The 8 Best Charging Stations of 2021

Best Overall: SIIG Smart 10-Port USB Charging Station

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When you think about a charging station, you might think about larger families. But consider further that a family of four, each with a smartphone and tablet, already needs eight ports. So a 10-port charging system is not a crazy concept at all. Each of these 10 USB Type-A charging ports can put out a charge of 5V/2.4A. Some chargers will parse out power depending on how many devices are plugged in; this one puts out consistent power regardless. The slots that are built-in are a little thin at just .75 inches, so some thick cases might have trouble slotting in.

At the end, you've got a non-slip pad for holding other devices or keys or coins. You can also place other devices you want to charge there like earbuds or watches. There is no Qi charger underneath which seems like a real miss. We'd also like to see some cables included, though we understand the omission considering there are many different kinds of devices out there. But overall, this is our favorite pick because of the number of ports available and the organization involved.

_{Number of Ports: 10 | Power Output: 5V/2.4A | Type of Ports: USB-A}

Best Style: G.U.S. Eco Bamboo Multi-Device Charging Station

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Unlike most of the charging stations in this list, this one doesn't actually come with chargers. Rather, this is an organization tool you can use to sort out the various cables and devices you need to charter. For most, if not all of your devices, you'll already have a charging cable and brick. All that remains is a way to keep all of those things neat, and that's where this station comes into play. This charging station is made from sustainably sourced, natural bamboo that looks great. It has space for three vertically oriented phones and two tables or small laptops. 

The base of the charging station accepts your charging cables from the back. From there they can be coiled up and held in place with straps that run across the base. Simply feed through the end of the cable, and just like that you have a neatly organized charging station. It's environmentally friendly since it doesn't ship with electronics you don't need. It works with any cable or charger you have, though thicker cables might give it some trouble. But if you have all your cables in place with a place to plug them in, this charging station might be the last piece in your puzzle.

_{Number of Ports: 0 | Power Output: N/A | Type of Ports: N/A}

Best Versatility: intelliARMOR PowerHub Wireless Charging Station

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The Intelliarmor PowerHub wireless charging station calls itself a universal charger because it can charge anything. There's a qi charging wireless stand, two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and two AC outlets. The USB-A ports charge at 5V/2A, the USB-C port charges at 18W of power delivery, and the two AC outlets on the back output 110V. Basically, you can plug in any kind of charger into one of those ports, so it's incredibly versatile.

The charging pad is very good with a wide charging area. Our reviewer, Jeremy writes, "during experimentation, I was able to nudge my Pixel 3 past the edge of the cradle before breaking the connection, and could successfully establish a connection with the phone significantly off-center." The five-foot cable on the back is very thick and not detachable. If it could detach, this charger would be much more travel-friendly. As it stands, this is more of a set-and-forget kind of situation. Also, having ports on all sides makes for something of a nightmare of cable organization. But, you can charge up to six devices on this one power station, which means the PowerHub very much earns its name.

_{Number of Ports: 5 | Power Output: 5V/2A, PD18W, AC110V | Type of Ports: USB-A, USB-C, A/C}

Best for Mobile Devices: Satechi Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station

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The Satechi Dock5 Charging station is one of our favorites on this list. There aren't a lot of ports, but the ports it has are powerful. You'll get 10W of wireless charging on the Qi pad in front. Each USB-A port outputs 12W of power each and the USB-C port's output is 20W each of power delivery. That's a lot of juice for this small station. It also has a small footprint so it doesn't take up a lot of room. This charging station does not include cables, which is something we'd like to see considering how expensive it is. It does have a nice design though so the price might be worth it to you.

Best Wireless Charger: Anker 3-in-1 PowerWave 10 Stand

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Anker has long been a leader in charging technology including wireless changing. The PowerWave 10 charging stand offers you the ability to charge up to three devices simultaneously. The wireless charger is rated for up to 10W of wireless charging, You can charge wireless with your phone either in the horizontal or vertical orientation, though some reviewers noted that a thinker case can prevent the coils from lining up correctly.

On the back, you have two additional USB-A ports so you can charge two other devices as well. The smart chip also protects against overcharging and over-current while charging. All this charging capability keeps things in a small footprint so it doesn't take up too much space at all. We'd like to see a USB-C port here in 2021, and the power brick on the cable is a little larger than we'd usually like. This is a small device that lets you work with your phone while it's charging, and we dig that.

_{Number of Ports: 2 | Power Output: 12W | Type of Ports: USB-A}

Best Wireless Charging, Apple: Labobbon 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Dock

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Sometimes you just want to consolidate all of your charging needs. There comes a time when you realize you personally need a charging station. That's what the Labobbon 3 in 1 charging dock is for. It can charge your phone, your watch, your AirPods, and even another Qi device, all at once. The rotating stand lets you choose from USB-C, micro USB, and Lightning connectors. There's also a tab that sticks up that allows you to use the charging stand to watch your phone in landscape orientation.

This is a compact charging solution that can charge all of your Apple devices at once. A USB-A port on the back allows you to connect your watch charging plate to the stand, a lightning connector charges your AirPods, and the rotating stand charges your phone. You can even add a second phone on the Qi charging plate. It's a slim solution that can charge everything you need in one shot.

_{Number of Ports: 1, and two plugs | Power Output: 9V/3A | Type of Ports:  USB-A, USB-C (plug), Lightning, MicroUSB (plug)}

Best Secure Charger: Apple MagSafe Charger

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When the iPhone 12 debuted in the Fall of 2020, it came with a new charging concept called Magsafe. This uses the Qi charging standard in conjunction with magnets to align the coils. Simply snap the MagSafe charger onto the back of the iPhone and it charges your phone. The magnets secure the MagSafe charger to the back of the phone so you can accidentally knock the phone off the stand. Plus, the MagSafe charge uses Qi, so you could use it on any phone that accepts wireless charging (though there would be no magnets to align the coils).

That's pretty cool, but the MagSafe charger is really just a normal Qi charger with magnets. At $40, it's pretty expensive for what it is. We love the idea of attaching a wireless charger to the phone, but it's just a bit too rich for our blood, especially considering that the MagSafe charger doesn't come with the power brick you need to attain the 15W of charging it's capable of. If you have an iPhone 12, and you need a wireless charger for it, this is a good pickup. But if you just have a Qi-enabled phone, this is not the charger for you.

_{Number of Ports: 0 | Power Output: 15W | Type of Ports: Qi}