Plugable 140W GaN Charger Review: Optimized Power for Today and Tomorrow

The Plugable 140W GaN Charger is one of the most powerful and efficient Power Delivery 3.1-optimized charging bricks you can purchase. And while the 140W output is still limited to only a handful of current laptops, the future of this USB-C standard definitely looks bright.

Design: GaN-Friendly Means Smaller and Safer

The Plugable 140W GaN Charger is about 40% smaller than Apple’s out-of-the-box 140W charger for current 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and the reduction in size is a direct result of the charger’s gallium nitride (GaN) engineering. Dimensionally, the Plugable 140W is 2.99 inches tall, 2.95 inches from front to back, and 1.24 inches wide. 

Not only is the Plugable 140W as easy to travel with (if not more so) as a traditional laptop charger, but there are a number of failsafe features built into the brick as well, including over-voltage, over-current, and short circuit protection.

The AC prongs can also be folded into the brick when you’re stowing the Plugable away or out when you’re plugging it into an outlet. And when you’re lined in for power, a status LED will light solid-green to let you know the connection is live. 

Performance: A Powerhouse for Powerful Laptops

The mighty Power Delivery (PD) 3.1 standard is still evolving, and the future looks bright. As it stands, many PD 3.1 chargers can deliver voltage levels from 140W up to 240W, which bodes well for hardware like heavy-duty gaming laptops that consume a ton of power over a short period of time. Now don’t be deterred from grabbing the Plugable if you only plan on using your current/future laptop or mobile device for more straightforward applications because as PD 3.1 gains ground, the biggest brands in tech are following suit. 

For instance, since 2021, Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro has utilized the PD 3.1 standard, and there are a number of gaming laptops (like the Lenovo Legion 5 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070) that support this kind of voltage, too. Do keep in mind though, that if you’re using or plan on using the Plugable 140W to charge your 140W-capable MacBook Pro, you’ll need to be using a MagSafe cable to achieve the maximum output. 

In Action: Charging Everything at My Desk

While I don’t own a new 16-inch MacBook Pro or top-dollar gaming laptop, I was able to use the Plugable 140W to recharge all of my current and most vital workflow devices, including my 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, my AirPods Pro 2, and my Sony WH-CH710N Bluetooth headphones. And before I begin to dish out the very good results, I would like to share a little complaint: I wish the Plugable 140W had at least one more USB-C port. 

Sure, the PD 3.1-certified charging brick that comes with new MacBooks only has one connection, too, but an extra port on the Plugable could have been just one more reason to go with a reputable and lower-priced third-party brand instead of sinking an extra $30 or $40 into an Apple charging brick.

Normally, when I test charging bricks and power stations, one of the first things I do is figure out what devices I’m going to charge independently and what hardware will be charged at the same time as another peripheral. But seeing as there’s only one port, Plugable already did the deciding for me. 

First up was my 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, which had a battery level of 47% when I plugged it in at 2:43pm. When I checked the battery level at 3:03pm it was up to 65%. At 3:51pm, the MacBook had reached 93%. Based on the fact that this MacBook model doesn’t support 140W charging, and that once the battery reaches 80% it starts to recharge more slowly, getting close to a full battery in a little over an hour is pretty great in my book. Next was my AirPods Pro 2, which were bone-dry when I connected them to the Plugable at 2:46pm. In just one hour, the AirPods themselves were almost completely recharged (96%), and the MagSafe case was at 56%. 

My Sony WH-CH710N will tell you how much battery remains when you press the power button. The four charge levels are fully charged, 70% or less, 50% or less, and 20% or less. When I connected the headphones to the Plugable at 4:21pm, they were at 20% or less, and by 4:53pm, they were up to 70% or less. Considering the fact that the WH-CH710N will give you an extra hour of playtime with just 10 minutes of charging, the Plugable nearly doubled this projected recharge on just an extra 20 minutes of charge-time. 

Should You Buy the Plugable 140W GaN Charger?

My final verdict is a solid yes; you should consider this charger. The Plugable 140W GaN Charger may not deliver its full 140W potential to every device but a few workhorse laptops at the moment, but when it comes to PD 3.1 and future improvements on the Power Delivery standard, soon enough, more and more devices will be able to take advantage of this powerful USB-C technology. But in the meantime, for only $69, the Plugable 140W will still deliver optimized charging to whatever hardware you connect to it, and the GaN engineering grants peace of mind for whatever devices are connected for a recharge.