Best Buy cuts Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN charging station to $29.99
Best Buy cuts Ugreen's Nexode 100W GaN charging station to $29.99, 57% off, with three USB-C ports and one USB-A port.
Two of the USB-C ports each deliver up to 100W, which TechRadar says is enough to charge compatible laptops as well as phones and tablets. Ugreen states that the included 100W USB-C cable can bring a 14-inch MacBook Pro to 50 percent in 27 minutes. Alongside USB Power Delivery, the charger supports PPS, QC 4.0+, AFC, FCP and SCP protocols.
The use of gallium nitride, or GaN, keeps the unit at roughly 3.4 by 3.3 by 1.2 inches, small enough to be carried in a bag for travel. Built-in protection covers over-voltage, over-current, short circuits and temperature.
On price, TechRadar reports that the $40 reduction from the $69.99 list price leaves buyers paying less than half the original figure. The $29.99 tag is also below the $34.99 Best Buy charged earlier in September, and TechRadar says it has not found a lower price for this exact model. Amazon currently lists the same charger at $42.99, making Best Buy the cheaper option at present.
One limitation applies to the headline wattage. The 100W figure is the charger's total available output, so connecting several devices divides that power among the ports rather than sending 100W through every port simultaneously.
TechRadar's buying guidance is aimed at people who regularly charge a laptop alongside a phone, tablet, headphones or other USB devices at a desk, since the 100W maximum can handle compatible laptops rather than being limited to smaller devices. It suggests shoppers skip the deal if they only charge one or two low-power devices at a time.
As an alternative, TechRadar points to a separate Ugreen fast charger with six ports that delivers up to 65W through a single USB-C port, a specification it says is sufficient for most work laptops, MacBooks and phones.