Acefast Z4 218W review: This 4-port charging station has a unique feature I’ve always wanted

Acefast is a Chinese accessory brand that knows how to grab attention with its products. Its T8 earbuds have a see-through design that’s gorgeous, and they combine a good design with great sound and affordable pricing. The brand carried the see-through aesthetic to its Crystal 65W GaN chargers, offering unique designs with attractive colors and three charging ports at just $25.

The Z4 218W charging station builds on that heritage, and while it doesn’t have an entirely transparent design, you get an acrylic window at the front that shows off the circuitry behind the charging ports, and that just looks plain cool. But what I like the most is that the Z4 has a 1.3-inch LCD screen that shows real-time charging information.

I’m obsessed with USB-C power meters and seeing how fast gadgets charge in real-world use, and having a screen on the charging station itself is a terrific move — I’m not sure why more established brands haven’t thought of doing so already.

Anyway, the Z4 is just as value-focused as Acefast’s other products, and this 4-port charging station that has a total power budget of 218W costs just $80 on Amazon. I used UGREEN’s Nexode 200W as the go-to charging station for the better part of the last 18 months, and while it has two additional ports, it costs $199.