Make sure your device is compatible. If you have a small device to plug in with a cable — smartphones (whether Apple or Android smartphones), wireless headphones, iPad, Nintendo Switch and so forth — all of these chargers will almost certainly be compatible. And most of them will charge those products at a faster speed — sometimes a far faster speed — than the default charger that came with the device. For Macs, it’s easy: If your Apple laptop has a USB-C port, it will accept power delivery chargers, while older models with MagSafe power adapters won’t. On the PC and Chromebook side, it’s trickier: Most — but not all! — new laptops with USB-C ports support power delivery charging (even if they also have a traditional proprietary charging port). Check the manufacturer’s support documentation to verify.
Get the right charging cable. The reason the RAVPower dual-port model is our top pick is that it’s truly a universal charger: It will power any standard USB or USB-C device using your old-fashioned USB-A connector or newer USB-C charging cable. But if you get one of the other models above with only a USB-C output, you’ll need to make sure you get a compatible cable, such as:
- USB-C to USB-C cable (for MacBooks, newer iPad Pros, PCs and Chromebooks and some newer accessories like speakers and headphones)
- USB-C to Micro-USB cable (for many current and older accessories, including most non-Apple wireless headphones and devices)
- USB-C to Lightning cable (for all iPhones, most iPads, AirPods and other Apple accessories)
Make sure the connections are secure. In at least one test, I came back to a laptop 30 mins later and found it didn’t charge at all. It turned out that one side of the cable was just half a millimeter too shallow in the laptop port, preventing a full connection.
Buy a USB-C compatible device. Slowly but surely, the entire electronics industry is moving over to USB-C as a common standard for data and power. While Apple’s Lightning port remains a huge exception to the rule, the affordable Lightning-to-USB-C cable has bridged the charging gap. Meanwhile, expect Micro USB to become more of an endangered species in the years ahead. When and where you can, try to opt for a USB-C device, cable and charger as you shop for things like battery packs, wireless headphones, tablets and other peripherals to plug-in. It’s a great way to future-proof your gadgets.
Elebase USB-C adapters.
Keep a few USB-C to USB-A dongles on hand. Yes, USB-C power is pretty great — except that nearly every airline seat, coffee shop, airport lounge and hotel room now seems to be equipped with those old-fashioned USB-A charging ports. That’s why it never hurts to keep some adapters on hand for your device. The Elebase dongle shown above includes an integrated keychain that keeps it attached to the main cable. Not exactly elegant, but it gets the job done — at $9 per pair.
