• Price: S$79.99, get it at Amazon, Shopee, and Lazada
• Battery type: Polymer lithium-ion
• Battery capacity: 10,000mAh or 36Wh
• Ports: USB-C, Qi2 wireless charging pad
• Weight: 254g

Weighing 254g, measuring 2.1cm thick, and around the size of two-thirds of an iPhone 15 Pro Max, this 10,000mAh power bank is not too heavy and yet compact enough to put into any bag or backpack. Furthermore, rated at 36Wh, it is well below the limit of 100Wh for power banks allowed on carry-on luggage for international flights.

It is strange to describe a power bank looking sleek. But this is exactly what this UGreen MagFlow power bank exudes. Maybe it is because of its “greyish-blue” colour tones and its rubberised/metallic build. It feels good to hold the power bank in your palm.

On one of the two bigger surfaces of the power bank is the Qi2 wireless charging pad. And on one of the shorter sides, you will find comes with a built-in braided 22cm USB-C cable that you can charge your devices as well as charge the power bank itself.

The best thing about this USB-C cable is that it doubles as a strap for you to carry or loop your hand through it when holding the power bank to charge your smartphone. Beside this USB-C cable, you will find a USB-C input/output port and a power button. Around the power button’s corner on the longer side, there is a mini display to show the battery juice left.

One neat feature of this power bank is the trickle charge mode, which provides a steady low-current output for a more stable and complete charge. It is said to help maintain battery health and extend lifespan of the devices.

To activate this mode, press the power button three times. Otherwise, a single press will turn on the power bank while a double-press turns it off. However, whenever you place a compatible device on the wireless charging pad, it will automatically charges the device.

In theory, the power bank will be able to charge three devices at the same time using its wireless charging pad, built-in USB cable and the USB-C port. However, that means all the devices will be charged at very slow pace, as explained in the graphic below.

But one neat trick of this power bank is passthrough charging. In other words, it can charge up your smartphone via the wireless charging pad while being charged using the built-in USB-C cable or port. This is not the most efficient way, but certainly a lifesaver if there is only one USB-C port to use.

For those using iPhones with MagSafe, you will be delighted to hear that the magnetic connection to this power bank is solid and never ran the risk of disconnected unless intended. A little downer though is that the power bank does not fit a smaller smartphone like a iPhone 13, when it fits larger smartphones like iPhone 15 Pro Max or Google Pixel 10 Pro Max almost perfectly.

Using the wireless charging pad only, it took 4 hours 47 minutes to charge an iPhone 15 Pro Max from 50% to full. For a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL that supports Qi2, it took only 66 minutes to charge it from 50% to full. One thing to note is that the power bank does get a tad hot, but not scalding hot, when using wireless charging.

Obviously, using the USB-C cable will be much faster. And it took only 31 minutes for this power bank to charge a Honor X9d from 66% to full.

Of course, this power bank is not cheap. For the same price, you probably can get a power bank with way bigger battery capacity. However, not only are you getting a wireless charging pad with this power bank, you are also getting 13-layer protection including over-voltage, over-charge and short circuit. So, you can have a peace of mind using this power bank.

VERDICT: If you have the latest devices that support Qi2 wireless charging, the UGreen MagFlow 10,000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank is definitely the power bank to get. Even if you are not, it is good to have one in case you upgrade your devices in the near future. Not to mention, its sleekness, the handy built-in USB-C cable and the convenient wireless charging should be enough reasons to get one.

As the name implies, the Nexode Pro is a Gallium Nitrate (GaN) charger. GaN is a compound that conducts electricity more efficiently, generate less heat and can withstand higher electric fields. It also allows the charger to be smaller and lighter.

• Price: S$75.90, get it at Shopee, Lazada and Challenger Stores
• Ports: 1 x USB-C (65W Max), 1 x USB-C (30W Max), 1 x USB-A (22.5W Max)
• Total output power: 65W Max
• Weight: 126g (without interchangeable plug)

As you can see, the Nexode Pro is as thin, as flat, and as sleek as a charger can get. It has a cool-looking grey exterior with built-in US plug that you can flip out when you need to use it. With a footprint not much bigger than a credit card, it is really pocket size measuring only 15mm thick and weighing a mere 126g (without additional plugs). The flat design allows you to insert the charger to power points in various narrow or tight spaces.

This review unit comes with two interchangeable plugs – an EU plug and an UK (or Singapore) plug – for your travelling needs. While no cables are included in the box, it does comes with a nice pouch made of microfibre cloth for you to store the charge and the additional plugs. Even with the UK plug attached, it weighs only 146g.

At one end of the charge, you will find the two USB-C 65W ports and one USB-A 22.5W ports. Altogether, it is able to provide a total output power of 65W. That should be enough for all the devices you might own, for instance, a laptop, a smartphone and a smartwatch.

In other words, for single-port charging, either USB-C ports will give you a maximum output power of 65W w, while the USB-A will offer a maximum output port of 22.5W. But if you are using two USB-C ports at the same time, one USB-C port will give 45W max power and the other only 20W max power. This is still good enough to charge your MacBook Air and iPhone at the same time.

However, if you are using three ports at the same time, you only get a 45W max power USB-C port, a 7.5W max power USB-C port and a 7.5W max power USB-A port. Still, it should be enough for you to charge your MacBook Pro, iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously.

In my tests, using single-port charging, the Nexode Pro was able to charge my 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 50% to full battery in 49 mins. When it is used to charge my 14-inch MacBook Pro, the Nexode Pro took 1 hour and 15 mins to charge the laptop from 40% to full.

While the charging speeds are pretty fast, the charger can get pretty hot. While the heat on the charger might not hurt you, it is still a wee bit worrying. Not to mention, the price of the Nexode Pro (with two interchangeable plugs) is not very expensive, it is not cheap either.

VERDICT: That said, whether you are a frequent international traveller or a local road warrior, the Ugreen Nexode Pro (X753) is certainly the charger to get with its sleek design, compact size and light weight. You will not regret it.

As its name implies, this 7-in-1 charging station comes in the form of a sleek cube. On its front, it has two USB-A Quick Charge (QC) ports and two USB-C power delivery (PD) ports. You can find a three-plug AC outlet on its top, left and right sides. At back of the cube, there is a power switch for you to turn on and off the charging station.

• Price: $99.90, get it at Lazada, Shopee and Challenger
• Ports: 2 x USB-A QC, 2 x USB-C PD, 3 x AC outlet
• Weight: 607g

In other words, the DigiNest Cube has four USB ports to charge your smart devices and three AC outlets to plug in your electrical appliances. And thanks to its GaN (gallium nitride) technology, it comes in a nice compact size measuring 8cm x 8cm x 8cm and weighing 607g. As such, it will not take up much of your valuable table top space.

Its 1.8m power cord should be long enough for you to plug it into your wall AC outlet and extend the charging capabilities onto your desk. On a wee bit of down side, this power cord is fixed and not detachable. If it is detachable, I could have used one of the existing power cords I have on my table to plug it into the DigiNest Cube.

However, unlike many power strips, this charging station has a power switch. This offers convenience, as you do not need to reach to the wall AC outlet to switch it off. This convenience makes it more likely for you to switch it off than leaving it on all the time, making it a potential hazard.

That said, the DigiNest Cube is said to come with protection against short circuit, over-voltage, over-current and overheating. So, you can have a peace of mind when charging your devices.

The DigiNest Cube offers up to 65W PD using one USB-C port or 18W charging using one USB-A port. If you are using two USB-C ports simultaneously, it will be one 45W PD and one 20W PD. If you are using one USB-C and USB-A port at the same time, it will be 45W PD (via USB-C) and 18W QC (via USB-A).

In the event you are using two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, the charging will be at 20W PD for both USB-C ports and 18W QC with the one USB-A port. If you are using all four ports, you get only a 30W PD and a 20W PD via the USB-C ports and 5V3A charging via the USB-A ports.

In my tests, I found it charged an iPad mini (2021) from 68% to 92% in 35 minutes using one USB-C port. while my iPhone 13 Pro Max went from 75% to 100% in 15 minutes. Mileage might vary depending on your use. But it is certainly one convenient charging cube to have.

VERDICT: With a price tag of S$99.90 (street price can go down to S$79.90), it is not exactly cheap compared to normal power strips. However, there are not many power strips or charging stations, like the Ugreen 65W DigiNest Cube, which is able to offer four USB charging ports and three AC outlets in such a sleek and compact form.