Anker 511 Nano Pro Review: The Smallest Laptop Charger I’ve Ever Seen!
Today we are taking a look at one of the smallest laptop chargers I have used yet, this is the Anker 511. What’s so special about it? Let’s take a look.
Mini form factor
Anker is known for creating quite a few affordable charging accessories for laptops, iPhones, Samsungs and more. In fact, one of the products we reviewed earlier this year was the PowerCore Play 6K which steps up your mobile gaming with a power pack and internal cooling fan.
About a month ago, I purchased a 2022 MacBook Air and it came with the standard 30W charging brick from Apple. By no means is Apple’s 30W charger large, measuring just a little over two inches in its square shape we’ve come to expect. I was shocked to see the Anker 511 charger at a third of that size, with measurements at a little over an inch and weighing a mere 0.08 lbs. For comparison, it’s just about half an inch larger than Apple’s 5W charger for iPhones. Keep in mind that this charger does not come with a provided USB-C cable out of the box though.
In addition to its impressively small size, the Anker 511 comes in a variety of five different colors to choose from, with the version I’m reviewing today to be the blue color. I love the frosted Anker logo that faces the USB-C port and the foldable prongs on the back. It helps make this charger a bit less cheap feeling. The plastic body is lightweight but feels well built and sturdy when plugged in. The charger comfortably sits in your palm and would be incredibly convenient for on the go charging and traveling. I really can’t think of another charging brick for a laptop that can even come close to beating this one in portability.
It charges what!?
At 30W, this little guy is able to charge quite a bit of tech, least of all the main selling point, my MacBook Air. With that kind of power, it’s also able to charge the gamut of iPads, earbuds, cell phones, and just about any portable tech you might have. It can also support Samsung’s Super Fast Charging.
For those who speak the language of batteries, the Anker 511 is also a GaN charger, which essentially means it uses less heat than traditional materials, thus making it safer and more efficient to use. On top of that, Anker also touts the 511 as having ActiveShield 2.0, which monitors the temperature of what’s plugged in to ensure there’s no overheating. They also advertise being able to use the 511 charger to charge a 5th generation iPad Air to 50% within 45 minutes or an iPhone 13 at three times faster charging. Most of those charging estimates are close to what you would get in real life.
My experience with the Anker 511
I wanted to put the charger to the test with my MacBook Air which I knew required a 30W brick to support it. While it appears to charge at somewhat of a similar speed to the OEM Apple brick, it impressively does so with half the physical body. I’m looking forward to traveling on my next work trip with this charger as I won’t have to fuss over the claimed charging port space with coworkers in an office.
While all my experience so far with the Anker 511 has been positive, it is important to note that when charging my MacBook Air, the charger does get warm quickly. I pair it with the provided braided Apple cable and within five minutes, the charger gets warm with it feeling hot to touch at about 30 minutes of charging. This does make it feel uncomfortable to unplug and pack up, but luckily it cools down quickly. I’m confident in Anker’s quality control (from past experiences) to not be too concerned about overheating. I also try to keep in mind that most laptop chargers also heat up fairly quickly from my testing over the years. If you’re only planning on using the charger to power your phone or tablet, I don’t foresee the charger heating up like this at all.
As I said before, while this does charge at a relatively similar time frame as the OEM charging brick, it does technically charge the MacBook Air at a slower speed. For example, at around a 70% charge, the 511 will note a remaining 1 hour and 50 minutes to charge while. At the same percentage of depletion, the Apple charger will note a 1 hour 35 minutes remaining until a full charge. While I personally don’t find these speeds to be that significant, especially if you keep your laptop plugged in while working most of the time, it is useful to note for traveling on the go situations.
Final thoughts
Finally, we can’t end this review without chatting about the price. The Anker 511 charger retails at only 23. That is significantly less than Apple’s 39 for their 30W USB-C power adapter. For those looking for a secondary 30W charger or a replacement to theirs, this is a no brainer. The Anker 511 is smaller, portable, and does virtually the same thing at a significantly more portable form factor. While the warmness of the brick does give me some concern, it isn’t that out of the ordinary with other 30W charging bricks. This is an amazing evolution to witness as just half a decade ago, we still had square bricks the size of a palm to charge our Macbooks. Now, we can charge our laptop with a brick that fits inside your fist. Amazing.
Anker 511 PowerHouse 90 Portable Power Bank 87.6Wh
Built-In 100W Wall Outlet: Charge mobile devices, laptops, drones, cameras, and small appliances—all from a single compact power source.
Simultaneous Charging: With a 45W USB-C port, 2 USB ports, and a 100W AC outlet, you can now charge up to 4 devices at once without sacrificing power.
Huge Capacity: Equipped with a huge 24,000mAh capacity to charge a 2020 MacBook Air 1.5 times, a DJI Mavic Mini 3-4 times, and an iPhone 13 4-5 times.
High-Speed Charging: Use the 45W USB-C port to fully charge a 2020 MacBook Air in just over 2 hours.
What You Get: PowerHouse 90, 45W USB-C charger, USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C cable, lanyard, welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Product Features
Designed for Travel: PowerHouse and the included ultra-slim wall charger fit easily into your bag, so you can always be ready to charge wherever you are.
Wide Compatibility: Works with mobile devices including iPhone 12, iPad Air, and MacBook Air 2020, and can also power small appliances such as lanterns and fans.
Stable AC Output: The built-in AC wall outlet uses a pure sine wave inverter to reduce audible and electrical noise in fans, lights, and other sensitive appliances.
Practical Design: Features a handy lanyard for easier carrying and a textured rubber end to improve grip.
Recharge with Ease: With a USB-C to C cable and powerful 45W wall charge included, you have everything you need to recharge PowerHouse’s internal battery.
Specifications
What’s Included: PowerHouse 90, 45W USB-C wall charger, USB-C to C cable, USB-A to C cable and lanyard.
Colossal Cell Capacity: 24,000mAh of charging power ensures over one complete charge for the 2020 MacBook Air and a significant battery boost for other laptops. Depending on battery size, most smartphones will get over 4 full charges with tablets also charging at least once.
Stable Power Supply: The built-in AC outlet uses a pure sine wave inverter to ensure the power output is just as good as what you get at home. Reduces audible and electrical noise in sensitive appliances.
Built-In Flashlight: Never be left in the dark again. Choose between full brightness, low brightness, and SOS lighting modes at the push of the button.
Ready to Recharge: Comes with a 45W wall charger and USB-C to USB-C cable so you have everything you need to recharge PowerHouse’s internal battery.
Air-Travel Friendly: Stay charged in the airport while waiting for your flight, and then store PowerHouse 90 in your carry on until you reach your destination.
Product Notes
- PowerHouse 90 is not recommended for charging your CPAP.
- When the power button is turned on, even if no devices are being charged, there will still be a certain amount of no-load power consumption. Therefore, it’s best to turn off the power button after use to avoid draining power.
- 24,000mAh is the total of the nominal rated capacity of internal battery cells.
- The maximum power output of the AC port is 90W.
- If you use the AC port to charge devices greater than 90W, PowerHouse will automatically turn off.
- When AC output is lower than 8W for more than 30 minutes, the AC function will be disabled automatically.
Anker 511 Nano Pro Review
Summary The Anker 511 Nano Pro is the smallest 18-20W charger you’ll find from a reliable brand. Its fixed prongs are the compromise needed for the reduced size. Still suitable for travel when packed mindfully, also great for a dedicated outlet in a tight space, or when you want a wall charger that is hardly noticeable or more colorful. Port 1: 20W USB-C PD 3.0 (5V/3A, 9V/2.22A) | Quick Charge 3.0 (5-12V) Dimensions: 1.16 x 1.16 x 1.18 in | 1.1 oz Model: A2637 Price: 18.99
- The smallest charger in its class, leveraging GaN technology
- Fast charges iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, LG, and Motorola phones
- Charges Nintendo Switch while you play in handheld mode
- Charges iPad and tablets, though not always at their fastest rate
- color options are available outside of black and white
- Works worldwide with 100-240V power input (may need a plug adapter)
- Prongs don’t fold in (US version)
- Doesn’t support Samsung Super Fast Charging
- Won’t support larger devices
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I purchased the product in this review.
ZMI zPower 33W specs print
My Impressions of the Anker 511 Nano Pro
The Anker 511 Nano Pro charger is the industry standard when someone wants the smallest and lightest charger for their phone (or small tablet or handheld Nintendo Switch). It leverages GaN technology better than any other charger in its output range to obtain its compact size. It is also a part of Anker’s new design philosophy, where they want to offer more color options beyond the basic black and white.
The fixed prong is the standout downside of this Anker charger. Adding a hinge and housing for the prong to fold up would add mass, so Anker opted for the smaller fixed prong design. Advantageous if plugging it into a dedicated outlet, as the size and color options give better aesthetics. But if you plan to travel with it, you need to pack it in a away from your other electronics, to remove any risk of scratches. As with other 18-20W USB-C chargers, don’t expect it to fast charge an iPad/tablet or to support larger devices. It didn’t get a perfect safety rating above because it is not USB-IF certified, which is common among still good USB-C chargers.
If I wanted to travel as light as possible, where every ounce mattered, the Anker 511 Nano Pro would be at the top of the shortlist. And I’ll likely put this one into a wall outlet behind furniture to add a dedicated iPhone charging location. But I prefer folding prongs on my travel chargers, so whether this is the ideal option for you depends on your priorities and needs.
Fast Charging With GaN and High Temperatures
Some owners note this charger gets hotter than others, which is normal for the GaN tech and aggressively small size. While fast-charging an iPhone I only ever saw temperatures up to 104°F and that was only in one spot. Most of my temperature readings were between 84 and 95°F while the charger was providing maximum output for an iPhone for 30 minutes. This is warm to the touch but not dangerous. You can touch solid objects up to 120°F safely. The Anker 511 Nano Pro boasts updated safety internal designed to monitor temperature and adjust (lower) the power output if necessary.
Anker 511 Nano Pro vs Anker 511 Nano
Not long after the Anker 511 Nano was released an updated model can out, the Anker 511 Nano Pro. The differences between the two models are minor enough that whichever is cheaper at the time is probably your best bet.
- Same fast charging rate. Both chargers offer the same power output specs and will fast charge your phone in the same amount of time.
- The Nano is slightly smaller (1.1 x 1.1 x 1.1 in vs 1.16 x 1.16 x 1.18 in) and slightly lighter (1.05 oz vs 1.1 oz).
- The Nano Pro comes in more colors, part of Anker shifting their design away from just black and white.
- The Nano Pro boasts an improved ActiveShield safety function to monitor your phone’s temperature during charging. But Apple, Samsung, Google, and most other modern phones already do this on their own.
- On average the Nano Pro has been 3 cheaper.
Compare this charger with the best fast chargers for your iPhone or Android.
Anker 511 Nano Pro charging an iPhone
Anker 511 Nano Pro charging a Nintendo Switch
Buy the Anker 511 Nano Pro if you:
- Want a more discrete (or more colorful) wall charger setup for your phone
- Need an iPhone or Android fast charger where size matters more than folding prongs
Don’t buy if you:
- Require folding prongs from any travel charger
- Would prefer a charger that supports Samsung Super Fast Charging standards
- Designed for iPhone: Provide full-speed 20W charging for the iPhone 13.
- High-Speed Charging: 20W USB-C charging gives you the power you need to charge up your iPhone to 50% in just 25 minutes—that’s up to 3 times faster than your old 5W charger.
- Advanced Safety Features: Equipped with our all-new ActiveShield️ safety system to offer enhanced protection. Features a Dynamic Temperature Sensor which actively monitors temperature, and a Power Tuner Chip which adjusts power output to safeguard your connected device.
- Small Size, Big Power: 45% smaller than an original 20W charger—but just as powerful.
- What You Get: Anker 511 Charger ( Nano Pro ), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service (cable not included).
- Designed for iPhone: Anker Nano is designed to provide the maximum charge to iPhone 12.
- Unrivaled Speed: Charge iPhone 12 and previous iPhone models up to 3× faster than with an original 5W Charger.
- Space-Saving Design: At 50% smaller than a standard iPhone 12 USB-C charger, Anker Nano provides plenty of power while saving space in your bag or while plugged into a wall outlet.
- Works with Most Handheld Devices: Provide high-speed charging to most flagship phones including iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S20 as well as smartwatches and earbuds.
- What You Get: PowerPort III Nano, welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service (cable not included).