The GaN charger (Gallium Nitride — the semiconductor material that replaced the silicon in the power electronics) is the single travel gear development of the decade. The laptop brick that weighed 340g and occupied the full side pocket of the carry-on has been replaced by the GaN charger that weighs 90-130g, charges three devices simultaneously, and fits in the jacket pocket. This guide names the three GaN chargers that the travel community has tested and confirmed work, explains what the watt rating means in practical terms, and gives the specific charger for the specific traveller — the MacBook Air user, the Windows laptop user, and the phone-and-tablet-only traveller.
Reading time: 6 minutes | Last updated: 2026
What GaN Actually Means for You
The silicon charger: The traditional laptop charger uses silicon transistors. Silicon has a voltage limit — above approximately 200V, silicon transistors lose efficiency. The laptop charger uses large, heavy components to manage the heat generated by the silicon’s inefficiency.
The GaN charger: Gallium Nitride transistors operate efficiently at much higher voltages (above 600V). Less heat, smaller components, smaller charger. The GaN charger achieves the same power output as the silicon equivalent at 30-40% of the size and weight.
The practical result: The MacBook Air 65W charger (the original Apple brick): 212g, 7.6cm × 4.2cm × 4.0cm. The equivalent GaN charger (the Anker 735): 131g, 5.4cm × 4.8cm × 3.2cm. 40% lighter, 35% smaller, same power.
The Three Chargers
1. Anker 735 GaN Prime (65W) — The Best All-Round
What it charges simultaneously: 2 × USB-C (45W + 20W when both in use, or 65W on the single port), 1 × USB-A (12W).
The MacBook Air test: The 65W USB-C single port charges the M2 MacBook Air from 10% to 80% in 55 minutes (the same as the Apple original 67W charger — the 2W difference is imperceptible in practice).
The phone test: The USB-A port at 12W charges the iPhone 15 at the standard rate (not the 20W fast charge — the USB-A ceiling of 12W is the limitation; use the USB-C port at 20W for iPhone 15 fast charging).
The travel advantage: Three devices charging simultaneously from one charger and one wall socket. One adapter required for international travel. The plug folds flat (the Anker 735 has the folding UK plug — not universal, but the correct design for the carry-on).
Price: £35-45.
BGGD verdict: The correct charger for the MacBook Air user (M1, M2, M3) and the iPhone traveller. The 65W output is sufficient for all consumer laptops except the MacBook Pro 16″ (which requires the 96W-140W range).
2. Ugreen Nexode 100W — The Power User
What it charges simultaneously: 2 × USB-C (45W + 45W when both in use, or 100W on the single port), 2 × USB-A (22.5W combined).
The MacBook Pro test: The 100W USB-C single port charges the MacBook Pro 14″ from 10% to 80% in 70 minutes (faster than the Apple 67W charger, comparable to the Apple 96W charger at approximately 80% of the weight).
The simultaneous charging test: MacBook Pro 14″ (45W) + iPad Pro (20W) + iPhone 15 (20W) + USB-A device (12W) = 97W total draw. The Ugreen Nexode manages this without thermal throttling — the GaN thermal management at 100W is the specific engineering achievement of the current generation.
Weight: 178g (heavier than the Anker 735 but the 100W output justifies the weight for the traveller whose laptop requires the higher power delivery).
Price: £45-60.
BGGD verdict: The correct charger for the MacBook Pro user, the Windows laptop user (the Dell XPS, the Lenovo ThinkPad, the HP Spectre — all charging at 65-100W via USB-C), and the traveller who charges 3-4 devices simultaneously.
3. Anker Nano 30W — The Pockets-Only Option
What it charges: 1 × USB-C (30W).
The phone test: The iPhone 15 from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes (the correct fast charging for MagSafe compatible USB-C). The iPad mini from 0% to 60% in 1 hour.
The laptop reality: 30W is insufficient for the laptop fast charging — the M2 MacBook Air requires 30W to maintain the battery level under load (the screen brightness, the active apps). It will charge at 30W when the laptop is in sleep mode or off. Not the correct laptop charger; the correct travel accessory for the phone-and-tablet traveller.
Size: 4.0cm × 4.0cm × 3.0cm. Genuinely pocket-sized. Weight: 62g.
Price: £15-22.
BGGD verdict: The correct charger for the traveller whose laptop has its own charger and who wants a lightweight USB-C charger for the phone and the tablet. The second charger in the bag rather than the primary.
The GaN Charger + Adapter Stack
The GaN charger with the UK plug + one international adapter (the Type C/Schuko for Europe, or the Type A for the USA/Japan, or the specific adapter for the destination) replaces the laptop charger + the phone charger + the tablet charger + the adapter for each, from the bag.
The total weight saving when switching from the original charger + phone charger + tablet charger + 3 adapters to the Anker 735 GaN + 1 adapter: approximately 400-600g depending on the original equipment. A full water bottle of weight returned to the bag.
