Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) review: a high-speed, high-quality, yet not too highly priced charging station

Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) review

The Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) is a premium charging station that can get a swathe of exhausted devices fighting fit in no time.

This station has six charging ports: four of which are USB-C; with the other two being USB-A. It’s worth noting that power output is, unsurprisingly, asymmetrical here. The four USB-C ports each have a maximum power output of 100W, meaning you could use two of these at full capacity simultaneously. The two USB-A ports, meanwhile, only have a maximum power output of 22.5W each, though it’s totally normal for these to be weaker than their more modern, Type-C sibling.

A total power output of 200W is available here, which isn’t bad at all. In fact, I tried charging six devices at once and found the station coped perfectly well with each. While doing this, my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 was able to get up to 100% from 0% in approximately one hour and 30 minutes – the expected timeframe.

But even if this station offers the exact speeds you’d want from one of the best Android phone chargers or best iPhone chargers, some may be hung up on one factor – the price. And sure, I’m not going to act like spending $84.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.95 on a charger isn’t a significant investment. However, if we’re talking pure value, this is actually a very fair asking price. A lot of similar competitors will set you back significantly more. For instance, the UGreen Nexode 200W GaN Desktop Charger 6-Ports has a list price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$190).

It’s not only good value, though. This charging station is very much a high quality product – something you’d expect from Anker’s Prime range. The striped, textured silver outer casing looks and feels premium and the inclusion of a detachable power cord is also very welcome. On a more practical level, this station is well designed too. Safety is at the core here – there’s temperature control, current regulation and even high-voltage protection.

And now you might be wondering, reader, what’s the catch? Well, in truth there isn’t really much for me to criticize whatsoever. However, some may prefer to have some sort of display in order to track power output and you get no such thing from this station. For example, the Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W has a built-in screen, allowing you to view real-time data on output, switch between power modes and more (I’ll follow-up on this in the ‘Also Consider’ section). The 250W variant also has companion app compatibility, but that's missing too.

Given the price of the Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN), though, I think the omission of a display is well worth it. And that’s the real draw here – you’re getting a no nonsense, speedy, high-quality charging station at a price that’s very reasonable. As a result, I’d totally recommend it to anyone looking to take their charging game to the next level.

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN)?

Buy it if…

You want lots of charging ports at a sensible price
This charging station isn’t exactly cheap, but value-wise it’s fantastic. You get six speedy charging ports as well as strong build quality and design. A lot of similar chargers cost far more – for instance, the UGreen Nexode 200W GaN Desktop Charger 6-Ports is $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$190).

You need high wattage charging capabilities
Each individual USB-C charging port here has a peak power output of 100W. That’s amazing if you have more power-hungry devices or a modern handset with top charging speeds (like the OnePlus 10 Pro, for instance). And with a total maximum power output of 200W, you’ll likely have more than enough to go around six devices, if necessary.

Don't buy it if…

You only need to charge one or two devices simultaneously
If you only really need to charge your phone and say a tablet, I don’t think it’s worth shelling out all this money on a charging station. There are lots of excellent single and dual-port chargers out there that can do the job for closer to the $25 / £20 mark, so weigh up whether six ports is excessive for you or not before pulling the trigger on a purchase.

You’re looking for customizability
Unfortunately, there’s no display or companion app available here. That really limits what you can do with this charging station, which is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ offering from Anker. See the ‘Also Consider’ section for a suitable alternative if customizability matters a lot to you.

Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN): Also consider

Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W
At its core, the Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W pretty much does everything the 200W variant does, but with a ton of tasty additional features. The key difference is that this station has a screen, which enables you to activate port prioritization, switch between charging modes, view real-time charging data, or even mess around with secret features. Of course, you get 250W – a significant step up in power output – but maybe the best addition is companion app compatibility, which lets you control the charging station remotely over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The kicker? This thing is pretty expensive, with a list price of $169.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250). Are the extras worth around $100 / £100 more? That’s up to you... Read our full Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W review. View Deal