Alternatively, you can buy a GaN charger, which is becoming increasingly popular today. A GaN charger uses gallium nitride instead of silicon in its construction. And because of GaN’s electrical properties—for instance, its wider band gap than Si—it offers faster charging speeds while staying cooler and more energy efficient than traditional Si-based chargers. Here are our top picks for the best GaN chargers you can buy in 2022 if you’re in the market for one.
Ugreen Nexode 140W GaN Charger
Ugreen was a relatively unknown entity just a couple of years back, but they have well and truly made a mark when it comes to charging accessories in recent times. Their Nexode 140W is easily among the best GAN chargers we have used. It’s a triple-port GAN charger that’s noticeably smaller than most charging bricks (for example, Apple’s 140W brick) and offers two USB-C and one USB-A port. Ugreen Nexode 140W can fast charge the MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, Android phones/tablets, and Windows laptops, thanks to the USB-PD 3.1 support. Thankfully, Ugreen adds a braided USB cable within the package, which is quite rare in this segment. It can charge the 16-inch MacBook Pro in 34 minutes with the MagSafe Type-C cable. As for the advertised output for the first USB-C port, it’s 5V/3A, 9V,/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/5A, and 28V/5A. For the secondary USB-C, it’s 5V/3A, 9V,/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, and 20V/5A, while for the USB-A port, it’s 5V/3A, 4.5V/5A, 5V/3A, 9V/2A, and 12V/1.5A. It’s priced a bit high at $149.99, but you can apply some coupons to bring it closer to the $100 mark. Buy Ugreen Nexode 140W
Ugreen GaN 65W Multiport USB-C Charger
Among Ugreen’s GaN chargers, its 4-port 65W charger is another popular choice when it comes to GaN chargers. It comes in a 3+1 configuration that includes 3 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port and is relatively smaller and lighter than the company’s 140W offering. Ugreen 65W, as the name implies, offers a maximum power output of 65W, which can easily charge your phone, tablet, and laptop from a single charger. According to the company, you can fully charge a 13″ MacBook Pro using the charger in less than 2 hours. Similarly, it can also fast-charge your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch; Android phones and tablets; and Windows laptops. As for charging multiple devices together, Ugreen offers different output powers on the rest of the ports on the charger, so you can use it in a few different combinations. Ports C1 and C2 offer the same output: DC5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3.25A, DC3.3-21V/3A. On the other hand, C3 gives you DC5V/3A, 9V/2A, and 12V/1.5A, and USB-A supports DC4.5V/5.0A, 5V/4.5A, 5V/3.0A, 9V/2.0A, and 12V/1.5A. Buy Ugreen 65W GaN Charger
Spigen 40W GaN Fast Charger
Spigen is a popular phone accessory maker. It’s recently also started manufacturing GaN-based chargers for iPhones and Android devices, and its 40W two-port charger is one of the popular ones in the lot. The charger features two USB-C ports, which deliver 30W each. With both ports engaged, the charger gives you a total output of 40W (20W + 20W). Spigen says this 40W GaN charger can fast charge iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and even a few other devices like Google Pixels and Samsung’s S-series model, as well as Apple’s MacBook Air. One of the neat things about this Spigen offering is that it’s got a foldable plug, which makes it easier to carry around in a backpack or accessory organizer. Buy Spigen 40W GaN Fast Charger
RAVPower GaN PD 90W Wall Charger
When talking about chargers, one of the prominent and most trusted names in the market is RAVPower. And their 90W GaN charger is one good option on our best GaN chargers list. It incorporates the GaN tech and also employs the Pi chip, both of which work in tandem to offer a higher charging power (than conventional chargers) while also being more efficient. The RAVPower GaN charger works across devices with PD charging protocol support and can detect and optimize the power for connected devices accordingly. It’s also compatible with the QC charging protocol that can be seen on devices running on Qualcomm chipsets. You get two ports with the charger, along with built-in protection against overcurrent and short-circuit to save the components from frying. According to the company, the RAVPower GaN PD (90W) charger can charge a 15″ MacBook Pro in under 2 hours. Buy RAVPower GaN PD 90W Wall Charger
Anker 543 (65W II) Charger
Anker is a popular accessory maker with a plethora of charger and cable offerings for a wide range of devices. Its 543 (65W II) charger in the Series 5 happens to be one such accessory that features the latest GaN technology. Unlike other chargers on this list, this one’s a charging adapter that comes with four ports. Of these four ports, the charger features two USB-C ports 45W and 20W output, respectively, and two USB-A ports that collectively offer a total of 30W output power. What’s interesting about the Anker 543 charger is that, compared to other chargers in the market, it doesn’t have a traditional, boxy design. So, what you rather get is a flat, SSD-like shape that is slim and portable. As for compatibility, the charger can be used to charge a range of devices, including various laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Buy Anker 543 65W Charger
Anker 715 Nano II 65W Charger
If you’re looking for a single-port GaN charger, Anker’s 715 Nano II is the best charger out there. It’s super compact and offers 65W of total output. You can use it to charge laptops, tablets/iPads, and smartphones. One of the highlights of the Anker 715 Nano II is that it employs the newer GaN II technology, which Anker says allows it to transmit energy more efficiently and operate at twice the frequency of the first-generation GaN. As such, the Anker suggests the 715 Nano II can charge a 2020 MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. According to Anker, the charger outputs 5.0V/3.0A, 9.0V/3.0A, 15.0V/3.0A, and 20.0V/3.25A, and is compatible with many charging standards, like Samsung’s Super Fast Charging, which can help it charge Samsung phones at full speed. Buy Anker 715 Nano II 65W Charger
Aukey Omnia Mix4 100W PD Charger
Another household name in the charging and accessories space is AUKEY, known for its good value-for-money devices, and its Omnia 100W charger makes its way into our list of the best GaN chargers. The charger is powered by the company’s in-house OmniaChip, which it suggests is an advanced GaN power IC that offers three times faster charging for its form factor. It features 2 USB-C ports with PD and 2 USB-A ports, and there are safeguards in place to protect against overheating and overcharging. Besides, this GaN charger also determines the output for both ports automatically using Dynamic Detect, which outputs 65W with a single device and 45W with both ports engaged. The AUKEY Omnia Duo 65W can come in handy to help you charge your laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. Buy Aukey Omnia Mix4 100W PD Charger
Best GaN Chargers in India
If you’re in India, there aren’t as many options to buy GaN chargers as in the US. There is, however, a decent choice available. Here are our top picks among these:
Stuffcool Neutron 33W GaN Charger
Stuffcool makes some really nice accessories and is quite popular in the charging space in India. Its Dual Port Neutron 33W GaN charger is among one of the compact GaN chargers you can buy in India. It supports many of the popular charging standards and outputs 33W of power from the USB-C port and 18W (with QC3.0) from USB-A. Buy Stuffcool Neutron 33W GaN Charger
Spigen PE2007 GaN Fast Charger
Spigen also has a GaN offering in India. It’s called the Spigen PE2007, aka Spigen ArcStation Pro. The charger comes with two USB-C ports and offers a combined maximum output of 70W (50W + 20W). With single port usage, you get 60W output. You can use it to charge your smartphones as well as laptops. Buy Spigen PE2007 GaN Fast Charger
Stuffcool Napoleon PD65W Dual USB GaN Charger
Stuffcool’s Napoleon is another GaN charger you can buy in India. It comes with three ports: 2 USB-C and 1 USB-A. The charger delivers a maximum power of 65W over USB-C, which means you can use it to charge even your laptops and Nintendo Switch. When used to charge devices simultaneously, the charger offers 45W over USB-C and 18W over USB-A. Check out our Stuffcool PD65W review to learn more. Buy Stuffcool Napoleon PD65W Dual USB GaN Charger
Ugreen 100W GaN Charger
Ugreen also happens to have a few GaN chargers in India. If you’re looking for a single solution for all your charging needs, its 100W charger makes for a solid recommendation. It comes with 3 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port, so you can charge pretty much all your devices, from phones and tablets to laptops, simultaneously. Buy Ugreen 100W GaN Charger Those are some of our picks for the best GaN chargers currently in the market. If you decide to purchase one of these GaN chargers, make sure that your device—laptop, tablet, or smartphone—supports USB-C PD and is compatible with it. Moreover, another thing you need to look out for is the right (and good-quality) set of charging cables to use with your new GaN charger.
