Single Outlet GaN USB-C charger
Enjoy a powerful 30W charge in a lightweight, portable, safe, and inexpensive robot-shaped USB-C wall charger. The increased efficiency of Gallium Nitride technology allows for a smaller, reliable, more portable device without sacrificing on power/current. Designed with a pair of removable magnetic feet (outlet protectors), temperature protection, and a single USB-C port, the GaN Charger is built for modern devices.
- Design
- Ease of Use
- Power Output
- Features
- Price
Recharge, Regenerate, and Rejuvenate your electronics.
According to a Deloitte’s 2022 Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey, each US household has approximately 22 connected devices. With so many devices requiring power, finding an open outlet or USB port can sometimes be challenging. From dorm rooms to offices living spaces and theater rooms, many outlets, power strips, and hubs become overwhelmed, while others remain dormant or neglected.
Thus, it is important for home utility to find power adapters capable of providing as much power to as many devices as possible. My general rule is that a device must provide at least two USB ports (USB-A or USB-C) per outlet at a minimum. These chargers often assume larger sizes and become too unwieldy for portable use. Thankfully, more efficient GaN chargers can provide quite a punch for home use, and their smaller frame often allows for improved portability. When considering portability, I prefer lightweight to port quantity.
Packaging:
The UGREEN 30W Nexode RG GaN Fast Charger arrived in a 4 3/4 inches square by 2 inches tall retail package. The cover panel displayed the company name along the top left, two robotic face icons along the left panel, the product name/description along the bottom left, and a silver-glistening 30W logo along the bottom right. I liked the creative charge indicators with a robotic kiss face indicating recharging and the lack of lips suggesting the device was fully charged.
The top panel listed the NEXODE logo in metallic silver font, while the bottom panel provided a product SKU barcode sticker, detailed the product color, and CD359 model number. The right side panel provided three product detail feature icons (Higher Efficiency & Less Heat, Thermal Guard Safe Charging, and For Laptops Tablets & Phones). The left panel listed the product specifications: 1. Product name 30W USB-C PD GaN Fast Charger. 2. 100-240V input. 50/60Hz 800mA Max. 3. USB-C output 5V/3A 9V/3A 12V/2.5A 15V/2A 20V/1.5A 3.3-11V/2.7A with total power 30W Max. Lastly, the panel listed a product note to utilize appropriate charging cables.
The rear panel listed the UGREEN name along the top left, provided an attractive image of GaN chip circuit board, listed four product features (30W Fast Charging, GaN Technology, Wide Compatibility [PD3.0, QC 3.0, other fast charging protocol], and smart Power Distribution), as well as manufacturer address, website address (www.UGREEN.com), company contact information, and manufacturing labels. I liked the design of the packaging, the metallic font accents, and the overall layout of the information.
If a tacticool, matte black/metallic silver, robotic Nexode 30W charger is not your particular flavor of geek, then perhaps the soft-toned, pastel purple option may pique your fancy. Both sets of packaging (black-colored Outlook Charger and the pastel-colored Robot Colorful New device) provided a fun educational experience. I liked the contrasting light-dark theme, the metallic accents, and the emotive, cartoonish facial features of the 30W charger.
When I removed the top of the box, I was greeted by a friendly, earphone-wearing, robot-shaped device staring back at me. The inner surface of the lid provided a fun description of the RG charger (RobotGaN), an ink outline of the device, and images portraying the facial changes of a charging block and one that finished the charging process. The 2.0-ounce 30W RG charger was shipped cradled within a cardboard/plastic cutout tray.
The flat surface introduced the RG Nexode, detailed the 30W output, and encouraged the user to “charge more.” Beneath the the tray, I found a short B1 User manual with FCC/ICC statements, and a nine-panel multi-lingual instruction manual (EN, FR, ES, JP, CN). The manual detailed the package contents, how it works, charging status, specifications (100-240V ~50/60Hz 800mAh input, 5.0V/3A 9V/3A 12V/2.5A 15V/2.0A 20V/1.5A 3.3-11V/2.7A USB-C output, for a total of 30W max output), and a few brief notes.
Testing:
I removed the 2 1/4 inches tall by 1 5/8 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches thick black charger from the box. I admired the 1 15/16 inches wide by 3/4 inches tall face, the attractive UGREEN belt buckle name, the glossy black earphone accents on both side panels, the USB-C port on the top of the headphones, and the black plastic feet. To use the device, you must first remove the feet to access the type A wall plug.
The feet strategically hid the base plate’s product specifications and manufacturing labels. I liked that the feet clicked securely into the base and that the setup created a fun little knick-knack figurine. Once the feet were removed, I inserted the charger into a Type B outlet on my multiport hub. The pixelated ^^ shaped eyes and < shaped mouth briefly activated and then turned off. I plugged a Klein Tools Multimeter into the USB-C port atop the charger and then an ANKER USB-C to USB-C cable between the multimeter and my iPad Pro 12.9”.
Starting at 64% at 8:10 PM, my iPad Pro increased to 68% by 8:17 PM (multimeter display 14.82V/1.93A). The iPad Pro increased to 79% by 8:31 PM (14.79V/1.63A), to 89% by 8:46 PM (14.8V/1.59A), and to 98% by 9:15 PM (14.90V/0.54A). By 9:28, my iPad Pro registered 100% (14.92V/0.41A multimeter), but the charger’s mouth icon did not extinguish. When I returned to the instruction manual, I found an asterisk on page 4 stating the detection mechanism may vary by brand. I removed the multimeter and plugged my iPad Pro Directly into the device, and the ^^ remained while the < icon turned off. I suspect the multimeter current caused the device to remain in charge mode. For the second test, I plugged the multimeter into the charger and then a USB-C to Lighting cable into my iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Starting at 9:46 PM at 46% (8.93V/2.20A), my iPhone Pro increased to 79% by 10:14 PM (8.95V/0.88A), and by 10:38 PM the iPhone entered Optimized Battery Charging mode and dropped to trickle charge mode (5.15V/0.11A). The phone message noted that it would charge to full by 3:00 AM. I checked my iPhone at 3:20 AM and found it was fully charged. For my final tests, I evaluated the charge rate for several devices. The RG charged my Nintendo Switch at 14.91V/0.72A, my MacBook Pro 2018 15” at 19.87V/1.41A, my Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (11th Generation) at 5.15V/0.35A, and my Air Pods Pro Gen 2 at 5.15V/0.36A. Each device charged at a reasonable rate, and once each device was fully charged, the “<“ icon disappeared.
Summary:
For a single-port USB-C charger, 30W may be a bit on the narrow end for larger laptops and MacBooks. However, the device should work well for most portable electronics, phones, and tablets. With charger port real estate at a premium, I would have loved for the device to provide at least two ports (See 65W Nexode review coming soon). Using the screen/face to demonstrate the charging status was a fun, creative, and distinctive method when compared to the use of a generic LED.
I enjoyed the figurine mode, with the attached feet, and could stand/enjoy the RG robot on my desk. My biggest complaint about the device was the inability to attach the feet to the back of the device once removed even though the magnetic foot base was strong enough to affix the entire RG charger to my metal door and refrigertor. If you grew up playing with action figures, then you know the ire when you cannot find their accessory. I fear the prong covers will be misplaced or left behind if used in public. The device needs a method to affix the feet to its side/back while charging.
I was pleased with the charge rates for my iPhone 14 Pro Max (several tests showed the promise of ~50% in 30 minutes), iPad Pro, Nintendo Switch, and even my MacBook Pro, although it was below the rate of 65-80W chargers. The outer fire-resistant shell never felt hot, and the single-port charger succeeded in the lightweight and cuteness categories. I applaud the switch from silicone to Gallium Nitride and UGREENS commitment to the environment. Their website reports a savings of 5503 tons of CO2 annually, which equates to planting ~220,775 trees per year.
When you factor in the ~$25 price tag and compare it to market-similar devices/features (~$19-30), the single port charger is a reasonable deal. Considering the lightweight nature and that the feet add prong protection similar to retractable devices, the pocketable device increases in opportunity: cost ratio. I have added the RG Nexode 30W device to my Nintendo Switch bag, which has now become my device’s travel charger. The purple 30W device, with the cute posterior bow, was quickly snagged by my 9-year-old daughter to keep her Nintendo Switch ready for action.
Learn more about the Nexode 30W RG charger.
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