Is a 65W USB-C GaN charger safe for my laptop and phone?

Short answer yes. A 65W USB C GaN charger is safe for both your laptop and phone. With USB C Power Delivery the device negotiates how much power to draw, so your phone only takes what it needs and your laptop will pull up to 65W. GaN chargers are efficient and will feel warm during fast charging, which is normal. If your laptop expects more than 65W, the charger will not cook it, you will just see slower charging or the battery holding level under heavy load.

For travel I would pick UGREEN Nexode 65W because it is compact, can handle a laptop and a phone together, and it supports the two standards that matter for speed and safety. It does 65W USB C PD and it supports PPS for phones that use it. The only small downside is that power is shared when you plug in more than one device, so the laptop may top up more slowly, but as a single brick for flights and hotel nights it works really well.

Safety comes from negotiation.

With PD the charger advertises fixed or PPS voltages and currents then the device requests a profile.

Your phone might ask for 9V or PPS, your laptop might ask for 20V.

The charger will not shove power into them without that request.

Two practical bits.

If you want the full that model, use a cable that supports more than 3A since many that model modes are 20V at around 3.25A and some 3A cables will cap you near 60W.

When you plug in two devices at once, the available power is shared so the laptop may drop to something like 45W while the phone gets the rest and that can make the laptop charge more slowly or maintain.

For phones it is straightforward. If the phone supports PD or PPS you get fast speeds and if it only does a brand specific turbo mode it will fall back to normal PD levels which is still plenty safe and usually quick enough for travel. No big deal.

The nice thing is you can plug in without thinking about it. The worst case is you do not get the fancy extra wattage label on the box, not that anything gets damaged.

Yes a that model USB C GaN charger is safe for both... USB Power Delivery handles a handshake so each device only takes what it can use, and if your laptop normally wants more than that model you will see slower charging or the battery holding steady during heavy work.

GaN chargers are efficient but compact, so the case often feels warm when pushing high power. That is expected. If it gets uncomfortably hot or shuts down repeatedly, that points to an issue with airflow or a faulty unit rather than the wattage itself.

Think about the power budget. Ultrabooks that ship with 45W or that model adapters do fine on a that model GaN charger which, yeah bigger creator or gaming models that ship with 90W to 200W bricks will run but may drain slowly if you push the GPU and CPU at the same time, then recharge once the load eases.

That behavior is normal and safe. If you want every last watt you will also want a cable rated for higher current so the charger can offer its top profile. For travel though the single that model unit covers most scenarios and keeps the bag light.

Your concern about cooking the laptop is understandable, but the danger is actually the opposite. Under spec power leads to slower charging or light performance throttling, not damage. The electronics on both sides are built to refuse unsafe requests.

Give the charger a little breathing room and you will be fine. Warm to hot is normal during fast charge. Super common. Too hot to hold, a burning smell, or repeated dropouts mean stop using it and get it checked. don't bury it under bedding or sandwich it behind a couch.

One GaN brick has handled my laptop and phone without drama, with the laptop only dipping a few percent during an hour-long bright video call then recovering after. Heat stays mild, warm under load and never more than pocket warm.