I’ve been reviewing tech and accessories for over a decade now. I am rarely surprised by much anymore, but a name caught my eye recently when they sent a request for reviewing some of its products. The company is called FuseChicken. Yep, FuseChicken.
It’s definitely the oddest combination of names for a tech company but I had the opportunity to test out its new Universal travel charger. Incidentally, I was not aware that AndroidGuys had previously spent time with its products and even toured its facilities nearly seven years back.
Overview
The Universal wants to solve all your charging needs while on the go. It’s a Swiss Army knife of chargers honestly. It is a standard wall outlet charger as well as a battery pack. Inside is a 6700mAh power bank.
It also has Qi-enabled fast wireless charging. So, in a review, that’s USB-A, USB-C, and wireless charging. This is one of the few devices that can charge your phone and laptop that you can throw in your bag and continue using it to charge while traveling.
Design
I’ve always been a sucker for a black and white combination color scheme. The FuseChicken Universal charger has a nice soft-touch black trimmed with standard white plastics. It makes the device appealing while keeping a minimalistic pattern.
On the left, you have the wall adapter port that is interchangeable for US and Euro power outlets. Around the opposing side, you have an LED display for the power bank percentage, both USB ports, and a status light for charging. A red light means it’s charging and green means the device is on but in standby mode.
To the “top” of the unit are the FuseChicken logo and the letter “V” surrounded by wavebands similar to a WiFi signal image. This is where the magic happens to charge via Qi wireless charging.
The size is pretty nice too. The FuseChicken Universal is not much larger than most power bricks you may have to lay around. The photo below shows it next to a Targus USB-C charger I use while traveling.
Results
Results
None of this really matters if the Universal fails in general usage. I’m happy to report that it’s spot on with what FuseChicken claims it offers. I was able to get a full charge via the USB ports almost 2.5 times on my Google Pixel 3 XL. This lines up with the bank’s 6700mAh cell.
The Qi charging also worked as expected with 10W quick charge being pushed to the device that supports it. Sadly this does not include my Pixel by cause it’s not “Made for Google” approved. Despite this, it functioned like any other charger.
One downside is that both USB ports don’t seem to support full fast charging. This option seems limited just to the USB-C plug. I’d also like to have seen the 18W power bank be able to charge my laptop as well. It just doesn’t seem to have enough juice to recharge my Dell.
Bonus Mini-review: The Shield C power cord
FuseChicken included this with my review material for the Universal charger and I was impressed. This USB-C cable is wrapped in steel chainmail. This makes it nearly indestructible and it looks awesome. The Shield cable reminds me of trim you’d find on a high-end car or a machine shop.
The cable allows for fast charge 2.0 and besides the wrapped steel cord there’s a nice soft rubber surround on each port of the cable. I was really surprised how well-made yet still flexible this cable was, and I’m glad that FuseChicken included it in the bag of goodies.
Conclusion
I hate to be jaded, but I didn’t really have high hopes with a company I’d never heard of for this review. I came away pleasantly surprised by FuseChicken. The Universal charger and the Shield C cable are both well-crafted products. Both look great and offer great functionality. And FuseChicken gets some bonus points for its namesake.
The Universal charger will set you back $85 on the FuseChicken website. That might seem like a lot, but power banks and some Qi chargers both can go in that price range. For all it does, I think it’s more than reasonable. The Shield C cable is $35 on the site, and again, seems in line with other products in that sector.