The ACEFAST Z9 has a straightforward pitch, and it is to maximise your charging options for your phone or laptop without relying on extra charging bricks.
It packs three wireless zones: a flip-up 15W MagSafe-style pad for your phone, a hidden 5W pad for earbuds, and a slide-out 2.5W Apple Watch puck. These are backed by the convenience of faster wired charging through a retractable 60W USB-C cable, a 65W USB-C port, and an 18W USB-A port. All of this is enabled by a gallium nitride (GaN) assembly inside.
Total output tops out at 80W, and the whole thing retreats into a handy, and not-so-heavy, cube with a gunmetal finish.
I've been testing the ACEFAST Z9 for over three months, have even taken it with me on multiple trips, and I'm beyond impressed by its size and calibre.
Charging performance
Before I start, let me set your expectations straight. This is not a Qi2 charger, so don't expect blistering wireless speeds.
On my iPhone 17 Pro, the magnetic pad delivers around 5–7W, which is fine for an overnight top-up, but less so if you're charging in a hurry. For context, despite the claimed 25W speed with Qi2, the standard-compatible chargers I own only push the same phone to 7–8W anyway, so the gap is smaller in practice than the spec sheet suggests.
As a nightstand dock that keeps a phone fully charged till morning, it does exactly what I need.
When I want real speed, the wired outputs handle it. The retractable USB-C cable and the 65W port comfortably charge my iPad Pro and MacBook, and the added USB-C port has enough headroom for a laptop with a phone charging alongside.
Each port reaches close to its advertised speed, with the retractable cable and the USB-C port giving speeds in the range of 60W, while the USB-A port offers around 17–18W without fail.
Of course, speed is distributed across ports if you use multiple of them. But I have charged my MacBook Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, and Apple Watch at once, without letting the MacBook's charging feel like a drag.
The earbud zone worked flawlessly with both my OnePlus Buds 3 Pro and AirPods Pro. The watch pad (also retractable), however, is the catch; it works with the Apple Watch only, and wouldn't even recognise my Galaxy Watch Ultra, which wouldn't charge on it at all, and this is a real limitation if you're not in Apple's ecosystem.
Design and everyday use
Its design is where the Z9 wins me over. It folds into a compact shape that drops easily into a bag. On trips, it replaces a phone charger, a watch charger, and a laptop brick in one go.
The build is solid, despite being a very metal-looking plastic, and the oxidised matte finish resists fingerprints. The retractable cable pulls out and rewinds without fuss and hides away completely, which keeps the setup clean.
The magnetic snap is reliable too; it grabs my iPhone 17 Pro with or without a case and holds firm. Any other phone with a decent magnetic case snaps on too, and while a magnet-free case still charges, it won't hold as tightly.
The catches
Two things keep this from being a no-questions recommend. First, warranty. ACEFAST is based in Shenzhen with a Hong Kong office, and while it lists a 24-month warranty, repairs or replacements may come down to whatever the selling platforms, such as Amazon, are willing to do.
Second, and this is the bigger one, is compatibility. The Z9 makes sense if you live in Apple's world and treat wireless as an overnight convenience rather than a fast-charge method.
However, if you absolutely need faster Qi2 (even just for the sake of future-proofing), ACEFAST also sells a Z9 Pro. It's a slightly faster, 100W variant with true Qi2.2 25W wireless charging with a watch pad that also charges Galaxy Watches. The only trade-off is that the Pro is roughly $20 more expensive than the standard Z9.
If wireless speed or non-Apple Watch support matters to you, the Pro fixes both of your caveats for not much more. I haven't tried that, but I expect it to be similarly reliable as the model I currently have.
Verdict
At around $60, the Z9 is an easy recommendation for one simple reason, and that's versatility. One tidy, well-built block that charges your phone, watch, earbuds, and laptop at home or on the road.
Just go in knowing the wireless is overnight-grade, not Qi2, and that the Pro exists if you want more.