Summary
Not every home or business needs a charging station with more than three USB-C ports, let alone ten. But if you’re in the market for a robust power hub you can connect several items to overnight, or you simply needa tonof USB-C power, thePlugable PS-10CC Charging Stationis a great option.
Plugable PS-10CC
A charging station for multiple devices, the PS-10CC works with nearly everything that supports USB-C charging from laptops to earbuds. And with extensive testing, built-in safety features, and third-party certification, you’re able to rest easy knowing your devices are safe.
Price and Availability
The Plugable PS-10CC Charging Station currently sells for $100 and can be purchased through Amazon. Gray is the only color option, and do keep in mind that you’ll need to provide your own USB-C power adapter (18 to 100 watts) andUSB-C to USB-C cable.
A Design That All but Disappears
The PS-10CC is the kind of workstation accessory that has one feature, and it executes that featureexceptionallywell. At 11.02 inches wide, 1.57 inches tall, and 4.13 inches from front to back, the Plugable hub didn’t call attention to itself when it was sitting on my desk. It’s also super easy to connect and disconnect and packs up nicely in a piece of luggage or bag of tech.
You can pretty much place it anywhere there’s room for it, but do make sure there’s an AC outlet in proximity. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll also need to provide your own USB-C power adapter and USB-C to USB-C lead.
Considering the PS-10CC’s eco-friendly design (50% recycled aluminum, and 75% recycled plastic), I’m not surprised the charging station doesn’t come with a USB-C power adapter. That being said, I bet most folks wouldn’t mind paying an extra $20 for a 10-port USB-C stationwitha USB-C power brick.
The front of the device is where all the USB-C charge ports are located. The USB-C power input is on the right side of the station.
All USB ports feature LED indicators. A range of blue, purple, and red lights (both solid and pulsing-type) indicate charge status, compatibility, and errors. Besides the PS-10CC itself, the product should also come with a user manual.
Fast and Reliable Charging
Besides the bountiful port count, one of the main advantages of the PS-10CC is Plugable’s trademarked PriorityShare™ tech. The USB-C inputs are engineered for left-to-right hierarchical charging. When multiple devices are connected, whatever gear is connected farthest to the left gets charged first (a handy Priority Charging label at the top of the charger illustrates this).
Results will vary based on how many devices are connected and hardware class. For testing purposes, I rigged the Plugable PS-10CC up with my MacBook’s supplied 60-watt Thunderbolt 4/USB-C power adapter; I thought this was a good balance between the charger’s lowest-wattage and highest-wattage outputs.
Considering my good experiences with Plugable products in the past, I was expecting solid results from the PS-10CC, and I’m glad to report I was notdisappointed. My testing process involved charging multiple devices at once, along with a couple of heavy-duty devices connected on their own. From left to right, one of these test scenarios was as follows:
A late 2020 iPad, an iPhone 12, and a 15,000-milliamp Raycon portable charger. When I plugged everything in at 4:30, the iPad was at 82% battery, the iPhone at 35%, and the Raycon charger at 48%. I returned after just half an hour to see how charging had progressed. The iPad was charged to 88%, the iPhone to 71%, and the charger to 52%.
I wasn’t expecting the iPad to take priority over the iPhone (because the battery level was higher to start), but I wasnotexpecting about 50% of my iPhone battery life to be replenished. This was a big power load on the PS-10CC, and it did a great job at charging the tech in order of importance.
I also had a good experience charging a single 2022 MacBook Air. I even opted for a less powerful USB-C power adapter (30 watts), and in the span of half an hour, my MacBook went from 55% to 84% battery. This makes the PS-10CC a reliable option for juicing up a laptop or tablet in a pinch.
It was interesting to watch the PriorityShare feature working in real-time, too. As the charger distributes power down the chain, the blue and purple LEDs let you know when your gear is topped off and which devices are currently receiving a charge.
Only a Couple of Drawbacks
Charging stations can chirp and whir some. This audible behavior isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, and I’ve encountered the phenomenon withmultiple chargersover the years. Still, the PS-10CC is particularly noisy when it’s servicing more than a couple of gadgets simultaneously. It’s a pesky kind of chirping, too, and a distraction I couldn’t tune out with noise-canceling headphones or earbuds.
This may not be such a big deal for some folks, but if you’re taking this on a family trip, it may be best to place it in an area away from where you and yours are sleeping.
I also wish Plugable would have at least provided a single 6 to 8-foot USB-C cable. Even a USB-C to USB-A adapter would have made me happy. I get it: USB-C is the new golden standard, but a lot of us are still using USB-A cables and the occasional Micro USB wildcard.
Should You Buy the Plugable PS-10CC Charging Station?
ThePlugable PS-10CC Charging Stationis a surefire way to ensure your everyday tech is charged efficiently. I’m also a big fan of any company that offers lifetime support for its products, a Plugable perk that extends to the PS-10CC. If you’ve got a boatload of USB gadgetry on your hands, this charging hub has got you covered!
If you’re looking for something a bit more plug-and-play, I recommend checking out my review of theRaycon Magic Laptop 5-in-1 Power Bank, a power bank witha feature I use every single day.
