Acefast 218W power station makes a stylish addition to your desk [Review]

If your family owns several devices, it is important to own a good charging solution to ensure you can quickly and simultaneously top up everything. I typically relied on power bricks — despite them not being the best for the job. But then I switched to the Acefast Z4 218W power station, a sleek-looking, four-in-one charging station that pumps out plenty of power.

Read my Acefast Z4 218W power station review to learn why this capable accessory deserves a spot on your desk, thanks to an ideal mix of style and substance.

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Acefast Z4 218W power station review

Thanks to gallium nitride (aka GaN) technology, multiport chargers just keep getting smaller. They now deliver higher power output in a compact form factor. This technological advance arrived alongside the wide adoption of USB-C for consumer devices, ensuring you can use the same cable to charge practically everything.

However, charging multiple devices can seem like a chore. A USB-C charging brick with dual ports will hardly do the job in such cases. A power station proves helpful in such scenarios, packing multiple ports and enough juice to fast charge all your devices simultaneously. The downside? Most charging stations look boring. The Acefast 218W charging station shines, delivering 218W combined output through a stylish front panel that shows power consumption in real time.

Acefast 218W 4-Port GaN Charging Station with LCD Panel

The Acefast 218W charging station features a transparent front and a 1.3-inch TFT panel to display the power output. It also stands out because it lets you switch between various power modes across the four ports at the press of a button.

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Table of contents: Acefast 218W power station review

• Design
• Power output
• Price

Design

From the rear and the two sides, the Acefast 218W power station looks similar to other offerings. The plastic shell’s metal-like finish gives it a premium look and feel. All three sides look clean, with the rear housing a C7 power connector. On the bottom, two horizontally aligned rubber feet provide grip and thermal dissipation.

While the power station is primarily meant for use in landscape orientation, you can place it vertically. For a station with 218W of combined power output, the Acefast charging block has relatively compact dimensions, largely thanks to the use of GaN.

A transparent front that reveals the charger’s innards

On the front, the Acefast power station outshines its competition. Its transparent shell gives a clear look inside the charger’s black printed circuit board, which looks ridiculously cool. The charging station houses three USB-C ports and one USB-A port. While you’ll find several charging stations on the market with even more USB-C ports, the Acefast trumps them with its style. It also has two other tricks up its sleeve: a 1.3-inch TFT LCD screen for displaying each port’s power output, and the ability to switch between different power modes.

When you plug a device into the charging station, the TFT screen will show its power draw. This way, you can know how fast the device is charging. Admittedly, this is a feature that only nerds will like. If you don’t like it, you can double-press the button on the front to turn off the display. This might also be necessary if you use the Acefast station in your bedroom, as the TFT screen feels too bright in the dark.

Unlike the Ugreen Nexode 100W GaN charging station, the Acefast does not have a MagSafe platform for wirelessly topping up your iPhone. But with four USB ports and a total output of 218W, it has your wired charging needs covered.

If you want a stylish desktop power station, the Acefast 218W should sit at the top of your list. Its unique-looking front helps it stand out from similar devices and will add a touch of style to your desk.

Power output

Between its four USB ports — 3x USB-C and 1x USB-A — the Acefast charging station can provide a total power output of 218W. You can cycle between the following power modes with the press of a button:

As evident from the power split, Acefast’s power station can supply up to 213W of power with all four of its ports active. With mode A, it can fast charge a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPhone and an Apple Watch simultaneously. Mode B proves ideal when you need to charge multiple MacBooks at once. It will evenly split the power at 65W across the three USB-C ports, with the USB-A port supplying 18W power.

If you ever need to fast charge two (non-16-inch) MacBooks, mode C will do the trick. Add an iPhone to the mix, and mode D should work. The Acefast can cover almost all use cases with its ability to distribute power at the press of a button.

During my testing, I primarily switched between modes A and B, depending on how quickly I wanted to top up my laptop and my wife’s MacBook Pro.

An easy-to-use display that show your devices’ power consumption

Depending on your needs, the Acefast charging station lets you switch easily between the different modes by pressing a large button. The TFT panel displays the current mode, the current power distribution, and the maximum power each port can supply. Unlike many wall chargers, I noticed there was no recalibration problem on the Acefast when plugging/unplugging devices from the USB-C port.

However, there’s one issue with how Acefast uses the front button to switch between modes and control the display. A single-press will cycle between the four power modes, while a double-press will turn off the display. To turn the screen back on, you need to press the button once. The problem is that this will also switch the power mode. This appears to be an oversight from Acefast.

Pricing

The Acefast 218W power station retails for $90, which is slightly cheaper than Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter, which offers just one USB-C port. Several other multiport desktop charging stations and power bricks also retail for around the same price. However, none I’ve seen look as cool or provide the same functionality as the Acefast.

After extensive testing for this review, my only other complaint about the Acefast Z4 218W power station is that it does not come with a single USB-C cable in the box.

Acefast Z4 218W power station review: Final thoughts

While not as popular as devices from Anker or other popular accessory makers, Acefast’s 218W power station is a worthy addition to your desk due to its performance and unique front design. And if you are always on the go, consider the Chargeasap Zeus 280W for charging all your devices simultaneously.

★★★★☆

Buy from: Amazon

Acefast 218W 4-Port GaN Charging Station with LCD Panel

The Acefast 218W charging station features a transparent front and a 1.3-inch TFT panel to display the power output. It also stands out because it lets you switch between various power modes across the four ports at the press of a button.

Buy now

Acefast provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.