This $30 Anker Accessory Can Fix Charging Cable Clutter In Your Car

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Unless your car has a built-in fast wireless charger and your phone supports it, you'll have to deal with USB charging-cable clutter. While you can take out the USB cable from the USB-C port adapter after each charging session and keep it neatly in a storage compartment, it can become a chore pretty soon. The result is a dangling charging cable around the car dashboard, which doesn't look neat and can even get in the way. Fortunately, Anker sells a charging accessory that can help solve this problem while adding helpful new features in the process. It costs only $30 at list price and is often discounted to just $25.

The Anker Nano 75W Car Charger is a USB-C port adapter that plugs into your car's 12V outlet and lets you juice up to two devices simultaneously. But more importantly, it has a built-in retractable USB-C cable that you can pull out when needed or keep neatly stored inside the charger when not. With just a gentle pull, the entire cable retracts inside the charger shell. Another highlight of this retractable cable is support for multiple lengths. As a result, you don't necessarily have to pull out the full cable length when you want to charge your phone and have the cable dangling around. You can choose between four lengths as needed. Anker also says the retraction mechanism is tested for over 10,000 retractions, ensuring you won't have issues with it for years.

Although the Anker Nano 75W Car Charger can deliver a total of 75W of power, its output is divided between the retractable cable and an extra USB-C port, irrespective of whether you are using both connections or not. While the built-in cable is capable of pushing out 45W, the USB-C port offers up to 30W charging. This second port will certainly come in handy when you want to top up another device.

Among the fast charging technologies supported by the Anker car charger, ChargerLab's testing reveals that there is support for USB Power Delivery (USB PD) and Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+. It's also compatible with Programmable Power Supply (PPS), a fast charging technology used by Google and Samsung phones. However, its PPS output is limited to 30W, which means you won't get to enjoy 45W Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0, despite the charger's ability to reach 45W. PPS is available on both USB-C connections with the same power output.

Anker's offering has generally received positive feedback from Amazon shoppers. It has an average buyer rating of 4.7 out of 5, with folks happy with reduced cable clutter, fast charging support, and a smooth retraction mechanism. However, some shoppers mention getting defective units or their charger meeting an untimely demise within weeks or months of use. Its relatively bulky design is also a concern for some, which experts at Wirecutter also note.