The Best USB Charging Stations for 2021

Most households have more cords than they can keep track of. Instead of daisy-chaining surge protectors and playing find-an-outlet, you could just buy a single USB charging station. With options similar to a multiple device, public charging station, to a portable charger that’s mostly a bunch of USB ports on a long charging cord, simplifying your charging situation is easy with these USB hubs for charging and syncing.

We’ve reviewed the best options, whether you need a few extra ports or many. You’ll be able to find a charging station that reduces your outlet headaches and meets your power needs at home or in the office from our top choices for 2021.

This article concerns mostly those options with USB ports, so you’ll need to check our dedicated article if you’re looking for the best wireless charger. While if you’re looking for speed and nothing else, then check out the best fast chargers, or the best portable battery chargers if you’re looking to keep your phone juiced on the go.

Hercules Tuff Charging Station

The intelligent design of the Hercules Tuff charging station is one of its strongest assets: The plastic dividers can easily accommodate phones of a variety of sizes (including their cases), and will glow blue when being charged so you know when one is already active. It’s a good fit for a family charging hub or similar situation where everyone can benefit from quick use. The six ports come with three USB-C cables and three micro USB cables to help you with charging. However, if you need Apple’s Lightning cables for an iPhone or iPad, there are models that come with those cables, too.

Microsoft Surface Dock 2

While Microsoft’s dock is technically designed with Surface laptops in mind, it’s an excellent fit for any office, classroom, or similar space where professional connections are important. There are two front-facing USB-C ports for easy connections and charging, with two rear-facing USB-C ports to make UHD video connections to external monitors easier to handle. There are also two USB-A ports on the back, and a Gigabit Ether port to support streaming. The Surface Dock 2 station also supports security locks like Kensington brand to keep them safe if they need to stay in specific rooms.

RAVPower 6-Port Desktop USB Charging Station

• Ports: 6
• Output: 60W
• Cord: 5 feet

What lets you charge six devices at once, provides a maximum output of 60W — 2.4A per USB port, up to 12A in total — yet is completely portable, so you can chuck it in your bag or slip it in your pocket? This USB charging station from RAVPower. Small but mighty, it keeps your devices charged on the go or at home and comes with a long charging cord. If you don’t fancy the black option, it’s available in navy blue or white, too — and its solidly positive reviews make this well worth the money.

AmazonBasics 6-Port USB Wall Charger

• Ports: 6
• Output: 60W
• Cord: 5 feet

There are no frills here, just a charging station with six USB ports offering 2.4A each, up to 12A in total for a maximum output of 60W. It’s black, slightly textured, and has the AmazonBasics logo on top. There’s a long power cord supplied and a power switch on the side. AmazonBasics’ wall charger is relatively compact considering the number of ports, but it’s also quite light. However, since the power cord plugs into the back, it limits your placement options a bit. Still, if you need a lot of ports, this is a good bet. If we had to say anything negative, it does have a really bright blue light that illuminates when it’s plugged in, even when you’re not using the USB ports — so, it’s not one for the nightstand, and it doesn’t support QuickCharge for fast charging.

Vogek 6-Port USB Charger

• Ports: 6
• Output: 60W
• Cord: 4.6 feet

The Vogek Multi-Port USB charger hub is utilitarian, but also a cute and stylish device in fashionable metallic colors that can charge up to six devices simultaneously at full fast charging speed. It’s compact enough to fit easily into a backpack or briefcase for meetings or travel and looks great in your home too. The 4.65-foot power cable is a serviceable length for any room. The device’s smart charging technology identifies each device and its charging requirements so that each port delivers exactly the right amount of power, while a built-in LED indicator records whether the charger is properly connected to a power source. The anti-slip silicone rubber circle underneath holds the device steady to avoid damaging the furniture. The device is UL FCC CE RoHS-certified with 110V to 240V input for use worldwide. It comes in black, blue, or black/silver.

Xcentz USB Charging Station

• Ports: 5
• Output: 48W
• Cord: 4 feet

This versatile charging station offers one USB-C port rated at 3A, one fast charger USB-A port that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, and three USB-A ports rated at 2.4A each. The total maximum is 9A for a combined output of 48W. It’s a cube design with ports on the top and a rubber base that prevents it from sliding around on your desktop. The Xcentz USB charging station is not one for the nightstand as each port has a green LED, but it should prove handy for a shared charging space at work or perhaps in the kitchen at home. It’s sturdy and features a fairly unobtrusive look, apart from the unfortunate Xcentz logo.

Sabrent Desktop USB Charger

• Ports: 6
• Output: 60W
• Cord: 5 feet

If you’re looking for a USB charging hub with plenty of ports, then this desktop option from Sabrent is worth your consideration. It boasts six USB ports, each of which is rated at 2.4A, allowing for 12A total and 60W of simultaneous output. The wide base and rubber feet also ensure that it doesn’t slide around, and the USB ports are slightly angled upward, making it easy to plug in and unplug cables. The top panel is aluminum and comes in either silver or black. The Sabrent charger is not the most attractive hub on the market, and there’s no QC support, but it is fairly small and cheap.

Anker PowerPort 4

• Ports: 4
• Output: 40W
• Cord: None (plugs directly into outlet)

This charging station supplies ample power to sustain an entire home’s worth of active devices. You get four USB ports, and Anker’s PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technologies ensure that your device is charged as quickly as possible without exceeding the supported rate. The maximum output for a single port is 2.4A, with a total maximum rating of 8A and a combined output of 40W. It plugs directly into the wall with fold-out prongs that slot neatly away for travel. The Anker Power Port is an efficient, durable, and portable option. Makers prioritized usability with this charger, alerting users that it’s ready to charge with a blue light that turns on when you connect it to an outlet. Fast charging power is quite strong with this port, offering 2.4A at every plug-in. Unfortunately, there’s no Qualcomm Quick Charge support.

Aukey USB Charging Station

• Ports: 6
• Output: 30W
• Cord: 3.9 feet

Aukey’s USB charging hub has two ports that support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 standard, clearly marked in orange. Another four ports go up to 2.4A with Aukey’s AiPower technology, so they’ll determine what rate to charge when you plug in your device. That gives you a maximum of 9.6A and 60W output. You also have a power cable that is 3.9 feet long, which is plenty of length for most people’s space, but you can remove the cable if it gets in your way. A small green LED on the charging hub will tell you that the device is connected and available to charge.

Powkey Power Bank with AC outlets

• Ports: 4, plus 2 AC outlets
• Output: 200W

Powkey’s power bank isn’t pretty, but it’s very powerful, offering not only four USB ports but two AC outlets for charging larger devices when a USB won’t do. There is an intricate LED light system that alerts you about how much power you still have left in the charger, so it’s a great option to take with you on fishing and camping trips when you need to charge an Android phone, iPhone, iPad, and even more devices, and want to make sure you’re not stuck without juice. Also, note the two available charging input options: a traditional outlet connection and an alternative for solar power. Enormous power output requires serious preparation, so it will take a good 3 to 4 hours to fully charge this bank.

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