Hey, welcome back to Daily Carry Lab — your weekly drop of the best portable tech worth carrying.

This week we dug into GaN chargers (the ones that actually power a laptop), MagSafe battery packs for iPhone, portable SSDs, and a couple EDC essentials that keep earning their spot on your keychain. Let's get into it.

🔥 PICK OF THE WEEK

Anker 535 GaN II 67W — $43.99

If you're still carrying two or three separate chargers, this is the one that ends that habit.

The Anker 535 is a 3-port GaN charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. At 67W, it can push enough juice to charge a laptop at a useful rate while simultaneously topping off a phone and earbuds. The GaN II silicon runs cooler than older chargers, so it doesn't get uncomfortably warm in your bag.

Why it's good: It's the most balanced multi-device charger in its class — compact enough to feel intentional in a pack, powerful enough to actually be your only charger. Anker's track record doesn't hurt either.

Honest caveat: At 67W total, if you're running a power-hungry 16-inch MacBook Pro alongside other devices, you'll see slower laptop charging than a dedicated 96W+ brick. Great for travel, fine for desk use, not a full replacement for a high-power dedicated laptop charger.

→ Full GaN Charger Roundup on Daily Carry Lab

📱 THIS WEEK'S BEST FINDS

1. Crucial X9 Pro 1TB Portable SSD — $120

Fast. Rugged. Cheap (relatively). The Crucial X9 Pro does 1050MB/s reads, has IP55 water and dust resistance, and hardware encryption built in. Wirecutter-recommended and genuinely undercuts the SanDisk Extreme and Samsung T7 without giving much up.

Why it's good: You get flagship-tier speed and protection at a budget price. Solid choice for travel backup, camera offloads, or just keeping your important files with you.

Honest caveat: The included USB-C cable is short — bring your own longer one if you're using this at a desk.

→ Best Portable SSDs for EDC & Travel

2. Anker Nano Power Bank 5K MagSafe — $30

The best argument for a MagSafe battery pack is the one you actually leave the house with. The Anker Nano is ultra-slim, Qi2 certified, and snaps right onto the back of your iPhone for 15W wireless charging on the go.

Why it's good: It's the thinnest full-featured MagSafe pack available without giving up magnetic alignment strength. Disappears in your pocket.

Honest caveat: 5,000mAh gives you roughly one full iPhone charge — ideal for day trips, not an overnight backup. If you need more capacity, step up to the Baseus Picogo 10K.

→ Best MagSafe Battery Packs for iPhone

3. Olight I3T 2 EOS — $19.99

Your phone flashlight is not an EDC flashlight. The Olight I3T 2 is — slim, AAA-powered, 200 lumens, and comes with a deep-carry clip so it disappears into a pocket. Two outputs (low and high) via a tail switch. This is the easiest recommendation for a first real EDC light.

Why it's good: Under $20, reliable brand, dead-simple to use, runs on batteries you can find anywhere in the world.

Honest caveat: No USB-C charging — you're on AAA batteries. Fine for most people, but if you hate disposable batteries, look at the Fenix E02R instead.

→ Best EDC Flashlights Under $50

4. Gerber Gear Dime Multitool — $24.99

12 tools in something smaller than a lighter. Spring-loaded pliers, scissors, a blade, a bottle opener, screwdrivers — all in a keychain-sized package from a brand that's been making reliable tools for decades.

Why it's good: The spring-loaded pliers alone make it more useful than most keychain tools. Gerber's quality control is solid and the price hasn't moved much despite inflation hitting everything else.

Honest caveat: The blade is small — good for packages and tags, not a replacement for an actual pocket knife. It's also not TSA-friendly due to the blade, so swap it for the Gerber Shard when flying.

→ Best Keychain Multitools for EDC

⚡ QUICK HITS

• UGREEN Nexode 65W 4-Port Charger ($39.99) — Charge four devices from one outlet. Best thing that's ever happened to hotel rooms with two outlets. → DCL

• SK Hynix Beetle X31 1TB ($100) — The sleeper SSD pick this week. Unique beetle-shaped design, DRAM cache for sustained performance, keychain-friendly. Under $100 and legitimately good. → DCL

• EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter 70W GaN ($39.99) — If you travel internationally even once a year, this one adapter + charger combo saves more bag space than any other single purchase. → DCL

💡 PRO TIP

Test your cables — don't assume.

Most USB-C cable failures aren't obvious. A cable that "works" for charging might cap your speeds at 60W when you're expecting 100W, or transfer files at USB 2.0 speeds when you're expecting USB 3.2. The fix: use a USB-C power meter (under $15 on Amazon — search "USB-C power meter tester") to spot-check any cable you use for serious work. Takes 30 seconds and has saved me from hours of debugging slow transfers and undercharged laptops.

That's the week. If you found something useful, forward this to a friend who's still carrying a tangled mess of cables in a grocery bag.

See you next Friday.

— The Daily Carry Lab Team

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