The new MacBook comes with a 29W power cube that serves its purpose well enough, but there are no bells and whistles like, oh, say, an extra USB charging port or a way to wrap the long USB Type-C power cord neatly. With that in mind, the RAVPower 36W Dual Port Type-C/USB Wall Charger comes awfully close to perfect.
No, it doesn’t include built-in prongs for wrapping the power cord (wouldn’t that be lovely), but it does have something that Apple should have included — an extra 5V 2.4A max USB port. Sweet!
Available in black or white, the 36W RAVPower Type-C charger is slightly larger than the 29W Apple charger, but the benefit of the dual charging ports outweighs the slightly larger size. As you’ve probably guessed, this charger can recharge your MacBook at full 29W speed. RAVpower says that this cube can also charge any other Type-C reliant devices as their full 20V 1.5A, 15V 2A, 9V 2A , and 5V 3A max speeds.
The RAVpower uses iSMART technology to automatically detect the optimal charging current for whichever device you’ve plugged in.
iSMART technology allows you to “safely recharge your devices thanks to the built-in protections to prevent over-heating, high current, and voltage-surge.”
I’ve replaced my 29W Apple power cube with the RAVpower wall charger; it’s perfect for travel, and I feel that it is the charger that Apple should have included with our MacBooks. Oh, and it costs $20 less than the Apple version, too. 😛
The RAVPower 36W Dual Port Type-C/USB Wall Charger retails for $29.99, and it is available from Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: 36W can charge MacBook at full power and speed as well as another USB device at the same time; Did you catch that? Built-in USB port above the Type C port!
What Needs Improvement: If it had a built-in cable winder, it would be perfect — but it’s close!