Zendure Passport III review: Global travel charger loaded with USB-C

Zendure's newest travel charger is laden with enough USB-C power to charge up to five devices in more than 200 countries around the globe.

The Passport III is a portable travel adapter that will allow you to use your existing AC devices across the world, but also acts as a charger with five USB ports.

It has a familiar design to previous generations, with black, pink, or blue metallic faces. Each colored faceplate corresponds to matching semi-opaque sides that show off the internal electrical components.

So many ports

Zendure has outfitted the third-generation Passport with five total USB ports, as it did for the last-generation Passport II Pro. This time around, there are four USB-C ports with only a single USB-A port, instead of three USB-A and two USB-C.

This reconfiguration is more in-line with the modern tech landscape. Apple ships all of its current products with USB-C cables from iPhone to iPad, from Apple Watch to AirPods.

Whether or not you've fully made the transition to USB-C, this change helps ensure future capabilities instead of necessitating an upgrade in a year or two. Plus, that sole USB-A port will retain that backward compatibility for any legacy devices you hang onto.

The USB-C port on the side can handle up to 65W of power delivery, enough to adequately power most portable Macs, and more than enough power for iPads.

If you use a recent Samsung device, this USB-C port also supports a programmable power supply -- or PPS. This is what Samsung uses for the incredible fast-charging capabilities on its newer devices, like the whopping 45W of the S22 Ultra.

On the bottom of Passport III are the remaining USB ports, the three USB-C with one USB-A. Each of the bottom USB ports can output 15W of power each.

In total, the device can put out 65W. That means the side USB-C port by itself will do 65W but will drop to 45W if any of the bottom ports are in use.

When the side port is used in tandem with those on the bottom, the lower USB ports will output 15W of power combined.

Designed for travel

Zendure's been developing travel chargers for years, be it portable batteries or the earlier versions of the Passport travel adapter.

This third-generation unit uses the same design as its previous iterations but has improved a few aspects, such as the power output and port selection as outlined above.

It works via a series of sliders that can be depressed to extend the requisite plug, depending on the kind of outlet you need to use.

There are three sliders, each corresponding to a different style of plug. There is the common US/Japan plug, a United Kingdom plug, and a European-style plug.

As one plug is extended, Passport III prevents the other sliders from moving. In total, Passport III can plug into type A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J, K, L, and N outlets.

On the other side are holes where you can plug in various devices. Razers, hairdryers, larger chargers, irons, and other AC devices can be plugged into Passport III.

Passport III can accept type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, and N-style plugs.

Nobody wants to deal with a replacement fuse, whether they're at home or on the go. You always need to have them on hand in case the fuse trips, and they may not be easy to come by when you're abroad

Passport III gets around this by utilizing a unique self-resetting fuse. As the temperature within rises, two pieces of metal will separate, killing power and allowing the temperature to drop.

Once the temperature is sufficiently cool enough to function safely, the metal will snap back into place, restoring power. No physical replacement fuse is necessary.

Should you buy?

The Zendure Passport III is a great travel companion. It is -- relatively -- compact and doubles as both an AC world adapter as well as a multi-charger.

Its refresh and support of GaN has increased the total power output and doubled down on USB-C.

While you can just as easily use Passport III at home, there are much better options available -- including from Zendure itself. There are higher-output devices and ones that support more USB-C ports.

Your use cases will dictate whether or not Passport III makes sense for you. If you plan on traveling outside your home country, Passport III is at the top of our list for recommended devices.

Pros

• USB charger as well as global power adapter
• Concealed plugs works in over 200 countries
• 65W of power, up from prior-generation
• Fun, metallic coloways
• Utilizing GaN tech for smaller size than silicon-based charger
• Autoressetting fuse doesn't need replacing

Cons

• 65W can still be low if charging five devices at once
• No neutral colors with solid sides
• Better options suited for home use

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy

If you'd like to preorder the Zendure Passport III for yourself, you can back the project on Kickstarter starting at $39.99, which is below the MSRP of $64.99.

Note: Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not a guarantee that a product will be delivered. Back a project with caution. That said, Zendure has a successful history of fully completing and delivering promises on several previous campaigns. AppleInsider also tested the Passport III to verify its capabilities.