Turn your car’s lighter socket into a fast USB-C charger for just $12

If you don’t smoke and you have no idea what to do with your car’s cigarette lighter outlet — that big circular hole in the center console — then do this: turn it into a USB-C charging port!

Right now, this Anker USB-C car lighter adapter is just $12 on Amazon and it’s one of the best ways to level up your car, not just for yourself but for your passengers as well, particularly on road trips.

If you have an older car that doesn’t have any built-in USB ports, then this little adapter can be a godsend. But even if your car does have built-in USB ports, they may be in hard-to-reach spots, or they may have annoying auto-play behaviors that kick in when plugged, or they may just be outdated (either in USB-A form or just really slow).

That’s why this one by Anker really shines. It provides 52.5W of total output from your conveniently located cigarette lighter socket, allowing for super-fast charging of phones, tablets, and even laptops. That’s fast enough to get an iPhone 14 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23 to about 50 percent battery in less than half an hour.

Note that the adapter actually has two ports — one USB-C and one USB-A — so you can charge two devices at once, including older ones. The USB-C port reaches a max output of 30W while the USB-A port goes up to 22.5W (for a total of 52.5W when both are in use).

And it’s dirt cheap. You can get it right now for $12 on Amazon, which is 25 percent off its usual price. That’s a tiny amount to pay for something that makes full use of that socket you’ve likely ignored.