Massive Power Minimal Footprint.
Plenty of power in the palm of your hand. Enjoy a dual USB-C GaN adapter with retractable outlet prongs. Power a single device at up to 45W, or two devices at 25W/20W respectively. The position of the USB-C ports provided a convenient gap for additional cable management. The design should allow for improved spacing behind furniture. Even though the device is 36% smaller than other 45W chargers, Ugreen did not skimp on safety. Their Power Dispenser system promises to adjust the power output to prevent overheating, overcharging, and over-voltage.
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
- PORTABILITY
- POWER OUTPUT
Charger provides massive power in a miniature size.
According to parksassociates.com (4/27/22), US households have increased from 13 internet-connected devices in 2021 to an average of 16 devices in 2022. Unfortunately, as many devices moved to USB charging, the traditional silicone-based charging bricks had to increase in size to deal with the heat and power needs.
Thankfully, companies like UGREEN adopted a newer Gallium Nitride technology for their semiconductors. The newer tech allowed for smaller chargers, higher efficiency, and less heat production. On an even larger scale, the UGREEN website reported savings of 5503 tons of carbon dioxide per year by switching from the older silicone tech to the newer GaN chips.
This figure represented a similar amount of CO2 that 74,500 acres of trees would remove from the atmosphere in a single year or the equivalent of planting 220,755 trees. When you combine the macro-scale benefits with the promise of a smaller, higher-efficiency charger, GaN tech takes the gold.
UNBOXING
The UGREEN Nexode 45W GaN Charger arrived in a white-colored, 4 inches square by 1 11/16 inches thick retail package. The pristine white background served as a fantastic backdrop for the hunter green company and product name along the top left of the cover panel and the grey GaN 45W icon. Furthermore, the dark upon light theme enhanced the oblique image of the UGREEN dual USB-C charger with retractable type A wall prongs.
The rear panel, unlike the cover panel, or the blank top/bottom panels, proved to be a bit busy with text. The hunter green product name was listed atop the panel, followed by a specification list (100-240V-50/60Hz/1.2A input, 5V/3A 9V/3A 12V/3A 15V/3A 20V/2.25A [3.3-11V/4.05A 45W max] USB-C1 and USB-C2 output, 45.0W total output), plus notes to charge as close to the outlet as possible and to use original cables.
The lower segment of the panel provided the company address, phone number, email (support@ugreen.com), and product manufacturing labels. The left side panel provided the CD294 model number and UPC barcode. In contrast, the right panel detailed three features of the device: “Multi-Layered Protection,” “Foldable and Portable,” and “Dual-Port Fast Charging.”
I removed the tape at the top of the panel, lifted the lid, removed the internal white cardboard tray, and then removed the 3.3-ounce, 1 7/8 inches long by 1 9/16 inches wide by 1 9/16 inches tall UGREEN Nexode charger from a semi-opaque plastic wrap. The matte-black front panel provided two vertically-oriented, centered USB-C ports with 13/16 inches wide by 11/16 inches tall dark-golden border/labels.
The matte-black-colored rear panel contained the retractable type A wall prongs and listed the product manufacturing labels and specifications. The glossy dark-grey metallic body/shell was mostly unadorned, except for a black-colored UGREEN name printed along the left side (when plugged in). Before you throw away the inner tray, remove the UGREEN B1 User instruction manual (FCC Statement/IC Statement), and the User manual.
The manual provided a straightforward, multi-lingual presentation of the package contents, product overview, function, specifications, and notes (English, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese).
TESTING
I deployed the retractable type A wall prongs and plugged the device into the lower port of my wall outlet. Even before plugging anything into the USB-C ports, I was immensely pleased with the design and size of the device. The orientation prevented the second outlet from being impeded, no matter if you chose to use the top or bottom position.
Additionally, the side-by-side, vertically oriented USB-C port design reduced cable clutter. If the top outlet was occupied, the spacing allowed the top cable to drape between the two USB-C ports and created a more organized, space-saving experience. The type A wall prongs fit snuggly into my wall outlet port, and once plugged in, the stubby design prevented the device from sagging under the weight of cables.
I plugged a Klein Tools Multimeter into each USB-C port, a USB-C to lightning cable into the USB-C1, and a USB-C to USB-C cable into the second port. I plugged the lightning cable into my iPhone 13 Pro Max and noted that the multimeter displayed 9.03V/2.73A. When I plugged my iPad Pro 12.9” 5th Generation into the second multimeter, I noted that the device displayed 12.10V/1.58A.
Starting at 9% iPhone charge at 4:47 PM, it increased to 19% 4:52 PM, 22% by 4:54 PM, 31% by 4:58 PM, 42% by 5:04 PM, 77% by 5:30 PM, 94% by 6:01 PM, and was fully charged by 6:20 PM. My iPad Pro started at 71% at 4:58 PM, increased to 74% by 5:04 PM, 89% by 5:30 PM, and was fully charged by 6:01 PM. I plugged my MacBook Pro 15” into the Klein Multimeter in the second USB-C port, removed the device from the first USB-C port, and noted that the multimeter displayed 19.93V/2.13A.
Starting at 1% power at 6:56 PM, the MacBook Pro increased to 27% by 7:27 PM, to 35% by 7:37 PM, 45% by 7:50 PM, 61% by 8:10 PM, 90% by 8:51 PM, and 100% when I checked back at 9:30 PM. Even though the Nexode charger could not charge as fast as the 87W Apple Charger, the Nexode truly surprised me with its capabilities.
I was impressed with the size of the product, the portability, and the pocket-ability of the dual USB-C output GaN charger. The difference was quite notable when I compared the UGREEN Nexode to a similarly sized silicone-based 30W Apple charger but even more apparent when compared to the 87W Apple MacBook charger.
While charging my iPhone/iPad, the GaN charger reached temperatures of about 106 degrees on my Nubee Infrared thermometer. While charging my MacBook pro 15”, the Nubee device displayed 114 degrees while watching Rings of Power and 108 degrees with the lid closed. I compared this to a 60W Apple charger and found the temperatures reached 116 degrees and 106 degrees respectively.
If you are looking for a replacement USB-C adapter for any of your portable devices, consider picking up a dual port Nexode from UGREEN. At a sub $40 pricetag, the deal is hard to pass up.
Learn more about the Nexode 45 W Charger
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