USB ports on bags / luggage

#1

Does anyone have a bag with a USB pass through like this?

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I have a few questions for the community:

  1. Does it / could it reduce charging speed?
  2. Is it really any more convenient than a long cord coming out of of a zippered pocket?
  3. Does it have potential to damage / interfere with your devices?
  4. Is it anything more than a gimmick?

Also, you’re not allowed to bring bags without removable batteries on airplanes in the US. Like, the power bank has to be able to come out of the bag, unlike some that have banks built in, which would be a red flag for me anyway in terms of the bank quality.

My general take is that this feature is kind of useless, but I wonder if anyone uses one of these on a regular basis. I could be wrong. would you use a bag with a USB port?

  • I like the idea of a usb port on a bag, and would buy a bag specifically because it had one.
  • I would use a USB port on a bag if I was going to buy the bag anyway.
  • If I bought a bag that happened to have a USB port, I would not use it at all.
  • I would avoid buying a bag if it had a USB port.

0 voters

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#2

UrAvgConsumer did a video about the 5 best tech backpacks and I think a few of them had USB ports on the outside which he’s a fan of for the convenience and didn’t include built in battery banks if I remember rightly.

I’ll link the video for you as it was a couple of weeks ago and it may help you out a bit. :slight_smile:

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#3

With ongoing new regulations and restrictions in Air travel, USB ports on bags is not something users would be interested in. If you have a USB port, there is an expectation it to have battery as well, so that creates an issue. For now, i believe this is fine, but things can change rapidly.

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#4

I agree that it is a bad idea for traveling. You would have to dig out the battery pack if TSA requires to check it. BUT for school and regular daily use this should be fine. It is not a feature I look for in a bag anyway. BUT this Osprey Porter 46 is my travel carry-on bag and I love it! Fits all my laptop, accessories, speaker, and then some… a lot more some. Couple it with a Victorinox Shoulder Strap and your golden!

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#5

Hey my bag is in that review! No USB port, but plenty of anker :sunglasses:

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5 Likes
#6

My son has a school backpack that he brought specifically because it had an external usb port. On the inside is a pocket where he can put his battery pack and plug the cable for the port into it, or he can use the included cable to route it from the pack to the shoulder strap. I would take a picture of it but he’s at school at the moment and I’m at work by the time he’s home.

I will say that he did throw away the cables that came with the back pack and replaced them with Ankers braided cables, the only thing generic is the built in usb port which seldom gets used unless someone else is plugging into his battery pack along with him.

#7

that is very cool… never seen a bag like that before

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#8

I carry regular lenovo laptop backpack, but store lot of Anker devices - Powercore 5000, SoundBuds Rise Headphones, Soundbuds Verve Built-In Microphone and PowerLine II 3-in-1 Cable – these are the bare minimum stuff I use on a daily basis,

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#9

It’s just another thing which can fail. I prefer to decouple functionality so as each breaks it can be replaced, cables, sockets do fail and imagine you paid a little extra for a bag because of USB port then the port failed. Most of my bags last at least 5 years, indeed one I use day is 31 years old… Imagine you got a bag with a bust USB port.

Plus of course ports change over the years.

So I say its a gimmick.

#10

Using a USB-A connection to charge a USB-C devices will reduce charging speed. Most devices will be limited to a 7.5-10W power draw when USB-A is in the mix. That’s not a big deal for phones. And a Nintendo Switch can charge while you play under some conditions. It would charge near normal levels when asleep. The low wattage would be useless for laptops and some large tablets. The exception is an Android phone that supports Quick Charge. Let’s assume the bag connects to a Quick Charge power bank via USB-A. Then a USB-C phone supporting Quick Charge (also Samsung and Motorola phones) will fast charge over the USB-A connection.

To use a USB-A power port with a USB-C device requires a USB-C to USB-A cable. If your device included one, cool. If buying one you want to verify it offers a “56k Ohm resistor.” The resistor prevents a possible overdraw issue between USB-C devices and USB-A power sources. USB-C can draw up to 3A, most USB-A chargers can’t handle that. A lower or non-existent resistor combined with a device drawing power improperly can cause damage to the charger. In rare cases also to the device’s USB-C port or even catch a cheap cable on fire. Fire on planes is frowned upon by the FAA. All of Anker’s USB-C to USB-A cables have the needed 56k Ohm resistor.

#11

Pretty useful for school and travel.

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