ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Plugable’s 10-Port USB-C Charging Station is available now for $98.
- This beast of a charger turns one USB-C port into ten, with up to 100W in each port and priority charging from left to right.
- This is just a charging device, as there’s no data transfer here.
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If you have a lot of devices to charge up, you no doubt know how hard it can be to find a spare outlet or slot to get that much-needed power boost. With all these power-hungry devices lying about, it’s not uncommon to have more devices than charging points.
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Enter: the Plugable 10-Port USB-C Charging Station. This transforms one USB-C charger into a staggering ten USB-C ports. If you’re done scrounging for USB-C access, this single docking station relieves you of that scarcity.
Let’s take a look.
The charging station looks like a long, skinny hub. There’s a single USB-C input port on one end, and along the front there are ten additional USB-C ports that are used to dispense the power from the charger. If you have any devices that need to be charged using USB-A, then you’ll need a USB-C to USB-A adapter.
You need to supply your own charger, and the charging station will work with any USB-C charger from 18W upwards. The maximum load that the hub can handle is 100W, and assuming a 100W of more input charger, each port can output a maximum of 100W.
Just keep in mind that the charging station does not allow data transfer, only power.
Plugable uses its PriorityShare technology to intelligently distribute power across all connected devices, in order from left to right. Multiple ports may charge simultaneously if sufficient input power is available. As devices reach full charge, power is reallocated to other devices down the line.
The Plugable 10-port charging station looks a lot like a hub, but it cannot carry data.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Each port has its own LED indicator that changes color depending on what’s happening with that port — purple indicates ports waiting to charge a device, flashing blue indicates charging, and a solid blue indicates charging has finished. A red light indicates an error, and this might be cleared by unplugging and replugging the device.
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No cables, chargers, or power supplies are included with the charging station. If you need a charger, I suggest one that can handle 100W. In my testing, the charging station performed flawlessly, dishing out power in the required order, and handing that power downstream to the next device once a device was charged.
ZDNET’s buying advice
This is one of those devices that, once you get one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t have it earlier. It’s perfect for an office, a break room, workshop, or a busy desk that suffers from tech overload and charger chaos. Being able to replace a whole box full of chargers with one, and then prioritize how the devices are charged is a perfect way to tame the charging madness.
For $99, this is a great accessory for those with a lot of gadgets to keep charged up.
