An Undeniable Titan – Review Geek

The Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port GaN Charger always needs to be plugged in, but that’s because it’s an ultra-powerful charging station that can deliver up to 140 watts when you need it most. And thanks to its chart-topping GaN design, your devices will be recharged in optimized, hierarchical order. 

Out of the Box: Built to Last and Ready to Travel

• Dimensions: 4.13 x 4.13 x 1.37in (105 x 105 x 34.79mm)
• Weight: 1.37lbs (0.62kg)
• Maximum Output (single port): 140W
• Maximum Output (entire hub): 200W

The Satechi 200W GaN Charger sells for $149.99 and measures 4.13 inches wide, 4.13 inches from front to back, 1.37 inches tall (when laying down), and weighs 1.37 pounds. Holding it in your hand, the charger feels well-made and incredibly durable. A silver casing covers most of the power adaptor, save for a single matte-black section where the USB ports are located. On the back of the unit is a connection for the three-prong AC cable.

I appreciated that the Satechi came with an arched plastic holster for keeping the charger in an upright position, but you can also lay it down if you don’t like the portrait appearance; just be sure to use the side with the four rubber pads to ensure the 200W GaN charger doesn’t go sliding all over the place. And with its relatively small footprint, the charging station is more than ideal for tossing in a vacation bag.

Did you notice something is missing? Yes, there are no USB-A ports to speak of here, but that’s not the name of the game with this model. Fortunately, if you’re in dire need of those standard connections, Satechi does produce a number of chargers that include USB-A inputs. 

Charging Capabilities: Impressive, to Say the Least

I’m going to start this section off by being a Negative Nancy. At first glance, the 200W Satechi GaN charger looks like the kind of accessory you can take anywhere, and technically you can: as long as there’s AC power available. The Satechi needs to be plugged in at all times, so unless you’re trekking through the wilderness with a portable power station, you won’t be able to use the Satechi in the great outdoors.

But quite frankly, I’m not surprised. Considering the kind of wattage this bad boy can deliver, and the fact that it supports fast-charging standards like Power Delivery (PD) 3.1, 3.0, QC 4.0+, and PPS, it would be somewhat bewildering if it could function as a totally on-the-go power bank. 

That being said, the Satechi can charge a power bank, which leads me to my next point. Thanks to its GaN-powered internals, this USB-C hub acts as its own power-distribution center, automatically adjusting wattage based on whatever devices are connected. I also appreciated the inclusion of over-current protection, ensuring that your connected devices will receive the safest charge possible. Now one thing to keep in mind is that not all six ports deliver the same amount of power. Ports 1 and 2 will output up to 140W each, while using all six inputs will give you a power hierarchy of 65W/45W/20W/20W/20W/20W. 

That 140W from Ports 1 and 2 sounds impressive and is very much achievable, but there are a few rules that go along with it. For starters, you can only have one host device connected to either Port 1 or 2, and if you plan on connecting a 16-inch MacBook Pro, you’ll need to do so with a MagSafe 3 power cable. Another thing to consider is that in order for any of the ports to output up to 60W or more, whatever devices you’re plugging in will need to be connected with an E-Mark USB-C cable. 

Will you ever need six USB-C ports at once? Probably not. Will you ever require more than 100W to charge a device? Possibly. And even though you may not have something plugged into every single USB port, the fact remains that the Satechi is built to give you as much power as you will personally need; and the many supported fast-charge standards mean you’ll get your gear topped off in no time, too. Speaking of which…

Let’s Plug Some Stuff In: iPhones, MacBooks, and Headphones

• Ports: 6x USB-C
• Charging Formats: PD 3.1/3.0, QC 4.0+, PPS

My iPhone 12 was the very first device I tested with the Satechi 200W GaN Charger, and I did so by connecting the phone to Port 1, one of the fastest-charging ports on the interface.

At 6:19, my iPhone’s battery was at 49%. At 6:52, my phone’s charge was at 85%. In just about half an hour, I was a little more than two-thirds of the way to a full charge—not bad. Now I was supposed to be getting close to 140W from Port 1, and I was using an Apple-branded USB-C to Lightning cable. Considering the potential wattage, and that there were no other devices plugged in, I guess I was expecting to get to 100% in that amount of time. Not a big deal, though.

Next up was a combination of headphones. I own a pair of Sony WH-CH710N and the second-gen Apple AirPods Pro, and I plugged both devices into Ports 1 and 2 at the same time. My Sony cans are super-great at holding a charge but a little slow to regain battery once it’s been depleted. This wasn’t the case with the Satechi charger, though: I was able to go from less than 20% charge to at least 70% in about 45 minutes. As for the AirPods, at the plug-in time, my battery level was at 46% and got all the way to 94% in the same time window. 

Now when it came to my 2021 MacBook Pro, the Satechi delivered some of the best charging results. Using the Apple-supplied USB-C cable, I connected the laptop to Port 1 without any other devices plugged in. At 5:45, my battery level was 64%. At 6:10, I was up to 79%. That’s a solid boost for only half an hour or so. For another MacBook test, I decided to charge both the computer and my 20,000mAh mophie power bank at the same time, using Ports 1 (for the power bank) and 2 (for the MacBook). 

At 8:50, my MacBook battery was at 50%, and the mophie was at less than 25% battery. By 10:00, my MacBook was up to 93%, but curiously the power bank was still at less than 25%. Mind you, I had followed Satechi’s advice in connecting what I thought was the heaviest load (the power bank) to the first input. But in this scenario, it looks like the hub decided that my MacBook was of greater hierarchical importance. I also gave the mophie power bank a test run completely on its own, with 20% or less battery remaining at the plug-in time. After being connected to Port 1 for about an hour and a half, the power bank got up to a full charge. 

During testing, I favored the top two ports because I knew I would always get the greatest wattage output when connecting one or more devices. That being said, it was nice to know that, schematically, you’re able to get the same results by having two devices connected to Ports 3 and 4. 

Oh, and you know what was actually kind of nice? When testing a USB charging station, I’m so used to having to worry about how much power my connected devices are going to take away from the hub. So remember earlier when I was complaining that the Satechi 200W charger requires constant AC power? Considering the portable form factor, yeah, a battery backup would still be cool, but not having to fret over the remaining capacity is definitely a major pro of having to hardwire. 

Should You Buy the Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port GaN Charger?

The Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port GaN Charger is a phenomenal USB-C charging station that may cost a few dollars more than your typical USB power adaptor, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a comparable model that is as powerful and packed with as many ports. And thanks to Satechi’s commitment to protection and efficiency, your connected devices will always receive a safe and solid battery boost, regardless of whether you’re plugging in a phone, tablet, laptop, headphones, or all of the above.