Anker has got your students covered for the dreaded back to school blues with some great music accessories as well as a fantastic power bank. All of these gadgets are small enough to travel with while offering great features and functionality at a reasonable price. Anker sent each of these products my way to test before I recommended them.
Not all power banks are created equal, and Anker designed the Powercore Slim 10000 PD to be super thin so that it’s incredibly easy to travel with. It is an 18W USB-C charger with PowerIQ built-in. It has a capacity of 10,000 mAh at a power delivery up to 5V, which is enough to recharge an iPhone XS or Google Pixel phone twice or give an 11” iPad Pro close to one full charge. You can recharge your Powercore Slim 10000 PD in just 3.5 hours with an Anker USB-C power delivery wall charger, but you’ll have to purchase that separately. Recharging via standard USB-A charger and cable will take about 9 hours.
The huge capacity of this power bank coupled with its incredibly slimline body makes the Powercore Slim 10000 PD a very intriguing power bank for students or anyone who travels often. You can get yours now from Anker for $39.99.
Everyone needs a good pair of headphones these days and Anker is hitting the market with some great Active Noice Cancelling (ANC) headphones called the Soundcore Life Q20. These comfortable over the ear headphones not only feature ANC but they also have great sound quality with bass boosting technology and have a battery capable of playing for 30 hours before needing to be recharged. The price is also impressive at $59.99.
I tried the Life Q20 and I was instantly impressed as soon as I put them on. Inexpensive headphones are typically uncomfortable, but the plush ear cups on the Life Q20 felt great. They aren’t as comfortable as some of the other higher-end headphones I’ve tried, but they feel a lot better than they should for the price point. The Soundcore Q20 also sound surprisingly good with deep bass and clear high notes. While construction feels a little more plasticky that I’d prefer, these are still a bargain for the ANC, sound quality, and comfort level of the headphones.
If you’re more of the party kid at school, Anker has something for you in the Soundcore Flare Mini. The Flare Mini is a small yet powerful speaker made for partying thanks to its built-in multi-color LEDs that dance along to the music. The music is spread out in 360-degrees thanks to the rounded design and it has the same bass boost technology used in the Life Q20 headphones. The Flare Mini has a 12-hour battery capacity and is IPX7 waterproof, which means it’ll be fine while you’re dancing in the rain or if it gets tossed in the pool. You can also use two Flare Minis to pair wirelessly for stereo sound.
We used the Soundcore Flare Mini in our backyard at my sons 2nd birthday party and it was a hit. The music sounded great throughout the party and the lights were entertaining for the kids. The Flare Mini sounds great and feels solidly built and is a great value at $49.99.
Finally, Anker’s most recent speaker is the Soundcore Icon+. The Icon+ is plays music using its 20W speakers, has bass boosting technology, and a 12-hour playtime. It is also waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, so you can bring it to your beach parties without worrying about ruining the speaker. You can even customize the EQ using the Soundcore app and wirelessly pair it with another Icon+ for stereo sound. The Icon+ utilizes Bluetooth 5.0 which allows you to stream from your phone up to 66 feet away.
We were impressed with the clarity and power of the sound that the Icon+ produced. We brought it on our families beach vacation and it was amazing at the beach or while playing in the grass. We never once worried about the speaker getting damaged by the water or sand, which was a great feeling. There are easy-to-use controls on the top of the speaker and the tab on the side is nice for carrying or clipping to a bag. Right now, the Soundcore Icon+ is my favorite Bluetooth speaker because it produces great sound and I don’t have to worry about what might happen to it.
Check out all of Anker’s back to school products at Anker.com.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review samples
What I Like: Great features at the price point; Excellent product design; Fantastic sound
What Needs Improvement: Nothing that I could find
