I rarely review products in the form of an ecosystem because it usually falls into Fahim's hands. But this year Ugreen who manufactures the charging ecosystem has launched some products that I feel are too interesting not to try. So this is my review for Ugreen Nexode 300W USB-C GaN Charger, Ugreen 100W | 25000mAh for Laptop-3 Ports Power Bank and Ugreen Foldable Kickstand Magnetic Battery.
Ugreen Nexode 300W USB C GaN Charger
SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum Power 300W
4x USB-C Extension Ports
1x USB-A
PD Charging Standard 3.1
QC 3.0
Input Power 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 4A max
USB-C1 Output Power : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20/28 V, 5A – 140 W max
USB-C2 ：5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20V, 5A – 100 W max
USB-C3 : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20V, 5A – 100 W max
USB-C4 : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20V, 2.25A – 45 W max
USB-A : 5 V/3A, 9V/2A, 10V/2.25 A, 12V/1.5A – 22.5 W max
Weight 868 grams
Accessories included USB-C to USB-C 240W Cable
Selling Price RM 699
This Nexode charger is the star among the three products released. It is also the most powerful GaN charger ever to arrive at the our lab with a total power of 300W. There are five charging ports in total which are four USB-C and one USB-A. The highest output power is 140W on the top USB-C port.
All five can be used simultaneously making it a substitute for carrying a multi head socket board when going on holiday. Supported charging formats are PD 3.1 and QC3.0. As a writer , carrying a multi-head socket board when going on assignment abroad is a habit. Often times because I only have one plug head adapter which makes it difficult to charge the various electronic devices that need to be carried.
I recently went to Bali and one Nexode 300W replaced the need for me to carry a socket board as well as five separate charging heads. It's true that the Nexode 300W is quite heavy, but it's still lighter and its compact size saves space compared to carrying five charging heads and a socket board with five electrical plugs.
DESIGN
The body design of the Nexode 300W is also robust with a non-glossy finish. If you have bought Ugreen products before, the same metallic gray color finish is used on the Nexode 300W body. At the bottom there are two soles with rubber pads. This pad ensures that the table surface will not be damaged by this relatively heavy charger.
The body design of the Nexode 300W is also robust with a non-glossy finish. If you have bought Ugreen products before, the same metallic gray color finish is used on the Nexode 300W body. At the bottom there are two soles with rubber pads. This pad ensures that the table surface will not be damaged by this relatively heavy charger.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
The charging experience is very satisfying. I charge Ugreen's 25,000 mAh rechargeable powerbank at 65W power. Throughout the charging time of around 120 minutes, the body of the Nexode 300W does not heat up. Just lukewarm like normal charger temperature. When five devices are charged simultaneously – a MacBook Air M2, an iPad M1, an iPhone 15, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 and an Apple Watch 6 – the temperature doesn't rise too much either.
Only heats up slightly from charging one device at a time. There is no issue of feeling like my hands are burning like I have experienced with some high power chargers before.
The only issue for me is that it weighs 868 grams. If it falls on the leg it will cause injury. So be careful when placing it on the table lest the cable be pulled before falling causing not only injury but damage to the floor.
CONCLUSION
PRO
High output power up to 300W.
Five charging ports allow multiple devices to be charged simultaneously.
Does not heat up.
Small size for the amount of ports and power it offers.
CONS
The price is quite expensive.
Heavy.
Ugreen 100W | 25000mAh for Laptop-3 Ports Power Bank
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery Capacity 25,000mAh
90Wh
2x USB-C Connection Ports
1x USB-A
PD 3.0 Charging Standard
QC 3.0
Input Power 65W max
USB-C1 Output Power : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20/V,5A – 100W max
USB-C2 : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20V, 2.25A – 45W max
USB-A : 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A – 18 W max
LCD screen
Accessories 1x Velvet storage bag
1x USB-C to USB-C 100W Cable
Airplane Friendly Yes
Weight 500g
Selling Price RM 360
Next is Ugreen 100W | 25000mAh for Laptop-3 Ports Power Bank which is also the powerbank with the largest capacity I have ever reviewed. It has a slightly smaller capacity compared to the Shargeek 100 reviewed by Fahim a few weeks ago. Like the Shargeek, this powerbank can be brought into the plane without any issues. With a capacity of 25,000 mAh and a maximum power output of 100W, a wide range of devices including laptops can be charged by it.
The body finish is the same as Nexode with the plastic body having a black and gray finish that is not shiny. Indeed, this powerbank is quite heavy at 500 grams. When stored in a bag, its presence can be felt in a duffel bag.
The powerbank has one USB-C 100W charger, one USB-C 45W and one USB-A 18W. If all three ports are used, only one USB-C port charges at full power of 100W while the other two ports are limited to only 15W. The supported charging formats are PD3.0 and QC3.0 which are supported by the majority of electronic devices on the market.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
Because of the 100W output, it can charge a MacBook Pro M2 that only needs 90W of power. When charging, the LCD screen on the side of the body will show the level of charge that is still stored. A plastic button can be pressed to do the same thing when it is not in use.
The battery pack does not heat up when charging. It charges brilliantly just like the Nexode 300W above just at a lower output. The large capacity allows it to charge an iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra up to four times before needing to be recharged.
Despite having a capacity of 25,000 mAh, the amount of charging that can be done is not up to 5X5000 mAh due to power loss due to electrical resistance. The process of recharging it is very fast around 120 minutes only using a 65W charger.
CONCLUSION
PRO
High output power up to 100W can charge laptops.
Large capacity 25,000 mAh.
Not hot when charging.
Can be recharged quickly.
Safe on the plane.
CONS
Quite thick.
Quite heavy.
Ugreen Foldable Kickstand Magnetic Battery
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery Capacity 10,000mAh
37 Wh
1x USB-C Connection Port
1x USB-A
PD 3.0 Charging Standard
QC 3.0
Qi
Input Power 20W max
USB-C1 Output Power : 5/9/12/15 V, 3 A; 20/V,5A – 100W max
USB-A : 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A – 18 W max
Screen None
Accessories 1x USB-C to USB-C Cable
Airplane Friendly Yes
Weight 225g
Selling Price RM 199
Lastly is the Ugreen Foldable Kickstand Magnetic Battery which is a powerbank with a capacity of 10,000 mAh and supports built-in Qi wireless charging. The size is small with the MagSafe magnetic system on the back. However it doesn't pass the MFI standard so wireless charging is limited to 7.5W instead of 15W like a real MagSafe charger.
The design is the same as the two products above. So there is no issue of collecting fingerprints and looks premium. There is a stick on the back that can be removed from the storage area so that the device can be charged wirelessly while watching videos vertically or horizontally.
The MagSafe magnetic connection on the back of this powerbank is quite strong. The iPhone 14 Pro Max that I use sticks neatly without feeling like it will fall. This is helped by this powerbank which is relatively light despite having a capacity of 10,000 mAh. In addition to Qi wireless charging, there are USB-C and USB-A charging ports on the sides of the body.
Qi charging is up to 15W while USB-C is up to 20W and USB-A is up to 22.5W. In terms of output it is quite low when compared to the Ugreen 100W | powerbank 25000mAh above. In normal use I found the powerbank could charge the iPhone 14 Pro Max almost twice and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra once wired. If Qi charging is used, the amount of charging that can be done is lower.
The process of recharging the powerbank takes about three hours because it only recharges at a maximum power of 20W. It's a bit awkward to see that this Ugreen 10,000 mAh power bank needs more time to recharge than their 25,000 mAh power bank.
Among the three products of the Ugreen ecosystem reviewed in this article, the Ugreen Foldable Kickstand Magnetic Battery is the product I can't recommend the least because of its slow charging. After enjoying fast charging on a 25,000 mAh powerbank, I can't go back to the slow charging format. If given the choice, buy a 25,000 mAh powerbank and then also buy a Ugreen Nexode 300W to reduce the need to carry a lot of electrical sockets and charging heads when on vacation.
CONCLUSION
PRO
Light and small size.
There is a built-in wand.
Qi wireless charging support.
Strong magnetic connection.
CONS
Charging only up to 22.5W.
Recharging the powerbank slowly reaches three hours.