A 3-in-1 portable 25W charger has no right being this small. It's perfect for travel
Hands-on with the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station (25W) reveals just how compact 3-in-1 Qi chargers can get.
The Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station (25W) is one of the most powerful 3-in-1 portable chargers out now. The device fits in the palm of your hand but features 25 watts for a phone and spots for an Apple Watch and AirPods.
I’ve been using the Prime Charging Station for a few weeks and it might be one of the best travel options for sale right now. Beyond its power, its compact size and durable build quality are the real stars of the show.
It has a small size with big power
The Prime Charging Station isn’t overly flashy. It isn’t packed with a screen or superfluous features. It features Qi2.2 25W power and three charging spots, but that’s pretty much it. I think most people will find that satisfactory. I haven’t wanted it to do much more.
The streamlined feature set means that the unit can stay small. On a technical level, the Charging Station measures 3.74 by 2.38 by 1.22 inches. A more casual assessment is that it’s palm-sized. It should fit in a small travel pouch, which makes it great for taking on vacation or work trips.
The Belkin UltraCharge 3-in-1 Foldable is one of the other tiny Qi2.2 25W 3-in-1 devices to consider. The Belkin one is just a hair shorter than Anker’s when both are lying flat. But the Anker one is shorter in length than Belkin’s.
There aren’t many considerations
You can use the Prime Charging Station lying flat, folded up, to charge just an iPhone. To charge an Apple Watch and AirPods, you’ll need to unfold it. I found the hinge to be strong. It wasn’t too hard to lift and stayed upright, even when putting on and taking off the phone.
I had no trouble fitting my iPhone 17 Pro vertically on the stand, but it’s great for using horizontally for StandBy mode.
It’s worth noting that there is a fan for active cooling. Anker says that it’s only about 19 decibels in volume. For most people, that should be inaudible. I can’t promise that it won’t bother anyone, but I couldn’t hear it from a foot away.
To get the full 25 watts of power, you’ll need to use a 45W charger. Thankfully, the charger comes with one in the box—along with a five-foot USB-C cable.
Is the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station worth spending money on?
As a travel charger, the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station is close to ideal. Its size is small enough to fit in most pouches. It's powerful enough to fast-charge the latest iPhones. Plus, it has spots for all your Apple devices. Its sleek design and power combination demand a premium price. But that’s fairly common among these types of products. The Prime Wireless Charging Station retails for $150, but has a launch price of $120, thanks to an Amazon coupon.
After using this charger daily for several weeks, I feel confident that it's durable enough to use every day on a nightstand or pack infrequently for travel.
My biggest concern about this charger was the fan for active cooling. After spending time with it, however, it hasn’t bothered me like some other 25W chargers have. It could still be an issue for people who are ultra-sensitive to sound, but most people shouldn’t worry. If you really don’t want any fan in your 3-in-1 travel charger, then you can look at Belkin’s Belkin UltraCharge 3-in-1 Foldable.