Are chargers with multiple ports slower than normal chargers?

Are you hungry for power? Never have we had access to so many gadgets and never have we needed so much capacity to charge them. You have your phone, your headphones, your smartwatch, your laptop, your camera, your power bank…man, you’re busy! You’re the type of person who would choose a charger with three, four, or even five charging ports. But it’s important to make sure your brick matches the needs of all your equipment.

If and when you’re looking for a new power adapter or battery, don’t immediately click “Buy Now” after only seeing the top wattage – you probably shouldn’t expect this fairly compact 200-watt cube with multiple ports to charge every device at that rate all the time. It turns out, though, that you don’t necessarily sacrifice as much charging capacity by plugging multiple devices into the same charger instead of using dedicated adapters and plugs for each one. Below we’ll detail the numbers and letters to look for if you want to get the most out of your multiport charging.

To ensure that the multiport charger you choose can charge your devices as quickly as individual dedicated chargers, you need to know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. Ideally, you should determine how many power lines you might want at one time and how much peak hour power each line should consume. Electronics manufacturers print their acceptable operating power levels on their products, as well as on their charging accessories. This information should also be available in the manuals included in the box or available online. Look carefully at the Input section on the terminal devices or the Output section on these charging accessories and note the voltages and amperages listed.

Also note if any ports on the device support USB Power Delivery (ideally, revision 3.0 or later), especially on higher power items. In theory, the USB PD protocol allows for safe high-power charging up to 240 watts, as well as variable step-up voltage and current rates. That said, laptops that draw 200 watts or more through a dedicated adapter, usually with a bulky non-USB port, will typically limit USB PD charging to 100 watts. Wherever a device supports a proprietary fast charging standard, like OnePlus’ SuperVOOC or even Samsung’s, you may find that a charger will default to a lower speed. These limitations are one of the reasons why multiport units can compete with normal chargers in terms of speed.

Once you’ve determined your overall power needs – for all your devices at once – you’re ready to find the charger that’s right for you. Choose wisely and charging with your multiport charger won’t be noticeably slower than using multiple individual units.

Whether it’s a wall adapter or a power bank, you should look beyond the big wattage number at the top of the page. Product listings will list the maximum power each port can produce, and you’ll also often see these numbers printed right next to the ports. You can also find information about lower output rates when multiple ports are used simultaneously.

Ugreen, for example, sells a 500-watt 6-port charger that will always charge up to 240 watts on its top Type-C port, regardless of how many devices are plugged in. Between the second and fifth Type-C ports, you’ll get a maximum power rating of 100 watts and a lower cap of 60 watts, depending on how many and which ports are occupied in the pecking order. The last port, a Type-A, maxes out at 20 watts. With all six ports used and the middle four running at 60 watts, that’s how you get the advertised 500 watts rating.

For those on the run, Anker’s Prime Power Bank features a 9.6 amp-hour battery, as well as a built-in outlet that lets you transmit AC power to your devices. This bank has two USB-C ports that charge at up to 65 watts, whether one or both ports are in use and whether they are powered by the mains or battery. Ultimately, you’ll need to do a lot of reading about these powerhouses, especially since Anker and Ugreen, along with many other producers, will leave you spoiled for choice. Make sure you have an idea of ​​how many devices you’ll need to charge on a busy day and which ports you’ll plug them into.