DYKWIA

There's a new Satechi charger :-

https://satechi.net/products/108w-pr...esktop-charger

I've got the less powerful version, and that's been fine charging my Macbook and other devices.

crackjack

Just look for USB-IF certified cables, that’s the best place to start.

Cable Matters does have a good rep in general, and this 100W / 10Gbps $14 cable looks decent per the user reviews (though no review from Benson / Nathan K):


AmazonBasics has similar in gold for $11, decent reviews too (Edit: hmm, seems it is limited to 3A... so 60W only), just no formal USB-IF certification:


If you just need the USB-C for charging purposes and don’t mind slower data speeds (max out at 480Mbps), then a USB 2.0 USB-C to USB-C cable may be sufficient for you, Nekteck claims USB-IF certification:


Note: USB 3.x maxes out at 5Gbps or more, which should result in thicker wiring required vs USB 2.0. Same for 5A/100W vs 3A/60W. Here’s a user’s comparison of some USB-C cables... also, Apple’s 2m USB-C charge cable (100W & USB 2.0) is $14 on Amazon somehow?

sbiddle

It's be great if some of these vendors going for "all in one" units rather than external figure 8 / C7 connectors could include adapters with the main power standards around the world. Many of these units are only ever designed for the US market and only have US plugs.

As I have no power requirement for anything but my external charger when traveling I and hate travel adapters I simply take that with me and an appropriate C7 cable for the country I'm visiting.

As I only need USB-C now I use a Pepper Jobs charger (https://www.pepper-jobs.nl/en/pd9000.html) but this same unit is an OEM device also sold by a few other brands. The new Satechi doing 87W looks interesting and if it is as good as it looks on paper is probably one of the best options out there right now.

crackjack

Innergie’s 60C International variant is probably the most powerful one with that feature so far - except no Australian plug option? Or the Mu one, though only 45W (and it seems no Oz plug either in the retail box)?

BTW, there’s a Mu Two / 63W charger w a second port coming soon? But, the price, ouch... looks like the same ballpark as the Innergie. Gotta wait for the discounts to show up, I guess:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...c-wall-charger

Anyway, I'll still carry my Kikkerland adapter - I just like the foldable plugs, it can be used for non-USB chargers and I go to Oz regularly, though using an adapter does add height to the plug...

Anyway, Belkin and Griffin also announced new GaN chargers at CES:
https://www.androidauthority.com/bel...-2020-1071518/
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/01/06...wall-chargers/

Limited details on these currently. However, the Griffin 96W charger seems like a joke based on the side-by-side comparison with Apple’s charger per (Belkin’s seems size-wise to be a bit better, but guessing the price is not... The Griffin 45W one may also be interesting for some. )

sbiddle

Seems a bit pointless launching something that's so limited so late to market. A 45W offering is pointless for those of us who want to charge laptops in a reasonable timeframe!

pseudoswede

This is the exact form factor I've been looking for, but definitely not the price.

paperwastage

i did go with this

came with a pouch along with different adapter heads (UK, EU, AU, major reason why I chose it - can forgo my travel adapter entirely with just that pouch + wires). adapter heads are a little rough to snap on/off, unsure of longevity

about double the size of the Baseus 65W 2C1A GaN though


I should get a usbC voltmeter and check the negotiated voltage/amperages

nmenaker

I ordered one of these early, should be here in a week. I know a colleague already has one of them and says he loves it and it s very small, light and capable.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...?ref=user_menu

crackjack

Yea, I too was fuzzy whether the ‘laptop’ port was limited to 45W (“we guarantee that port #1 will always be able to deliver 45W...”), but it seems that it can support the full 63W if the only port in use - from their FAQ:
”Output 1: 5V3A, 9V3A, 12V3A, 15V3A, 20V3.1A (63W MAX)
Output 2: 5V3A, 9V2A, 12V1.5A“

Granted, it seems that it will be a 40% volumetric increase from the 45W Mu One, but output seems to also have gone up proportionally.

(Not that I’m looking to swap the Innergie / Delta for a Mu charger, just another alternative for some.)


The Innergie was on a 30% discount for a while on Amazon at the year end (with a dedicated coupon), though looks like it is now ended - it was even 40% off at one point, which is when I picked it up.

No idea on the Mu products’ pricing, but it seems that a $80++ price point is a difficult sell... likely will need to discount to move them in significant bulk, particularly with the other new GaN chargers just announced at CES - Aukey’s at least should be cheaper.

(Even the $65 for the Innergie 60C was a bit tough to swallow, but I have had to pay that much for a laptop charger before, so could justify the hit... and it helped that it also came with a 1.5m USB-C / USB 2.0 spec cable.)

crackjack

Hmm, came across yet another GaN charger: the Eggtronic Sirius, 65W. Company seems to be a small Italian start-up, seems to have gotten $13m in funding in 2019.

Only a US plug, so travel adapters needed. Somewhat thicker than the 45W Mu One, but the rest of its footprint is smaller at 2.7in x 1.98in x 0.77in.

Already available at Micro Center, Best Buy (only Canada?) Walmart, Amazon, etc. already:
https://www.prweb.com/releases/navit...eb16746334.htm
https://www.microcenter.com/product/...dapter---black

Pricing seems to be all over the place - AMZN has it for $100, WMT offers it for $80, and MC for $70... still, hopefully this helps pull prices down across the board for GaN chargers.

pseudoswede

Sorry, I meant the form factor of the Mu Two was what I've been looking for. Innergie only has one port, but it certainly has the same form factor as the Finsix Dart-C (RIP).

freecia

Baseus 2C1A is on sale at Amazon $54.99 + 50% off code DYOU52VL = $27.49 pre tax chx1975 How do you like yours? https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31742579-post38.html

crackjack

An interesting one - a 65W non-GaN charger which is comparable in size to RAVPower’s 61W GaN charger, for only $20?
(Seems to have just gone out of stock, but may be back soon.)

Wonder how close to the limit this is? ZMI is a Xiaomi subsidiary, so not a fly-by-night brand...

[Edit]
Looking further, there are other standard USB-C chargers which get close to the GaN variants. Lenovo (China only) has one slightly larger than the Innergie 60C - though heavier at 122g vs 80g - the Lenovo Thinkplus PA65 65W:
https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/co...le_i_just_got/
Bet it’d be cheaper, but difficult to get outside China from a known reputable seller...

LordHamster

Depends how you use it. I have the 45W Mu One, and use it with my 15 inch Macbook pro. It not only keeps it powered, but it also charges it (albeit a bit slowly). However, I get to a conference room, plug in my laptop and it stays powered at 100% till I unplug. I can then use my laptop wireless on the plane etc... and plug back in when I get to a hotel or another client office. The speed of the charge has honestly never been an issue for me. Max full charge time I've experienced as 2.5 hours. I don't really have a need to fast-charge my mac.

I DO fast-charge my phone with it as well.

chx1975

zMI review: https://www.chargerlab.com/zmi-zpowe...ardown-review/

My Baseus is doing well, thanks.

A big list of GaN chargers, not all of them come from this family but many: https://www.ganfast.com/products/

Eyeballing the Griffin and Belkin offers they suspiciously look the same as Aukey

USB certified products: https://www.usb.org/products most amazonbasics cables are there, you can grab the ASIN from the URL and search for model number curiously the gen2 cables aren't.

One of the advantages of buying the Mu One was getting advance notice of the Mu Two, the early price was quite reasonable.

The kikkerland adapter is still a Road Warrior RW75 knockoff, I wrote this many times over the years and I am at a complete loss why would anyone buy that instead of the newer Road Warrior RW101 perhaps because they don't know it exists. Speaking of Japan things, finally these things are available w/o the hassle of the import. There are many variants of this in Japan.