With the StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester, you can easily look for charging problems in your setup. It’s a quick and easy way to ensure your devices are getting all the power they’re supposed to.
I tested the inexpensive little multimeter out. Here’s what I found.
StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester review
After leaving your iPhone plugged in all night, you find its battery isn’t at 100%. So where’s the problem? Is it the wall charger? The cable? Is something wrong with the notebook?
The StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester can help diagnose the problem. In a few seconds, it can show if there’s no electricity coming out of a wall charger, or that there’s no power running through a USB-C cable.
The miniature multimeter even proves useful when there’s not a problem. Like most of us, you probably have a pile of old wall chargers of questionable usefulness. With this gadget from StarTech.com, you can check to see how much power they put out … if any.
Measure voltage, current and wattage with this bi-directional USB-C Power Tester. Quickly identify power delivery issues between USB-C docking stations, chargers/hubs and connected devices. Test USB-C cables to ensure full power transmission from USB-C sources
Digital display w/180° flip rotation provides real-time at-a-glance readings. Its portable design is ideal for IT Pros on-the-go.
- Very easy to use
- Extremely portable
- Doesn’t come with USB-A adapter
Table of contents: StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester review
- Small and simple USB-C multimeter
- Performance testing: Yep, it works
- StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
Small and simple USB-C multimeter
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester is designed to become a temporary part of your setup. When you have a device you want to test, plug one end of the voltmeter into its USB-C port, then plug the USB-C connector built into a cable into the other end of the voltmeter. A small screen on the testing device will then light up to show how much power is flowing.
For you experts, the device shows volts, amps and watts. I mostly use it to check the watts, plus the handy arrow that shows which direction the current is flowing.
The screen is bright enough to see easily and flips 180 degrees for easier viewing at the push of a button.
The whole gadget is very portable — about the size of my thumb. It measures 2.5 inches by 0.9 inches by 0.4 inches, and weighs less than half an ounce.
Performance testing: Yep, it works
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
I tested the StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester by checking the current running to my iPhone, iPad, power banks, and other accessories. The device is so simple to use, testing was a breeze.
After checking the power going to my computers and accessories with this multimeter, I then did the same tests with other measurement devices. The readings were always in very close agreement.
It does not interfere with data flowing over the same USB-C connections, as long as it’s 10Gbps or less. The testing device is not up to Thunderbolt 3 and above, which might be a dealbreaker for some Mac users. As a test, I connected my iPad to a 4K external monitor with power and data going through the multimeter — no problem.
StarTech’s testing device can handle up to 240W, 6.5A and/or 50V.
As another real-world test, I pulled out a wall charger made by Palm that’s at least 15 years old. I connected it to the StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester and my iPhone 17 to discover that the charger really still works. It tops out at less than 6W, but now I know the charger isn’t rubbish.
To do that test, I had to bring out my own USB-C to USB-A adapter, though. This is something that should have come with the multimeter.
StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester review: Final thoughts
Photo: StarTech.com
StarTech says this USB-C multimeter is for “technicians and IT pros,” but it’s also handy for those of us who’d simply like to find out what’s preventing our Apple devices from charging properly. It’s well-suited for that.
★★★★☆
Pricing
The StarTech.com USB-C Power Tester sells for $29.99.
Buy it from: Amazon
Measure voltage, current and wattage with this bi-directional USB-C Power Tester. Quickly identify power delivery issues between USB-C docking stations, chargers/hubs and connected devices. Test USB-C cables to ensure full power transmission from USB-C sources
Digital display w/180° flip rotation provides real-time at-a-glance readings. Its portable design is ideal for IT Pros on-the-go.
- Very easy to use
- Extremely portable
- Doesn’t come with USB-A adapter
StarTech.com provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
