Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: The Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
Ugreen’s GaN-based power station packs a lot of juice inside a compact body with multiple USB ports and an Apple-certified adjustable MagSafe puck.
In a world filled with niche chargers, it’s hard for them to stand out. Everyone’s needs are different, which is why such a varied number of chargers are able to success on the market.
Recently, we’ve been testing Ugreen’s GaN MagSafe tower that is great for our studio setup, or shared charging stations in a home.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Apple certified
Perched atop the Ugreen Mini Power Station is an Apple MFM-certified MagSafe charging puck. Since it is fully tested and signed off on my Apple, it will power your iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, or iPhone 16 device with up to 15W of power.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Using StandBy mode on the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
This comes at an excellent time as Apple has just launched iOS 17 which comes with StandBy mode. Your iPhone will automatically enter StandBy mode when placed on the Ugreen Mini Power Station horizontally.
StandBy mode can show photos, a clock, or various widgets. It will automatically dim at night and can remember which widgets you prefer for each MagSafe charger in your home.
Unlike nearly all MagSafe chargers on the market, this doesn’t have a white soft-touch top. Instead, it is a smooth dark plastic.
Few, including Anker’s MagSafe cube and Twelve South’s HiRise 3 Deluxe have different top surfaces and yet have MagSafe certification.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: AirPods 3 charging wirelessly on the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
The charging pad can lay flat — great for setting down a set of AirPods — or can pivot up to 65 degrees. The underside of the pad is a glossy black and the top of the charger body is matte.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Lots of ports
There’s four outputs on the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station. There’s the aforementioned MagSafe pad on top with three USB ports on the front.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: The Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station has three USB ports
Ugreen opted for two USB-C PD ports for current devices and a single USB-A port for legacy devices. We probably could do without the USB-A port but we know people are still holding onto a few USB-A cables.
The ports are stacked horizontally, making getting to each port easier than when they are on top of one another.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station power cable
The power input is around the back and uses a standard figure-8-style C8 AC cable. Ugreen seems to have created a slightly custom AC cable that has a nicely tapered end and two included cable ties.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station — GaN power mathematics
This new Ugreen charger is relying on GaN technology on the inside, usurping the commonly used silicon. GaN allows Ugreen to pack 100W of power into such a small footprint.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Using all of the USB ports
GaN runs cooler than silicon, meaning chargers can be smaller and less hot than similarly-spec’d silicon-based chargers. For 100W, this charger is surprisingly tiny.
It has an overall volume similar to Apple’s 96W Mac USB-C power adapter but, it also has three times the number of USB outputs plus the tilting MagSafe charging pad.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Maxing out the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
With so many ports, knowing the output can get a little confusing. It can output 100W as a maximum, but ports will be limited based on how many devices are drawing power.
When using the MagSafe pad, it will always be able to max out at 15W of power — no matter how many USB ports are in use.
If you use either of the USB-C ports on their own, they can reach 100W of power but will drop to 65W if you connect the USB-A port or use the MagSafe charger.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Charging our iPhone 15 Pro Max
When you use all four at once, the MagSafe pad will deliver 15W of power, the first USB-C port will deliver 45W, the second USB-C port does 30W, and the USB-A port sits at 22.5W.
Some may be quick at math and notice that sums up to more than 100W. These are all max speeds and will settle based on demand but won’t exceed those numbers.
Should you buy the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station?
We like this charger a lot. It has a solid build quality, ample power output, is small enough to travel with, and even has Apple-certified MagSafe as the cherry on top.
A MacBook Air can fast charge, achieving a 50% charge in only 30 minutes. It can also fast charge your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
It would be nice to see a potential Apple Watch charger built in here, but we aren’t sure how that would work without ruining the compact design we love.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
We’ve brought this with us for a weekend trip and it’s a nice single charger that can power your iPhone and AirPods wirelessly and then also power your iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch — when you bring the extra cable.
The MagSafe magnet is sufficiently strong, the port selection is ideal, and GaN helps keep the footprint minimal for your desk or nightstand. Plus, it’s perfect for StandBy mode.
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Pros
- Four total power outputs
- Apple-certified MagSafe charger with up to 15W of power
- Dual USB-C with legacy USB-A port
- Ultra-compact design
- Tilting MagSafe pad
- Two included cable ties
- GaN tech for compact size and no wall adapter
Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station review: Cons
- Heavy for travel
- No integrated Apple Watch puck
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Where to buy the Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station
The Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station is available on Amazon for $87.99.
