Anker 140W 4-Port (PD 3.1) Charger review

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

Cables hang down

140W PD 3.1

Foldable prongs (U.S. and U.K.)

Cons

Our Verdict
This is a fine charger with a different take on port placement that will please those for whom technology’s impact on a home or work environment is important.

Price When Reviewed
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USB-C wall chargers get smaller and cuter every year, but stick a cable in one and it becomes an eyesore poking out at the opposite end to the wall.

Anker makes a lot of those mini and some less mini chargers, but its latest creation bucks the ugly-sticky-out-cable trend by elegantly locating the ports on the underside of the charger.

The Anker 140W 4-Port PD 3.1 Charger lacks a catchy name but solves the charger-cable aesthetic challenge with its near configuration.




Simon Jary / Foundry

Ports

The four underside ports are as follows:

2x USB-C: 140W PD 3.1

1x USB-C: 40W

1x USB-A: 33W

Each of the 140W USB-C ports could be used to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro and are rated at PD 3.1.

As the maximum output is 140W you can’t charge two at the same time at that rate. Note that the maximum output reduces to 134W when charging four devices. Use all four ports at the same time, and you could get 65W from one of the PD 3.1 ports and 45W from the other, plus 12W from the remaining USB-C port and 12W from the USB-A.

That’s enough for a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air or iPhone, and a couple more low-power devices.

See how it compares to other options in our Best iPhone Chargers and the Best USB-C charger for your MacBook.

Used on its own, the legacy USB-A port offers an impressive 33W. While the wattage is theoretically enough to fast-charge an iPhone, Apple insists you use a 20W+ (we’d recommend 30W+) USB-C charging port.




Simon Jary / Foundry

Design

The underside location of the ports is clever, although a little fiddlier to insert while the charger is connected vertically to the power socket.

If your power socket is on a desk rather than a wall, the ports are situated on one side and therefore don’t stick out from the top like most chargers. This again is more pleasing to the eye.




Anker

Built using Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor material, the charger is small for a four-port model, although not as dinky as a one-port tiddler. It’s available in either silver or gray, and both the U.S. and U.K. models boast foldable plug prongs.

The Anker’s closest rival would be the Ugreen Nexode Pro 160W 4-Port GaN Charger, with ports at the traditional end.

The Ugreen charger measures 2.76 x 2.76 x 1.3 inches (7 x 7 x 3.3cm) and weighs 10.7 ounces (303g). The Anker is very slightly smaller but a tad wider at 2.72 x 2.72 x 1.42 inches (6.9 x 6.9 x 3.6cm) and weighs less at 9.7 oz (275g). The U.K. model is wider due to the larger prongs and therefore a little heavier at 10.4oz (295g).

There’s little in it, and the Ugreen charger can push out 160W instead of 140W, plus output 65W from two of its ports at the same time, leaving 15W to share between the remaining two.

The Ugreen charger doesn’t have a smart color display like the Anker’s, which shows provides a detailed view of the charging status, temperature and port details.




Anker

Price

The Anker 140W 4-Port (PD 3.1) Charger is priced at $89.99 / £89.99 and is also available on Amazon and Amazon U.K. The rival 160W Ugreen Nexode Pro costs $119.99 / £99, so the Anker wins on price.

Should you buy the Anker 140W 4-Port (PD 3.1) Charger?

Choosing between the Anker 4-Port 140W Charger and Ugreen 160W Nexode Pro will come down to your desire for the differently placed ports and maybe the smart display, unless the dual 65W charging is a more powerful pull.

Once you see the Anker’s elegant port configuration it’s almost upsetting to see chargers with ports sticking out at one end. To be fair, the old port placement is easier to use if you are more frequently connecting and disconnecting, but if you leave the cables in place for most of the time it is an undeniably more aesthetic charging solution.

This is a fine charger with a different take on port placement that will please those for whom technology’s impact on a home or work environment is important.