USB-C Wall Chargers

Types of USB-C chargers

USB-C is the successor to the previous standard of microUSB, though it is also slowly replacing the ubiquitous USB-A connectors and ports that have been common for many years. One of the advantages of USB-C is that the connector is double-sided, meaning you can plug it in on either side, as opposed to only one side.

The chargers themselves also hold another key advantage: wattage. Where past devices with included chargers were once limited to 12 watts of power, USB-C is capable of going up to 100W or more. That extra power also does wonders when paired with faster data transfer rates. It’s one of the reasons why some manufacturers can offer Fast or Quick Charging features for their devices because the wattage works in tandem with the software that enables the faster charge on certain products.

USB-C chargers come in different form factors and configurations, especially when they are meant to be universal. They may be single port chargers or hubs with multiple ports capable of charging more than one device at a time. There are also hubs designed for laptops, like Apple MacBooks, to offer additional ports and pass-through to charge the battery.

What devices do USB-C chargers support?

There is an increasing number of devices that come with USB-C ports to support the new standard. It includes smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones and several other gadgets that have adopted it.

USB-C has been the closest laptops have come toward a universal standard that works across different Windows PC and Chromebook manufacturers. In addition, it’s the port of choice for the latest Apple MacBook and Google Pixelbook laptops. Laptops generally use 60W chargers, and third-party replacements may be cheaper than getting the first-party branded ones from Apple, Google and Dell, among others.

For smartphones and mobile devices, the benefit is two-fold. When not charging your laptop, you can use it to charge your phone, tablet or other devices. That kind of universality makes USB-C ideal for anyone who takes their work with them, or travels with a laptop and multiple devices. A single charger or hub can fill up the battery for more than one device at a time when you have the ports available.

How do USB-C chargers do fast charging?

The throughput in USB-C is greater than it is in USB-A. As an example, plugging in an iPad Pro through a USB-A charger may take up to 5 hours to fully charge, whereas with the 18W USB-C charger that comes with it, it takes about 3 hours. Use a 30W charger, and you knock that down to 2 hours, 30 minutes. All of this is contingent on using an MFI-certified USB-C-to-Lightning cable, and it doesn’t have to be the official one from Apple.

USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) is a fast-charging standard implemented by the creators of the USB, and it’s capable of reaching up to 20 volts, though uses a variable model based on what device you’re charging. These types of adapters and chargers use USB-C to achieve those results.

That’s why if you plug in a smartphone to a 45W or 60W charger, the latest phones will charge up to whatever wattage the phone can handle, giving you plenty of power in only 30 minutes. Some phones will work best (and fastest) when using the cable that came in the box, but third-party options are usually good alternatives, too.