Satechi 145W GaN Travel Charger Review: Perfect for Any Portable Tech Gear

Following in the footsteps of Apple, the companies behind most of our favorite Android phones have stopped shipping charging pads and adapters with their phones. This has opened up a huge market for third-party accessory makers like Satechi and Anker, which often appear in our trusted charger recommendations. However, choosing a new charger is always a challenge, especially for models with multiple outputs, because the advertised power output is usually split across ports and limited by the connector and charging standards adopted. Options are even more limited if you travel a lot and need something to recharge all your gadgets using the single power outlet in your hotel room or airport lounge.

Satechi launched a new 145W GaN travel charger at CES 2024 in January, adding another product to its extensive lineup. But there’s a lot more to this model, and I tested it out to see how it stacks up against our favorite chargers.

Satechi 145W USB-C GaN Charger

8/ 10

Launched at CES 2024, the new Satechi 145W Travel Charger packs the power of four chargers into one compact package. The lightweight charger comes with four international adapters and a carrying case in the box, making it the perfect companion for long flights and international trips.

Pros

• Includes international adapters and carrying case.
• Strong clip lock for socket adapters
• Minimal heating, even at full tilt
• All four ports are USB-C.

cons

• Not useful light indicator
• Paint may not age well.
• Only US plug ends are foldable.
• High price for charger

$120 at Satechi

Price and availability

The only reliable option is

Satechi’s new travel charger features four USB-C ports, with a total maximum power output of 145W. You can buy the 145W travel charger from Satechi’s website for $120, with free shipping if it’s over the minimum order value. It’s also available on Satechi’s Amazon storefront for the same price of $120, with free shipping even for non-Prime customers. Since it’s a new launch, I wouldn’t recommend waiting for discounts if you need a charger today.

Chargers from other well-known brands like Ugreen and Anker don’t offer such a powerful combination of interchangeable adapters and high power output. The 140W models from both brands lack international adapters, and Ugreen’s only travel charger with interchangeable adapters maxes out at 65W split across three outputs. However, Satechi’s 200W six-output GaN charger is a worthy competitor — it retails for $30 more than the new travel charger, but for $150, you get two extra ports and higher power output.

On the downside, the 200W model takes up a lot of space on your desk, but it might be worth the extra spend if you’re an occasional traveler. Otherwise, I suggest buying the new 145W adapter because you can use it with the correct plug at home and keep the multi-use adapters on standby whenever you travel.

What are the good features of the Satechi 145W GaN Travel Charger?

ticks all the right boxes

Satechi’s new 145W travel adapter uses GaN technology, which stands for Gallium Nitride, which allows for faster charging speeds while keeping the size and weight of your wall charger to a minimum. In the box, you get the charger itself, two stylishly labeled boxes containing four detachable international plug adapters, and a mesh carrying bag to keep everything together in your bag.

This product is certainly better than carrying four separate chargers, but it’s worth noting that the 145W output is shared across the USB-C outputs, so you’ll need to plug in devices carefully. Thankfully, Satechi has labeled the output ports — PD1, PD2, PD3, and PD4. A faint LED below PD4 also lets you know when the charger is receiving power from the mains.

The first two ports use the USB PD 3.1 standard and are each limited to 140W of output. Meanwhile, ports PD3 and PD4 use the PD 3.0 standard, which limits each to 45W of output. As a general rule, Satechi recommends plugging your most power-hungry devices like a laptop or small PC into the PD1 port, especially if other charging ports are also in use. Here’s how to split power across multiple ports.

In the few weeks I’ve been testing this charger, I’ve loved the sheer convenience of having four USB-C ports at my disposal, without worrying about slower charging for any device. The Satechi 145W charger can comfortably deliver 100-120W, which is what USB-PD 3.1 PPS-compatible phones like the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro and OnePlus 11 need, plus a steady 65W for my mini PC to power through workdays. The cable connected to the PD3 now sits on my desk for wired charging, and I’ve connected the slower PD4 cable to my Qi wireless charging pad. I haven’t noticed any whining or other unusual sounds after extended use. My only suggestion is to make sure you’re using charging cables rated to handle higher wattages, though the battery management systems in modern electronics and the Satechi charger should avoid accidents.

Despite constant use and having high-powered devices plugged into it, the Satechi 145W Travel Charger only gets a little warm to the touch. The charger can charge two smartphones, a camera, and a slow-charging device like wireless earbuds or a smartwatch—all gear I typically travel with.

Now that you’ve confirmed its performance, it’s time to get to this model’s unique feature – the interchangeable adapters. The US-specific adapter features foldable prongs, which helps you store the charger without damaging its carrying case. To detach the adapter, simply pull the latch on top toward the USB-C ports, then slide the adapter toward the latch.

The Satechi latch design is also fairly foolproof – channel guides on each side of the adapter ensure you don’t insert it into the charger incorrectly. I was impressed with Satechi’s manufacturing tolerances despite working with plastic parts, as the adapter doesn’t wobble once it’s locked into place. After all, the entire weight of the charger is on this latch. Despite this good design, the Satechi branding on the charger isn’t too in your face, and the focus remains on the premium feel in the hand with the metallic silver finish. However, this is where the cookie crumbles a bit.

What’s bad about the Satechi 145W GaN travel charger?

Some pain points that do not affect usability

As you can see, the injection-molded hard plastic doesn’t leave the molds with a shiny metallic finish. This is painted, and it might not age well if it’s prone to fading and scratches from rough use. Satechi’s bundled carrying case can save your travel charger from all that, but I would have preferred a more durable finish on travel gear that’s sure to get thrown around. Our other complaint was the NPC-like indicator light. Sure, it’s dimmer than older Satechi models, so you won’t be obsessing over a blue LED in your hotel room at night, but there’s nothing to hide behind such a bulky charger either. So, it was nice to see the LED change colors to indicate total power consumption, or idle/active status.

I know GaN chargers are smaller than the average brick, but the Satechi 145W Travel Charger protrudes from the wall quite a bit, posing challenges for discreet installation behind media units and desks. “But this is a travel adapter, not designed for permanent installation,” you might argue. I get it, but with that in mind, only the US adapter fits comfortably in a carry-on bag, thanks to its foldable ends.

All other adapters, especially the UK 3-pin adapter, protrude out of the bag and can scratch items stored with the charger. Although the included bag is large enough to hold two adapters, I recommend storing the charger in the bag and putting the adapters you will need in a separate bag or hard case to prevent scratches.

Speaking of three-pin adapters, I was slightly disappointed to see that this 145W charger only comes with two-pin adapters, and the third end of the UK-specific adapter is a plastic dummy. This means that your gadgets aren’t grounded, and you’re at the mercy of the charger’s built-in surge and fluctuation protection. A third end would have helped reassure me when connecting it to expensive, high-powered devices. We’d also love support for Programmable Power Supply (PPS), which helps chargers adjust the voltage and current supplied based on the device’s requirements. Many Samsung phones and Google’s Pixel range already support fast charging based on the PPS standard.

Overall, the list of issues we have with this charger is short, and most of the issues are not critical, but rather improvements and user experience parts that Satechi can fix in future versions. The charger is a bit heavy and bulky, but it saves the effort of carrying three additional adapters.

Should you buy the Satechi 145W GaN Travel Charger?

Is it really unparalleled?

Satechi’s 145W GaN Travel Charger offers incredible value for its $120 price tag, especially for world travelers who can’t trust airport USB charging stations (and you shouldn’t). Even otherwise, there are limited options for such reliable, high-powered chargers from brands we trust at AP. Satechi’s product has a long list of compatible Apple devices, and it should work with all Android devices, including the latest Pixel 8 series and Samsung Galaxy S24 variants.

Like other Satechi products, this travel charger is made of high-quality materials. It’s well-made, and should serve you well for years to come. Satechi offers a 30-day return policy and a one-year warranty to sweeten the deal. If you don’t travel often, the Amazon listing for this new charger also lists a 165W, quad-output Surface model for the same price of $120. But if you’re looking for a versatile charger for international travel, this is a very good option.

Satechi 145W USB-C GaN Charger

This charger offers amazing value for the money with 145W output for $120, especially considering all the outputs are USB-C and the multi-use adapters work exactly as intended.

$120 on Amazon, $120 on Satechi

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