Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Many modern vehicles now have everything you need to charge smartphones, tablets, and laptops, built right into them—even base model vehicles include charging USB ports that can juice up multiple devices simultaneously. However, if you need a few additional port chargers to use on a road trip, or have an older vehicle, you'll need to invest in a charger that can be plugged into a 12-volt port or, if your ride’s of a certain age, a cigarette lighter.
Out of many plug-in, 12-volt car chargers and wireless charging docks, the Anker PowerDrive III Duo (available at Amazon) is one of the best car chargers you can buy. It charges reliably, is well-built, and its quick-charge port allows it to live up to its fast-charging standards for your phone’s battery.
The Anker PowerDrive III Duo is a fast, reliable 12-volt charger for modern USB-C devices.
Very small and compact
Has two charging ports
Affordable price
Did not charge as quickly as some of the others
No quick charge technology
PowerIQ and VoltageBoost tech
Small yet powerful
No Quick Charge support
There are lots of things to consider when buying a car charger to use with your smartphone, tablet or another USB-powered device. Some, for example, come with built-in cables with a male adapter on the end for charging a specific device, whether it be a USB-C charger for an Android phone or a multitude of other devices or, Apple’s Lightning charging standard. This can be handy if you’re charging a compatible device, however, you’ll need to pack an extra cable if you want to charge anything that doesn’t use the adapter that the charger is equipped with.
Other car chargers come with multiple ports. One or more female USB-A or USB-C ports and allow you to plug in whatever cable you wish. These 12V chargers are far more versatile, you’ll need to remember to bring the charging cables you need with you or leave some in the car.
In some instances, a 12-volt car charger will feature a ‘fast charger’ port which, as the name suggests, offers compatible devices faster charging than a regular USB or wireless charger connection can. The reliability of such claims depends heavily upon the quality of the charger and which fast charging technology it employs.
Samantha is an avid writer, editor, and consumer with an oddly deep love for finding amazing deals on amazing products, especially stuff that makes life easier. Her personal passions include smart home tech, 3D printing, crafting, cocktails, and cats.
Christine Persaud is a freelance writer for Reviewed who has close to 25 years of experience writing in the tech space in both print and digital publications.
After spending more than a decade at a Canadian consumer tech trade publication, she switched to freelance in 2013 and began covering appliances, TV entertainment, home and lifestyle, commerce, and other related areas. She has decades of experience writing news, features, op-eds, blogs, gift guides, buying guides, and how-tos. She has reviewed hundreds of products over the years, from wireless earbuds to smartwatches, blenders to vacuums, and is ready to educate you on what to buy (and what not to buy).
With a deep passion for tech, Persaud knows her stuff when it comes to headphones, TVs, smartphones, wearables, and small appliances, covering these categories for outlets like WiFiHiFi.com (for which she also serves as editor), Android Central, Yahoo!, Engadget, and Costco Connection magazine.
She’s also an experienced TV entertainment writer, her work featured in Digital Trends, Movieweb, Collider, and CBR. Follow her @christineTechCA on Instagram and X.
Lily Hartman
Staff Writer, Search
Lily Hartman is a staff writer who also enjoys writing magazine articles about health and outdoor recreation. In her free time, she likes to hike, camp, run, and lift weights.
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