It’s not quite as simple as searching for a charger with Power Delivery support, however. While some smaller laptops will charge from a 30W adaptor, others require significantly more power. The USB PD specification maxes out at 240W, but accessory speeds can vary, and we’ve found charging accessories that operate as low as 18W and as high as 200W. To find a compatible device you really need to know what is required by your particular model of laptop. Later in this article we discuss how much power your laptop requires, but as a standard guide, 30-45W will be sufficient for a small laptop, 65W for mid-sized and 90W for most larger laptops. Top-end laptops can support 140W chargers, so look for the right wattage when choosing a laptop charger. If you’re looking to fast-charge a smartphone that promises charging of, say, 65W, do note that many third-party USB PD chargers will not support protocols such as PPS (Programmable Power Supply) or SCP (Super Charge Protocol) that is required by proprietary fast-charging standards. You can expect 18W charging from such devices, regardless of the theoretical output of the USB-C port. While there are undoubtedly cheaper chargers out there, picking a trusted or premium brand may reduce the safety risks associated with overheating. Some of our favorites include Anker, Ugreen, Satechi, Hyper and Syncwire.
Best USB-C PD Laptop Charger Reviews
Excellent value Compact design Two PD outputs Supports PPS, Quick Charge 4
Some large laptops require 100W
It has two USB-C PD ports, and when using both it can power at 45W and 20W so could fast-charge your phone while keeping a laptop ticking. It supports Power Delivery 3.0, PPS, and Quick Charge 3.0 so is speed-ready for most devices. Owners of phones with an old-style USB-A charging cable may need to buy a new cable with USB-C at one end. It’s also competitively priced for a 65W charger, supports international voltages and, because it uses GaN tech, it’s a diddy little thing for such a powerful device, especially the UK version. Unless you need additional USB ports or 100W, we really can’t see how you’d be better served by another Power Delivery charger—although the Acefast GaN Smart PD Charger Hub, reviewed later, includes an integrated mini USB and HDMI hub, although at a higher price.
Two 100W USB-C PD outputs Versatile with four outputs Good value Supports PPS, Quick Charge 4
Heavy UK model quite deep
The UK three-pin model, which has a different design to those available in the US and EU—necessarily so, because the elongated design and sheer weight (268g for the UK model) of this thing would likely have trouble staying attached to the wall without that third prong to steady itself. The 8.29oz (235g) US model has a taller, more rectangular design, with folding plugs to make them more compact for travel, but the core specs are otherwise the same. We like the design, and it feels much better made than some cheap plasticky chargers. There are no angular edges here, with every line smoothed out and rounded to soften its appearance. The outer casing is a matte gun-metal grey, and all the necessary tech specs are hidden out of sight where the adaptor plugs into the wall. It’s not overly bulky, despite its weight, thanks to the GaN tech inside. But it’s really not about what it looks like; it’s about what it does—and this UGreen GAN X 100W adaptor has some serious power behind it. There are four USB ports in all—three USB-C and one full-size USB-A—two of which support a 100W output, with the other two rated at 22.5W. There’s a maximum power output of 100W, which means when you use more than one port the power rating will be reduced, but it’s still possible to get up to 65W on either of those two 100W USB-Cs. This UGreen adaptor supports multiple charging protocols, including Power Delivery 2.0 and 3.0, Quick Charge 4+ and PPS, and it will work with pretty much any device that charges over USB. Note that you can purchase this adaptor with or without a USB-C cable. If you are buying one separately or providing your own, you’ll need to make sure it is capable of carrying up to 100W.
Reliable brand Super-compact Supports PPS, PowerIQ
Only one output
Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology has made chargers a fraction of the size of silicon-based models only a couple of years old, and once considered small themselves. Anker’s new Nano II chargers utilise next-generation GaN II tech that transmits energy more efficiently and operates at twice the frequency of the first generation of GaN—making these chargers even smaller. We haven’t seen PD chargers this small before. They are tiny—about the size of Apple’s weedy 5W iPhone charger but over 10x more powerful. The 65W Nano II charger weighs just 132g and comes in at 41.7-x-36-x-44mm. The US version features neat foldable pins. Moreover, they support not only Power Delivery, Quick Charge and Anker’s own PowerIQ smart charging, but also PPS. This means it stands out among other third-party adaptors in its ability to fast-charge smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 that require the Super Fast Charging protocol for their proprietary charging standards. On the downside, there is only one output, which means you can charge only one device at a time and it’ll need to support USB-C. There are also smaller, cheaper 30W and 45W options are available in the US and UK Anker stores.
Unbeatable value Compact design Supports PPS
30W not enough for all laptops Only one port
There’s support here for PPS, but it’s worth pointing out that 30W is not enough to charge all laptops, so do check your spec to see if it’s appropriate before you buy. It should be plenty for a MacBook Air, but not some of the larger, more powerful laptops. If it’s powerful enough for your needs, this is a really appealing device—significantly more affordable than other devices in our round-up, and thanks to GaN tech it has a sleek, compact design that is easily portable. We like the smooth, rounded corners, and the tiny LED that sits just above and lights up the USB port when in use.
140W PD 3.1 Apple Fast Charging for 16in Pro Smaller than Apple 140W charger Three ports
Expensive
Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is one such laptop, and can fast-charge using Apple’s own 140W charger. Sadly, Apple blocks third-party chargers from fast-charging using even certified PD 3.1 cables, favoring its own USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. But third-party chargers such as Ugreen’s Nexode 140W charger are better than what you get with the laptop as they boast multiple ports and are often also smaller. This one has two USB-C ports (one at 140W and the other at 100W) and a USB-A at 22.5W for smaller devices. The maximum output is 140W, so using more ports will spread that power between devices.
65W output Supports six devices Supports PPS and Quick Charge Works as a travel charger
Three of the ports share 15W
Built with the latest Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that packs in all the required electronics in a tiny package without overheating, it’s only a little bigger than a standard pin-sliding travel adapter. It features one side-mounted 65W USB-C PD port, one 20W USB-C PD port , another USB-C charging port and two USB-A charging ports. Quick Charge and PPS are supported for phone fast charging. Maximum power output is 65W so if you are charging a mid-sized laptop in full use, there won’t be much spare juice for the other devices. However, if the laptop is just having a battery top-up, there should be enough power to be spread about. What’s handy is that in addition to all these USB ports you can also use this as a travel adapter. Sliding connectors will fit into US, European, Australian/Chinese and British wall sockets so covering over 200 countries, and you can plug a similar range of plugs into the OneWorld 65 from the other side. Now, as with all travel adapters, you just have to remember to pack it on your next trip rather than realise you’ve left it at home as soon as you get to the airport or hotel. International pricing at the OneAdaptr store is calculated on current US $ rate at time of purchase so prices may vary to our stated cost at the time of writing.
Interchangeable plugs for international travel Three USB outputs
No PPS support
This is another GaN charger, which means it is delightfully small for a device that is potentially going to be consuming suitcase room. With a 45W maximum output for the PD port, you should double-check that this is sufficient for your laptop before you buy. It’s also worth pointing out that unlike some of Anker’s other adaptors, which support the PPS protocol required by some devices for their proprietary fast-charging standards, this one does not. It does support PowerIQ, however, which is Anker’s own intelligent device-detection tech, able to adjust the output for optimal charging of the connected device.
65W output USB-A port 60Hz 4K HDMI port
US & EU only
If you just want to charge your laptop, Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck and connect to an external display—be it monitor or TV—then this charger may be all you need. In this way, it beats the other charge-only devices reviewed here. It’s available in both black and white, but sadly there’s no Type G plug (UK) version available yet.
Massive 200W charger 6 ports Supports PPS Comes with braided cable
Heavy
The Ugreen Nexode 200W USB C charger allows you to charge six devices at the same time, and so avoid having to plug in multiple chargers for the task and free up space on your desktop. While it’s too heavy to be truly portable, it is a super-compact size for so many ports. Boasting four USB-C ports and two USB-A, it can supply up to 200W of power (maximum 100W per port as it’s PD 3.0), and therefore could charge three mid-sized laptops, a couple of phones, and your headphones simultaneously. The charging options are too numerous to list here, but with six devces charging at the same time, you could have one at 65W, two at 45W, one at 20W, and the two USB-A ports sharing 20W. It is compatible with both iPhone and Samsung Fast Charging.
4 USB outputs 87W PD Ideal for desktop use 100W USB-C cable in box
No Quick Charge/PPS support Messy rear design US only
It has four USB outputs in all, making it an ideal device if you have multiple devices to charge. However, not if you have multiple laptops to charge… There are one 65W USB-C Port, one 30W USB-C port and two 12W USB A ports for simultaneous charging of laptop, tablet, phones and other devices. Four of these five ports are full-size USB-As, rated at 12W. The device’s maximum output with all ports in use is 107W, which means you can’t run them all at full power at once. Yet we are drawn to the versatility of this desktop charger, with its 65W output enough for most mid-sized laptops. We’re impressed to find a 100W USB-C cable is provided in the box, as this will be required to fully utilise that output. Sadly, this particular model is not currently available in the UK, where we would recommend the Satechi 108W Dual USB-C PD Charger (see below) or more powerful Satechi 108W Pro USB-C PD Desktop Charger.
Multiple USB outputs 90W PD Nicely designed
Second PD port is low-power Expensive No PPS support
However, do note that one of the USB-C ports will charge at the full 90W and the other at a more sedate 18W (more than fine for a phone, but unlikely to be enough to power a laptop). The two USB-A ports are handy as most of us still have devices that require a charging cable connection into this old standard. Each can handle 12W charging but that capacity is shared between the two ports so will be lower if both are in use. This is fine if you are charging one phone or two lower-powered devices such as headphones or watch. At 14.7oz (417g) it isn’t super-lightweight but is a desktop charger so will probably not be travelling with you. A more mighty model, the Satechi 165W USB-C 4-Port PD GaN Charger, is a real power beast. For $119 / £119, it has two 100W-capable USB-C ports and two that can reach 60W—although max output is 165W, it’s the highest of any of the chargers we have tested here. You can charge a large laptop and a mid-sized laptop at the same time. Interestingly, being GaN, it’s actually lighter (12oz or 340g) than the 108W version, although it is priced higher. You’re looking for a figure in watts, although it may be expressed in volts and amps. If so, simply multiply these two numbers to get the figure you need. For example, a device that requires 12V/2A to charge will need a 24W USB-C PD charger (12 x 2 = 24). Once you know what power rating you’re looking for, finding a USB-C PD charger for your laptop or console is easy. Sometimes it can pay to get one a little faster than you need—it may be more expensive, but you’ll be pleased you bought it if you later decide to upgrade your laptop. The adaptor itself is only one piece of the puzzle, and the cable with which it is combined must also be capable of delivering the required amount of power. Read more about the differences in USB-C cables before you buy. We’ve put together a range of articles to help you choose the best charging tech for the mobile devices you carry everywhere. You’ll also like:
For charging away from home: Power banks for phones & tablets | Power banks for laptops | Travel adaptorsBest Wall & Desktop Chargers: For phones & tablets | For laptopsFor convenience: Best wireless chargersBest charging cables: Micro-USB | USB-C | Lightning
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
