Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission.. That means you actually need to think about which one you should get instead, and how much you ought to spend. But the bright side is that, if you pick the right charging brick, it can act as a multi-purpose device that can top up a variety of gadgets while also reducing how much gear you need to carry while traveling.
The methodology for my fast charging experiment is intended to be as straightforward as possible. I drained each device to 10 percent battery, plugged in a power brick and then recorded the amount of charge added every 10 minutes for an hour. Each adapter was plugged directly into a standard 120-volt outlet , and when possible I used the cable that either came included with the battery charger or one made by the same manufacturer as the device.
One important thing to note is that while the USB Implementers Forum has approved support for USB Power Delivery charging at up to 240 watts, adapters that actually support that power output don’t exist yet. Additionally, while there are a handful of cables that can handle more than 100 watts of juice, they are somewhat rare or hard to get.When looking for chargers, you may notice that some are marked as GaN, which stands for gallium nitride.
While Razer's 130-watt GaN charger is the most expensive of the bunch at $180, it earned our pick as the best 100-watt or higher charger due to its more compact design, strong power output and the inclusion of useful extras like international outlet adapters and a braided 100-watt USB-C cord.