When I travel, one of the first things I pack is a set of chargers. You never know when you’re going to need one to charge your iPhone, gaming handheld, or anything else.
This all stems back to a time I was traveling on a plane that lasted for nine hours. Three hours in, my iPhone’s battery dropped to 20%, so I went to get my battery pack. Turns out it was empty — I had forgotten to charge the battery pack the day before!
Since then, I’ve always made sure to pack at least three different types of chargers, but the setup has changed slightly in the past few years. When I upgraded to an iPhone 13 Pro from an iPhone X in 2021, it meant I could look at MagSafe accessories — the awesome magnetic charging capabilities found in all iPhones since. I spoke about this in 2023 when my wife and I went to New York and I used a MagSafe battery pack at the time.
Not only have I replaced that battery pack since, but I’ve also added two more charging accessories. Recently, I went to a gaming exhibition called the Nottingham Video Games Expo (NVGE). I had a fantastic time at the event playing all of the retro consoles available, as well as some guest talks featuring prolific veterans from the gaming industry. Throughout the day, however, I needed my charging accessories on numerous occasions to make sure my tech didn’t die along the way.
UGREEN 20,000 mWh Power Bank
I have to admit — I’ve got a few massive power banks and some chargers alongside the UGREEN power bank. One charger is the Chargeasap 280W ZEUS USB-C GaN Charger, which is a monster but overkill for where I was going for the day. In addition, I wasn't sure where I'd be able to plug this in. The UGREEN 20,000 mWh Power Bank on the other hand was perfect for this outing to the Game Expo, thanks to its smaller size.
This power bank features two USB-C ports, with one that can charge up to 100W, ideal for my MacBook Pro. There’s also a lone USB-A port in case you need to charge anything that still features the trusty old connection.
The UGreen power bank also has a helpful screen that can tell you how much juice is left, though it’s hard to see in direct sunlight due to the low-res and dim display.
I used UGREEN’s power bank to charge my MacBook and Nintendo Switch when I was grabbing a coffee in between events at the expo. I also like the feel of the power bank — it’s got a nice curved, smooth design that matches up well with the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium design. If you want something with a lot of juice and a bunch of ports, you can’t go wrong with UGREEN’s power bank.
Anker MagGo 10,000mAh Power Bank
As I mentioned above, I brought a MagSafe power bank on my trip to New York. However, after a few months, it suddenly stopped working, and the adjustable stand snapped off.
Fortunately, it was good timing as Anker announced in January that it was releasing a new line of chargers that featured Qi2, which means they can charge at 15W, which my iPhone 15 Pro Max supports. One that stood out, which Anker subsequently sent me, was its MagGo 10,000mAh Power Bank. This can charge my 15 Pro Max up to 1.5 times and also works as a stand allowing me to watch videos as the MagGo holds the smartphone up.
First of all, using the power bank during the train ride was a big help. I attached it to my 15 Pro Max, stood it up on a table, and swiped through TikTok videos with one finger, without having to hold the phone with my other hand. Another useful moment was when I was walking around the Expo and had it attached to my iPhone while its battery drained due to the poor 5G signal in the area. Having the power bank attached also really helped when taking photos in landscape mode, because it gave my hand an extra grip while I recorded some video of someone playing gaming classic Lemmings on a Macintosh Plus computer. The MagGo also has a small display on its side, which lets me know how much charge was left, and includes a timer for how long it may take for my 15 Pro Max to be fully charged.
Overall, I was very impressed as I used the power bank throughout the day. If you want something reliable but can also help keep your iPhone secure at certain angles, Anker’s MagGo is the one to get.
Anker Prime Plug Wall Charger
Yes, it’s a plug, but a very good one! Before power banks were a common thing, you’d usually pack a suitcase or backpack with a bunch of wall chargers to ensure all your devices could charge as soon as you saw a power socket. These days, I make sure I have a wall charger with me that features a lot of USB-C ports as well as a significant amount of wattage so it can charge all my devices quickly.
Anker’s Prime 67W Wall Charger is something that’s always in my backpack, and I used it several times before and after visiting the NVGE. One of the things I like about Anker Prime is that the prongs are foldable, similar to Apple’s plugs. This way, it’s easier to place the wall charger into a smaller pocket in my backpack.
I used my MacBook Pro and Nintendo Switch on both train journeys. After owning the laptop for three years, its battery is starting to wane. So much so, I need to make sure I have a charger with me. As the one that came with the Mac failed a few months ago, using Anker’s Wall Charger has been a great replacement to juice up the laptop when needed, thanks to its two USB-C ports. The multiple ports allowed me to charge both my Mac and my Switch at the same time. When I got the train home later on Sunday evening, I used a USB-C wire, connected it to my Switch and Anker Prime, and the battery went back to 100% before I got off the train.
A charger for every scenario
Going to the Nottingham Video Games Expo (NVGE) was a fantastic experience, made even better by the three charging accessories. They helped me in every scenario, ensuring that I didn’t have to worry about my iPhone, Mac, and Nintendo Switch losing charge.
You may think that having three charging methods is overkill, but you never know when you may find yourself in a situation where your power bank has run out of charge and there are no wall sockets available.
These three chargers can now solve that problem for me, and they were invaluable throughout the day at NVGE. Without them, my tech products wouldn’t have made it to the end of the day, which would have made the train home a very quiet and boring journey for 90 minutes.
