Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with USB-C Cable review: Compact charging cube with clever cable feature

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

Excellent charging performance

Integrated charging cable

Favorable price

Cons

No intelligent power distribution

Our Verdict
This charger’s compact cube shape stands out from the crowd of classic USB-C chargers. The charging performance is impressive overall. However, the distribution of power to the individual ports is not quite optimal.

Price When Reviewed
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“Do you have a charger?” is a plea heard across offices, homes and cafés across the world, although often in different languages. What these desperate people really mean is a cable, but common parlance for a charging cable is just a “charger”. How about if an actual charger included a cable built-in so that all you ever need is included in one neat and handy package?

Power banks have recently been part of the craze of adding integrated cables into tech, and this has now reached out into the world of USB-C wall chargers. Retractable cables that tuck away into the body of the charger when not in use will make your working space as tidy as it is functional.

The Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable delivers a maximum of 65 watts (65W) via its three charging points. In addition to the built-in USB-C cable, which can be extended up to 27.5-inch (70cm), it has another USB-C port and a USB-A port. Does the modern charger need anything else?

The retractable charging cable is certainly handy, meaning you don’t need to run around trying to find a cable to connect it to your device. Some retractable cables can introduce a point of failure if manhandled, but this design has been tested for more than 25,000 pulls and 10,000 bends, according to the manufacturer. That’s a lot of claimed reliability for a charging cable.

With its dimensions of around 2.1 x 2 x 2 inches (5.3 x 5 x 5cm), it’s a compact, pocketable charger. It weighs 6.9oz (195g), so is easily portable.




The USB-C cable retracts neatly into the body of the charger.Simon Jary

Technology in practice

The maximum charging power of 65W is only available with the USB-C port where you will need a separate cable. The integrated cable provides 60W and the USB-A connection 22.5W. Of course, several devices can be charged at the same time.

Both 65W and 60W are fine for fast-charging a MacBook Air, and even a MacBook Pro can receive a full charge over time. The 22.5W is enough to fast-charge an iPhone, but the fact that it’s a USB-A connection means fast charging isn’t supported. We’d therefore recommend that you use one of the USB-C outlets to fast charge your iPhone—the retractable USB-C cable will fit only the iPhone 15 and newer models. Use a USB-C to Lightning cable for older iPhones.

If two devices are connected, the 65W are divided between the USB-C charging cable and the USB-C port in a ratio of 45 to 20W. With the USB-A connection and the charging cable, the ratio is 18W to 45W. When not using the cable but both ports, only 7.5W is available per port. This also applies with three devices. Here, only the integrated charging cable has an output of 45W, the other two only 7.5W each.

We measured an iPhone 15 at 51% after 30 minutes, an 11-inch iPad Pro at 34% and a MacBook Air M3 at 47%.

The charging electronics are controlled by a GaNinfinity chip with a circuit that includes protection against over/under-voltage, short circuit, over/under-current, under-load and temperature.

Price

The Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable is priced at $49.99 / £39.99 / €44,99. Check our price comparison for live prices.

This is a reasonable price for a well-built, safe 65W laptop charger with three outputs, especially one with a built-in cable. For more options, see our roundup of the best USB-C chargers for MacBooks. Of course, it will work just as well with iPads, iPhones, AirPods and all your rechargeable devices.

Should you buy the Nexode 65W Charger with USB-C Cable?

It is really useful when chargers come with a cable built-in, even if the cable is not super long at under 30 inches. Although the cable is very thin, the housing looks bulky—especially when you compare it with Ugreen’s own more travel-friendly Nexode Pro 65W 3-Port GaN Ultra-Slim Charger.




Ugreen’s Nexode 65W Charger with Cable (above left) is bulkier than the company’s Nexode Pro 65W 3-Port GaN Ultra-Slim Charger (above right), and is therefore best suited to the home or office rather than your laptop bag.Ugreen

However, the large design does have its advantages. The three charging ports do not interfere with each other and there were no thermal problems. The cube shape is designed so that it sits firmly in the socket and does not protrude beyond the outer frame. That shape is maybe only unfavourable when looking for a place in a laptop bag; it is more practical for use at home.

There were no negative surprises when charging our three Apple devices. The only annoying thing is that power distribution: the USB-C port (without the integrated cable) is severely slowed down when a device is connected to the USB-A port. A more intelligent load distribution could have been chosen here. This is our only point of criticism.

View the Nexode 65W charger with retractable cable on Amazon




The E.U. models of the Slim and Cable Nexode models.Thomas Bergbold




The U.K. model of the Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable.Simon Jary