Empty your desk drawers of all those extra power adapters by switching to one of these directly-wired options.
My desk drawer is filled with power adaptors for iPhones, Android devices, and other USB-powered miscellany, and the space behind my desk isn’t much prettier–it’s filled with plugs, adapters, and extenders that can surely be classified as a fire hazard. You don’t have to live life in a jumble of cords and and with drawers of dongles—there are new, tech-friendly wall outlets available that let you plug USB cables right in. Here are 10 of the best.
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Image: Amazon
This model from TOPGREENER adds two USB ports without sacrificing regular plugs in the process. It’s available in a wide variety of colors and finishes, and it can be bought individually or in packs of two. A Wi-Fi enabled smart meter version is available as well.
Image: Lowe’s
If you want to dispense with three-prong outlets altogether, this option from Legrand just has four USB ports and nothing else. If there’s a room in your house where a lot of USB-powered devices live, this will be the perfect addition.
Image: The Home Depot
USB-C will become the standard eventually, so if you’re going to wire up a room in your house with USB ports you may as well include at least one USB-C port. This outlet will leave you with two standard three-prong outlets, one USB-A and one USB-C port.
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Want to supercharge your outlet instead of just replacing it? This adapter can do just that. Plug it into a standard wall outlet, and you’ll get six three-prong plugs, two USB, one USB-C, a night light, and a charging shelf. And because it’s an adapter, there’s no need to mess with electrical wiring to get the benefits.
Image: Lowe’s
The novel feature of this wall outlet isn’t its single USB port: It’s the Qi-enabled wireless charging pad (and shelf) that come with it. When you install this outlet, you’ll add a double-wide outlet cover, half of which is for wirelessly charging devices.
Image: The Home Depot
If you’re worried about USB ports getting in the way of devices with larger wall plugs, this might be the outlet for you: Its dual USB ports are above the top three-prong outlet, leaving the bottom one free for bigger plugs and adapters.
Image: Walmart
Want USB outlets in the wall, but don’t want them visible? The SnapPower USB Charger 2 is what you’re looking for. Like most of the outlets included here, this one adds two USB ports–the difference in this case is that they’re hidden and off to the side of the bottom of the socket cover.
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If you use a smart home or office hub, the Lumary Smart Wi-Fi outlet can give you more device connectivity without having to add bulky adapters. The USB ports and the three-prong outlets can be controlled by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and can also be controlled via a smartphone app no matter where you are in the world.
Image: Amazon
If you use a smartphone or tablet that supports rapid-charging technology, this is the outlet you’re looking for. It comes with two Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 USB outlets and can “refill 80% power in 35 minutes to all quick charge enabled devices.”
Image: Amazon
If you want to forego USB-A outlets in favor of just USB-C, this model has you covered. It looks like most of the other standard USB-enabled outlets in this article, but both the ports are USB-C. It’s also available in one, two, four, six, eight, and 10 packs, so you can get everything you need for an entire home or office in one purchase.
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