Keep everything juiced up and organized with this $60 multiport charger. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you constantly struggle with a spaghetti tangle of wires taking up space on desks, kitchen counters and bedside tables, there’s a better way to charge you and your family’s precious devices.
This seven-in-one charging station can power up an entire household’s worth of gadgets in a compact hub that takes up less than 8 inches of space. Even better, it’s now on sale for only $59.99 (regularly $89).
Get rid of that tangle of Apple charging cables with the Zens 4-in-1 Charging Station. Photo: Zens
There are plenty of stands that can handle an iPhone and Apple Watch, but the Zens 4-in-1 Charging Station tops that by adding a stand for an iPad, too. There’s even a AirPods charger and an Apple Pencil holder.
Zens also used CES 2023 to unveil other power products for Apple devices.
This 3-port wall charger looks like a tiny retro Macintosh. Photo: Sharkgeek
Who says nostalgia can’t be practical? The Sharkgeek Retro 67 is shaped like the original Macintosh, but the palm-size wall charger pumps up to 67 watts through a trio of USB-C ports.
The accessory for MacBook, iPad or iPhone can be preordered now.
RapidX MyCharging Station can wirelessly charge your iPhone in a vertical tray. And power four other devices at the same time. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mount the RapidX MyCharging Station on a wall socket and it can juice up all your gear without taking up counter space.
I added the accessory to my office and have been using it to keep my phone and tablet going. Here’s what it’s like to use the MyCharging Station in real life.
The Anker Nano II family offers big power n small packages. Photo: Anker
Anyone accustomed to the hefty MacBook power brick might want to sit down before they see the Anker Nano II 65W. This is far, far smaller than Apple’s wall charger, but can still put out 65 watts. The secret is gallium nitride.
Anker also introduced on Monday versions with 45W and 30W.
Aukey’s 18W USB-C power adapter has definite advantages over Apple’s offerings. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Aukey makes a USB-C charger that’s about as small at the standard 5 watt iPhone charger but provides far more power. The Minima 18W PD Charger can quickly juice up an Apple phone or tablet, as well as other devices. With it, that old 5W charger can go in a drawer where it belongs.
It’s a low-cost option, plus I tested the product with an iPhone and an iPad so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Apple connoisseurs value minimalism. So do you really want to lug around a bunch of different chargers for your devices? (It can be especially bad if you travel for business and require a wide array of gear to get the job done.)
Luckily, you don’t need to cart around a gaggle of adapters to be able to work on the go. The Mopoint World’s Smallest 65W GaN PD Charger packs a ton of multitasking power into a very petite package. With it, you can charge up to three devices simultaneously with fast-charging ports.
Don’t let the small size of the Aukey Omnia Mix fool you. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Aukey Omnia Mix wall charger offers a USB-C port that can handle anything from an iPhone to a MacBook. It’s palm-size but the 65W portable power adapter also includes a USB-A port for other electronics, like an Apple Watch.
My real-world testing included using the affordable charger with multiple Apple devices. Here’s how it stood up.
The Satechi Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station provides a place to put your phones and tablets while they charge. Photo: Satechi
The Satechi Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station is designed for homes with lots of electronics that need juicing up. It boasts multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, slots to hold four phones, tablets or other gadgets while they charge, as well as a single wireless charging pad.
It was unveiled at CES 2021, which kicked off Monday.
The Minix Neo P2 can charge any MacBook at full speed. Or power up four devices at once. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
There are so many electronic devices scattered around our homes and offices that a multi-port charger makes sense. The Minix Neo P2 can share up to 100 watts of power with a MacBook, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch all at the same time. Or it can charge your Mac at full power. Plus, the wall adapter is portable and can be used in power sockets around the world.
I used the accessory as my primacy charger for weeks to keep almost all my devices going. Here’s how it stood up in the real world.
The Aukey Omnia Mix3 Charger is smaller than Apple’s MacBook one, but boasts 3x as many ports. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Aukey Omnia Mix3 90W 3-Port PD Charger can juice up your MacBook Pro at nearly full speed. Or it can power your iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch all at the same time.
Since Apple stopped bundling chargers with its iPhones, but they do come with a Lightning to USB-C cable, now is a good time to consider a multi-port USB-C solution like this one.
I put the Aukey wall charger to the test powering up my devices. Read on to see how well it did.
A pair of USB-C ports and a USB-A one provide up to 66W of power for your electronics. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Minix Neo P1 uses gallium nitride to pack three powerful USB ports into a tiny wall charger. It can provide up to 66W to an iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or other gear. And the power adapter is made for travel, with fold-down prongs and adapters for a wide variety of countries.
I tested the Neo P1 with a variety of devices. Here’s how it stood up.
Scosche BaseLynx is one system, but it lets you mix and match the types of chargers you need: iPhone, Apple Watch, etc. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Scosche BaseLynx can quickly charge every Apple device you have — AirPods to MacBook Pro — either wirelessly or via cable. And this system is modular so you can get just the components you need and not the ones you don’t.
I’ve used it to power my Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad. Here’s how it survived real-world use.
Scoshe now makes an iPad Pro charger with two USB-C ports. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Before Apple started selling the 2018 iPad Pro USB-C power charger as a stand-alone product, Scosche introduced one that’s slightly more expensive but offers significant advantages.
In addition, Scosche sells a USB-C/USB-A car charger that iPad Pro users should consider as well.
The FuelBox PowerStation has built-in cables, a pair of AC outlets and a mobile battery pack. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Best List: FuelBox, a home and mobile charging system
There’s a secret magician lurking in our household. We never see them, but they somehow manage to disappear all our charging cables. It drives me batty. The kids, of course, deny any knowledge of the situation. Yet somehow it’s impossible to keep cables around the house. They just keep disappearing.
That’s why I like the FuelBox PowerStation, a charging system that combines a docking station/charging brick with a mobile battery pack. Both the docking station and the battery pack have built-in charging cables — both Lightning and mini-USB. No matter what, the cables can’t disappear.
I'd rather pack one of these than three bricks, personally, but I'm crazy. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Best List: iClever BoostCube 3-port wall charger
I have a bit of an embarrassing problem: Part of my device-charging setup in my bedroom includes a power strip that sits on the floor next to my bed. It isn’t the worst thing ever, but it’s ugly, and sometimes I trip over it. But I may have found a solution in the 3-port iClever BoostCube. It will save my pride, and some space in my bag when I travel, and that’s just good news all around.
Plus, the ports glow an eerie blue when it’s plugged in, and that’s really cool-looking.
The ChargeTech Portable Power Outlet means you'll never be without an outlet for your laptop, phone or tablet. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’ve ever tried to charge your laptop at the airport, you know that wall outlets are in demand like never before. ChargeTech’s portable power outlet means you’ll never be far from an outlet even if they’re all taken up or there’s not a wall around. It’s a game changer for anyone who needs a charge when they travel or go about their day, and you can get one now for only $139.99.
One charging station to rule them all. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Best List: AllDock USB charging station by AllDock
I have a gadget-friendly family. We’ve all got an iPhone, a few of us have iPads, and I’ve got an Apple Watch. All of these devices require charging, and all of them need a place to hang out when they’re not being used.
The AllDock is a gorgeous wooden universal charging station that lets me store and charge all the family devices in one location with ease, making it simple to grab any device and use it at a moment’s notice.