Getting new gadgets is exciting, but charging them? Not so much. Yet by making charging so convenient and painless, theAnker Prime 6-in-1 Chargeris one of the devices I’ve most enjoyed using in quite a while.
Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 Ports, GaN)
The 200W Anker Prime Charger is a charging station with six ports, able to charge devices at up to 100W.
Price and Availability
The Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charger costs $79.99 and is available directly from Anker or Amazon. Like many chargers, it’s available only in one color, a dark gray.
Specifications
Six Ports in a Compact Package
The Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charger feels like a cross between a multi-port charging adapter and a surge protector. It’s small enough to carry around in a bag, but unlike a charging adapter, there are no attached prongs to plug directly into an outlet. There is instead a small charging cable that connects the unit to the wall.
The charging station has a satisfying weight and feels right at home on top of a desk. Since the power adapter is removable, you can easily snake it into a number of places. After leaving the Anker Prime Charger atop the desk for a while, I decided to mount it underneath my desk instead and have only the USB-C cables I need visible on the desk. You can have up to six cords lying around, all leading back to a single small block underneath. It’s also something you could store inside a drawer.
The Anker charging station offers six ports. The two on the left are USB-A, while the four remaining are USB-C. These ports are all lined up in a row on the front of the unit. You can charge up to six devices without needing to occupy six different plugs in a surge protector or fill up half as many wall outlets.
There isn’t any form of wireless charging or MagSafe, so don’t drop a phone on top expecting anything to happen. You’re going to need to supply your own charging cables to get any use out of this product.
Charge All The Things as Quickly as Possible
Anker’s 6-in-1 charger can supply up to 200 watts of power. The 200W output is shared across all six ports, and the max any device can draw is 100W (USB-C goes up to 100W while USB-A maxes out at 22.5W). So you’re able to charge two devices at 100W, but not three. This is enough to charge a MacBook, iPhone, and iPad all at the same time—and you would still have enough juice left over for a Bluetooth keyboard, earbuds, and smartwatch.
Since each individual port maxes out at 100w, you can’t charge at speeds quite comparable to Apple’s 140w charger. Thing is, far more people have the company’s far slower 30w charger, and this charging station will feel like a big step up from that.
I don’t own any Apple devices, but I have no problems charging my Linux laptop (a Star Labs StarLite MK IV) and the handful of Android devices I have lying around at any given time. The charging station is great for me, since I work with an eclectic set of small devices that all receive power via USB-C, like a portable monitor and my lapdock. This is also great for pumping power back into external battery banks.
Like a surge protector, the charger has overvoltage protection and current regulations to keep your electronics safe.
Should You Buy the Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charger?
There are cheaper charging stations out there, but Anker is a reputable brand that backs up this product with a 2-year warranty. That’s very important when you’re purchasing something that, if faulty, risks damaging your other expensive electronics or, worse, starting a fire.
Yet even at Anker’s $80 asking price, this is a far more affordable solution than purchasingindividual multi-port wall chargers. Some of Anker’s 100w 3-port USB charging adapters cost around the same price, offering both half the power and half the ports. You can grab individual 67w chargers for your phone for around $25 each, but it only takes three before you’ve spent the same amount of money.
If you have an abundance of devices at your desk or near your bed that all charge via USB-C, theAnker Prime 6-in-1 Chargerprovides a nice way to tidy up your cable situation, and it will charge those devices quickly while saving you money in the process. It’s an easy recommendation, so easy, that I made sure to buy one myself.
