I cracked open a '1,000W' portable charger after it failed me in minutes - and wished I hadn't - ZDNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Meet the 'too good to be true' portable charger. Here's my general buying advice for these types of products. 1,000W, 10-port charger for $45… predictably disappointing. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Being a tech reviewer for a living means that I get offered some very interesting things. Not interesting as in Bugatti supercars or jewel-encrusted Fabergé eggs, but interesting as in “this thing could easily be a fire hazard — want to take a look?” Also: The best GaN chargers of 2026: Expert tested Submissively, I often say yes. And I’m glad I did with the most recent pitch, because it was very interesting indeed. This time around, the thing of interest was a charger that claimed to deliver an incredible 1,000W through its ten ports — four 140W USB-C ports, four 100W USB-C ports, and two 20W USB-A ports. The person who bought this charger told me that they’d plugged it in, used it to charge their phone for “a few minutes,” got worried when it became “a little hot,” and unplugged it. That’s a lot of promise… but (spoilers), they don’t deliver