Guide to USB Power Bricks - Power Traveler (DVC) Edition

[NVDISFamily]

Hi everyone. I've seen a few links/chats about USB adapters in various threads and I thought it would be helpful to post a guide to some things to consider when looking for things that can help you power your laptops/phone/tablets/and collection of magic bands during your travel.

A good USB power brick should have the following -

• Power cable should not be fixed. Most good bricks I recommend use the "figure 8" (IEC C7 Non Polarized) port/cable.
  • You can purchase a longer cable if needed.
  • If you do this make sure the cable you purchase is rated for the power needed over the length. High quality cables are not too expensive.
  • I've had good luck with cable matters and SF cable brands.
  • Most bricks are made to work with 110 and 220v power systems so if you travel to asia/europe/etc. all you have to do is buy the correct cable(s) for your bricks and you are good to go. You can buy figure 8 (IEC C7) cables that will plug into just about any outlet you need.
• The brick should support the new PD (power delivery) standard for one or more of it's USB C ports
  • This will be key if you want to charge a work/play laptop, higher end tablet, quick charge a USB power bank, etc.
  • Some of the better bricks have a good mix of power across the ports so you can use the higher output ports for laptops/tablets and lower power ports for phones, watches, etc.
• A good mix of USB C and USB A ports to meet your needs.
  • good USB A to C adapters are great for converting over some of your A ports to USB C for low power "dumb" charging.
  • USB C to USB A adapters also exist and can be a good thing to have in the bag of tricks but you must do your homework and get higher quality active/smart ones or they can do some "interesting" things (be careful).
• Be well built, from a reputable vendor, and have good (and not fake) reviews
  • I'm a fan of Anker and Monoprice bricks

A few recommended bricks -

Compact Anker Charger - 3 USB A and 3 USB C. "Only" 30W USB C PD one one port and lower power on the other C ports. In some ways this is a plus as I don't like to fast charge some devices (phones/tablets) when I'm not in a hurry so their batteries last longer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM6V5GL2

Anker Prime 200W Charter - 2 A and 4 C ports. Plenty of power. I bring these to my work when we are on client sites with long cords and they can power 3 of our laptops no problem. Downside, it's a bit on the heavy side and most "brick like" compared to others. Editors Note - as pointed out by @Liquidice this will struggle if you try and max it out at all 200W but will have no problem if you are only using it on a good mixture of devices that don't need all 200W. For example, an average work laptop with an integrated CPU graphics will only need about 30W most of the time, same with a big iPad pro. A high end MBP or laptop with it's own graphics card running production adobe stuff all day will need more power. This is a good value on a prime/holiday sale for a good % of it's retail price.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CT2NQ7WG

Monoprice 60W charger - 4 A and 1 C port. Great for when you need a bunch of A adapters. We have a few of these (and older models) and we usually have them in a spot in the villa to keep the MB+ collection charged. The single C port has 45W of power and is plenty to keep a moderate end business laptop or high end tablet going strong or charge up a larger USB power bank fairly quickly.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=43791

Anker 60W USB A Charger - 6 A and 0 C ports. Don't own this one but seems like a well reviewed unit that keeps with the must have the figure 8/C7 cable requirement. Likely a good pick for those with a lot of magic bands and other devices that need USB A and not C.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-iPhone-Galaxy/dp/B00P936188

 

[NVDISFamily]

Some great info about reviews and safety info shared by @Liquidice in this thread -

https://www.disboards.com/threads/g...r-traveler-dvc-edition.3970924/#post-66274476

and

https://www.disboards.com/threads/g...er-traveler-dvc-edition.3970924/post-66274726

Thanks to @Mouseforward for shaving that USB hubs can be used to charge up our MB+ devices. Testing has proven that they charge well via lower powered USB hubs (see posts in the thread).

Some cable recommendations later in the thread -
https://www.disboards.com/threads/g...er-traveler-dvc-edition.3970924/post-66274877

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you! I need to go through our box of power bricks, extension cords, even old portable chargers, and weed out the ones that are too out of date to help with our current devices. Especially now that all our phones and tablets take USB C. I don’t think we travel with any USB A devices now.

 

[Liquidice]

Great idea to share this info!

For me personally, I watch a channel called AllThingsOnePlace https://www.youtube.com/@AllThingsOnePlace that reviews chargers and actually measures their efficiency and stress tests them. It is surprising how many chargers are rated extremely poorly not just for efficiency (costs more to charge your phone) but also from a safety and heat generation perspective. More heat usually equates to lower efficiency, but also can be both a safety issue and a longevity issue.

Here are his overall 2024 recommendations for best chargers:

Anker while I would say is a reputable brand does not always make the best chargers. Just as an example, the Anker Prime 200W charger you recommend in your thread was reviewed by AllThingsOnePlace (

) and he found that it overheats within 35 minutes when actually using all 200w and will go into thermal protection mode, meaning nothing will charge until it cools down. That is a positive from a safety and longevity perspective, but it should be able to hit its advertised rating and charge for longer than 35 mins.

Also probably not an issue if you're just charging your phones at night - but could be a problem if you also want to charge laptops or more power hungry devices at the same time. Don't get me wrong - I also own this charger, but there are better ones on the market - especially for travel as it is kind of heavy in my opinion.

Similar to your recommendation for Magicband+, you don't really need anything fancy as they charge very slowly and don't use a lot of power. I actually have an old Anker 5-port USB-A charger (that is no longer made) similar to this one to charge my Magicbands: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-5-Port-Charger-PowerPort-iPhone/dp/B00VH8ZW02

There are 4 of us in my family, so a 5-port allows us to each charge 1 Magicband+, plus 1 extra port for a portable fan or similary. If you change Magicbands daily - just charge the one you want to use the next day while in the parks or at night while you sleep.

However for phones which use USB-C and can charge faster (sometimes its important to give your phone a quick boost while you stop by the room), I bought this Baseus charger that also has 2 additional AC outlets, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRHNCBFY (Similar model without the 2 outlets reviewed here:

). I like that this one has a charging cord which means the charger won't fall out of the outlet and can reach outlets that may not be directly accessible like ones near the floor.

As well as these smaller chargers from Baseus that I plug into the 2 extra outlets provided on the first charger, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097XL3CLL (Review:

)

It gives me a total of 6 USB-C ports for charging as well as 6 USB-A ports which allows me to charge 4 iPhones and 4 portable battery packs and still have a few extra ports left over for charging things like portable fans.

Surprisingly, the Ikea USB-C chargers seem decent for the price if you need less charging ports (

)

1-Port 30W Charger: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sjoess-30w-1-port-usb-c-charger-fast-charging-30574469/
2-Port 45W Charger: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sjoess-45w-2-port-usb-c-charger-fast-charging-10574470/

 

[Mouseforward]

Anker Prime 200W Charter - 2 A and 4 C ports. Plenty of power. I bring these to my work when we are on client sites with long cords and they can power 3 of our laptops no problem. Downside, it's a bit on the heavy side and most "brick like" compared to others.

I second this one , its big but I keep it in my Owners Locker

Since I have too many magic bands ....

I use a USB-c to 4 USB A adapter to charge. - ( magic bands only ) It charges 4 overnight any only takes 1 USB slot from the adapters

 

[Liquidice]

I second this one , its big but I keep it in my Owners Locker

Since I have too many magic bands ....

I use a USB-c to 4 USB A adapter to charge. - ( magic bands only ) It charges 4 overnight any only takes 1 USB slot from the adapters

View attachment 987558

I love this idea, but is it safe? I've always read that USB-C splitters should not be used with chargers because USB Power Delivery can only negotiate to 1 device per charging port and its possible you'd provide too much power to 1 of the devices. I did consider doing this to reduce the number of chargers I bring along with me and I guess if you're only charging MB+'s on it, in theory it should be safe since they're all negotiating the same voltage but I would always worry that it would fry one of the magicbands and it isn't like they're free with your resort stay anymore.

 

[Mouseforward]

I love this idea, but is it safe? I've always read that USB-C splitters should not be used with chargers because USB Power Delivery can only negotiate to 1 device per charging port and its possible you'd provide too much power to 1 of the devices. I did consider doing this to reduce the number of chargers I bring along with me and I guess if you're only charging MB+'s on it, in theory it should be safe since they're all negotiating the same voltage but I would always worry that it would fry one of the magicbands and it isn't like they're free with your resort stay anymore.

Haven’t had any issue in years.

 

[NVDISFamily]

the Anker Prime 200W charger you recommend in your thread was reviewed by AllThingsOnePlace

Yep I've watched plenty of his content late into the PM when I can't sleep. I actually recall watching his video before I went into the plunge on my first batch of them during a good prime/holiday sale. They have been great workhorses for our family and even for work when I take a few in and they power 3 of our laptops all day with no issues. But these are all moderate end Dell/HP machines that likely only need 30 to 40 W of power. Still had them running for 9+ hour days using all ports but under likely not full loads with no issues. They did struggle when we plugged in a 4th laptop LOL.

Added an editors note to the original post.

this Baseus charger that also has 2 additional AC outlets

Fixed power cord.... (insert random disgust meme here)..... LOL

Looks good but I guess I like my cord size freedom and the ability to take them overseas if needed

For fun, I thought I'd check if by any chance the charging components are 220 compatible (as I think that would be fun if it was compatible if you used the right wall adapter seeing as most of these are made where 220 is the norm) but it looks like they were smart and clearly label it as not compatible with 220 as I could see that being fun given the power outlet on the side (could only imagine what "fun" could be had).

I love this idea, but is it safe? I've always read that USB-C splitters should not be used with chargers because USB Power Delivery can only negotiate to 1 device per charging port and its possible you'd provide too much power to 1 of the devices.

Per my post I think you can put smart electronics in the C to A cables/adapters to make them safe..... it's just did they do it.

Haven’t had any issue in years.

If you can share the link I'd love to look into these. If they are "smart"/safe, I may pick up a few....


@Liquidice - if you want to create/post/dm me a list of other adapters I'd be happy to add them to the OP or post 2 and credit you

 

[Liquidice]

Yep I've watched plenty of his content late into the PM when I can't sleep. I actually recall watching his video before I went into the plunge on my first batch of them during a good prime/holiday sale. They have been great workhorses for our family and even for work when I take a few in and they power 3 of our laptops all day with no issues. But these are all moderate end Dell/HP machines that likely only need 30 to 40 W of power. Still had them running for 9+ hour days using all ports but under likely not full loads with no issues. They did struggle when we plugged in a 4th laptop LOL.

Added an editors note to the original post.



Fixed power cord.... (insert random disgust meme here)..... LOL

Looks good but I guess I like my cord size freedom and the ability to take them overseas if needed

For fun, I thought I'd check if by any chance the charging components are 220 compatible (as I think that would be fun if it was compatible if you used the right wall adapter seeing as most of these are made where 220 is the norm) but it looks like they were smart and clearly label it as not compatible with 220 as I could see that being fun given the power outlet on the side (could only imagine what "fun" could be had).

View attachment 987564



Per my post I think you can put smart electronics in the C to A cables/adapters to make them safe..... it's just did they do it.



If you can share the link I'd love to look into these. If they are "smart"/safe, I may pick up a few....


@Liquidice - if you want to create/post/dm me a list of other adapters I'd be happy to add them to the OP or post 2 and credit you

Great to know the Anker Prime 200W will run with mutiple laptops - I have it sitting at home on my end table near my bed and just use it to charge my phone, watch and tablet at night - and it never breaks a sweat. I've never needed it to charge multiple laptops though. I thought about bringing it to Disney, but it ultimately seemed too heavy for me. Similar to you, I think I got it on a Prime Day or Black Friday sale for $55, it definitely is priced well compared to other more expensive chargers.

The fixed power cord is obviously a drawback, especially if you travel internationally, 100-240V support is a must for international or you need a step down converter which you don't want to do. I bought these mostly for Disney travel and they've worked great for that. The other 100w Baseus chargers I recommended do support 100-240v but obviously they don't have a power cord.

I was told for a USB C to USB A splitter to be safe you really need a USB Hub which are generally larger than the picture that Mouseforward posted and while it will only charge at 5V 500mah, that should be sufficient for the MB+. But I'd also be interested in which one was purchased as it would save me from carrying around an extra 5-port USB-A brick.

My general recommendations for USB chargers in addition you what you have already:

1. Any charger you buy should be certified by a trusted certification company (UL, CSA, ETL, TUV, CE) - this ensures that they have taken basic safety precautions and the charger is less likely to cause a fire. Reputable brands that aren't fly by night companies will invest in one of these certifications. There are MANY charger brands on Amazon and other websites from companies that are stood up just to sell as many items as possible and disappear before anyone has a problem. Its one thing to buy a t-shirt from a fly by night company, it is a whole different risk when you are buying electronic equipment that could cause a fire. This holds true for USB Chargers, Surge protectors, etc. If you want to be absolutely sure, validate the company's certifcation number using the certifier's website as well as I have seen some brands fake a certification and when you look it up, it doesn't match the model of charger you're buying or it doesn't actually exist.

2. In terms of support USB charge support, beyond just supporting USB Power Delivery PD, if you're buying a new USB charger it should ideally also support USB PPS (Programmable Power Supply) which allows for variable on the fly changes in current and voltage. It helps devices charge faster, reduce heat generation and extend the battery life of your device.

3. GaN Chargers - Uses Gallium Nitride (GaN) and is a newer type of charger that are more efficient, smaller, lighter and can handle charging more devices at once without overheating or slowing down. Heat is still an issue, but if you're looking to charge multiple devices at once, you want a GaN charger.

4. Energy Efficiency Rating - not essential, especially if you'll only use it as a travel charger but having a DoE Level VI rating should mean that it uses very little energy when sitting idle. Important if you plan to keep the power adapter connected for long periods of time with nothing attached to it.

---

Other chargers, other than the ones I mentioned above that I'd recommend:

1. Ikea 2-Port 45W, 2 USB-C ports, cheap and a decent charger. Doesn't have a removable cable, but is intended to be small. Supports 100-240V input. I actually own this one, they were on sale recently for $14 each but regular price is $19.99. It supports PPS and is CE certified. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sjoess-45w-2-port-usb-c-charger-fast-charging-10574470/

I don't own either of these, but reviews are good on them...

2. Belkin Boost Charge Pro 200W, it does have a removable cord, works up to 240v, it is pricier than the Anker Prime 200W but is more portable. Have heard there are some QC issues and some fail right away, maybe they've since fixed any QC issues but the ones that work, continue to work great. Better to fail within the return period than to fail a year after you bought it I guess? https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-BoostCharge-Charger-Multi-Port-MacBook/dp/B0DJG63N8H

3. Anker A2342, GaN 100W, 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A port, it is on the pricier side (currently $60 from Amazon) but would be good if you need something to charge your laptop, phone and a MB+ at the same time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097XL3CLL

 

[NVDISFamily]

I was told for a USB C to USB A splitter to be safe you really need a USB Hub which are generally larger than the picture that Mouseforward posted

For “science” I decided to do some testing with items I already had on hand (and using some items already linked in the thread). I grabbed a “dumb” usb a to 4 usb a hub and attached it to the 30w port on the anker compact brick using a good c to an adapter. The 4 MB+ were all dead (red flash) when I connected them to the setup about 1.5 hours ago and now are on half charge. Seems to be working fine and this is while the same anker compact brick was also charging two other phones on the lower power ports. May try this on a few other ports/setups to see if that will help. Could eliminate having to run another cord for power in the villas and also I may think of looking for compact hub solutions.

 

[eticketplease]

Thank you! I need to go through our box of power bricks, extension cords, even old portable chargers, and weed out the ones that are too out of date to help with our current devices. Especially now that all our phones and tablets take USB C. I don’t think we travel with any USB A devices now.

Magicband+ are still the old ones right?
We bought something on Etsy that holds and charges 4 at once but can’t remember what type of usb it was

 

[eticketplease]

@NVDISFamily
Thanks for this. It is always hard to remember what to bring and if it will work with what is in our owners locker

 

[Liquidice]

For “science” I decided to do some testing with items I already had on hand (and using some items already linked in the thread). I grabbed a “dumb” usb a to 4 usb a hub and attached it to the 30w port on the anker compact brick using a good c to an adapter. The 4 MB+ were all dead (red flash) when I connected them to the setup about 1.5 hours ago and now are on half charge. Seems to be working fine and this is while the same anker compact brick was also charging two other phones on the lower power ports. May try this on a few other ports/setups to see if that will help. Could eliminate having to run another cord for power in the villas and also I may think of looking for compact hub solutions.

View attachment 987612

Nice, I was thinking of doing the same thing - just couldn't remember where I put my USB-C to USB-A hub Seems like its a good solution and I might start doing that to save on how much I bring along with me.

 

[Liquidice]

Magicband+ are still the old ones right?
We bought something on Etsy that holds and charges 4 at once but can’t remember what type of usb it was

Yeah, MB+ chargers are USB-A which is the old style USB plugs.

 

[eticketplease]

Yeah, MB+ chargers are USB-A which is the old style USB plugs.

Thanks!

 

[CarolynFH]

Magicband+ are still the old ones right?
We bought something on Etsy that holds and charges 4 at once but can’t remember what type of usb it was

You’re right. I wasn’t thinking about MB+ because we do a lot more non-WDW travel! In January, the one and only time I’ve had a MB+ to charge, I can’t remember what brick I used. It was probably just a regular charger plugged directly into an outlet.

 

[Mouseforward]

For “science” I decided to do some testing with items I already had on hand (and using some items already linked in the thread). I grabbed a “dumb” usb a to 4 usb a hub and attached it to the 30w port on the anker compact brick using a good c to an adapter. The 4 MB+ were all dead (red flash) when I connected them to the setup about 1.5 hours ago and now are on half charge. Seems to be working fine and this is while the same anker compact brick was also charging two other phones on the lower power ports. May try this on a few other ports/setups to see if that will help. Could eliminate having to run another cord for power in the villas and also I may think of looking for compact hub solutions.

View attachment 987612

Yeah I keep about 10 in the owners locker so I have been using "dumb" hubs for a while - no issue.

Now if I could stop buying them.... But I see you have the green DVC - thats next on my list.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Especially now that all our phones and tablets take USB C.

Even if your phone uses a usb c to c cable it can be a benefit to using a lower powered port if your not in a hurry as slow charging the phone on a usb a port using an adapter or an a to c cable will make sure it only charges at 15w and will keep the phone/battery cool and likely help with battery life in the long run.

I do like having a mix of lower power and higher power usb cords/ports as sometimes I want a quicker charge if I’m just in the room for a few min and want a top up I’ll take the power and heat but more often I prefer the slow charging option.

 

[Liquidice]

I found a few similar slim USB Hubs that even say they are made to charge Magicbands:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Charging...+hub+usb+for+magicband,aps,135&ref=nb_sb_noss

I also found an "octupus" style splitter that says it evenly splits a 5V 2A USB-C connection into 4x 5V 0.5A USB-A connections, which should work great for Magicbands as well.

Cannot speak to the quality of any of these as I don't own any of them - but might purchase a few to try them.

https://www.amazon.com/Thunderbolt-...refix=usb+c+to+a+splitter,aps,211&sr=8-8&th=1

 

[NVDISFamily]

Update on the usb hub testing. All MB+ charged fine on the USB hub using the C to A adapter. Grabbed another batch of them that were dead and plugged the hub directly into the USB A port. Seem to be charging fine. Will see how long they take to charge from dead. They seem to be very low power devices and if this hub charging works, this is awesome and will be a new item I grab and pack for trips to keep me from having two chargers in the MB+ spot (or at least give me more flex if we add more to the mix - @MrsNVDISFamily likes to have them all charged up so she can match the best one with the outfits of the day).

Edit - In the few minutes it took to post they already are charging to two green lights on the usb A port. Looks good.