Between a phone, a laptop, a tablet, and perhaps a pair of wireless earbuds that require charging every day or every few days, most students are packing multiple chargers for move-in day. Those big, heavy bricks take up valuable backpack space that could otherwise be free for carrying more items.
However, GaN chargers fix that problem in two ways. First, they deliver the same amount of power from a much smaller body, thanks to gallium nitride transistors. Furthermore, if you’re willing to spend a little more upfront, you can get a high-capacity, multi-device charger capable of powering your entire digital ecosystem from a single wall outlet, something that could be very useful for a dorm room.
Spigen USB-C 20W GaN Charger
Pros
- Cheap enough to buy a couple
- Ideal to carry when travelling
- Small and lightweight
- Easy to replace if lost
Cons
- Can’t charge most laptops
- Only one USB-C port
We’ve included Spigen in our charger recommendations over the years, and the 20W GaN charger is no different.
This is the charger that I’d actually buy, in pairs: one for the backpack, one for the nightstand, and one to leave at a parent’s house. Speaking of backpacks, you won’t have a hard time fitting this in, since it’s one of the smallest and the lightest GaN chargers Spigen sells. It also comes with a foldable plug.
And yes, it’s compatible with the latest iPhones, iPads, Samsung or Pixel phones, and basically all other devices that support the USB-C PD standard. However, it isn’t the best option if you’re looking for a phone charger that also doubles as a laptop charger. Last but not least, you don’t get a wire in the box; that’s worth knowing as well.
Ugreen 3-Port 30W USB-C GaN Charger
Pros
- Charges three devices from one outlet
- Great everyday-carry charger
- Compact, dorm-friendly design
- Affordable to replace
Cons
- Not powerful enough for most laptops
- Charging slows when all three ports are in use
If you only have one power outlet in your dorm room (or you share one with your roommate), the multi-port GaN charger from Ugreen is where I’d point you at. For one, it features three ports, which means it can charge a phone, a pair of earbuds, and a tablet or a Kindle, all at the same time. The list of supported protocols is quite extensive as well: PD, QC, and PPS.
It’s also available in two rather interesting colors (blue and light pink) rather than the generic black and white, in case you’re building a color-matched setup. Finally, it has a relatively small footprint compared to other multi-port chargers you’d find on the market, especially the regular ones.
The only con that I’d want you to keep in mind while buying this one is that plugging in three devices will slow down the effective charging speed per device. And no, it still can’t charge your laptop properly.
Spigen 70W Dual USB-C GaN Charger
Pros
- Charges a laptop and phone from one outlet
- Makes a great spare laptop charger for your desk
- Frees up a valuable outlet in a dorm room
- Affordable enough to buy as a backup
Cons
- Two ports can feel limiting with multiple devices
- Can’t charge two laptops at full speed simultaneously
What sold me on the $16.99 Spigen 70W dual USB-C charger is that it’s genuinely a two-in-one, not just in terms of two USB-C power outlets, but the way it can charge both a phone and a laptop from the same wall socket, at the same time. If you live in a dorm room where every outlet is occupied, this one can really help you make the most of a single outlet.
With up to 60W output when using a single port, you can use this one to charge your MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Dell XPS, or any other USB-C PD-supported device. It won’t push two laptops to full speed at once, but for one laptop (up to 50W) and one phone (up to 20W), it’s a genuinely useful two-outlet-in-one.
Anker 65W Nano USB-C GaN 3-Port Charger
Pros
- Charges a laptop, phone, and earbuds from one outlet
- Compact enough to fit in a pencil case
- Replaces three separate chargers on your desk
- Can easily be your only charger for the semester
Cons
- Charging slows when all three ports are in use
- Best to charge your laptop on its own when you’re in a hurry
Instead of recommending the $19.99 Anker Nano 70W GaN II, I’m choosing the three-port 65W GaN II charger instead, and I have three good reasons. First, it is almost as powerful when you want to charge a single device.
It can also charge multiple devices much faster than the Ugreen charger I recommended earlier. You can read about all the configurations (and you must) on the Amazon product page I’ve linked to below. Basically, you can have your laptop plugged into the top-most USB-C port, and your phone and earbuds in the other two, and it will still charge all the devices at a decent speed.
Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN Four-Port Charger
Pros
- Fast-charges a laptop, phone, and headphones together
- Folding plug is backpack-friendly
- Replaces multiple chargers with one
- Great for students juggling several devices
Cons
- Laptop charging slows when multiple ports are in use
- Some Dell and Lenovo laptops won’t charge at full speed
The Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN charger generates enough power to fast-charge a MacBook Air-class laptop with one port (either of the top two) while a phone and a set of headphones top up on the other two. So a student juggling three devices during a study session won’t be stuck rationing outlets.
Since it’s a multi-port charger, you must go through the power output configuration for when you’re using one or multiple devices. What you should know, however, is that the maximum output while using one device is 100W, but it drops down to 45W while powering four devices.
The folding plug helps ensure the charger survives being tossed loose into a backpack pocket instead of snapping off at the wall prongs. It’s compatible with a variety of USB-C devices as well. If you ask me, I’d get this over carrying two or three separate chargers.
Baseus PD3.1 140W Four-Port GaN Charger
Pros
- Powerful enough to be your only laptop charger
- Can fast-charge two laptops at once
- Smaller than Apple’s 140W charger
- Handles a phone, tablet, and laptop together
Cons
- Fewer long-term reviews than competing chargers
- Overkill for laptops that draw well under 100W
If you want a four-port charger with more power, perhaps you’re using devices that support fast wired charging speeds, and you don’t want to wait around, I’d recommend the Baseus PD 3.1 140W multi-port charger over the Ugreen Nexode 100W brick; here’s why.
It increases the maximum output power ceiling, from 100W to 140W. In practical terms, you can use the brick to fast-charge two laptops simultaneously. Charge four devices together, and you can still direct a decent 65W to your laptop, 45W to your tablet, and 9W each to your smartphone and earbuds.
So, when your roommate asks for your charger, you can simply ask to use the empty slot in the multi-port charger. This one is around 35% smaller than Apple’s own 140W charging brick, which, by the way, only has a single USB-C output. So it’s convenience and versatility packed in one device.
Anker Prime 6-Port 200W Charging Station
Pros
- Replaces a desk full of separate chargers
- Can fast-charge two laptops at once
- Saves you from buying multiple bricks over time
- Great for a shared desk with several devices
Cons
- Too bulky for everyday carry
- Only makes sense for a multi-device setup
The Anker Prime is the one purchase that could replace an entire desk’s worth of chargers. It offers four USB-C and two USB-A outlets, giving you the flexibility to plug in up to six devices at once.
Two of its ports can each push 100W, so two laptops (or a laptop and a high-capacity power bank) can both fast-charge at full speed at the same time, which is genuinely useful for students using heavy gear, like a MacBook Pro or an RTX GeForce-powered Windows laptop.
At $55.99, it’s the priciest pick here, and it only makes sense once your desk is handling a serious creative or professional workflow, like a dual-laptop setup for part-time content creation or video editing. If you and your roommate are running a tiny makeshift studio, this is the power station I’d go for.
