GaN travel chargers: 5 essential devices to charge your laptops and mobile devices at home and abroad

Old-school travel adapters can be unreliable. Plug it into the wall socket, connect your charger then hope this bulky combo stays in place – plug and pray, if you will. Gallium nitride (GaN) travel chargers, however, offer a more convenient solution. GaN travel chargers have interchangeable sockets for use in different countries. They plug directly into wall sockets and can rapidly charge multiple devices simultaneously.

And since they are compatible with UK wall sockets, they can be used in Singapore so users don’t need to buy an extra charger. One charger that will rule them all? It’s a small slice of nerd heaven that I’d gladly sign up for.

CONTENTS

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A GAN TRAVEL CHARGER

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a semiconductor that conducts electricity more efficiently and generates less heat than silicon-based chargers. This allows them to charge multiple devices faster and have more compact designs.

Sockets: Check that your travel charger includes US, EU, AU and UK sockets so you’re covered wherever you travel in the world.

Power output: If you want to fast-charge your laptop, or charge your phone and laptop simultaneously, consider a charger that supports at least 65W charging.

Size, weight and cost: The current GaN charger sweet spot lies with 65W and 100W devices. More powerful chargers will be bigger, heavier and in some case, much more expensive. If you travel with a lot of devices that need to be charged rapidly, this could still be a viable option for you.

Safety: Look for built-in features like over-voltage, over-current and short-circuit protection that help protect your devices.

Compatibility: Check that the charger supports charging standards your devices use, such as or Programmable Power Supply (PPS) and USB-C Power Delivery (PD).   

UGREEN Nexode 65W GaN 3-Port Universal Travel Adapter (S$49.99; Usual Price: S$100; 50% off)