Kovol 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger Review: This Brick Gets The Job Done

If you’re a MacBook or other laptop user who is limited on outlets and time, the Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger may be the solution to your problems. With this charger, you can juice up your laptop through USB-C within an hour while also charging a smartphone or other device.

As someone who enjoys traveling as minimalistic as possible, I’m always on the lookout for the best gear to help me stay connected without weighing me down. Unfortunately, when you travel with multiple digital devices, it’s hard to pair down too far since you need to bring chargers along for everything. By the time I pack a laptop, an iPad, and a mobile phone along with the corresponding chargers for all of that, I’ve almost filled my backpack.

Well, that’s where the Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port Gallium Nitride (GaN) Wall Charger comes in—it offers the capability to charge your laptop and one other device at the same time while using a single charger. (Well, assuming you can charge one device via USB-C.)

Simple, but Effective Design

Like many other portable chargers out there, the Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger follows a simple design. It’s rectangular in shape with little embellishments. It measures 3.4 inches long, 2.7 inches wide, and 1.3 inches thick.

The ports are clearly marked on the outward-facing edge. Also, it includes a small blue light under the ports that lights up when the charger is receiving power. It includes built-in prongs that fold into the charger when not in use. This keeps everything compact and avoids issues like losing the prongs or bending them.

The charger comes in white with a basic matte finish. It doesn’t show fingerprints, and it’s fairly easy to wipe down if you do get something on it.

The packaging is just as simplistic as the charger itself. In fact, you receive a small box with the charger and a small user guide. No cables are included with the product, but it’s compatible with any cable that uses USB-A or USB-C. This means you can just purchase any cable you want in the length you desire, which makes it fairly versatile.

Powerful Charging Speed

During my testing, I was able to recharge my Google Pixel 4a 5G within an hour when using the 140W USB-C port. This is because the USB-C port supports 33W PPS fast charging. I ended up with similar results through charging other devices in my home, including an iPad and iPhone. Even when using the 18W USB-A port, I was still able to get devices from dead to 100 percent charge within two hours without any issue.

This charger wasn’t just designed with mobile devices in mind, though. Kovol actually created it to allow for simultaneous charging of a laptop that supports USB-C charging and a second device through USB-A. Kovol only guarantees 120W output with the USB-C port if charging two devices simultaneously, but I didn’t notice much of a difference when charging an iPad and my Pixel phone at the same time. I found this to be especially useful in my new home, where outlets are limited in some of the highest-traffic rooms.

The device is a bit bulky, but still easily fits within most standard outlets. You can also easily plug it into a power strip, although it does take up a lot of room. However, for those on the go or for someone who just needs to charge two devices simultaneously on a single outlet, this charger will absolutely get the job done—and fast.

More Than Just Functional

Quick charging is great, but sometimes the chargers that support this feature come with issues. They sometimes put off a lot of heat, overload the device, or lack the proper protection to keep your devices safe in the event of a power surge. All of this can cause your device to burn out much sooner than intended.

However, Kovol made sure to cover many of these concerns with this 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger. According to the manufacturer’s website, “Kovol’s exclusive Q-Pulse technology provides surge protection, and prevents overheating for a 100% safe charging experience.”

In my testing, neither the devices nor the charger ever showed signs of overheating. I even left the devices on the charger for several hours at one point and revisited them to find that everything still felt cool to the touch and perfectly safe.

The charger also provides built-in surge protection, short circuit protection, over-current protection, and over-voltage protection.

Solid, But Not For The Lightweight Traveler

The Kovol 140W charger is built fairly solid. Although I didn’t want to intentionally break the charger, I did test out some small falls and bumps with other surfaces. The charger didn’t show any signs of wear and tear. In fact, it looked exactly the way it did when I unboxed it.

However, the charger is fairly bulky. In fact, the charger doesn’t really save you any weight or space when compared to a traditional laptop charger, and it definitely takes up more space than standard mobile device chargers. The footprint is nearly identical to my MacBook charger, which is frustrating since I already dislike how much space that takes up in a backpack.

However, I found the weight to be my biggest caveat with the  Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger. The charger weighs approximately 12 ounces, which is almost exactly the same as my MacBook charger. However, that weight is significantly less than my Google Pixel 4a charger, which weighs less than 1 ounce. In other words, I wouldn’t recommend it for travelers unless you absolutely intend to use it as a replacement for your laptop charger (assuming your device supports USB-C charging).

Because of the placement of the prongs, you will need to plug this into a bottom outlet of a standard two-outlet setup. You may also have a hard time using the charger in a power strip because it ends up interfering with multiple outlets. I think this is also another drawback for people traveling or who need to maximize outlet use.

Should You Buy the Kovol Sprint 140W Wall Charger?

Overall, I can absolutely see the benefits of the Kovol Sprint 140W PD 2-Port GaN Wall Charger, especially for those who have a compatible laptop or MacBook. It’s fast, packed with safeguards, and has a comparable footprint to most standard laptop chargers. Just be aware that you won’t save much space or weight with this charger, and you’ll be alright.