Anker Nano 30W USB-C Wall Charger review
Now that most manufacturers have stopped including a charger in the box, we all need a good option for charging our phones, tablets, and laptops. Ideally, a charger would be as fast as possible as well as being small enough to easily slip into a bag or pocket to carry around as we commute or travel.
Companies like Anker have worked hard on making chargers both as miniaturized and powerful as possible, all while still trying to make a charger actually look good! This has culminated in the new Anker Nano family of devices, which offer all the latest in Anker charging tech, but now have more colorful and playful designs with a uniform feel.
As I think most people are, Anker is clearly awaiting the iPhone switch to USB-C, and these devices are definitely here in time for a wave of upgrades this fall as Apple will almost certainly not include a charger in the box.
Anker Nano 30W: Specifications
Max output:
(UK)
(UK)
Anker Nano 30W: Key features
The Anker Nano 30W charger is your standard wall charger for charging your phone or lower-power devices, made to replace the kind of charger that used to come in the box. Although, unlike those chargers, the Anker Nano can output at 30W, which is six times the speed of an Apple 5W iPhone charger. The Anker Nano has PowerIQ 3.0 for adjusting its speed based on the device connected and is also compatible with Samsung’s fast charging tech.
True to its Nano name, the Nano charger is also small and compact for a 30W charger, and comes complete with folding pins for even easier storage and travel. The plug also has a new look from Anker’s latest chargers, and is part of a new Anker Nano family of products, coming in several different colors to match your style (or phone).
Anker Nano 30W: Build & handling
The Anker Nano is small for a 30W charger, although, honestly I did expect it to be slightly smaller as it has a folding design and only has one USB-C port in it. I have just reviewed the Anker Prime 100W charger which is only around twice the size but manages to output at over three times the speed and across three different ports.
Anker makes quite a few different models of charger that only have one port, such as the Anker 313 or 715, but both offer more power for a negligible increase in size. I just feel this charger is bigger than it should be. It is clear that this is meant to be your dedicated phone charger, but there are a lot of other chargers out there that offer more ports with more speed without much of an increase in size, making them more of a practical purchase for anyone who owns a couple of devices, i.e. everyone.
The design has been revamped from previous Anker chargers, I have the demure and smart black version here, but the charger is also available in a range of other more bright and fun colors. The design is very nice, the absolute best thing about it is its new textured exterior which makes pulling the plug out of the wall so much easier and faster when you are in a rush. This is maybe not a problem in some parts of the world, but in the UK, plug sockets can be unforgivingly tight.
This is another specific gripe for the UK Type G version of the Anker Nano, so international readers can move on. Anker has moved the USB-C to the bottom of the plug instead of positioning it on the rear. I really think this was the wrong move as the majority of my plugs are close to the ground, which means both fumbling with the lead to get it into the plug is tricky when you can’t see the port, and then also the wire ends up bending back on itself as I use the device.
Anker Nano 30W: Performance
The plug performs exactly as expected. When tested I was getting a maximum of 30W out of charger at a consistent rate when tested using monitoring via my MacBook. In practical terms, my Pixel 7 Pro was able to use its fast charge of 23W to charge in around an hour and a half. It also had no issues with much lower-powered devices including charging camera batteries while in the camera which can be frustratingly slow.
The current crop of iPhones can only charge at 15W, so they won't be able to make use of the full speed of the Anker Nano, but it might be good to future-proof yourself for the next generation. Other phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can charge even faster than 30W, so would be better to look at a more powerful charger.
The Anker Nano gets mildly warm when it is being used at its maximum capacity for a long period, although the heat is not troublesome in the slightest and the Nano was very comfortable to hold or throw immediately into a pocket or bag after use.
Anker Nano 30W: Verdict
The Anker Nano marks a new era for Anker, with a new practical design that remains small and compact but now features an exceptional grippy exterior that makes taking it in and out of sockets a breeze. The Anker Nano is a great single-port charger and offers a much faster charging speed than almost any other in-box charger.
However, I am not blown away by its small size. Could the plug have been even smaller though or had another port? Potentially. You can find wall chargers that are not much larger than this with more power, or more ports for more devices.
For the UK version of the plug, it is slightly let down by the placement of the USB-C on the bottom of the charger which I find far less useable than it being on the rear. Thankfully the US version doesn't have this issue.
However, overall the Anker Nano 30W is a great companion for charging your phone on the go, and you can even color-match it to your phone or case.
Read more: find more of our top picks for charging your devices with our guides to the best GaN charger or for charging on the go check out the best iPhone power bank.
