Ugreen X860 Nexode Air 65W Charger Review

Back in May, Ugreen announced the new Nexode and MagFlow Air edition compact chargers and slim magnetic power banks.

I have already reviewed the excellent Ugreen MagFlow Air 5K Qi2 Power Bank, and this review is of the tiny 65W charger.

There is not much to write about for this review. It is a single-port 65W charger with retractable pins that is ideal for travelling. It’s tiny and works as expected, and that’s pretty much the TLDR of this review.

Specification

Unboxing / Design

There is not much in the box. You get the charger itself and a USB-C to USB-C cable, which is a nice touch given how many single-port chargers ship with nothing at all. The cable is the usual Ugreen affair, perfectly serviceable rather than premium braided, but it saves you reaching for one of your own.

The headline here is the size. Ugreen quotes 33 x 31 x 54 mm and a weight of around 101g for the UK model, and it really is small for something rated at 65W. The reason it can be this compact is GaN, or gallium nitride. In plain terms, GaN switches more efficiently and runs cooler than the older silicon used in traditional power supplies, so manufacturers can shrink the housing without dropping the wattage. Ugreen claims energy conversion efficiency of up to 93% and a size reduction of up to 70% compared with a typical 65W laptop brick, and while I would treat any “up to” figure with caution, the end result is genuinely pocketable.

It is worth being honest about the UK version, though. The three-pin UK plug makes this larger and heavier than the US model, which comes in at roughly 72.9g and is a fair bit shorter. That is the price we pay in this country for a chunkier mains standard, and there is nothing Ugreen can do about it. It is still smaller than almost anything else I have used at this output, but if you have seen the US figures floating around, do not expect the same numbers here.

The pins fold flat into the body, which is the feature I value most for travel. A folding plug means no exposed earth pin to snap off, and nothing sharp to prod into the rest of your bag. The one minor niggle is that the folding mechanism is a little stiff to release, needing a firm nudge with a fingernail to pop the pins out. A sprung catch that flicked them out would have been a nicer touch, and it is the sort of thing that may loosen with use.

You get a single USB-C port and a choice of four colours: Space Grey, Orbit Orange, Starlight Blue, and Pure White. Build quality feels solid, the finish is clean and understated, and it slots neatly into a desk setup without drawing attention. Ugreen’s Thermal Guard temperature monitoring is on board to keep heat in check during longer sessions, which is reassuring given how much power is being pushed through such a small shell.

Performance

I tested the X860 with my Dell Pro 16 Plus (PB16250), the Xiaomi 17T Pro, and the Ugreen Nexode power bank with the smart digital display.

The first thing to understand is what 65W actually means in practice. It is plenty for phones, tablets, and ultraportable laptops, but it is not a high-wattage workstation charger. The protocols on offer are USB Power Delivery, PPS, and Quick Charge, which covers almost everything you are likely to plug in.

The Xiaomi 17T Pro is a good example of the trade-off. It carries a large 7,000mAh battery and supports up to 100W HyperCharge, and because the Xiaomi 17 series now plays nicely with standard USB PD PPS, it will pull a healthy rate from a third-party charger rather than dropping to a trickle. On the X860 it charges quickly and steadily, but the 65W ceiling means it will not match the speed of Xiaomi’s own 100W brick. For an overnight or desk top-up that is a non-issue. If you want the fastest possible fill before heading out of the door, the bundled charger is still the one to reach for.

The Dell Pro 16 Plus tells a similar story from the laptop side. A 16-inch machine like this is happiest on a 100W or higher supply, so 65W will charge it more slowly and, under a heavy workload, may only hold the battery steady rather than topping it up. That is exactly what you would expect from any 65W charger and not a fault of the X860. For light office work, browsing, and keeping the battery ticking over in a meeting or a cafe, it does the job. For sustained heavy load such as rendering or gaming, you will want the laptop’s full-power adapter.

The Ugreen Nexode power bank with the digital display was the most useful test for verifying real output, since the display reports the incoming wattage. It is a handy way to confirm the X860 is delivering close to its rated figure rather than relying on the box claims, and the charger held up to its billing in this respect.

As for heat, the X860 gets warm in use, as any 65W charger in a shell this small will. It never became uncomfortable to hold, and the Thermal Guard system appears to be doing its job. This is normal behaviour and nothing to worry about.

The obvious limitation is the single port. With one USB-C output you can charge one device at a time, so if you need to top up a phone and a laptop together you are out of luck. That is the compromise you accept for the smallest possible footprint.

Price and Alternative Options

The Ugreen X860 Nexode Air 65W Charger will be available in four colours: Space Grey, Orbit Orange, Starlight Blue, and Pure White. UK pricing is set at £29.99.

Ugreen has many other small chargers, which may be a more appealing alternative.

The one that stood out to me was the Ugreen CD216, a 65W dual port charger weighing 140g (40% heavier than this X860 Nexode Air) and does not have retractable pins. But the CD216 benefits from two USB-C ports, which I think makes it a bit more versatile. RRP is the same, but it has been as low as £20, currently £23.

The Ugreen Nexode 65W 4-Port Charger with Foldable Plug (35532) is physically much larger, being 57 x 50 x 46 mm, giving it a volume of 131.1 cm3 vs 55.24 cm3, making the X860 58% smaller, but this benefits from three ports, two USB-C and one USB-A. RRP is £35, but it is available for £23.

At £29.99 RRP, the X860 is priced in line with Ugreen’s other 65W chargers, but those alternatives regularly sell for several pounds less and give you more ports for the money. You are paying a small premium for the size and the folding pins rather than for raw charging value.

Overall

As I said at the start of the review, there is not much to say about this charger. It works as expected, providing up to 65W charge and is the smallest charger I have used. Pricing is decent too, the RRP matches other 65W Ugreen chargers and will definitely be discounted shortly after launch.

Personally, I am not that bothered about having the smallest possible charger, but when travelling, I do find the retractable pins convenient. I have had the plastic earth pin snap off a charger before, plus the risk of it prodding into you or damaging another device if weight gets applied to it. I find multi-port chargers more convenient, as I inevitably need to charge my phone as well.

If you want the smallest possible charger to carry with you that can charge most ultra-portable laptops, then you won’t get much smaller than the Ugreen X860 Nexode Air 65W Charger. Just go in knowing the compromises: a single port, a charging ceiling that suits ultraportables rather than full-power 16-inch laptops, and a UK plug that adds a little bulk over the US version. For a travel charger that lives permanently in a bag, those are easy trade-offs to live with.

James Smythe( Owner / Editor )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

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