I used to judge a hotel room’s quality by its bed, but now, it’s all about the outlets. When it came to keeping my devices charged, my previous strategy was an electronic sprawl: the laptop adapter in the far wall socket, my watch charging precariously on the bathroom sink, and my tablet charger relegated to a forgotten spot under the desk. I was living an un-centralized, cable-ridden nightmare, scattering my electronic dependents all over the room.
The Anker GaNPrime 615 (5-in-1 Charging Station) (available on Amazon for $39.99) is the dense, pebble-sized unit that has ended that era of cable chaos. It doesn’t scream from the rooftop, but rather, it quietly and efficiently cleans up the mess of the modern travel tech bag, creating a civilized charging corner out of thin air.
Performance: The 65W Traffic Cop
The core magic here is Gallium Nitride (GaN) tech, which allows Anker to compress a full-function power strip into a dense brick barely larger than a deck of playing cards. It feels solid in the hand, a well-engineered counterpoint to the flimsy plastic power bricks that clutter airport newsstands.
Crucially, it’s a smart hub delivering a total of 65W across its ports: two AC outlets, two USB-C, and one USB-A.
While not the most powerful charger, this wattage is the sweet spot for the mobile professional. It’s enough juice to power and comfortably charge a modern, ultra-portable laptop (like a MacBook Air or most non-gaming Windows ultrabooks), while simultaneously fast-charging your phone and topping off your watch. It effectively allows me to leave the bulky, single-purpose laptop wall charger at home. It turns that single, hard-to-reach outlet behind the armoire into a five-way electronic banquet.
The Cord Conundrum and the Awkward Angle
While its miniature size is a godsend for carry-on space, the most notable compromise lies in its 3-foot, non-detachable cord. Its short length allows the cord to wrap neatly around the unit, cementing its portability. On the other hand, this short leash is just long enough to reach a floor-level outlet but often too short to comfortably position the unit on a bedside table. Furthermore, the 3-pronged plug sits at a fixed, slightly awkward angle which occasionally makes it a bit difficult to plug in.
Verdict
The Anker 615 is less of an accessory and more of an infrastructural necessity for any frequent traveler. It trades the promise of blistering charging speeds for the far more valuable gift of sanity. To be clear, it’s not perfect: it’s not Anker’s most powerful multi-port charger and that short cord is a genuine irritant, but its compact form factor and balanced port selection make it an immediate winner. In fact, I love it so much that I got one for everybody in my family.
The verdict: The New Benchmark. Buy it, and gather all your scattered electronic dependents around one civilized hub.
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