Can A UGREEN Gadget Replace Your Laptop's Original Charger?
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The charger and charging cable that came with your laptop probably aren't going to last forever. Everything from wire snags to teething puppies can affect your charging tech, so it's always a good idea to keep backups handy. As luck would have it, UGREEN is one of several third-party manufacturers that specialize in both laptop gadgets and portable power banks. If you were wondering if you could replace your laptop's original charger with a budget-friendly UGREEN product, the short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes, but you'll need to make sure the replacement tech is fully compatible with your hardware.
Laptops like the MacBook Neo and Lenovo ThinkPad E14 (Gen 7) are capped at relatively low wattage capacities. The former supports up to 30W charging, and comes with a 20W USB-C power adapter. The latter can handle up to 65W, and comes with a 65W USB-C adapter. UGREEN sells numerous USB-C chargers, from something as small as the $25 Nexode Air (45W) to more advanced models like the $50 Nexode Air Slim–an ultra-skinny brick that delivers up to 65W across its three USB ports.
AC outlets aren't always easy to come by, but UGREEN also makes several portable power banks that will efficiently charge a laptop. This $110 Nexode 20,000-milliamp hour (mAh) power bank is a solid choice for most laptops; UGREEN says it can provide up to 1.3 charges for a 13-inch MacBook Air. We also like the built-in display that gives you at-a-glance readings for wattage output across all ports and battery life remaining.
If your laptop supports fast-charging technology, you'll want to make sure you're pairing it with a certified, fast-charging USB-C cable
Where things get a bit tricky is matching UGREEN replacement chargers and power banks with a certified USB-C cable that's going to deliver the maximum advertised charging speed. Fast-charging is increasingly standard on all but the lowest cost laptops. While you shouldn't have an issue when interfacing with UGREEN chargers and charging cables, only a certified, fast-charging USB-C cable will allow your laptop to receive its max-rated wattage. Think of it this way: A laptop that's rated up to 140W via USB-C charging might be capped at 60W if you end up using a cable that can't handle the higher output.
Of course, UGREEN offers a large selection of USB-C cables. One such option is a $13 6.6-foot USB-C Power Delivery (PD) wire that supports up to 100W fast-charging. If you need something stronger, UGREEN offers a $29 Nexode-branded 240W USB-C cable with a built-in display and PD 3.1 support. As a general rule, if you don't know if your laptop supports fast-charging or not, a quick Google search should provide the answer.
Generally speaking, you likely won't do any harm to a laptop when using a non-certified, fast-charge USB-C cable. There's just a decent chance that the wire won't actually deliver the level of wattage that fast-charging calls for. We have a little shortcut for pushing past all that "fast-charge" lingo, too: look for "PD" branding on product marketing and packaging. This guarantees that the cable at least supports USB Power Delivery, which is one of the leading standards for modern laptops, phones, tablets, and other devices.