GaN Wall Charger with Retractable Cable USB-C + USB-C PW43, 30W, 0.8m, Black

The cable is coiled up inside the charger and comes out of an opening on its front. You pull it out only as far as you need at the moment, up to 80 cm, and when you are done charging, a short tug releases it so that it retracts on its own. As the cable finishes retracting, the connector settles magnetically into a groove on the front, where it stays stowed instead of dangling loose, even when you unplug the charger and put it in your backpack. The cable is flat, so it tangles less and does not twist into loops. It cannot be detached from the charger, so you will never end up taking the charger on a trip without its cable. The reach is fixed as a result, though: your phone has to stay within 80 cm of the outlet while charging.

The charger's power transistors are made of gallium nitride (GaN) instead of the silicon used in older wall adapters. Gallium nitride can handle a higher switching frequency and loses less energy with every switching cycle, so the transformer and other components can be smaller and less heat is generated when converting the AC voltage from the outlet. This is how 30 W of power fits into a body that houses the coiled 80 cm cable in addition to the electronics, while the whole charger weighs 97 g. Running cooler matters most during longer charging sessions at full power, for example when you are recharging a tablet or laptop, and also when the charger is plugged in behind furniture, where heat dissipates less easily.

The input accepts AC voltage from 100 to 240 V at both 50 and 60 Hz, so the charger can handle the power grid in Europe as well as in countries with 110 V. The plug is a European two-pin type and fits outlets in most European countries, but you cannot plug it into UK or US outlets. The electronics continuously monitor voltage, current and temperature and cut off the output in case of overvoltage, overcurrent, overload, short circuit or overheating, to avoid damaging the device being charged or the charger itself. The housing is made of flame-retardant polycarbonate.

On a retractable cable, two spots take the most strain: where the cable exits the body of the charger and where it transitions into the USB-C connector. Both flex every time you pull the cable out and every time you plug it into your phone. The manufacturer rates the cable for more than 10,000 bends and the connector for more than 10,000 insertion and removal cycles. This durability matters most for a charger that you carry in your backpack every day and whose cable you pull out several times a day.

The charger measures 42.3 x 45.3 x 89.6 mm (width x height x depth) and weighs 97 g, including the 80 cm cable coiled up inside. Both the USB-C port and the groove holding the cable connector are on the 42.3 x 45.3 mm front, so everything connects from the front and the sides of the charger stay clear. The 89.6 mm depth includes the plug, so the charger protrudes from the outlet a little less than that. With an outlet behind a bed or a cabinet, however, leave room for the charger as well as for the cable to bend.