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NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

Bigbruin.com | January 17, 2017 | By Bill Lepse
Original Article Link: http://bigbruin.com/content/nupower-60w_1
Product Being Reviewed: NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter
Other World Computing


Over the years we have reviewed several NewerTech devices and they have typically gotten very favorable reviews. Their accessories tend to be well made with thoughtful designs that actually perform. So today we have one of their newer products, the NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C power adapter. This unit is primarily designed to be a USB C charger that includes an additional USB Type A port to charge all devices.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

The NuPower 60W USB-C power adapter is a relatively small device, measuring about 2" by 4" by 1". In this small footprint you get a charger that can quickly charge your newer USB C devices and your legacy USB devices as well. Before we get into the review to see if this device lives up to the NewerTech name, let's take a look at the official features and specifications as taken from the official product page on the NewerTech website...

Features and Specifications:
System Requirements: Power Output: Packaging and Accessories:

The unit comes well packaged in a full color box that provides a few of the specifications listed previously. Opening the box you'll find the power supply, a 6' long AC power cord, and an 18" USB C cable as can be seen in the pictures below.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

The Basics:

The power supply has a nice matte black finish with the NewerTech logo in the bottom corner. On one end you have the dual prong AC input and the other has one USB Type-C and one Type-A ports.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

The fit and finish of the device is nice and appears to be very well made. The included USB Type-C cable, while short (18"), also appears to be of very good quality. The ends connect securely to the power supply and to all devices I tried. Similarly the AC power cord is well made and connects securely to the power supply.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

Performance:

To first judge the performance of the NuPower 60W USB-C power adapter I tested it out by charging a Nexus 5X which comes with a USB Type-C charging port. Over the course of several nights I observed the charging rate of the stock LG charger. With this charger we typically saw about a 1% increase in capacity per minute. The lowest we saw was 0.93%/min and the highest was 1.09%/min. I assume some of this variation is due to apps running in the background and during some of the tests we did get some text messages so the phone wasn't completely idle. Below is a screen capture showing a fairly typical charge rate of 1%/min.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

Over the next few days I did the same thing but with the NewerTech NuPower delivering the charge. Surprisingly this charger was able to charge the Nexus 5X anywhere from 1.1%/min to a high of 1.18%/min. Below are two screen caps showing the phones charge at 7:06 to be 42%, then at 7:48 is was 88%, this is a gain of 46% in capacity in just 42 minutes. To rule out an issue with the stock chargers cable I used that with the NewerTech NuPower and found no difference in charging speeds.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

Based on these observed charging rates we were able to decrease typical charging times by about 10% all without creating any noticeable heat in the NuPower device or the Nexus 5X.

Next up was testing the standard USB Type-A port to charge a Moto G3. Using a micro USB cable that came with the OEM charger I saw anywhere from 0.71-0.74%/min as can be seen in the screen capture below. While this is considerably slower than the USB Type-C results we saw previously, this is actually better than the OEM charger. The best rate I was able to get out of the OEM charger was 0.61%/min and in the screen capture below it is more like 0.56%/min. So given these observed charge rates I would expect the NuPower to recharge the Moto G3 about 20 minutes faster after a typical day's use.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

I also did a test with both the Nexus 5X and Moto G3 connected. In this test both devices were less than 45% battery charge remaining and I saw the same charging rates noted above. I did not notice any heat issues with the NuPower or the devices themselves during the entire charge cycle.

Conclusion:

While I was not able to test this device with something like the MacBook Pro, I have little doubt this charger is capable. I like that the AC power cord is a standard plug and doesn't block your other outlet like some OEM chargers can. This makes it very useful as many of us have multiple devices and like to charge them in the same spot, and in fact this device can charge two at the same time.

NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter

Despite the overall positive experience, the current price of $49 might be a little steep for those just looking to charge a couple of phones. Typically a quality USB C charger could be had for about half that price. But if you have one of the many ultra portable laptops listed, this would be a great investment. Not only would you be able to power your laptop, but you could also charge your phone at the same time. I can see this being a huge advantage for the frequent traveler; you could leave this in your travel bag and always be sure your laptop and phone will be ready to go.

In the end, the NewerTech NuPower 60W USB-C power adapter earns the Bigbruin.com "Recommended" award.

Pros:
Cons::


The above article has been included on our site for archival purposes only. To see the article as it appeared in the original published form, click the link provided. All stories have been captured without modification to their content.