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Ugreen’s Nexode line of GaN chargers has long provided fast charging capabilities without the expected weight. But, with the ever-increasing numbers of fast-charging electronics in our bags and pockets, Ugreen saw the need to deliver even more power to our gadgets without bringing several charging bricks.
This is where the Ugreen Nexode 300W Desktop Charger comes in. This GaN charger (what are GaN chargers?) lets you power up to five devices and fast charge up to 140 watts. But will its size and weight make it a worthy replacement for all your other charging bricks?
UGreen Nexode 300W GaN Desktop Charger
The Ugreen Nexode 300W GaN Desktop Charger lets you ditch all your other charging bricks to power all your electronic devices. It has four USB-C and one USB-A port, delivering up to 140 watts of power from a single port—enough to quickly charge a laptop. Its 300-watt maximum capacity means you can quickly charge up to three devices simultaneously.
Note that the Nexode 300W will be available for $199 until mid-September, when the price will go up to the RRP of $270.
What’s in the Box?
Inside the Ugreen Nexode 300W GaN Charger box, you’ll also find a USB-C to USB-C charging cord, the AC wall cable, plus an instruction manual. The well-built packaging makes the charger feel like a premium product. And more than that, the included Velcro cable ties and AC plug cover make it easy to pack the charger and cables for transport.
Weight and Dimensions
Since you can charge all your USB-powered devices on the Nexode 300W GaN Charger, you might be tempted to bring it when traveling. However, since it can quickly charge many devices simultaneously, it has some heft and bulk to it.
The charging brick itself weighs 845 grams or 30oz. When you add the AC wall cable to the equation, the weight jumps to 1kg. If you count five USB charging cables, the weight of your charging system will add up to 1.2kg. That’s only 10 grams short of a M1 MacBook Air.
The GaN charger is also 109 mm deep, 51 mm wide, and 94 mm tall. While it will only take a small footprint on your desk, and you can safely secure it under your table for a clean setup, you might have difficulty cramming it in your laptop bag.
Because of this charger’s weight, it would be impossible to plug it directly into your wall socket. So, the charger includes a two-meter AC wall cable. The power cable allows you to charge your devices even if you’re far from an outlet, giving you more flexibility.
But is it a better option than packing five separate chargers? The Ugreen Nexode 45W GaN Charger, for instance, only weighs 96 grams and measures 38 x 38 x 48 mm. Five of these chargers will weigh less at just 480 grams, and you could charge more gear (though at a slower speed).
Charger Specifications
Although the Ugreen Nexode 300W GaN Charger has a maximum total capacity of 300W, it can’t deliver all that power out of one port. Here’s the breakdown of the charger’s charging speeds:
So, as long as you don’t exceed the GaN charger’s total 300-watt capacity, these ports will deliver power at maximum speed. But if you’re charging three or more devices simultaneously and they will exceed 300 watts, expect some ports to perform at reduced rates.
These are the charging configurations that offer reduced performance:
Charging Configuration
Three-Port Charging
Four-Port Charging
Five-Port Charging
We recommend plugging your most power-hungry devices at the top and using the lower ports for more efficient gear. For example, you can use USB-C 1 for your 16-inch M2 Max MacBookPro, USB-C 2 for your partner’s 15-inch M2 MacBook Air, USB-C 3 and USB-C 4 for your iPhones, and then the USB-A port for your 10th-gen iPad.
You should note that although the Nexode 300W GaN charger can deliver up to 140W, it can only push out the power at a rate your gear can charge at. For example, even if you plug an M1 MacBook Air into the 140W USB-C 1 port, it will only draw up to 45W.
Furthermore, the charger is only PD or Power Delivery compatible. So, if your phone is usinga different fast charging standard, it might not charge as quickly. For example, the Vivo X90 Pro charges up to 120W with its proprietary charger, while it only gets up to 17W with the Ugreen Nexode 300W fast charger.
Charging Speed and Energy Loss
One of the biggest questions when buying fast-charging gear is, “Will it really work as advertised?” So, we checked out the Ugreen Nexode 300W’s performance using a USB-C cable with a built-in watt meter and a smart plug that measures power consumption.
Our USB-C cable and smart plug was able to get the following measurements:
Watts Delivered
Watts Drawn
Watts Consumed by Charger
M1 MacBook Air
Vivo X90 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
We also tested a couple of Apple devices with Lightning ports. The charger drew 33W with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, while we recorded 17W with the 6th-gen iPad. Since our Lightning cable doesn’t have a watt meter, we only deduced the delivered watts from other sources. According toa 2022 article in MacRumors, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a maximum charging speed of 27 watts. On the other hand, the 6th-generation iPad comes with a 12W charger.
Given that information, the charger is drawing 6W more than what the iPhone asks for and 5W more than what the iPad needs.
By averaging the charger’s consumption, we can calculate about 7W is lost in the electrical conversion for each port. So, if you’re charging five devices simultaneously, that amounts to about 35W used by the charger itself.
Some of this 35 watts is emitted as heat by the charger. According to our temperature reading, the Ugreen Nexode 300W charger’s temperature was about 50 degrees C. While this is a bit warm, it shouldn’t be uncomfortable to handle.
Should You Buy the Ugreen Nexode 300W GaN Charger?
TheUgreen Nexode 300W GaN Chargeris an excellent addition to your office desk, workstation, or computer table. Its five ports will let you charge your laptop, tablet, smartphone, and smartwatch simultaneously, and you still have one USB-A port left over for charging one other gadget.
It’s also great for sharing. If you and your partner work at home and your desks are beside each other, you’re able to use this charger to power your laptops and smartphones. You can also place this in a conference room, allowing up to four or five colleagues to power their devices simultaneously during meetings or brainstorming sessions.
However, we don’t recommend this for travel—its weight and bulk will be an issue. The Ugreen Nexode 45-watt travel charger is a better option if you’re only bringing smartphones. But if you’re planning a working holiday with your laptop, tablet, and smartphone, the Ugreen Nexode 100-watt GaN Charger with its four ports should be more than enough to handle all your needs.
