RAVPower 18W Super-C Series 2-Port Wall Charger REVIEW

Even though every iOS device comes with a power adapter, I seem to always find myself up a creek without the ability to plug my devices into a wall adapter. In addition to that, the iOS adapters are specifically tuned to work with certain devices according to their power needs. For example, the iPhone XS ships with a 5W charger, which is severely underpowered to charge the iPad Pro successfully. This is where third-party power adapters come into play. When it comes to third-party devices that provide power (i.e. power banks, power adapters, cables), I usually only stick to brands I know are safe. RAVPower has proven themselves time and time again to have superior products and they have a gorgeous 18W Wall Charger that fits most of my mobile charging needs.

DETAILS

The 18W Super-C Series 2-Port Wall Charger from RAVPower is an affordable, stylish option for a third-party wall charger. It comes in either a black or white finish and features 18W fast charging. The charger is designed with two charging poers — one USB-C PD port and one USB-A Quick Charge port. The charger can deliver up to 18W 5V/3A when using a single port alone or up to 15W 5V/3A when using both ports simultaneously. The power adapter is compatible with most modern mobile phones including Apple iPhone XS Max, Samsung Galaxy S9, and the Pixel 3 XL.

Specs

• USB-C Output: DC 5V3A, 9V2A, 12V1.5A Max, 18W Max
• USB-A Output: DC 5V3A, 9V2A, 12V1.5A Max, 18W max
• USB-C + USB-A Simutaneous Output: DC 5V/3A, 15W Max

USER EXPERIENCE

The charger comes in a small box that’s not much bigger than the charger itself. There is tiny, multilingual user guide and thank you card from RAVPower that are packaged with the charger. The user guide doesn’t really have a lot of information aside from the specs that are also included on the website and some basic instructions.

There is nothing particularly fancy in the way that the wall charger works. You plug your USB-C or USB-A cable into their respective ports and then plug the adapter into a wall outlet or power strip and your device will start charging. For my testing purposes, I charged a 2017 iPadPro (10inch) and a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro. The iPad Pro charged with no problems using the USB-A port. After 32 minutes, the iPad had gained 7% battery power. That’s a charging rate of approxiamtely 0.22% per minute. For the first 22 minutes of that charging session, I also had the MacBook Pro plugged into the USB-C port, which did slow down the power delivery to the iPad. After I disconnected the MacBook Pro, the iPad gained 0.3% battery power per minute.

The MacBook Pro is a slightly different story. I have recently discovered that even though it ships with a 61W power adapter from Apple, an 18W power adapter can power and charge the 13-inch MBP’s battery. The reason that it ships with a 61W charger is because it has to be able to power bus-powered devices that are connected through the Thunderbolt 3 ports on the computer. That said, if you are only attempting to charge the laptop, an 18W charger will do the job. With that in mind, I attempted to charge the computer while the iPad was also charging. At first, it looked as though it might work. The indicator on the MBP was showing that the battery was charging. So,I left both devices alone for a few minutes and checked on their battery statuses. I disconnected the MBP so the iPad could achieve full charging speed from the power adapter. After it was charged, I unplugged the iPad and only had the MacBook Pro plugged in. I was pleasantly suprised to find that it was charging quite nicely. After about 20 minutes, the laptop had gained 7% battery power.

CONCLUSION

While the charger warmed up a bit, I was never concerned that it was getting ‘too’ hot for use. The 18W Super-C Series 2-Port Wall Charger is a really nice option for a third-party, compact, multi-use power adapter. I was really happy with its performance when charging my iPad and MacBook Pro. It’s refreshing to know that I can carry around this charger instead of the larger one offered by Apple and still be able to charge multiple devices with it.

For more information, visit ravpower.com
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Originally published at macsources.com on March 5, 2019.