Chargeasap Zeus 280W GaN USB Charger review – Under a pound in your palm packs a portable power punch

REVIEW – Traveling internationally can present packing challenges. The more you have to carry, the more of a pain it is. As someone who travels internationally a lot while bringing a laptop, phone, digital camera, 360-degree camera, action camera, headphones, and a few more electronic odds and ends, it usually means I have to bring several chargers and the associated cables. Anything that can reduce my packing list is welcome, and the folks at Chargeasap stepped up and filled that need with their new Zeus 280W 4-port GaN USB charger with international adapters. Let’s take a look at this new, compact charger and see what it brings to the charging table.

What is it?

The Chargeasap Zeus 280W charger is a plug-in four-port USB charger. It has a single USB-A port and three USB-C ports. It can pump out up to 280W including a dedicated 140W USB-C port for charging the most power-hungry Macbook while still delivering juice to your other devices. With its 110-240V input and multiple power adapters, it is suited for use in over 190 countries worldwide.

What’s included?

• Chargeasap Zeus
• International plug adapters (Foldable US default plug on unit plus UK, EU, and AU adapters)
•  Carry bag
• User manual
• Thank you card with a 30% discount code for future purchases

Tech specs

Design and features

The Chargeasap Zeus is shaped sort of like a brick. Its 3.5-inch length will protrude from the socket.

The four charge ports are right up front as is the four-line display.

The C1 port can pump out 140W regardless of what else is plugged in. All other ports may step down based on everything that is plugged in so the total output doesn’t exceed 280W. Still, you could plug in a pair of Macbook Pros into C1 & C2 and charge both at 140W.

On the back, we find the requisite labeling and the flip-down USA plug.

Here is a look at the extended plug blades.

The international adapters slip over the USA prongs while they are still folded up.

They slide onto the prongs and snap into place.

The red button at the top of the adapter releases it so it can be removed.

The international adapters extend the overall length of the Chargeasap Zeus charger. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

The only required step before use is to snap an international adapter in place if needed. When using it in the U.S., you just flip down the two-prong plug and plug it into a wall socket. Plug in your USB cables and get to charging!

Performance

I don’t have anything that draws more than 65W and so far, everything I’ve thrown at Zeus charges perfectly. It means that I can plug anything into any port and it will charge at full power. My Surface Book, my wife’s Lenovo laptop, our Samsung S24 Ultras, cameras, power banks, whatever. That’s a nice thing. With some USB-A/C to USB-C/micro-USB/lightning cables, I can charge anything in any port. That’s great. This has the potential to reduce my travel packing load.

Here is the Chargeasap Zeus charger, plugged into a bedside lamp at a hotel.

The display is nice, albeit a little small. Still, it is clear and each port appears in a different color. It shows the output voltage, current, and wattage for each port.

In another hotel, we didn’t have such accessible power outlets. I wanted to work at a table so I had to plug the Zeus charger into the wall outlet under the desk. The hotel was old and in need of renovation. The power outlets were equally old and therefore sloppy and loose. the lamp’s power cord just slid in and out. When I plugged the Zeus charger in, it worked for a few minutes. Then, slowly, it started tilting out from the top until the prongs no longer made contact with the outlet and it fell to the floor. If that was my only available outlet, I would be out of luck. Granted, that is the fault of the outlet, but the design of Zeus won’t work in that case and a charger with a power cord would work.

What I like about the Chargeasap Zeus 280W travel charger

• Great output
• Nice to have four high-power ports
• Compact and light given its impressive output

What needs to be improved?

• While it is compact, its long design and weight cause it to tilt out of sloppy wall outlets
• The international adapters make the charger even longer
• The display could be larger

Final thoughts

As a charger, the Chargeasap Zeus 280W GaN USB Charger is a very nice one. It pumps out 280W without blinking and guarantees that one device can draw the full 140W regardless of what else you have plugged in. Four output ports in a small package like this is another plus. Being able to see how much power everything is drawing adds to the value. Drop it in its carry bag along with the international adapters and a few cords and you have a complete travel charging solution. The one weakness, in my opinion, is the long design. It places too much of its 0.83-pound weight away from the wall. If the wall outlet is not tight, the charger slowly starts tipping down, eventually unplugging and falling on the floor. While Zeus is now permanently in my travel bag, it can’t be my only charger as it will not stay plugged into old, sloppy wall sockets.

Price: $219.00
Where to buy: Chargeasap and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Chargeasap. Chargeasap did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.