Anker 511 Charger (Nano Pro 20W) Review
A tiny USB-C brick that fast-charges your phone without hogging the outlet.
A phone charger the size of a wall plug that tops up an iPhone fast and leaves the second outlet free. For most people, that's the whole pitch, and it works.
What the Anker 511 (Nano Pro) actually is
This is a single-port USB-C wall charger that puts out 20W. That's the magic number for fast-charging an iPhone, which jumps to around 50% in roughly half an hour instead of crawling along on the old 5W cube Apple used to ship. Anker dresses it up with a glossy, faceted shell and a few color options, but the job is simple: small, fast, done.
The footprint is the real selling point. It's barely bigger than the prongs themselves, so it disappears into a power strip without blocking the neighboring socket. You don't get a cable in the box, which is the standard annoyance with chargers in this price range. Budget for a USB-C cable if you don't already own a drawer full.
How it performs day to day
For phones, it's all you need. An iPhone 15 or 16, a Pixel, most mid-range Androids, all hit their fast-charge ceiling at 20W. Owners consistently report it runs cool, charges quietly overnight, and holds up to being yanked in and out of bags. Anker's reputation for not cooking your battery or itself is well earned here.
Where it stops short is laptops and bigger tablets. 20W will trickle-charge a MacBook Air slowly enough to test your patience, and it won't keep a power-hungry laptop alive under load at all. This is a phone charger that occasionally moonlights as a tablet charger. Treat it that way and you'll be happy.
Pros and cons
The good: genuinely tiny, fast for phones, cheap, and backed by Anker's solid warranty and support. It's the kind of thing you buy two of and stash one in a travel bag. Foldable prongs would be nice but the compact body already makes it pocketable.
The not-so-good: single port only, so you can't charge a phone and earbuds at once. No cable included. And it's strictly 20W, meaning anyone with charging-hungry gear will outgrow it. If you want two devices at once, Anker's own 521 or a 30W+ multi-port model makes more sense.
Who should buy it, who should skip it
Buy it if you mainly charge a phone and want something small for the nightstand, an office drawer, or a carry-on. It's our easy pick for a travel spare. At this price, it's close to an impulse buy, and you'll likely want a backup anyway.
Skip it if you need to charge a laptop, want multiple ports, or already own a capable 30W to 65W GaN charger that does everything this one does plus more. Buying a 20W single-port brick on top of that is redundant.
The verdict
The Anker 511 (Nano Pro 20W) is a boring recommendation in the best way. It charges phones fast, takes up almost no room, and costs about as much as a couple of coffees. There's nothing clever to overthink.
It won't impress anyone with a laptop or a multi-device routine. But as the small, reliable phone charger you toss in a bag and forget about, it's hard to beat for the money.
Frequently asked questions
- Will the Anker 511 fast-charge an iPhone?
- Yes. At 20W it hits the iPhone's fast-charge limit, getting most recent models to around 50% in about 30 minutes. You'll need a USB-C to Lightning or USB-C to USB-C cable, since none is included.
- Can the Anker 511 charge a laptop?
- Only slowly, and only light laptops. A MacBook Air will charge but at a crawl, and heavier laptops won't keep up under use. For laptops, get a 30W to 65W charger instead.
- Does the Anker 511 come with a cable?
- No. Like most chargers in this price range, it's the brick only. Plan to use a cable you already own or buy one separately.
Marcus has spent over a decade testing consumer tech and gadgets. He cares about whether a product earns its price in real life — not on a spec sheet.
