Satechi car charger/cable combo is great for powering up Apple devices on the road

Some of the best iPhone, iPad, and Mac accessories are those that do their job with taking up a lot of room. One example, is Satechi’s 72W Type-C PD Car Charger and Apple MFi Certified USB-C to Lightning Cable.

Using the latest Power Delivery technology, you can connect devices using the USB-C Lightning Cable to the 72W Car Charger and charge up to two devices simultaneously while on-the-go. And one of those devices can be a Mac laptop!

The specs for the $29.99 car charger are impressive: a 12V connector type with a USB-C maximum output of 60W and USB-a maximum output of 12W. Measuring 3.3 x 1 x 1 inches and weighing 2.2 ounces, it fits into most car’s 12V cigarette ports. And it’s equipped with a built-in short circuit and over-temperature protection for safety.

The 72W Type-C PD Car Charger works with these Apple devices: 2018 MacBook Air, 2018 iPad Pro, 2019/2018/2017 MacBook Pro, MacBook, iPhone XS Max/XS/XR/X/8+/8/7+/7/6, and iPad Air/Mini. Naturally, it won’t charge bigger laptops at full speed as compared to a dedicated charger.

Also note that iPhone fast charging requires an MFi-Certified Type-C to Lightning charging cable (sold separately, but more on that in a moment). Plus, the charger doesn’t support QC protocol, so charges at “regular” speeds.

The USB-C to Lightning Cable ($24.99) is a six-foot (1 meter) MFi-compliant Lightning cable that features a braided nylon construction to provide reinforcement against damage from bending. It also helps keep cables tangle-free. 

USB-C to Lightning Cable in conjunction with a USB-C PD adapter (sold separately) supports fast charging; for example, it powers up my iPhone XS Max in slightly over 30 minutes. Conveniently, it doesn’t just supports charging, but also data transfer and syncing up to 480 Mbps. This means you can back up or transfer files from your iPhone or iPad to your laptop. The USB-C to Lightning Cable doesn’t support video output, but that’s not in its job description.

It works with the following Apple devices: iPhone XS Max/XS/XR/X/8 Plus/8/7 Plus/7/6 Plus/6S/6/5S/5E, AirPods 2/AirPods, 2017 iPad Pro, iPad Air/Mini, iPod Touch 6, and any Apple Lightning connector device.
As mentioned, a USB-C PD adapter (including Apple 29W, 30W, 61W, or 87W USB-C power adapters) is required for fast charging. And if you have an iPhone 7 or earlier, those models don’t support fast charging.

If you need to power up your iPhones, iPads, and Mac laptops when on-the-road, the 72W Type-C PD Car Charger and UBS-C to Lighting Cable are a great combo that don’t take up too much space.

Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★