Anker PowerPort Atom PD-2 Review

As USB-C becomes more mainstream I am inching towards being able to drastically simplify the chargers, cords, and dongles I need while on the go. For awhile I was keeping a close eye on the Gallium Nitride chargers as they promised higher wattage in smaller packages. This would mean I could potentially drop carrying multiple chargers in order to charge my laptop at full speed in addition to lower wattage devices.

Current Setup

Prior to the PD-2 I had been happy with the flexibility of the Anker Premium 60w 5-Port charger. This charger could cover my 13-inch Macbook Pro, iPad, iPhone, and Bose QC2 Headphones with room to spare but I often found myself bringing along my Macbook Pro charger because I wanted one more USB-C port. I also had to carry around a number USB-A, USB-C, Micro-USB cables to plug in to the USB-A ports.

Anker PowerPort Atom PD-2

I was fortunate to be able to grab one of the earliest 60w adapters on the market - the Anker PowerPort Atom PD-2. With this charger my aim was to consolidate and carry a single charger that could cover all of my devices with a more streamlined set of cables.

My end goal was to be able to carry a single charger, a single USB-C cable, a USB-C to Lightning cable, and a USB-C to Micro-USB cable to charge anything I might have with me.

For the past several weeks it has served as a lighter, sleeker and simpler charger for my 13-inch Macbook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone XS, and Bose QC2 Headphones without issue. It does tend to a get a little warm when charging higher wattage devices but I have never felt that it was at dangerous levels and I have not had any issues charging for longer periods of time.

One thing to note is that the charger provides an output of 60 watts total meaning it will share that output across the two ports if they are both in use. If you have one USB-C port in use it is possible to achieve the full 60 watts to that device. I was able to verify the charging voltage and amperage with my various devices using the Plugable USB-C voltage meter to ensure I was reaching the proper power levels. If you have an Android device many indicate on the homescreen if they are charging rapdily.

Recommendation

Based on my experiences the past few weeks I would highly recommend the Anker PowerPort Atom PD-2 charger if you are looking to carry a small, versatile, and powerful charger for your devices.