The best GaN chargers is something everyone with a phone, tablet or laptop should know about. Because, quite simply, they'll power up these devices more quickly than a traditional type of charger.
This new generation of chargers use gallium nitride rather than silicon, which is better at conducting electricity. And this makes them smaller, more energy-efficient, cooler, and able to charge more quickly than silicon chargers.
This means you'll save space, save money on electricity bills and won't have to wait around so long for your phone, tablet, camera, or laptop to be at 100%. So really, why would you buy any other type of charger?
Below we've brought together the best GaN chargers on the market today. Choosing between them is mainly about how what sort of devices you want to charge. A 45W charger is fine for a phone, but for a powerful laptop you'll need something more like 100-200W. Also, if you need to power up more than one device at once. some GaN chargers come with lots of ports. Alternatively, if you're looking for a different type of charger, see our guides to the best wireless chargers and the best solar chargers.
Best GaN chargers in 2023
Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.
Like the idea of charging your devices faster, but don't want to spend a fortune? Then here's the charger we can recommend for you. This charger from UGREEN boasts a maximum output of 65W: enough to fully charge a 13-inch MacBook or a Dell XPS 13 in just one hour. If you want to fast-charge more than one device at a time, you have a total of four ports at your disposal, including one USB-A slot and three USB-C slots. At just 2.56 x 2.56 x 1.3 inches, it's nice and compact too. In short, this the best GaN charger we can recommend today for most people.
I am a big fan of the Anker Prime range of chargers and this one at 100W is probably the best of the lot for a size-power ratio. The Anker 100W is a compact and powerful charger that will free you from carrying around large bulky chargers, or even worse, chargers with separate power bricks. The size of this charge is revelatory, it is so light and can easily slip into a pocket if needed. The charger also offers enough power out of one port to easily keep the best (non-gaming) laptops running at max juice all day, and with three ports to charge all your devices quickly when needed.
Read our full Anker Prime 100W GaN charger review for more details.
Choosing between the best GaN chargers largely comes down to a balance between price and power. And if you just need to charge one device, the Anker Nano II 45W offers great value at the lower end of both of these. This tiny device will let you charge a 2020 MacBook Air at full speed, an iPhone 12 up to three times faster than with an original 5W charger, and the latest Samsung phones at full speed with Samsung Super Fast Charging. On the downside, there's only one port, and it's no good for large laptops.
If our number two pick is a bit too expensive for you, here's a decent alternative that was a little cheaper at time of writing but still offers a generous 100W of power. This USB-C charger will power up a 16-inch Macbook Pro from 0-42% in just 30 minutes, and to 100% in just under two hours. It also comes with four ports, allowing you to charge up four devices simultaneously via USB-C (3) and USB-A (1).
While it's small in size, this charging station from Spigen boasts four ports (two USB-A, two USB-C) for multi-device charging and delivers an impressive 120W output. That's enough to charge two 14-inch MacBook Pros simultaneously, or a single 13-inch MacBook Pro to 50 per cent in less than an hour. Most importantly, it's reliable, consistent and stays cool during use.
For the ultimate in power, UGREEN also produces a 200W GaN charger. Of course, you'll pay extra for this but in return you'll be able to fully charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro in just 90 minutes. This is also the best GaN charger for powering up lots of devices, with six ports in total (two USB-A and four USB-C). Plus it has a specially designed braided cable, which is very nice indeed.
If you want a 200W GaN charger but only have USB-C devices to charge, here's our top recommendation. Newly released in March, this Satechi charger has six USB-C PD ports (two USB-C PD 3.1 and four USB-C PD 3.0), supporting a total power output of 200W. Its advanced power distribution automatically adjusts based on the number of ports used and devices connected, achieving 140W when one device is connected to PD1 or PD2. It also boasts a sleek and compact design complements any workstation and features a detachable power cord for easy storage and a stand to dock it at your desk.
If you're short on funds, here's the cheapest GaN charger we can recommend at a low price. The Syncwire PD 30W Charger is beautifully compact, at just 1.97 x 1.97 x 1.97 inches, making it a great travel companion. But it packs a fair bit of power nonetheless, allowing you to charge the latest iPhone 14 series up to three times faster than with an original 5W charger. Note, though, that you won't be able to charge more than one device at once.
If you have a lot of USB-A devices to charge, then you'll appreciate that this 63W charger has not one but two USB-A ports with which to do so, along with two USB-C ports. To our eyes, it's also got a lovely design and is very compact and light, at just 4.8oz. And overall, it fits a lot of power into a very small package, although on the downside, it is on the pricey side.
This nicely designed 100W charger also comes in at a very nice price. It takes only two hours to fully charge the 96W MacBook Pro 16-inch, and offers enough juice to charge two laptops simultaneously, including Lenovo, Dell, HP, Chromebook, Surface, Acer, and more. Compatible with up to 12 kinds of fast-charging protocols, including PD3.0, QC3.0 and PPS, it also plays nicely with the Nintendo Switch and supports "Charge-and-Play" in TV mode.
Don't want to spend a lot of money to charge a ton of tech? Just want something cheap and reliable to charge up to three devices? Then here's an excellent option for a very reasonable price, especially if you travel a lot. That's because this capable GAN charger comes with built-in foldable wall plugs, supports worldwide universal 100-240V voltage and comes with UK/EU pin converters so that it can be used in virtually any country.
This 66W offers two USB-C ports, both supporting Power Delivery 3.0, and one USB-A port, supporting Quick Charge 3.0. And at 2.09 x 2.09 x 1.21 inches, it's nice and compact too.
What does GaN stand for?
GaN is short for Gallium Nitride. It's a natural mineral, that is an alternative semiconductor material to silicon. Gallium nitride allows manufacturers to make chargers that are smaller, faster, and more power efficient than the brick-like silicon chargers that we have grown up with.
What's the difference between GaN and GaN2
GaN2 (or GAN II) is the latest generation of GaN charging technology - providing improvements in power transfer, heat dissipation, and charging speed over first-generation GaN devices.
Other useful guides
• Best iPhone charger
• Best iPhone charging cable
• Best travel adaptor
• Best power strip
• Best iPhone power bank
• Best laptop power bank
• Best wireless chargers
• Best iPhone tripods & supports
