Heading on a road trip or renting a car for your next vacation? In addition to the usual collection of snacks and suitcases, there is one more thing you should not leave the house without: a USB car charger.
The more people in the car, the more real this becomes, but even solo drivers will benefit from having one. Here are the reasons why, what to look for when buying one, and some suggested options.
What is a USB car charger?
In simple terms, a USB car charger is a small device that connects to a vehicle’s cigarette lighter / accessory port and provides one or more powered USB plugs.
It’s typically used to charge smartphones and tablets, but it can also be used to power batteries, certain camera models, and many other USB-powered devices.
Multiple plugs
While a single USB socket is a good start, you’d better find a charger with two or more. As you will often leave your phone plugged into the charger when you use it to drive navigation (more on that below), having an extra plug or two allows you and your passengers to charge other devices as needed.
Not all USB sockets are the same
As you may have discovered by now if you’ve ever tried to power a new iPad from your old iPhone charger, not all USB plugs and chargers are the same. The original specification called for a half-amp output, but as devices become increasingly power-hungry, these numbers have increased.
2.1 and 2.4amp chargers are now common. If you use a charger with a lower capacity than your device requires, it will take longer to do your job or it will simply refuse to charge.
Tablets and newer smartphones are more likely to need the extra juice. Check the fine print on your existing wall charger, then make sure the car charger you buy has at least one plug with the outlet you need.
When using your phone for driving directions, the heavy display and use of GPS will drain your battery faster than normal, so it becomes even more important to have a charger powerful enough to keep you full. Don’t underestimate this: with a low-power charger, it’s quite possible to end up with less charge than you started at the end of a long trip, even if your phone has been plugged in the entire time.
To be safe, look for a charger that has two high-power plugs that can work at the same time. This requires about 4.8 amps of total output or more.
Minor details
There are a few other things to think about as well, though none of them are vital. Look for a charger that has a light that alerts you when it is working, but not one so bright that it distracts you when driving at night. Red is better than blue or white, for that reason.
You must also take into account the physical size of the charger. Depending on the vehicle you are using it in, there is not always a lot of free space around the cigarette lighter / accessory port.
Buying a charger that only protrudes an inch or less prevents accidental bumps and knocks. This is especially relevant when you change vehicles frequently (eg rental cars) and you don’t know the exact layout in advance.
Finally, integrated cables may seem like a good idea, but they usually aren’t. For starters, they limit the devices you can charge, what happens when you buy a different type of phone or a friend needs to charge something?
The cable is also the part most prone to breakage, and if it’s built in, it renders the entire charger useless. Just use the cable that came with your device, or purchase a replacement for use in the car. If you buy an extra, try to get one that is longer than usual so that you can easily reach it from the charger to a vent or dash mount if you use it.
Worth considering
Models and specs change regularly, but here are some USB car chargers that meet the above criteria and are worth buying at the time of writing:
The Scosche reVOLT 12W + 12W is a slim and powerful charger that works with most devices.
The Anker 24W Dual Port Fast USB Car Charger is bigger than the Scosche, but it works with everything.
The 1Byone 7.2A / 36W 3-Port USB Car Charger can charge three devices at once and quickly charge a phone at a very affordable price.
The Powermod all-in-one travel charger offers additional flexibility as it is a combination of a car and wall charger.
