ZDNET's key findings
- Anker's Prime 200W 6-Port USB Charging Station is available in Amazon for $80.
- It is of excellent quality, produces exactly what it says in the specifications and never gets hot.
- It's too heavy to be a portable travel charger.
The charger market has opened up dramatically in recent years thanks to the introduction of chargers using much more efficient GaN (gallium nitride) transistors. This has not only made it possible to have smaller chargers, but also chargers that offer more power and operate at lower temperatures.
It's a win-win situation.
Also: The best GaN chargers you can buy
Anker is one of the biggest names in the charger business, releasing one successful product after another, and the new Anker Prime 200W 6-Port Charging Station is no exception.
Anker 200W Prime 6-Port Charging Station Specs
- Maximum total output of 200 W
- 4x USB-C, 2x USB-A
- Input: 100 V to 240 V AC, 3.2 A to 2.5 A, 50 Hz to 60 Hz
- USB-C Output: USB-C1/C2/C3/C4: 5V⎓3A, 15W/9V⎓3A, 27W/10V⎓2.25A, 22.5W/15V⎓3 A, 45 W / 20 V⎓5 A, 100 W (100 W max.)
- USB-A Output: USB-A1/A2: 5V⎓3A, 15W/9V⎓2A, 18W/10V⎓2.25A, 22.5W/12V⎓1.5A, 18W (22.5W max)
- Weight: 1.24 lb/563 g
- Dimensions: 4.4 × 3.0 × 1.4 inches / 112 × 76 × 35 mm
- 5ft AC power cord
- 24 month warranty
The Anker 200W Prime charging station has one, four, and six-port output configurations.
Anchor
Taking it out of the box, it's hard not to notice that this is a big, beefy charger, weighing over a pound. The weight itself is a benefit, as it keeps the charger on the desk, whereas other smaller chargers drag around simply because of the weight of the attached cables.
There are a few things I look for in every charger I test.
First, I need to know that the battery lives up to what the spec sheet promises and can run continuously for many hours without failing or getting hot. I've seen many chargers that promise high power, but fail once they've been on for a while and have gotten hot.
The Anker 200W Prime's metal casing does a fantastic job of dissipating heat.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Anker’s 200W Prime charger worked flawlessly no matter the load, and it rarely felt hot to the touch. You can have two laptops plugged into this unit, each with 100W charges continuously, and you won’t have any issues.
Anker has built MultiProtect and ActiveShield 3.0 into this charger to continuously monitor temperatures, along with power inputs and outputs, to ensure all your devices are charged safely.
Here are the specs for the Anker 200W Prime. (You can also see the rubber feet that help keep the unit on the desk.)
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Speaking of 100W loads, please note that to support this type of power transfer, you will need to use cables with E-Marker chip.
Build quality is also important to me, even in the case of ports and AC cables, as these parts see continual wear and tear. Ports, in particular, get a lot of use, and tight, creaky, or oddly-fitting ports will only get worse with use.
ZDNET's buying advice
He Anker 200W Prime 6-Port Charging Station It’s a solid, powerful, and well-made charger, and it’s perfect for those who need to charge multiple devices. I especially like that this charger supports dual 100W output on the USB-C ports, as this means you can charge a pair of MacBook Pros simultaneously. Sure, you’re not getting the full 140W that laptops can handle, but 100W is perfectly adequate as long as you don’t want the fastest charging speed possible.
The two USB-A ports are useful for older devices that don't draw much power, while the bank of four USB-C ports is more than enough for most users.
Then there's the price: $80. Yes, this charger is only $80. When I review chargers, I try not to look at the price until I'm writing the review, and I was expecting this one to cost over $100.