I've tested plenty of chargers, but this is the one staying on my desk

A charger is one of those accessories we use every single day but rarely think much about. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from testing and spending money on quite a few chargers over the past few months, it’s that investing in a good one can make your life a lot easier. I’ve tried everything from compact chargers that take up almost no space to more powerful ones designed to charge multiple devices.

But throughout my testing, I looked for something specific: a charger that could power my laptop and phone at the same time, charge both devices fast, and save me the hassle of reaching for two different adapters. After all, why carry multiple chargers when one can do the job? I’ve come across plenty of options that work well, but one charger in particular caught my attention. I liked it so much that I’ve decided to keep using it.

I never thought I’d find a charger adorable

I’ve been using the Baseus PicoGo Pro 100W GaN charger, and it’s become one of my favorite accessories. It has three USB-C ports, which work perfectly for my setup. I can charge my laptop and phone at the same time, using the third port for my smartwatch or earbuds, depending on which one is running low. It’s convenient, and I no longer have to worry about finding another adapter when multiple devices need charging.

But as useful as those three ports are, there’s something else about this charger that keeps stealing my attention. It’s the tiny display, which has somehow made something as ordinary as charging my devices surprisingly entertaining.

I’ve always considered chargers to be pretty boring accessories. You plug in your device, leave it alone for a while, and come back when the battery is full. There’s not much to get excited about, right? Well, this one has changed my mind. Every time I connect a device, a cute little animated face called Peeko pops up on the display. It blinks, makes different expressions, and even looks like it’s munching on or drinking something while it works hard to charge my device. It’s almost like having a tiny character living inside the charger, happily doing its job.

The rest of the design is pretty nice, too. It’s a good-looking charger on its own, but Baseus has made it even more appealing with a new Dark Cherry finish designed to complement the burgundy iPhone 18 Pro. Since I’ve been using the iPhone 18 Pro, I especially like how well the two look together. The deep cherry color gives the charger an elegant, slightly premium feel. But if that’s not your vibe, you can go for the classic Cosmic Black option. Between the matching finish and that ridiculously cute animated face, this might be the first charger I’ve owned that I actually enjoy looking at.

There’s a lot of brain behind that cute face

As much as I love the adorable animations, the display can do much more than just look cute. One of my favorite things about this charger is how it recognizes the devices I plug into it. For instance, whenever I connect my Pixel or a Samsung phone, the display shows the brand name, the battery percentage, and the wattage at which the device is charging.

But I’ve noticed that it gets even more specific with Apple devices. When I plugged in my MacBook Air M2, the charger displayed its full name, and it did the same with my iPhone 18 Pro. So, in my experience, device recognition seems a little more detailed with Apple products. That doesn’t mean it works any less effectively with my Android devices, though. I’ve had no complaints about the charging performance on either side.

What makes this particularly useful is that I can see exactly how much power my devices draw without connecting a separate power meter or installing an app. Now, I know most people probably won’t spend their day staring at charging wattages, and I wouldn’t expect them to. But since I regularly test smartphones and other gadgets, I’ve found myself using this feature quite a lot. Whether I’m checking how quickly a phone charges or experimenting with its bypass charging feature, having those numbers right in front of me makes things much easier. It’s also helpful when I charge my laptop and phone together, because I can see how much power each device gets instead of assuming they’re both charging at full speed.

And speaking of charging speeds, I appreciate another feature. Instead of leaving everything to the charger, I can choose between three charging modes depending on what I’m doing. Most of the time, I stick with Smart mode, which automatically manages power delivery while balancing performance and safety. It’s convenient because I don’t have to change settings every time I plug something in. But when I charge my phone overnight, I switch to Gentle mode, which limits power output to reduce heat and stress on the battery.

Turbo mode, on the other hand, is what I use when I’m running late and realize my laptop could use some extra juice before I leave. It prioritizes maximum power delivery through the first USB-C port, allowing me to get the most out of the charger when I need it. Of course, the actual speed still depends on the device and the charging standards it supports. But I appreciate being able to choose whether to prioritize speed or take a more relaxed approach to charging.

A fancy display and multiple charging modes wouldn’t mean much if the charger couldn’t do its primary job. Baseus has also focused on what’s happening inside. The charger uses two GaN chips, an AHB architecture, a graphene thermal layer to improve power efficiency and help manage heat, and AVS. Baseus claims nearly 95% conversion efficiency, which means less energy is wasted during charging. That sounds great, but I was more interested in seeing how it handled heat during daily use, especially with multiple devices connected.

So I compared it with another Motorola charger I had at home, and the results were interesting. Even while charging three devices at once, the Baseus charger reached about 32 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the Motorola charger hit approximately 38 degrees Celsius while charging just one device. That’s a noticeable difference, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the Baseus running cooler despite handling more devices.

This wasn’t a controlled lab test, and the chargers weren’t necessarily delivering the same power, so I wouldn’t treat it as a definitive efficiency comparison. Still, it gave me a good idea of how the Baseus performed, and I was quite happy with the result.

One more thing I particularly relish about the display is how I use the charger throughout the day. When I’m working, I prefer to keep the display in always-on mode. It’s nice being able to glance at it whenever I want to check the charging status, and, admittedly, I also enjoy seeing that little animated face.

Things change when it’s time to sleep, though. I prefer a completely dark room, and even a tiny light from a charger can be distracting. Thankfully, I can change the display settings so the screen turns off automatically after a minute. This makes a big difference because I don’t have to unplug the charger or put something in front of the display to get a good night’s sleep.

The charger has a touch-sensitive control right on the front, and I can use gestures, including a double-tap, to navigate its settings and switch between options. It takes very little effort, and once I’ve selected what I want, I can leave it alone and get back to whatever I was doing.

A short cable, but a long list of reasons to love it

Looking at everything this charger offers, I can see why I’ve grown so fond of it. That said, there’s one thing I wish Baseus had done differently: included a longer cable. The one you get in the box isn’t particularly short, but I often found myself adjusting where I was sitting or moving my devices closer to the charger just to use it comfortably. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but it did get a little annoying after a while.

Now, since the charger has three USB-C ports but comes with only one cable, I was already planning to buy two more anyway. However, instead of getting just two, I decided to buy three longer cables and stopped using the one Baseus included altogether. Sure, that meant spending a little extra, but it made my setup much more convenient. Now I can charge my laptop, phone, and another device at once without worrying about how far they are from the charger.

At $60 in the US, this certainly isn’t the cheapest charger, especially since I also spent extra on cables. But given how much I use it, I think the price is reasonable. But I don’t think everyone needs to spend $60 on a charger. If you rarely charge multiple devices at once or don’t particularly care about seeing charging wattages on a tiny screen, you can easily save money.

Baseus also offers a single-port USB-C charger for $19, and it even includes a USB-C cable. You’ll also find chargers from Anker, UGREEN, and Belkin for around $20. So, if you just need something to charge your phone, plenty of more affordable options make just as much sense. You don’t necessarily need to spend extra on features you might never use.

For me, though, those extra features are precisely why I bought this charger. I regularly switch between phones, charge multiple devices throughout the day, and like knowing exactly how much power each one is drawing. The PicoGo Pro fits into that routine rather nicely, and I don’t see myself replacing it anytime soon. Of course, those ridiculously cute animations are a bonus, too. I’ve tested plenty of chargers, but this is the first one that’s charged my devices and charmed me at the same time.