I have an iPhone, Airpods, PowerBeats Pro, an Apple Watch, an iPad, and a number of small devices (which charge more infrequently) that need Micro USB. That’s gives me, port-wise:
Lightning x 3
Apple Watch x 1
USB-C PD x 1
Micro USB x 1
I have a shelf next to the bed where I want to put all of this stuff at night, and I have the cables - but I’m short on actual power near the shelf.
I can buy a power strip and run it, but that’s still a mess of chargers to plug in. I’m wondering if maybe there’s a single charging station that I could run via an extension cord that would take care of everything.
So…anybody have any experience with a charging station that offers that many USB ports, and supports higher-draw charging? A USB-C PD port would be really nice, but if I have to I could go with USB-A to USB-C for overnight charging.
They often don’t include the USB C charger, for that I have the Satechi. But perhaps a 5 port version of the above, with the Satechi would do the trick? I’ll be setting up a charging station in my office after I move next week with that!
That’s looking closer than anything else I’ve seen, thus far.
Although I don’t have two devices that need USB-C. It looks like my iPhone 11 should support the PD profile, so I could do C-to-Lightning. Does that sound right to you? And if I plugged something else in to that Lightning connector (PowerBeats? Airpods?), should it just do regular charging? I know PD does some weird negotiation stuff with the device to try to figure out what’s connected, so not sure how that falls back. I’d like to think it’s not an issue.
That would give me two more USB-A ports to mess around with, which I might be able to handle if I stagger charging.
I have a couple of these attached to the back of my dresser (not on top of the finish) that keep the cords available and separated without having to fish them out or have a pile of loose cords hanging out the side of my dresser.
BTW @RosemaryOrchard I know you’re the sort who likes to have backup power with you, and you’ve entered the USB-C world…can I ask what you’re carrying for a portable battery pack these days?
I had some like that once, and they kept coming off my surfaces…do those particular ones work well for you?
I really, really love the idea. That, and I label cords so I have some idea what’s what (e.g. “is this the Lightning cable for my phone that will actually charge it? Or is it the one for charging my Airpods that’s plugged into my 1A port?”)
It varies! A lot of the time right now I carry a small battery with an Apple Watch charging puck built into it and a USB A port on it. Mine is discontinued but it seems Belkin make one.
I also have an Aukey, which I can’t find the link to right now. It has 2 USB A ports and a USB C on it, and is 10000Mah.
I’ve used this brand and the adhesive is really solid, but I’m also very careful not to yank the cords out of them, so I keep the cords in them and gently slide the cords through them when I plug in my devices.
Of course, it would be great if Apple could go ahead and make AirPower a possibility and eliminate like 70% of the reason I have for using these, lol. I still need to plug in my iPads daily.
I’m not Rosemary, but I have a similar compulsion to have power with me when travelling. I’ve been using the Mophie 3XL. It’s expensive but it’ll power my MacBook Air (if I need it to do that) and keep my iPhone and iPad charged several times over.
I was looking at that dock with the device slots, but my experience with those is that (a) they tend to not hod things like Airpods / Powerbeats well, and (b) with heavier cases (my girlfriend’s Otterbox) the device frequently doesn’t fit as well in the neat slots.
Although I’ve been considering just getting something like a vertical file sorter, a charger like that second one you mentioned, and setting the phone / tablet devices in there to charge.
I already have this neat little stand that holds my watch charger and my Airpods, so that much is taken care of. I just need to get power to the cables.
