Our pick for the best USB car charger goes to
the Anker PowerDrive 2 because it’s small, compact, and delivers 2.4 amps to
each port. This means that it is capable of charging two smartphones or two
tablets at full speed at the same time. Its reliability is also amongst the
best we’ve experienced without any hiccups. Finally, the price for this charger
is what takes it over the top, costing less than almost every reliable
charger on the market.
·
Fastest charge up to 4.8 amps
·
2.4 amps per port.
·
Two USB ports and a LED light for after dark.
·
Small and compact.
·
18-month warranty.
Available
on:- Price: $9.99
*
price at time of publishing was $9.99
What makes a
great USB Car Charger?
A great USB car charger should be simple and
easy-to-use. You’d be surprised at how many car chargers fail at doing these
things, but after dealing with so many, here are the three most important
things we think a USB car charger should do:
·
Charge devices, including phones and tablets, nearly as fast as
a wall outlet.
·
Is reliable and works every time you plug in your device.
·
Is small enough to fit in tight spaces.
Why the Anker
PowerDrive 2 is the best?
The Anker PowerDrive 2 charges at speeds that
are not far off from what you’d get charging at home from a stationary wall
outlet. This is by far the most important feature of a car charger since your
time in a vehicle is often limited and you’re looking to get as much juice as
you can before you get to your destination.
But what makes this charger even better is
that it can deliver that power to not one, but two devices at the same time,
something you don’t see all that often. It’s not big and bulky like some of the
other car chargers out there and it is very well built. It will stay put in
your 12V DC plug, even if you pull out your USB wires multiple times. Plus, at
the current price of less than $10, there’s truly nothing to match all those
features at this price.
Our experience
with the Anker PowerDrive 2
Unless you have a fairly new car, most
vehicles don’t have a built-in USB car charger. And for smartphone users,
running out of battery is the last thing we want.
I’ve used my fair share of USB car chargers
over the years, but the biggest problem I always had was that they never seemed
to truly charge up my phone. That changed when I tried the Anker PowerDrive 2
which, when combined with a great iPhone holder, changed my experience
So what makes this particular car charger so
great? It really boils down to a few features, which may not seem like a big
deal at first, but over time become more and more valuable – especially as you
use them every day.
First up is without question charging speed,
the most important feature of any USB car charger. If it doesn’t charge up your
phone quickly, then you shouldn’t buy it. Luckily the Anker PowerDrive 2 has no
problem doing this. Why? Because it can put out up to 2.4 amps, which means it
will charge your smartphone or tablet about as quickly as if they were
connected to your wall outlet.
It will charge your
smartphone or tablet about as quickly as if they were connected to your wall
outlet.
Oh, and you don’t just get one port with this
car charger. Instead, you get two, both which can put out 2.4 amps. If you dig
around and look at other USB car chargers, you’ll find that most of them can
only do this with one port, not two. This is by far what sets the PowerDrive 2
apart from other car chargers. Being able to charge two iPhones at the same
time is crucial.
My second favorite feature of the PowerDrive 2
car charger is its size. There are some chargers out there that are just way
too big and bulky, making them a bit annoying when dealing with. With the
PowerDrive 2, you don’t have to worry about that.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll take it out of
your cigarette lighter much, this car charger does stick out a bit. That’s a
good thing simply because it makes finding it easier. Again, it’s compact, but
not big and bulky.
Another great feature is not something you’ll
appreciate at first. But after a while, it will grow on you. The glowing LED
indicator ring makes the charger easy to find at night or if your car is in a
poorly lit garage. It’s also great at letting you know that your device is
being charged. Again, this may not seem like a big deal to you at first. But
trust me, you’ll come to appreciate it after you live with this car charger for
a while.
Reliablity
Here’s the thing: car chargers should just
work. They shouldn’t be complex, and they should charge your iPhone or iPad as
quickly as possible. It sounds simple, I know, but you’d be surprised at how
many of them can’t even do that right, let alone be reliable.
Speaking of reliable, I’ve been using the
PowerDrive 2 for over a year now and have had absolutely no problems. It
charges correctly every time. That’s more than enough for us to highly
recommend this charger.
Who Else Likes It
On Amazon, more than 6,000 users have given
the PowerDrive 2 a 4.7 out of 5 stars, complimenting its fast charging speed
and its reliability, with one user saying “This Anker PowerDrive+2 is the most
powerful car charger I’ve seen thus far.” Even the few folks who have
encountered some problems with the PowerDrive 2 say that Anker was able to
remedy the issue within just a few days, which highlights the company’s great
customer service.
The Wirecutter also calls the PowerDrive 2 the
Best USB Car Charger saying it has “the capability to simultaneously charge two
full-size tablets at full speed.”
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