Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter review: Why charge just one laptop at once?

GaN chargers are quickly taking over the charging accessory market, packing huge amounts of power into compact and energy efficiency adapters. They’re powering a new market of USB-C chargers designed to meet all your power needs, from smartphones to more demanding laptops. The Electjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter is one of the more powerful plugs in the GaN market that fits right into this category. We’ve put the adapter through its paces to find out whether this is a charger capable of fulfilling all your fast-charging needs. Find out more in this Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter review.

What you need to know about the Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter

• Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter: $50.99/£42.99

Elecjet’s 100W charger is built to charge demanding USB-C gadgets that support the USB Power Delivery charging standard. 100W is enough power to cater to the most demanding laptops on the market, including Apple’s MacBook range.

With two USB-C ports — each capable of providing up to 100W of power — this adapter is able to charge multiple laptops at once. Just note that there are no USB-A connectors here, meaning no support for older gadgets that rely on third-party standards for fast charging.

See also: What is GaN and what does it mean for your tech?

The Elecjet 100W USB-C adapter measures 66 x 66 x 32mm (2.6 x 2.6 x 1.26 inches) and weighs approximately 80g (2.82 ounces). It comes exclusively in white with US and UK plug variants. However, these plugs are fixed in place and can’t be swapped out. Elecjet doesn’t provide a USB-C cable in the box.

What’s good?

With 100W of power and two USB-C ports onboard, the Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter is built for power-hungry gadgets and it does this with excellent power efficiency. I clocked an average of 84.6% wall-to-device power conversion when charging phones, laptops, and even both at once. It’s one of the most efficient chargers on the market.

Related: What is USB Power Delivery and how does it work?

A single smartphone or laptop is provided up to 100W of power from either USB-C port via the USB Power Delivery protocol. Power is provided via 3A at 5V, 9V, 12V, or 15V, while the 20V charging option supports up to 5A of current, although you’ll need a USB-C cable rated to handle this amount of current as well.

Multi-charging capabilities can sometimes be complicated to figure out. Fortunately, that’s not the case here. Both USB-C ports drop down to a maximum of 45W output each when charging two devices simultaneously. This is still plenty to fast-charge smartphones, tablets, and smaller laptops. Although power balancing that allowed for up to 60W from one port would have made this charger a little more ideal for powering a laptop and smartphone at once.

What’s not so good?

The Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter will handle pretty much any USB-C device you throw at it. The only exception is brand new devices that support the USB PD PPS version of the standard for fast charging. The small list of devices that use this standard so far includes the latest top Samsung Galaxy smartphones. These gadgets still charge, just not at their maximum speed.

Secondly, more power results in bigger chargers, and although Elecjet’s plug is very compact considering its packing 100W of juice, it is a little heavy. This isn’t a problem if you intend to leave it plugged in somewhere, but when combined with the lack of interchangeable international sockets, this isn’t the best travel companion around.

Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter review: Should I buy it?

The Elecjet 100W USB-C PD Power Adapter is a solid charger for USB Power Delivery smartphones and laptops. But priced at $50.99, it sits very much at the upper end of the market. As such, it’s only really worth the money if you need to charge two laptops or other more demanding gadgets at once.

Those looking for a smartphone charger can definitely find cheaper products out there. 100W of power is overkill for smartphones that charge via USB Power Delivery. The huge range of 30W to 45W USB-C chargers or 60W hubs will save you a few dollars.

If you’re in need of USB-A ports for older gadgets, the AUKEY Omnia 100W 4-Port PD Charger falls into a similar price bracket and offers a more flexible charging setup. Keep in mind that this charger doesn’t support the latest USB PD PPS standard. If you’re after something more future-proof, Elecjet’s own X21 Pro option have you covered, as does Anker’s 65W PowerPort III Pod.