UGREEN Nexode RG 65W USB C GaN Charger Review
Power. You may take it for granted, but as gamers it’s something we rely on. Whether it be the power to our Xbox consoles, to our laptops, to our mobile phones as we mess around with Game Pass and Cloud Gaming, that juice is oh-so important.
But power can be fun too and we’re seeing an increasing number of companies and brands try to inject some pop culture-y elements into the power sources that they create. We’ve had it with the GravaStar Alpha 65 Fast Charger and now we’ve got it with UGREEN and their brilliant little robo-themed Nexode RG – their first Robot GaN Fast Charger.
We’ve previously been hands-on with a number of UGREEN productsp; their 145W 25000mAh Power Bank and Nexode 200W Charger, for instance. Both of those products have become integral to our lives, powering us at home, in the office and whilst on the go. And now we have the little, pretty cute, Nexode RG. It’s a product that we just have to love – I mean, just look at its little face!
There’s no doubt that the design team and the product creators at UGREEN have brainstormed through various meetings in regards the Nexode RG. A super small, compact unit, those design cues come to the fore, both in regards to the device being in, and out, of use.
We’ll kick off with how the UGREEN Nexode RG looks, and out of the box you’ll be delighted by the aesthetic. Sitting on a desk, out of use, this is a brilliantly well designed, robot-themed unit. A cuboid little guy who comes with some decent heft, he’ll happily sit on your desk, feet up, headphones on, ready for action. Grey and black in colour (although there’s a purple and white version if you prefer), we’ve glanced over at Nexode RG as it’s sat on our desk, a smile appearing across our face each and every time.
But then it comes to using Nexode RG and, whilst all is good and he’s not missed a beat, it’s a shame that the fun doesn’t then continue. You see, in order to make use of the power that RG allows, you’ll need to separate his top body from his feet, unveiling a 3-pin UK plug in the process. From there, plugging the little guy into a wall socket or extension lead allows for full use. Honestly, we’d have loved for Nexode RG to be able to sit on a desk, complete, capable of delivering juice to the devices of our choosing, perhaps powered by a USB-C input or a power cord. It just feels a shame to have to rip him in half in order for use to take place.
When up and running, all is good though. Across Nexode RG’s headphones, situated across his top, are three ports. There’s a standard USB-A (22.5W) that is becoming less and less of use to us. But that is complemented by a couple of much more interesting USB-C ports. USB-C1 is your 65W juice giver for fast charging efforts – and probably the port you’ll use the most – whilst USB-C2 drops down to a 30W power output.
At least that’s the case if you use UGREEN’s Nexode RG with single devices at one time, but this is also capable of firing up three devices at once if you so wish. Obviously that does mean there’s a hit to the power provided, with full triple trouble pushing out some 45W along with a couple of 7.5W options. We’ve personally used the two USB-C ports together for the vast majority of the time, charging cycle computers, watches, headphones, mobiles, a Macbook Pro and more. It’s all been quick enough by our reckoning, with UGREEN stating that using those two USB-Cs at the same time sees power of 45W and 20W delivered. Again, even then, that’s pretty decent.
In fact, we’ve found that Nexode RG has become our go-to power source for most occasions, grabbed from the desk and chucked into the nearest power supply whenever juice is required. He’s done the job brilliantly too, more so when we consider the fact that he lights up with joy across his mini-screen once power is detected, pixelated eyes lighting up depending on his current state. Perhaps it’s not a needed feature, but it’s a nice one to have nonetheless.
When you include the usual safety features that UGREEN are fast becoming known for, like always-on temperature detection and Thermal Guard Tech, it’s safe to say that yet again UGREEN have created a well constructed, well crafted device that just works each and every time.
For us, we’d have loved to be able to power Nexode RG in some way other than a 3-pin plug, allowing for him to continue his desk sitting ways whilst delivering power. But it’s hard to fault a UGREEN product, especially one which they are openly selling as ‘The Coolest Charger of 2024’.
I mean, if it’s a compact wall charger styled as a robot that you are after, you’re going to struggle to find much better than UGREEN’s Nexode RG 65W USB C GaN Charger. He’ll be more than happy to recharge, regenerate and rejuvenate your batteries.
Huge thanks go out to UGREEN for providing their UGREEN Nexode RG 65W USB C GaN Charger. Grab one for yourself from UGREEN direct for £44.99.