Anker Zolo 140W: the charger with the display that changes everything
Discover the Anker Zolo 140W: the compact travel charger with 4 ports and a color display that charges all your devices simultaneously.
Let me tell you what happened the last time I packed my bags for a business trip. I counted the chargers: one for the laptop, one for the phone, one for the tablet, one for the headphones. Four power adapters, four cables, a tangle worthy of a fisherman. I said to myself: enough. And I found the solution.
It's called the Anker Zolo 140W. It’s a charger. But not just any charger. It’s a compact block, slightly larger than a deck of cards, with four ports and a small color screen that shows you what’s happening in real time. How many watts are going to the laptop, how many to the phone, what the internal temperature is. It seems like a detail for enthusiasts. In reality, once you see it in action, you never go back.
The technology is called GaN, which stands for gallium nitride. You don't need to remember the name. You just need to know what it does: it allows for the construction of very powerful chargers in very small sizes. The old MacBook power adapter weighs more than this Anker and charges only one device at a time. The Anker Zolo charges four.
There are three USB-C ports and one USB-A port. The two main USB-C ports provide up to 140 watts each. This means that with a single port, you can charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro at maximum speed. The third USB-C port reaches 40 watts, more than enough for a tablet or a phone. The 33-watt USB-A port handles older devices, headphones, an old iPad, or an e-book reader.
When multiple devices are connected, the charger distributes power automatically. There is nothing to set up, nothing to calculate. The laptop takes the lion's share, the phone takes the rest. And the tiny screen shows it to you live. If you're interested in knowing that the MacBook is receiving 87 watts and the iPhone is taking 22, just look at the display. A long press on the touch button rotates the screen 90 degrees, which is convenient when the power outlet is in an awkward position.
The plug folds and retracts into the body of the charger. This means it won't scratch anything or break inside your bag or suitcase. The USB-C cable included in the box is one and a half meters long, sturdy, and braided. The total weight is about 340 grams. Not exactly feather-light, but consider that it replaces three or four different power adapters.
Let's look at a practical example. Morning at the hotel. You plug your work laptop into the first USB-C port. Your phone into the second. Bluetooth headphones into the USB-A port. Your child's tablet into the third USB-C port. One charger. One outlet. Four devices charging while you have breakfast.
Another example. At your desk at home, you have cable chaos. Replace it all with the Anker Zolo. Only one outlet occupied, four devices powered, and the display confirming that everything is working. End of the clutter.
One aspect that convinced me is the safety. The ActiveShield 3.0 system monitors the charger's temperature millions of times a day. If something goes wrong, it automatically reduces the power. In thirty years of working with technology, I can tell you that a self-regulating charger is worth much more than one that forces you to check if it's burning hot.
The list price is around 90 francs. On Amazon.it, with delivery to Switzerland, it is often on offer between 60 and 78 euros. On Digitec.ch, you can find Anker chargers in the dedicated section. Search for "Anker Zolo 140W" and you'll recognize it immediately by the small screen on the side. It comes in two colors: silver and dark grey.
A word of advice: if you have a recent laptop with a USB-C port, check how many watts its original power adapter requires. MacBook Airs charge with 30-35 watts. MacBook Pros with 67-140 watts. This Anker covers the entire spectrum. If, on the other hand, you have a Dell or Lenovo laptop with a proprietary connector (that little black cylinder), the charger will not replace it. You will need the manufacturer's original cable. For all USB-C devices, however, it works perfectly.
An item to always take on a trip. An item to keep on your desk. An item that makes you think: why didn't I buy this sooner? The answer, probably, is that you didn't know it existed. Now you do.