Ikea Sjöss 45W charger: Why buy anything else? [Review]

Plenty of power bricks with dual USB-C ports give you options for charging your Apple devices. But Ikea — yes, the company known for its DIY furniture — has a new offering that trumps them all from a value viewpoint. As you’ll find out in our review of the Ikea Sjöss 45W charger, it packs two USB-C ports and supports all popular fast charging standards.

The effective power adapter stands out for its super-low price, which significantly undercuts the competition. Below is our quick review of the Ikea Sjöss 45W USB-C charger.

Ikea Sjöss 45W review: An inexpensive USB-C charger

Ikea is not a brand typically associated with gadgets and other such accessories. However, the Swedish company offers a range of daily-use tech products at affordable prices, including USB-C cables, power banks and even a sought-after wireless charger.

While Ikea sells multiple USB-A chargers, the Sjöss is its first USB-C-only power brick, and it comes in two versions. A single-port model with 30W output, which can easily fast-charge your iPhone or iPad, costs just $7.99. Then, there’s the Sjöss 45W, featuring two USB-C ports and a combined power output of 45W. It retails for only $14.99.

Here’s why I think Ikea’s 45W Sjöss USB-C charger is a must-have for anyone owning multiple iPhones or iPads, and why it stands out among a sea of USB-C chargers.

Table of contents: Ikea Sjöss 45W review

• Design
• Power output
• What makes the Ikea Sjöss 45W power brick special?

Design

For a power brick with two USB-C ports and 45W peak output, the Ikea Sjöss has a compact design. It might not be the smallest 45W power brick around, but it’s compact enough to carry in your pocket. The charger is made of an ABS plastic shell. So while it might not feel premium, it is durable enough to withstand accidental drops and dings.

It comes in one color — white — but Ikea thoughtfully includes three colorful stickers (green, orange and blue) so you can “personalize” the charger.

My only gripe with the Ikea Sjöss design is that the U.S. variant lacks foldable prongs, which would have made the adapter even more compact. I own the EU model, which is slightly larger because it uses a different power plug.

There is no LED light on the Sjöss, probably as a cost-saving measure. That means you cannot tell if the plugged-in device is charging just by looking at the power brick.

Power output

One of the best features of the Ikea Sjöss charger is that either USB-C port can deliver a peak output of 45W. Unlike some other chargers, you don’t need to worry about which port you use when you want max power. Peak power drops to 22W when both USB-C ports are in use at the same time.

When a single USB-C port is in use, the 45W juice is enough to top up your MacBook’s battery at brisk speeds. With 22W output each across the two USB-C ports, you can use the Sjöss to charge your iPhone and iPad simultaneously at nearly full speed.

Perhaps my only complaint with the Ikea Sjöss 45W is that it does not automatically adjust the power output between the two USB-C ports based on the connected devices. So, even if you plug in your Apple Watch, which only requires 5W of power, the other USB-C port will still max out at 22W.

Below is the power output breakdown of the USB-C1/C2 ports on Ikea Sjöss 45W charger:

• 5V – 3A: 15W
• 9V – 3A: 27W
• 12V – 3A: 36W
• 15V – 3A: 45W
• 20V – 2.25A: 45W
• PPS: 5.0-16.0V – 3A: 45W

When both USB-C ports are in use, the power output is as follows:

• 5V – 3A: 15W
• 9V – 2.44A: 22W
• 12V – 1.83A: 22W
• 15V – 1.46A: 22W
• 20V – 1.10A: 22W
• PPS: 5.0-11.0V – 2.4A: 22W

The Ikea Sjöss 45W charger supports USB Power Delivery (PD 3.0) with PPS (programmable power supply) and Quick Charge 4.0+. So, you can use the inexpensive Ikea power brick to fast charge almost all your devices, as long as they don’t need more than 45W of power. Yep, this includes the Nintendo Switch, USB-C power banks and other USB-C power bricks.

The only other chink in the Ikea Sjöss’ armor is that it does not support 45W PPS output as required by newer Samsung flagship phones. It can only output 3A current at 9V, while Samsung devices require 5A current to hit their peak charging speed.

Note: All Apple silicon MacBooks require 65W or higher input to fast charge. So, while the Sjöss 45W is not powerful enough to fast charge your M-series MacBook, it can still top up its cell to 100%.

What makes the Ikea Sjöss 45W power brick special?

What makes the Ikea Sjöss 45W power brick stand out? The incredible value this affordable charger offers.

As mentioned, despite a peak 45W output and dual USB-C ports, the Sjöss 45W costs just $14.99. Apple’s 35W power brick with dual USB-C ports cost $59, nearly four times more than Ikea’s offering. Even Apple’s 30W USB-C power adapter, which costs $30, is twice as expensive as Ikea’s more powerful model.

You won’t find a similar spec USB-C charger on Amazon at anywhere near that same price. And that’s what makes Ikea’s Sjöss 45W power brick special. Buy a couple of them, one for your home and another for your office, to sort your charging needs for good.

★★★★☆

Buy from: Ikea

See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.