Travel Chargers

Three travel chargers for every situation

Back in 2022, I wrote a Travel Charger Guide that covered my entire charging setup: bedside, everyday carry, overnight travel, everything else. At the time I was juggling a Satechi 66W, an Apple 35W Dual Port, a HyperJuice 66W, and a pile of international adapters that I never fully trusted. It worked, but it was a lot of stuff.

The landscape has gotten much better since then. I've simplified my travel charging down to three products that cover every scenario I run into, whether it's a weekend domestic trip or two weeks in Europe with the family.

The Power Station: Twelve South PlugBug Travel 120W

The Twelve South PlugBug Travel 120W is the centerpiece of my travel charging setup, and it's been rock solid.

Four USB-C ports. 120W total. No USB-A legacy ports taking up space. The charger dynamically distributes power based on what you plug in. A single MacBook Pro can pull the full 120W. Plug in a MacBook and two iPhones and it figures out the split automatically. It doesn't matter which port you use for which device. Just plug in and go.

This is the part that matters most to me. When I travel with my family, we have a MacBook, iPhones, an iPad, AirPods, an Apple Watch. Previously that meant packing multiple chargers or a power strip. Four high-wattage USB-C ports on a single compact block changes the math entirely. I've been using the PlugBug Travel 120W for a while now and it's been completely reliable. Every port, every country, every time.

Six interchangeable plug adapters come in the box, covering 179 countries: US, EU, UK, AU, CN, and KR. They slide into the charger with a spring-loaded release mechanism. No wiggle, no adapter falling off under the weight of the charger. These are proper, integrated plugs. I wrote about this in my original charger guide: chargers with integrated international adapters are always better than those universal adapters that wobble out of the wall at 3am. The PlugBug nails this.

Everything ships in a sturdy travel case that holds the charger and all six adapters. This is the kind of detail that makes you realize someone at Twelve South actually travels with their own products. No hunting through a cable pouch for the right adapter. Open the case, grab the plug you need, snap it on, done.

I'll be honest: it's a bit large and bulky compared to a simple two-port GaN charger. You feel it in your bag. That's the tradeoff for four ports, 120W, and integrated international plugs in a single device. For me, it replaces multiple chargers, so the total weight actually goes down. It also has Apple Find My built in, which is a nice bonus if you tend to leave chargers in hotel rooms (guilty).

$129.99. There's also a Travel 50W for $79.99 if you don't need to charge a MacBook Pro at full speed and want to save some money and weight.

The Work Trip Essential: Rolling Square Pocket Travel Charger

The PlugBug is my primary charger for family trips, but for work travel, the Rolling Square Pocket Travel Charger is what I reach for first.

I travel to Microsoft offices around the world. Redmond, Dublin, London, Delhi. Every office has different outlets. The Rolling Square has built-in US, EU, UK, and AU plugs that fold into the body, covering over 200 countries. You just rotate out the plug you need and go. No adapter bag, no fumbling through a Ziploc of outlet converters. It handles every situation I've walked into.

It comes in two versions: a 30W model with a single USB-C port, and a 25W model with USB-C and USB-A ($29.90 for either). I use the 30W USB-C version, and 30W turns out to be the sweet spot. It fast-charges an iPhone at full speed (the phone maxes out around 28W anyway), and it keeps a MacBook topped off while you're working. You're not going to charge a dead MacBook from zero in any reasonable time, but if you plug in during a meeting or at your desk, it maintains the battery and slowly gains ground. That's exactly what I need at an office where I'm moving between conference rooms all day.

It's also great on airplanes. The USB-C ports on most aircraft seats are low-wattage or unreliable. I plug the Rolling Square into the seatback AC outlet and get a full 30W to my phone or laptop. Consistent, fast charging at 35,000 feet.

The whole thing is genuinely pocket-sized. I keep one in my Aer Simple Kit or Slim Pouch and forget it's there until I need it. The build quality is solid, the integrated plugs feel secure in the wall, and at $29.90, it's almost an impulse buy. For work travel, I haven't found anything better.

The Swiss Army Knife: Anker Nano Travel Adapter

The Anker Nano Travel Adapter is the one I've used the longest and still love. It does something the other two don't: it has an AC passthrough outlet. That means you can plug your existing chargers into it. Your MacBook power brick, a hair dryer, a laptop charger from work, whatever. It converts the plug for you and passes through the power. That's incredibly versatile.

It also has its own charging ports: two USB-C (up to 20W) and two USB-A, so it can charge four devices directly plus whatever you plug into the AC outlet. Built-in plug types cover US, EU, UK, and AU. The pins fold flat for packing.

The tradeoff is that the USB-C output tops out at 20W, so it's not fast-charging a MacBook. And it's larger than the Rolling Square (though still compact at 3.39 x 1.97 x 0.98 inches and 3.77 oz). But the AC passthrough makes it uniquely useful. Traveling with someone who has their own charger and just needs a plug adapter? Hand them the Anker. Need to plug in a CPAP or a fan? Anker. It's the one that handles the edge cases.

How I Pack These

For international trips, I bring all three. The PlugBug Travel 120W in its case goes in my suitcase and becomes the nightstand charging station. The Anker Nano goes in the bag as the universal adapter for anything that needs an AC outlet or for someone else to borrow. The Rolling Square goes in my Aer Simple Kit or Slim Pouch for the day.

For a quick domestic trip, I usually just grab the Rolling Square and the PlugBug.

Enjoy!