Having a way to charge your laptop in your car is essential if you often use your laptop on the go.
Running out of battery while not being near an AC outlet when working on something crucial is the last thing you want.
Here are a couple of ways to charge your laptop conveniently while traveling in your car.
Charging your laptop using an Inverter
One way to charge your laptop in your car is by using an Inverter that connects to your car via the cigarette lighter 12V port. The inverter would output 120V AC, allowing you to plug in your laptop charger and charge on the move.
Step 1: Purchase an inverter with enough power to charge your laptop.
You can get something like the DEWALT DXAEPI140 Car Converter, which can easily charge your laptop and other devices if the power consumption is under 140W.
Step 2: Plug the inverter into your car’s cigarette lighter or power outlet.
Step 3: Connect your laptop’s power adapter to the inverter’s AC outlet.
Step 4: Turn on the inverter and start charging your laptop.
Your laptop should start charging now, and you should be good to go.
Using a USB charger to charge your Laptop
If your laptop charges via USB C, you can charge yourself with relatively less hassle. All you have to get is a USB-C car charger.
Step 1: Purchase a USB charger compatible with your laptop’s USB port.
You can buy something like the UGREEN USB-C car charger with a USB-C port that can easily deliver the 65W required for most laptops.
Step 2: Connect the USB C charger to your car’s cigarette lighter
Step 3: Plug your laptop’s USB-C into the USB charger.
Step 4: Connect the other end of the cable to your laptop.
Step 5: Turn on the USB charger and start charging your laptop.
Charging your Laptop with a Powerbank
You can also use a power bank to charge your laptop in your car.
Step 1: Purchase a power bank with enough capacity to charge your laptop.
Most laptops require at least 30,000mAh, but check your laptop’s specifications to ensure you buy the right one. However, you can also get away with this Baseus 20000mah power bank which can easily charge your work laptop.
Step 2: Connect the power bank to your laptop via a USB-C cable.
You should be charging your laptop now. However, if you have a gaming laptop, we don’t recommend using the Powerbank method, as a gaming laptop would simply drain through it.
Use a dedicated car Laptop charger:
You can also buy a dedicated car charger for your laptop, though you need to do proper research before buying a charger to ensure they are compatible. We recommend buying a USB-C car charger if your laptop supports it.
Step 1: Purchase a car charger compatible with your laptop’s power adapter.
Step 2: Connect the car charger to your car’s cigarette lighter or power outlet.
Step 3: Plug your laptop’s power adapter into the car charger.
Step 4: Turn on the car charger and start charging your laptop.
FAQs
Is it safe to charge a laptop in your car?
Yes, charging a laptop in your car is safe as long as you use the appropriate charging equipment and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Does the car battery get depleted by charging a laptop?
Yes, charging a laptop in your car can deplete the car’s battery, especially if you charge the laptop for an extended period of time. You should charge your laptop while the car is running or use a portable battery bank to avoid draining the car’s battery.
