Efficient charging in a compact design.
Before the pandemic, I used to visit conferences and take overnight trips to take photos in different locales. When I did, I would always make sure I had a power strip of some kind with me so that I didn’t have to rely on a hotel’s power options to charge my devices. In my opinion, using unknown sources of power, like built-in outlets in lamp bases or USB chargers that are built into a wall, is just asking for trouble. That’s why I try to take a trusted power strip with me so that I can plug it directly into the wall and then charge from that power strip. This, in my mind, protects my devices from overcharging or being fried by an overused outlet/charger. The PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini is ideal for this type of situation. It’s compact and provides several different options for charging external devices.
DETAILS
The PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini provides up to 30W of power delivery in a compact power strip. There are 2 x AC outlets, 2 x USB-A PowerIQ-enabled charging ports that delivers an optimized 12W charge, and 1 x 18W USB-C charging port. This allows the user to charge up to 5 devices simultaneously. The extension cord is 5 feet in length and has a 45º flat plug on the end of it. The entire charging unit provides high-speed charging to connected devices. The charger has fire-retardant casing and safety shutters that prevent foreign objects from being inserted into the outlet making it safe for children.
USER EXPERIENCE
The power strip comes in a really nice ANKER-branded box. There is no image on the front of the box and the name doesn’t appear anywhere except the back. The box is of good quality, but I would suggest that ANKER consider adding an image of the product to the front so that if it appears on a retail shelf a customer can easily identify it. There is no assembly required or software to download in order to use the PD 2 Mini. You simply take it out of the box, plug it into a wall outlet, and plug your devices in for charging.
When the PD 2 Mini is plugged into the wall, a blue LED comes on to indicate there is power flowing to the power strip. I really like the design of this charger because it’s not much bigger than a wireless charging pad so it tucks away nicely into laptop bags or luggage. The AC outlets are on the sides, which makes it easy to plug items into it. The USB ports are situated on the front of the charger so that when you have items plugged in there and on the sides, they don’t run into each other.
To test the charger, I plugged my iPhone 12 Pro into one of the USB-A ports and an iPad Pro (11-inch, 2018) into the USB-C port. I let both devices charge for 34 minutes. In that time, the iPad gained 23% and the iPhone gained 29%. I expected the iPhone to charge faster than the iPad, but I was happy with the charging rates that both of those devices had by being plugged into the PD 2 Mini. The iPad had a charging rate of 0.67% per minute and the iPhone had a charging rate of 0.85% per minute. I did end up noticing that the USB-C port and the top and bottom of the charger seemed warmer than normal after charging the iPad. I used an infrared thermometer to check the temperature and I found that the top of the charger was 101º, the bottom was 111º, and the port was 97º. While these readings were still within a normal range for warmth, it was more than I expected.
CONCLUSION
The PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini is an efficient charging companion that is compact enough to go anywhere with you. It charges devices quickly and even though there is some heat collection, it doesn’t seem to ‘overheat’. I think this is a really nice option for charging multiple devices while you are on the go.
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