Keep Your Gadgets Charged and Organized With These Sleek USB Charging Stations

Brandon Carte
·12 min read
Photo credit: Nomad
Photo credit: Nomad

From Best Products

A USB charging station is an incredibly convenient accessory to have around, as more devices that we use daily need recharging. Keep your smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, headphones, and portable battery packs charged, organized, and ready with one of our top-rated picks. We've researched hundreds of charging stations and chose the most powerful ones that provide at least 2.4 amps of current per USB-A port, along with much faster USB-C ports, so you can quickly recharge all of your favorite gadgets.

Most models we've recommended have earned a certification by the Underwriters' Laboratory (UL) Standard Technical Panel. This panel has analyzed charging stations’ construction, performance, and their electrical components to ensure that the devices won’t catch fire or overcharge your devices.

It's worth noting that most charging stations don't include charging cables — meaning you'll have to use the Lightning, USB-C to Lightning, or USB-C cables that came with your devices or purchase them separately.

Best USB Charging Stations

With all that in mind, read through our guide to the best USB desktop charging stations below, to keep you from ever getting that dreaded low-battery warning!

Best Charging Station

Key Specs

  • Ports: 3 Wireless Chargers, 1 USB-A, 1 USB-C, 1 Apple Watch Charger

  • Total Power Output: 58 watts

  • Cord Length: 4 feet

The Nomad Base Station ticks all the boxes for all that you would want in a charging station. It packs enough ports for your everyday devices, lets you conveniently charge wirelessly, and sports a nice-looking design. Although there are more powerful (and affordable) options out there, we think that the Nomad Base Station is worth splurging on, given its versatility.

In addition to a dock for recharging your Apple Watch, the accessory packs a trio of high-power coils for wirelessly recharging your Android, iPhone, and earbuds. If that’s not enough, there’s a 18-watt USB-C PD port for fast charging when you’re in a hurry, and a 7.5-watt USB-A port for recharging any other device — whether it be a Kindle, a pair of headphones, or a Bluetooth speaker.

The Base Station is crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum and handsome leather. My colleague Stefan Vazharov, our senior tech editor, tested it, and said he preferred Nomad’s charger over the similar mophie Wireless Charging Pad.

He also appreciated the Nomad's built-in ambient light sensor, which dims its LED charging indicators at nighttime. We also were glad to see that the Nomad includes some extra international power adapters in the event that you bring it along when you travel. The accessory is backed by a 2-year warranty.

Best for Gadget Hoarders

Key Specs

  • Ports: 8 USB-A, 1 Quick Charge USB, 1 USB-C PD

  • Total Power Output: 160 watts

  • Cord Length: 6 feet

The UNITEK charging station is a true powerhouse that’ll keep your devices organized, charged up, and ready to go. This one has 10 ports, so you can recharge your family’s numerous tablets, smartphones, wireless earbuds, e-readers, wireless speakers, and portable battery packs.

It features detachable dividers that easily adjust to accommodate all of your different-sized devices, too. So, if you have a kid’s tablet with a thick case or a bulky Nintendo Switch, you won’t have to worry about not having enough space.

The charger has eight USB-A ports for charging at standard speed, a single Quick Charge 3.0 port, and a 60-watt USB-C PD port that’s ideal for power-hungry devices like tablets or even laptops. These latter two ports will help you recharge your devices much faster than the original chargers that came with your device.

Additionally, the UNITEK offers a built-in safety system that protects the connected hardware against overcharging or overheating. Even better, the charger has earned numerous safety certifications and is backed by a 2-year warranty.

The biggest letdown of this charging station is that it doesn’t include any cables — with the exception of its power cord. Regardless, it’s an excellent, reliable option for folks looking to charge a large number of devices simultaneously.

Best Option That Comes With Cables

Key Specs

  • Ports: 5 USB-A, 1 Quick Charge USB, 1 USB-C PD

  • Total Power Output: 60 watts

  • Cord Length: 5 feet

Annoyingly enough, most USB charging stations do not come with any Lightning or USB cables. Meaning, you’ll just have to use the ones that came with your smartphone, which oftentimes are too long. Or, you’ll have to shop for some new ones. The SooPii charging station pushes the envelope by including four Lightning cables, two USB-C cables, and one Micro-USB cable. Even better, this charging solution is significantly cheaper than other options.

The SooPii packs a total of seven charging ports, five of which support up to 2.4 amps, which is the standard speed for most smartphones. It also features a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port, which will recharge your supported phone up to 80% full in just 35 minutes. There’s even a USB-C PD port that’s powerful enough to recharge your iPhone to 50% in only a half hour.

The biggest downside to SooPii’s charger is that its dividers are fixed. Several other charging stations have adjustable dividers to accommodate devices of all different shapes and sizes. The space between each divider here is just 0.79 inches. If your device is thicker than that, you’re out of luck!

Best for Bedrooms

Key Specs

  • Ports: 1 Wireless Charger, 3 USB-A Ports, 1 USB-C PD

  • Total Power Output: 27 watts

  • Cord Length: 4 feet

If your nightstand is cluttered with a rat’s nest of cords, this charging station from Nomad can help tidy things up a bit. Not only is it capable of wirelessly charging your smartphone, it’s also packed with four additional USB ports (two 1-amp, a single 2.1-amp, and a 3-amp USB-C port). It only takes a half hour to increase your smartphone’s battery to 50% when using the charging station’s USB-C port.

During our weeklong tests with the charger, we found that it keeps sturdy and won’t slide around thanks to its weighted rubber base, but we did occasionally have trouble with its wireless charging pad. You can’t just plop your smartphone down on it. Your device has to be placed strategically on the pad to ensure the charging coils in your smartphone line up with the charger. The wireless charger outputs 7.5 watts of power and takes around 3 hours to fully charge an iPhone X.

The unit includes a lengthy 4-foot USB-C charging cord. We also appreciate its integrated cable management system and LED charging indicators that dim at nighttime, so they won’t keep you awake. While we wish it were a tad smaller, we think if you can afford it, the Nomad Wireless Charging hub is an effective charging solution that’s perfect for people who have several devices.

For the Cord-Clutter Hater

Key Specs

  • Ports: 3 Lightning, 1 USB-C, 1 MicroUSB

  • Total Power Output: 52 watts

  • Cord Length: 9 feet

Elevation Lab’s FamilyCharger is like the Swiss army knife of charging cords. It allows you to charge all of your devices at once in a single place without any cord cutter. It’s not really a docking station per se, instead it’s just one thick braided cord with five “tentacles” that branch out to form multiple charging ends. There are three Lightning cables, one MicroUSB, and one USB-C. You can keep the cord-ends tied together with a Velcro strap. Silicone mounts are also included for routing the cable up your desk, end table, or shelf.

As cool as it would be if one end of the cable were a USB-C port that you could plug into a wall adapter, this one actually has five USB ports. The reasoning? This way each cable gets its own dedicated source of power.

The braided cord is similar in texture to climbing rope, so it’s incredibly durable. Plus, with 9 feet of slack, it’s definitely long enough for most setups.

Best Option With Outlets

Key Specs

  • Ports: 12 AC Outlets, 3 USB-A Ports, 2 USB-C

  • Total Power Output: 30 watts (for all USB ports)

  • Cord Length: 5 feet

If you’re looking for a unique charging solution that has a full-sized outlet for powering a lamp, a monitor, or a computer, you won’t be disappointed in this option from AUKEY. Believe it or not, it has a whopping 12 AC outlets. It features an integrated surge protector with a 1,500-joule energy rating and embedded tech to prevent your devices from overheating or overcharging.

This charging station is better suited for an entertainment stand instead of the bedroom, since it has a bright green LED indicator light at its top. Unfortunately, there is no way to disable the light. On the plus side, the PowerHub XL is equipped with three USB-A ports, and two USB-C jacks.

Although we would have liked the USB-C ports to support Power Deliver Mode — so you can recharge your devices even faster — we’ve got to hand it to AUKEY for creating a space-saving and unique-looking charging station that’s safe, reliable, and packed with a wide variety of ports.

Best for Recharging Laptops

Key Specs

  • Ports: 2 PowerIQ USB-A Ports, 2 USB-C PD

  • Total Power Output: 100 watts

  • Cord Length: 4 feet

The Anker PowerPort Atom PD 4 is nearly the perfect charger. It packs quite a bit of power — a total output of 100 watts which is enough juice to charge two USB-C laptops simultaneously. Plus, it is equipped with not one, but two USB-C PD ports.

Besides the twin USB-C PD ports, the Anker is equipped with dual PowerIQ USB-A ports to quickly charge your older USB-A devices. As great as all this sounds, unfortunately, the Anker is pricey. It also has some minor limitations.

Pretty much every other charging station out there is only equipped with standard USB-C ports that do not support the Power Delivery standard — meaning, they aren’t as speedy or powerful enough to recharge a 15-inch laptop. This one can, as long as the laptop is the only thing that’s being charged.

When two devices are plugged into both USB-C ports, the power is apportioned to only 50 watts per port. This means that the charger isn’t recharging your devices at their maximum potential. We would love the option to be able to recharge a laptop while fast-charging a smartphone, too, but the Anker falls a little short. For now, though, it’s one of the best, most portable, and most versatile charging bricks.

We have extremely high hopes for the HyperJuice 100W Gallium Nitride charger, which recently finished its crowd-funding stage and should be available to purchase in April. The device packs the same types and numbers of ports as the Anker in a much smaller form factor. We plan to test it in the future.

A Modular Power Station Unlike Any Other

Key Specs

  • Ports: base kit includes 1 Wireless Charger, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C PD, 1 Apple Watch Charger

  • Total Power Output: 50 watts

  • Cord Length: 5 feet

We believe the BASELYNX system has the most thoughtful design of any charging station we’ve come across. Instead of having separate chargers for all your gear or picking up one of the several multi-chargers we recommend above, the BASELYNX can be customized to fit your exact charging setup. It’s a modular system, in which you connect multiple charging blocks together for your ideal setup.

At the time of publishing, there are four different modules available. There’s a wireless charging pad, an Apple Watch charging puck, a module with dividers to lean your smartphones and tablets against, and something Scosche calls a “Dual-Port EndCap.”

The portion with the dividers has three charging ports: one 18-watt USB-C with Power Delivery, and two 12-watt USB-A. That EndCap we mentioned has a 18-watt USB-C Power Delivery port, and one 12-watt USB-A port. Technically every module except the EndCap can be used on their own.

Although we wish this system had USB-C ports with high outputs for recharging laptops, we think it’s an innovative and space-saving charging solution. We appreciate Scoche for thinking outside the box by creating a modular system that lets users individually pick and choose what charging modules they need. Or, for those who want to splurge, Scosche sells two bundles for folks who need several.

Read More:

The Best Wireless Chargers Our Tech Editors Can't Live Without

Charge Your Phone Anywhere With These Solar Chargers

Keep Your Phone Charged On-the-Go With a Portable Battery Pack

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