Belkin USB-C 45W Charger Review

With USB-C becoming a default standard for connectivity and charging, there’s no shortage of new accessories hitting the market. Belkin’s Belkin USB-C Charger delivers 45W of juice – which is more than what many of the chargers that ship with today’s notebook computers and tablets offer – in an attractive body that undercuts the price of replacements from many big companies.

Belkin says the Belkin USB-C 45W Charger, which ships with a two-metre USB-C cable, can charge devices from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Dell and HP, as well as the Chromebook Pixel. I didn’t have all those to try but it worked perfectly with an Apple MacBook, which ships with a 30W charger out of the box.

The manual says the charger is “compatible with all your USB-C devices [so] it’s a great charging solution for home, work and travel”.

The Belkin USB-C 45W Charger worked as expected and charged the MacBook without any incident. I was a tad concerned by the additional wattage and amperage – it runs at 3A rather than the MacBook’s 2A, compared to the standard charger, but it worked perfectly. The charger is slim enough that it didn’t block access to the second outlet on a standard double power outlet.

According to the box, the USB-C 45W Charger is 70 percent faster than the regular power bricks that ship with device. It was certainly faster than the MacBook’s standard power supply although the claim of 70 percent seemed a stretch. My tests didn’t quite reach those levels although 50 percent was easily achieved.

Price and recommendation

Apple’s USB-C power adaptor costs $69 but you’ll need to add another $29 for the cable, bringing you to $98.

Belkin’s USB-C 45W Charger retails for $89.95 including the cable so you can save a few bucks for a product that offers faster charging.

However, a quick scan of eBay revealed prices around $62, making it a real bargain compared to the standard-issue chargers that come with many notebooks and tablets.

If you’re looking for a spare USB-C charger, then this looks like a good, cost effective option.