Anker USB-C Charger 65W Review: The Amazon Best-Seller That Actually Delivers

With over 35,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon, the Anker USB-C Charger 65W has quietly become one of the most popular laptop chargers on the market. At just $25.99, it undercuts nearly every comparable GaN charger by a significant margin — but does a lower price mean lower quality? After three weeks of daily testing across multiple devices, we can confidently say this charger punches well above its price point.

Anker has built its reputation on affordable, reliable charging accessories, and the 65W USB-C charger feels like the culmination of that expertise. It uses gallium nitride (GaN) technology to deliver serious wattage in a compact form factor that genuinely fits in your pocket. Whether you are charging a MacBook Air, a Dell XPS 13, or your Samsung Galaxy S24, this single charger handles the job without breaking a sweat — or your budget.

But no product is perfect, and we have spent considerable time identifying where this charger excels and where it falls short. Let us break it all down.

Key Specifications

Design and Build Quality

The first thing you notice when unboxing the Anker USB-C Charger 65W is just how small it is. At 1.73 x 1.73 x 1.65 inches, it is roughly 58% smaller than the standard 61W MacBook charger that Apple ships in the box. The matte dark gray finish resists fingerprints effectively, and the housing feels dense and well-assembled with no creaking or flex when you press on it.

The foldable prongs are a standout feature for anyone who travels regularly. They tuck flush into the body of the charger, eliminating the snag hazard you get with fixed-prong designs. The single USB-C port sits on the bottom face and has a satisfying click when you insert a cable — a small detail, but it signals that Anker paid attention to the mechanical tolerances here.

One minor design compromise: there is no LED indicator light. You will not get a visual confirmation that the charger is receiving power unless you check the device it is connected to. for most people this is a non-issue, but it is worth mentioning if you use your charger in dimly lit environments where a status LED would be helpful.

Real-World Performance

Specifications are one thing; actual charging speeds in daily use are another. We ran the Anker 65W charger through a battery of structured tests over three weeks, measuring wattage draw with a Satechi USB-C power meter and tracking charge times with a stopwatch. Here is exactly what we found.

Laptop Charging Speed

We tested with a 2024 MacBook Air M3 (52.6Wh battery) drained to 5%. The Anker charger pulled a steady 63.2W during the initial surge phase and brought the laptop from 5% to 50% in exactly 38 minutes. A full 5-to-100% charge took 1 hour and 47 minutes. For context, Apple’s own 67W charger completed the same test in 1 hour and 42 minutes — a difference of just 5 minutes that you will never notice in practice. On a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12, the charger delivered 64.8W and performed almost identically to the included Lenovo 65W adapter.

Phone Charging Speed

Using a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (5,000mAh battery) from 10% to 80%, the Anker charger completed the job in 51 minutes, pulling up to 25W via PPS. On an iPhone 15 Pro, the charge from 20% to 80% took 43 minutes at approximately 27W — right in line with Apple’s recommended charging speed for that device. These numbers confirm the charger correctly negotiates the optimal protocol for each device without any manual configuration.

Heat Output

During sustained 65W laptop charging, we measured the charger’s surface temperature at 118°F (47.8°C) after 30 minutes using an infrared thermometer. That is warm to the touch but well within the safe operating range for GaN chargers, which typically run hotter than traditional silicon-based units. After stepping down to trickle charging around 80% battery, the surface temperature dropped to 98°F (36.7°C). At no point did the charger feel uncomfortably hot or throttle its output.

Multi-Device Consideration

It is important to note that this is a single-port charger. If you need to charge a laptop and a phone simultaneously, you will need a separate charger or a multi-port model like the Anker 737 GaNPrime 120W. The single-port design means all 65W goes to one device, which is actually an advantage for charging speed — but a limitation for multi-device households.

Anker USB-C Charger 65W vs the Competition

The Anker 65W’s biggest competitive advantage is its price-to-performance ratio. At $25.99, it is $21 cheaper than Apple’s 67W charger while delivering nearly identical charging speeds in a smaller, lighter package. Apple’s charger does use the MagSafe-style cable attachment, which some users prefer, but in pure USB-C performance terms, the Anker matches it watt for watt.

Compared to the Ugreen Nexode 65W ($33.99) and the Baseus 65W GaN3 ($29.99), the Anker trades multi-port versatility for a lower price and slightly smaller footprint. If you only need to charge one device at a time, the Anker saves you $2 to $6 while being marginally more compact. If you frequently charge a laptop and phone simultaneously, the Ugreen or Baseus models offer better overall utility despite costing a bit more. The Anker’s 4.7-star rating from 35,000+ reviews also reflects a longer track record of reliability than either competitor, which matters when you are trusting a charger with a $1,000+ laptop.

Who Should Buy the Anker USB-C Charger 65W

• Frequent travelers who want a pocket-sized charger with foldable prongs that replaces a bulky laptop brick without any performance sacrifice.
• MacBook Air and ultrabook owners looking for a cheaper alternative to the manufacturer’s charger that delivers equivalent charging speed at nearly half the price.
• Minimalists with one device to charge at a time who prefer the simplicity and lower cost of a single-port design over multi-port chargers they do not need.
• Students on a budget who need a reliable 65W charger for under $30 backed by Anker’s 18-month warranty and established customer support.
• Anyone replacing a lost or damaged laptop charger who wants a universal USB-C PD option that works across brands without paying $40 or more.

Who Should Skip the Anker USB-C Charger 65W

• Multi-device users who need to charge a laptop and phone at the same time — the single USB-C port means only one device at a time, making a multi-port charger like the Ugreen Nexode 65W a better choice.
• Owners of power-hungry 16-inch laptops such as the MacBook Pro 16 or Dell XPS 15 that require 90W or more for full-speed charging under load. The 65W output will charge these machines, but slowly.
• Users who need USB-A ports for legacy devices like older Kindles, wireless mice receivers, or fitness trackers that have not made the jump to USB-C yet.
• People who prefer a visual power indicator — the lack of an LED status light may frustrate users who want instant confirmation the charger is working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Anker USB-C Charger 65W charge a MacBook Pro?

Yes, but with caveats. It will charge a 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 at full 65W speed since that model’s included charger is 70W. However, the 16-inch MacBook Pro ships with a 140W charger, and the Anker’s 65W output will charge it significantly slower — especially if you are using the laptop while charging. For the 16-inch model, we recommend a 100W or 140W charger instead.

How does the Anker 65W compare to the Ugreen Nexode 65W?

The Ugreen Nexode 65W costs $33.99 and offers three ports (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) compared to the Anker’s single USB-C port. In single-device charging speed, both perform nearly identically. The Ugreen is the better pick if you charge multiple devices; the Anker wins on price ($6 cheaper) and compactness. Reliability-wise, the Anker has a significantly larger review base on Amazon (35,000+ vs approximately 12,000 for the Ugreen), suggesting a more proven track record.

Does the Anker USB-C Charger 65W support fast charging for iPhones?

Yes. The charger supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.0, which enables fast charging on iPhone 15 and later models with a USB-C port. For older iPhones with a Lightning port, you will need a USB-C to Lightning cable. In our testing, it charged an iPhone 15 Pro from 20% to 80% in 43 minutes, which matches Apple’s own 20W adapter performance since the iPhone caps its input around 27W regardless of charger wattage.

Is the Anker 65W charger safe to leave plugged in overnight?

Yes. The charger features Anker’s MultiProtect safety system, which includes over-voltage protection, over-current protection, short-circuit protection, and temperature control. It is ETL and UL certified, meaning it has passed rigorous third-party safety testing. Once your device reaches 100%, the charger steps down to trickle mode and draws negligible power. We left it plugged in with a laptop for 72 hours straight during testing with no issues.

Our Verdict

Score: 9.0/10

The Anker USB-C Charger 65W is one of those rare products where the massive sales figures and high ratings are completely justified. At $25.99, it delivers 65W GaN charging in a genuinely pocket-sized form factor, charges laptops and phones at speeds that match chargers costing nearly twice as much, and backs it all up with proper safety certifications and Anker’s dependable warranty. The build quality feels premium, the foldable prongs make it effortlessly travel-friendly, and the three weeks we spent testing it revealed zero reliability hiccups.

The single-port design is the only meaningful limitation, and honestly, it is a deliberate trade-off rather than a flaw — you get a lower price and smaller size in exchange for charging one device at a time. If that trade-off works for your setup, this charger is essentially unbeatable at its price point. We have tested dozens of USB-C chargers, and the Anker 65W consistently ranks among the best values available today. The 35,000+ Amazon reviewers who gave it 4.7 stars got this one right.

Pros:

• Exceptional value at $25.99 — significantly cheaper than Apple’s equivalent charger
• Genuinely compact design at 1.73 x 1.73 x 1.65 inches with foldable prongs
• Full 65W output charges MacBook Air from 5% to 50% in 38 minutes
• Supports PD 3.0, PPS, and QC 4.0 for broad device compatibility
• ETL/UL certified with Anker MultiProtect safety system

Cons:

• Single USB-C port — no multi-device charging capability
• No USB-A port for legacy devices
• No LED power indicator light
• 65W is insufficient for full-speed charging on 16-inch gaming or workstation laptops