Cuktech 10 100W GaN charger review: can't go wrong with this one

Following my review of the Cuktech 15 Ultra (and the S15 SE), a very powerful power bank with some cool features, Cuktech offered me the opportunity to take a look at their latest GaN charger, the Cuktech 10 100W. It is a three-port power adapter, a good option for those who have a bunch of devices to charge and who do not want to purchase several chargers and carry them around.

Here is my brief hands-on overview. Spoiler alert: it is good!

Note: Cuktech provided the review sample without any editorial input or pre-approval.

The Cuktech 10 comes in a small gray box and a long 5 ft 6A cable that supports very fast charging of up to 240W. Good to see a high-quality cable included. I also like that the charger has some character and a unique design—no boring glossy Apple-like design here that will get covered in scratches in no time. The materials are of good quality and have additional texture for a better grip. It feels good and is very dense in hand. Color options include black and white, but the latter is for some reason $5 more expensive.

The charger measures 73 x 94.2 x 35.6 mm (2.87 x 3.71 x 1.4 inches) and weighs 275 g or 0.604 lbs. It is hefty, and as Boris the Blade would say, "heavy is good, heavy is reliable." However, you will definitely feel the reliability in your laptop bag. I also like its portability—it is just a tad bigger than my 65W three-port Xiaomi charger.

I live in Europe, so the plug is not removable, but those in the United States will be glad to know that the adapter features a retractable plug for better portability.

Of course, the most important part is how the charger works and what ports it offers. With the Cuktech 10, you get two USB-C and one USB-A. Both Type-C ports can deliver full 100W (single-port use only), while the Type-A tops at 18W. Here are the power modes:

As you can see from the table, you can charge a laptop and a phone at a decent speed simultaneously, plus all three ports at once can deliver quite fast charging. The charger gets extra points for having enough space between ports, which makes it easier to plug and unplug cables.

It is worth noting that the max output of one port drops significantly (to 65W), even if you have a very small load on either of the remaining ports. This even happens when I keep my Apple Watch charger connected without my watch on it. The charging puck consumes some power in standby, and it limits the maximum performance. However, this happens with other chargers as well.

I was interested to see the quality of power the Cuktech 10 delivers. I hooked up my FNB58 tester to it, and it surprised me with good outputs. Even at the highest loads, peak-to-peak voltage pulsations stay within 20-60 mV (depends on the connected device and power), which is excellent. For reference, Apple's official 20W charger has worse pulsations at up to 100 mV.

Lower pulsations mean "cleaner" energy and higher-quality parts. It also affects the longevity of the batteries you charge with your charger. In this regard, Cuktech gets a thumbs up from me. This is exactly what I expected from a GaN 3 (gallium nitride) charger. GaN chargers boast smaller sizes, higher power output, and cooler temperatures.

It still gets hot at max load, though. It got to 55 °C or 131°F when charging a power bank at 100W. You can still hold it in your hand at this temperature, but it's pretty noticeable. Af for the efficiency, Cuktech promises an average efficiency of ~76%. It drew 84Wh from a wall when charging a 72Wh power bank, which is roughly 85%.

Overall, the Cuktech 10 100W GaN charger left a very good impression, even though it is not the cheapest 100W charger. It is portable, powerful enough for modern laptops, and it delivers "good power," for which the battery in your iPhone or another device will thank you. If you are interested, you can purchase the Cuktech 10 100W GaN charger on Amazon. By the time this article is published, you can save 25% with a coupon, which makes it so much more appealing and much cheaper than the standard $45.99 price tag.

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