At a glance
Expert Rating
Benefits
- 6 ports
- 140W PD 3.1 charging
- Custom Port Control Modes
- Visual display of charge
- Clock mode
Disadvantages
- Clock mode does not have alarm functions
Best prices today: Anker Prime Charger (250W, 6-Port, GaNPrime)
$169.99
The Anker Prime 250W 6-Port Charger offers a simple way to charge multiple devices, plus customizable options to fine-tune which devices charge the fastest and an easy-to-read display showing how much power is being delivered to each device.
All digital devices require a charger, either built-in or via an external power supply, but most commonly they use a wall or desktop charger. Wall chargers plug directly into a power outlet and you connect them to your device using a charging cable (usually USB-C). Desktop chargers connect to the wall outlet via a standard plug and power cable and are more convenient for charging multiple devices in one place.
While there are plenty of quality wall chargers with multiple charging ports, if you want more than three or four ports, you’ll want a desktop charger, like the Anker Prime Charger. A desktop charger means less cable clutter on the table, allowing you to charge everything using a single wall outlet.
Anker Prime Charger: Design
The Anker Prime charger looks like a bedside alarm clock, so it’s only fitting that it has a clock mode. Unfortunately, the charger’s clock mode only displays the time and date and doesn’t offer any alarm functions.
Built using the latest GaN technology, the device is incredibly small and compact for a device with so many ports and features. It measures 4.18 x 1.58 x 3.64 inches (10.6 x 4 x 9.3 cm) and weighs 22.58 oz (640 g).
Anker Prime Charger: Power Display
The Anker Prime charger features a large 2.26-inch LCD display on the front that gives you visual feedback on the charging status and speed of each USB-C port. When you’re not charging or don’t need to know the precise details, you can set the charger’s display to show a clock in three different formats, along with the date and time. A Wi-Fi connection is required for clock mode to work.
Anker Prime Charger: Ports
The Anker Prime charger has six charging ports: four USB-C conveniently placed on the front and two old-school USB-A on one side.
The first USB-C port (C1) can deliver 140W, making it perfect for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which can be fast-charged (up to 50% full battery in just 25 minutes) at that speed using Apple’s MagSafe 3 cable. It’s also great for charging any other less powerful device, even your AirPods charging case, but is best suited for laptops that require a PD 3.1 power supply (up to 240W). The other three USB-C ports (C2, C3, and C4) have a charging potential rated at 100W.
The two USB-A ports can each output 22.5W.
The maximum output power is 250W, allow ing you to fast charge a 140W laptop and still have over 100W left for another laptop and smaller device.
Anker Prime Charger: Customization
You can customize charging priorities and output power using the unique smart control dial located next to the USB-A ports. Rotate the knob to change the slider and press it to confirm your selection.
In Port Priority mode, you can manually set the power priority for one or two ports as needed. When you set C1 as the priority port, you can use all six ports in this configuration: 100W, 45W, 45W, 45W, and 15W shared between the two USB-A ports. Other power configurations can include 70W, 70W, 45W, 30W, and 15W shared, and 65W, 20W, 20W, 20W, and 15W shared.
There’s also a dual laptop mode to ensure laptops are at the front of the charging queue, and a low-current mode to preserve battery life for phones and low-power devices.
You can also leave it in the default AI Power mode, where the charger itself determines the optimal output priority per port, identifying the device’s power needs (high, medium, or low) and adjusting the power delivery accordingly for optimal charging efficiency.
You can also adjust the screen brightness using the wheel.
If you prefer, you can use custom controls using the Anker app on your phone or tablet instead of turning the dial.
Anker Prime Charger: Price
The Anker Prime Charger (250W, 6-Port, GaNPrime) retails for $169.99 in the US, £169.99 in the UK, and $159.99 in the EU. There are cheaper desktop chargers, but none with 140W PD 3.1 and such precise port controls.
Foundry
Foundry
Foundry
Anker Prime Charger: Contest
We’ve tested the best MacBook chargers, including a nice selection of desktop chargers. None offer the same level of control over port prioritization as the Anker Prime 250W, and if that’s something you’re interested in, we highly recommend this charger.
Other PD 3.1 desktop chargers capable of supporting 140W include the similarly priced Ugreen Nexode 300W GaN Desktop Charger , which has one fewer port (four USB-C and one USB-A) but a higher overall power output: 300W compared to Anker’s 250W.
If you need more than four USB-C ports and don’t care about USB-A, consider the Satechi 200W USB-C 6-Port PD GaN Charger which has six USB-C ports but a lower maximum output power of 200W.
If you don’t need the level of customization or visual feedback, Anker’s Prime charger (200W, 6-port, GaN) has the same port array but without prioritization, no display, and 50W less max output power, but at $79.99 / £79.99 it’s significantly cheaper.
Should you buy the Anker Prime charger?
If you want precise optimization of your charging ports, this sleek Anker Prime desktop charger gives you plenty of control and visual feedback, along with six premium charging ports and a total power output potential of 250W.
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