The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with 61W USB-C wall charger. This charger from RAVPower also puts out 61W, but it's about half the size of the Apple wall charger. In my informal testing, it charged both my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro at about the same speed that Apple's charger did.
Price: $44Bottom line: Charge any device up to a 13-inch MacBook Pro with this wall charger half the size of Apple's.
The Good
- Powerful wall charger
- Small and portable
- Charges a 13-inch MacBook Pro and more
- Similar in speed to Apple's
- Cheaper than Apple's
The Bad
- Not Apple certified
Effective charger
RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger: Features
The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with a 61W USB-C wall charger in the box. While you can use a higher wattage charger, a lower wattage charger will not work well and could potentially damage your computer's battery. If you lose or damage the wall charger that comes with your MacBook, you're stuck buying another one for $69 and that doesn't include a cable. RAVPower offers another option.
At 1.9-by-1.9-by-1.2 inches, just about half the size of the Apple charger, the RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger offers the same amount of wattage as the Apple version. The prongs do fold up when not it use to make it more portable. It is not certified or endorsed by by Apple.
You can use it to charge any laptop up to and including the 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro. I would not use it to charge a 15-inch MacBook Pro, since that size requires an 87W charger. You can, however, use it to charge a 12-inch MacBook or a 13-inch MacBook Air with Retina Display, or any other laptop that charges with a 61W or lower charger. You can also use it to charge your iPad Pro. All of the iPad Pros come with lower wattage chargers, so this one will work fine.
Don't let the small size fool you. This wall charger packs a lot of power.
I've been using the RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger as my main charger for both my 13-inch MacBook Pro and my 11-inch iPad Pro for the past week or so. I conducted some casual speed tests and found that the RAVPower charger worked at a similar speed to my Apple charger. Sometimes it was a little faster and sometimes a little slower, but overall it performed similarly.
Note that it does not come with a charging cable. I only have an Apple USB-C to USB-C cable, so I've been using that. If you have a USB-C to Lightning cable, you can also use the RAVPower charger to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, or any other Lightning-enabled device. It delivers just the right amount of current for whichever device is plugged into it.
No compromises
RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger: What I like
Not only is it smaller than Apple's wall charger, it's cheaper. At just 3.7 ounces, it's lighter, too. You can easily pop it into your bag along with a cable for on-the-go charging.
Not exactly a must for everyone
RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger: What I don't like
It's not an Apple product, and it's not certified or endorsed by Apple. I always get a little nervous using non-Apple charging devices, but I've never had issues with RAVPower products.
Just a cool product
RAVPower 61W USB-C Wall Charger: Bottom line
If you need to charge a 13-inch MacBook Pro or any other device that requires up to 61W of power, this is a wall charger to consider. I've been using it to charge my 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro and my 11-inch iPad Pro and find that it performs similarly to the Apple wall charger. It's about half the size and weighs much less than the Apple charger, so it's easier to carry around with you in your tech bag.
