again.
Nov 10, 2021, 10:40 am
#488
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
If all you need is a seriously tiny charger for tablets and phone, the Aohi Magicube is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093PQZVK4/ I will note the plugs are not foldable, the smallest foldable 30W I am aware of would be the Nubia Cube Pro 30W (PA0213) which IMO is China only at the moment.
In particular, right now that 65W charger is ridiculously priced vs earlier GaN chargers, it’s $13+change!
While I like my Innergie 60c, it just can’t compete with this sort of pricing…
[EDIT]No idea on the brand rep in the USA / quality of the charger, but it’s 49.9% owned by ZTE and seems to be used by a decent # of users in China; I guess we’ll see.
Last edited by crackjack; Nov 10, 2021 at 1:05 pm
Nov 10, 2021, 12:06 pm
#489
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: DL, UA, AA, VS
Posts: 5,226
Good price for that 65W but only one port and that foldable plug, which can be a problem in some tight spaces.
I'd pay double or triple that for 2 PD ports and maybe a USB-A port or two.
I essentially did for the RAVPower which has two USB-C and two USB-A in relatively compact form factor with a power cord so you can plug in in tight spots more easily.
I'd pay double or triple that for 2 PD ports and maybe a USB-A port or two.
I essentially did for the RAVPower which has two USB-C and two USB-A in relatively compact form factor with a power cord so you can plug in in tight spots more easily.
Nov 10, 2021, 12:59 pm
#490
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
I get it, that’s a completely valid preference. There’s enough choice for each to select a charger with the feature sets / form factors we prefer.
(I just plug both my phones into my laptop when the laptop itself is charging, so one USB-C port is fine. But I get that others like those extra plugs, even if wattage doesn’t change.
I also like my Innergie 60c’s compactness, including the folding plug. It may not work everywhere, but I’ve not faced such scenarios. Its low weight means it doesn’t torque out of plug points with good holding power/friction, though the full assembly does get a bit unwieldy if using the Kikkerman plug adapter too - but still holds at the plug points.)
My Innergie fits the same niche for me, but nubia’s 65W is price competitive for any GaN-based charger, extremely so for a 65W one and is even 60% the cost of the non-GaN ZMi 65W one mentioned before. If I didn’t have the 60c, I’d probably give it a try.
Perhaps quality is yet TBD, but the brand does seem to be a subsidiary of the Suning group & also is 49.9% owned by ZTE; I guess we’ll see.
(I just plug both my phones into my laptop when the laptop itself is charging, so one USB-C port is fine. But I get that others like those extra plugs, even if wattage doesn’t change.
I also like my Innergie 60c’s compactness, including the folding plug. It may not work everywhere, but I’ve not faced such scenarios. Its low weight means it doesn’t torque out of plug points with good holding power/friction, though the full assembly does get a bit unwieldy if using the Kikkerman plug adapter too - but still holds at the plug points.)
My Innergie fits the same niche for me, but nubia’s 65W is price competitive for any GaN-based charger, extremely so for a 65W one and is even 60% the cost of the non-GaN ZMi 65W one mentioned before. If I didn’t have the 60c, I’d probably give it a try.
Perhaps quality is yet TBD, but the brand does seem to be a subsidiary of the Suning group & also is 49.9% owned by ZTE; I guess we’ll see.
Last edited by crackjack; Nov 10, 2021 at 1:27 pm
Nov 10, 2021, 2:25 pm
#491
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
You’ll likely have to wait a while for these: end-user laptops / other devices using the new spec will only start appearing in 1-2 years (likely longer), once USB-PD controller designs are locked down and put into production, and third party charger manufacturers will likely only jump in after there are a couple of these devices are available.
Plus, the size / volume / weight / price will increase in line with the chargers’ output…
Plus, the size / volume / weight / price will increase in line with the chargers’ output…
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-....573806.0.html
Apparently Apple is using Infineon microcontrollers in their chargers; these microcontrollers released in July seem to top out at 140W are apparently the first for USB PD 3.1 chargers (ugh, this is getting confusing with just plain USB 3.1 / USB 3.2 gen X), so may still be a while until 240W ones are available, but with Apple pushing this, looks like things are already moving.
Somewhat related, interesting thought experiment / analysis of USB-C replacing AC for most electrical equipment. May be reaching somewhat, but interesting read…
https://9to5mac.com/2021/10/19/why-a...s-a-huge-deal/
Last edited by crackjack; Nov 10, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Nov 10, 2021, 5:23 pm
#492
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
From that article:
I don't want to take this off-topic, but whomever wrote that really doesn't understand how ebikes (or power tools) OR lithium batteries work, let alone a lot of other electrical stuff. And having to add USB-PD controllers (and deal with the extra heat from them) to other appliances sounds like a cost and maintainability nightmare.
Being able to charge your ebike battery using a PC power adapter sounds convenient in a pinch, but running a non-toy ebike off of it is never going to happen - let alone US-spec 750W+ ebikes. (The battery on my main one is 52V 21.7Ah ~1000Whrs continuous ~33A peak ~43A)
What that means is that the same USB-C R3.1 external battery that could power your MacBook Pro could also power an e-bike. I’m not talking about charging your e-bike’s battery, I’m saying it could be the only battery(!!) and drive the 250W motor directly
Being able to charge your ebike battery using a PC power adapter sounds convenient in a pinch, but running a non-toy ebike off of it is never going to happen - let alone US-spec 750W+ ebikes. (The battery on my main one is 52V 21.7Ah ~1000Whrs continuous ~33A peak ~43A)
Nov 10, 2021, 8:09 pm
#493
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,308
Have you noticed that a lot of those multi-port GaaN chargers cut off the power to ports when they have to reallocate the power between the ports, maybe because you plugged something else in or because a usb-c device requested more power? They do this even when there's plenty of power to go around to all the ports. Not very friendly to some devices that might be powered directly or indirectly by that charger.
Then with the CalDigit T4 hub, I was using the usb-a ports to keep the magic keyboard and trackpads powered up, but found those UI devices to be the sources of bugs in the hub, so I just have those plugged into a multi-port charger now and haven't seen a problem with the hub. The bug would freeze the hub, and all the devices plugged into it would disappear from the host.
-David
Then with the CalDigit T4 hub, I was using the usb-a ports to keep the magic keyboard and trackpads powered up, but found those UI devices to be the sources of bugs in the hub, so I just have those plugged into a multi-port charger now and haven't seen a problem with the hub. The bug would freeze the hub, and all the devices plugged into it would disappear from the host.
-David
Nov 29, 2021, 4:12 am
#494
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,921
Picked up the Razer 130W GaN charger, mainly planning on using it to power an iPhone and iPad.
Has anyone given much thought into the cables situation at all?
My portable battery charges over MicroUSB with a regular USB output, iPhone over Lightning, iPad Pro over USB-C/Thunderbolt. So at a minimum, I'd need at least 3 cables:
- USB-C to USB-C (iPad) (preferably Thunderbolt)
- USB-A to Lightning (iPhone)
- USB-A to MicroUSB (Battery)
The Razer (and many other) charger(s) offer USB-A/C ports, higher power on the USB-C ones presumably. I've seen various reversible/3-in-1 cables out there (e.g. Anker makes one) but I've read they charge very slowly. I don't care about data transfer, but I do care about fast(er) charging without having to carry a million different cables. What are people using to solve the cables problem?
Has anyone given much thought into the cables situation at all?
My portable battery charges over MicroUSB with a regular USB output, iPhone over Lightning, iPad Pro over USB-C/Thunderbolt. So at a minimum, I'd need at least 3 cables:
- USB-C to USB-C (iPad) (preferably Thunderbolt)
- USB-A to Lightning (iPhone)
- USB-A to MicroUSB (Battery)
The Razer (and many other) charger(s) offer USB-A/C ports, higher power on the USB-C ones presumably. I've seen various reversible/3-in-1 cables out there (e.g. Anker makes one) but I've read they charge very slowly. I don't care about data transfer, but I do care about fast(er) charging without having to carry a million different cables. What are people using to solve the cables problem?