Summary
If you’re hitting the road, sea, or sky for an extended time, theSatechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Chargeris the portable power station you’ll want to take with you. It’s small enough to pack, comes with multiple power adapters, and delivers terrific charging performance.
Satechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Charger
Efficiently charge up to four devices at a time with the Satechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Charger. Driven by powerful GaN technology, this sleek charger utilizes the latest Power Delivery 3.1 protocol with smart power distribution to adjust power delivery based on the ports and devices connected.
Design: Global Compatibility
The Satechi 145W USB-C Travel Charger is the type of grab-and-go charger that I can see becoming a staple of national and international journeys. At only 3.7 inches tall, it’s easy to throw in a backpack or laptop sleeve, because the main plug is foldable.
In my several years of reviewing these types of products, I’ve never seen a manufacturer put international adapters in the box, but there’s a first time for everything! The charger comes with US, EU, AU, and UK wall adapters, which can be swapped out by pulling back on the adapter release lock and pulling up on the adapter you’d like to remove.
The charger’s fourUSB-C portsare located on the front of the device. Unfortunately, there are no USB-A ports, and the Satechi doesn’t come with a USB-C to USB-A adapter. In fact, the charger doesn’t come with any cables whatsoever.
If you need to charge an older device during your travels, make sure to bring your own USB-C to USB-A cable.
Designed to be plugged into a wall, the 145W USB-C Travel Charger is three inches from front to back, making it ideal for outlets located near bedside tables and open-backed desks. You’ll also want to be careful when placing the charger on tables or other sensitive surfaces because the device doesn’t have any rubber bumpers to prevent it from scratching stuff up.
Features: What I Like to See From a Travel Charger
The Satechi 145W USB-C Travel Charger is anothergreat chargerthat harnesses the power of GaN engineering. Instead of silicone, GaN devices use gallium nitride as a core engineering component. As far as users are concerned, the result is smaller, more energy-efficient products with better heat dissipation.
The smaller chassis doesn’t mean a weaker charge though. The unit delivers up to 140W from its top two PD 3.1 USB-C ports, and up to 45W from the bottom two PD 3.0 connections (when only one device is connected).
I’m a big fan of charging optimization too, and this USB power station didn’t disappoint me. With the Satechi 145W, you’ll get automatic power distribution based on how many devices you have connected, and what ports they’re plugged into. Satechi does recommend connecting your most power-hungry devices to one or both of the PD 3.1 ports (the top two USB-C ports).
Using the Satechi 145W Travel Charger: Your Laptop’s Best Friend
When reviewing any kind of charger, I like to give a breakdown of how much power the ports can distribute, based on how many devices are connected at one time. In the case of the Satechi 145W Travel Charger, here’s the maximum wattage you’ll receive when one, two, three, or four devices are connected to its USB-C ports:
Most smartphones and tablets aren’t going to need more than 30W to charge quickly and efficiently. But modern laptops can handle a lot more power, and that’s what I thought the Satechi 145W was best at. With only my late 2020 MacBook Pro connected to the charger, the Satechi added 50% more battery to my laptop in just about half an hour.
Do keep in mind that if you’re going to use the device to charge a MacBook Pro, you’ll need a MagSafe 3 power cable to achieve the 140W maximum.
I can see the Satechi 145W being a godsend on big family vacations. Even if all your family members own the latestiPhones or Android smartphones, and all four ports in use, the least amount of power the Satechi can push is 20W. That’s still pretty good in my book.
Should You Buy the Satechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Charger?
TheSatechi 145W USB-C 4-Port GaN Travel Chargeris a bit of a pricey investment, but if you told me that for less than $130, I could own one of the most travel-friendly, powerful, and energy-efficient USB-C charging stations on the market, I think I’d make the purchase.
