5 great USB charging stations that will keep all your gadgets ready for work
5 great USB charging stations that will keep all your gadgets ready for work
We live in challenging times, most of us stay at home to slow the spread of coronavirus. Many people are also trying to set-up a home office to do work. That could mean you have devices like laptops, phones and tablets floating around that need charging, and you want to avoid the inevitable tangle of cables. A charging station can come in handy during these tough times, and here are the best ones you can get.
Xcentz 5-Port Desktop Charging Station
The Xcentz doesn’t come with a stand portion to organize your devices, but it’s cheap, has a broad selection of ports, and it’s still better than running cables from different outlets. It features three USB-A ports that max out at 2.4A, one with Quick Charge 3.0, and a USB-C that can make 5V 3A power delivery.
Unitek USB C Charging Station
Unitek calls this a “USB-C charging station” which I guess is fair. Although, it only has one USB-C port with 5V 3A output. It’s a step up from the Xcentz option as it’s got two Quick Charge 3.0 ports and four 2.4A ports in addition to the USB-C. It also has adjustable dividers to keep your devices organized on top. That’s generous for $50.
Sendowtek Charger Station
This charging station doesn’t have as many ports, but it does charge faster than the above options, and it’s only $40. The Sendowtek station has two USB-C ports, one with 18W power delivery and the other with 65W. There’s also one Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A and two 2.4A ports. It has dividers to keep your device organized. Some of those dividers have spots for Apple Airpods and the Apple Watch, but they’re optional.
PRITEK Charging Station
If you want to add a wireless option to your charging station on the cheap, the PRITEK Charging Station might be a good fit. It’s only $35 and has a 10W Qi wireless pad built-in. It also has a Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A, two 2.4A USB-A ports, and a single USB-C. Still, that USB-C can only do 12W. It’s cheap and comes with short cables for better organization, so we can forgive the slower USB-C port.
Techsmarter 6-Port Charging Station
This is the Rolls Royce of charging stations with support for six devices across a variety of charging standards. There are three USB-A ports that support 18W charging, and two USB-C ports that can do 100W power delivery. Note, that’s 100W across both ports. So, you could plug in two laptops that pull 45W without issue, or just one device that pulls 100W. There’s also a 15W wireless charging pad that attaches to the side. If you don’t want the wireless charger, it’s fully removable and can be attached to either side of the station.
Having taken this dock for a spin, I’m pleased with its capabilities. I don’t have anything that can pull 100W, but I confirmed it can simultaneously charge a Pixelbook at about 45W and a Galaxy S20 at more than 30W. Yes, it can charge Samsung’s latest phones faster than the stock 25W charger. I don’t have one of Samsung’s official 45W chargers to compare, though. This device is pricey at $89.99 via Amazon, but it’ll be just what you need. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with cables, and you want shorter ones to avoid mess.