GRANDE 30W 5-port Power Adapter Review:

Are you willing to overlook some red flags in order to charge a device or two?

Photo_1It is pretty evident when competition begins to copy certain advertising strategies. The biggest and best pieces of tech usually hold such titles for a short time before a competitor steps up their marketing and development to show off the next big thing. Sometimes, especially heated competition might even encroach trademark infringement such as the infamous Apple/Samsung legal battles. Both companies have a stake in a large tech market and are eager to further their own brand with what each company seems to call their own unique style.

GRANDE is a manufacturer that jumped straight for aping the Apple packaging design without any of the build quality or advertising know-how to back up such a design decision.

Let’s get the good stuff out of the way: This device has somewhat charged several of my devices and has yet to melt or explode.

Now, let us take a look at several of the large red flags that had me edging away from this device during review time:

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  • The Power Adapter itself came with NO branding anywhere on the box or the device, and no documentation. There is a large sticker on the bottom of the unit base that lists electrical input and output information (more on this later) and a reiteration of the device name. The box depicts each of the unit’s visible front ports as labeled with names such as “smart”, “android”, and/or “iPad” but the actual unit is completely blank.
  • Photo_5When the device was plugged in and charging, the ports are not “smart”. Two of the ports seem to be designed to output a maximum of .5A like that of a trickle charge or older device charging method. The ports are identical to the other three and could only be discovered through trial and error (the labeled ports pictured on the box for the unit do not even match the correct port behavior) The device lists a maximum amperage of 6A with each port having the ability to output 2.4A maximum, but since two of the ports are only good for charging an older or at least low-drain device, this manufacturer claim also seems to be exaggerated.
  • Finally, although I was able to find a safe combination of devices to charge while keeping below six amps of output, the device was really warm to the touch and the top vent began to smell like electric death. After a couple of cycles of stress testing (charge batteries, drain them, and charge again), I broke down and disconnected my devices. I didn’t have much trust in this device, and finally gave up after a charge cycle attempt only brought my iPad up to a 19% charge increase.

Photo_3I always like finding a good charging accessory and most charging stations work out to where I can work through any flaws. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this unit unless it is a last resort. The unit feels cheap and every indication from the manufacturer appears to demonstrate confusion for any potential use that would apply to the product.

If you purchase this unit, make sure to unplug it when not in use and monitor it closely for any heat or spark issues. You can never be too careful.