What wattage for USB-C PD wall outlets?

[4xdog]

I'm considering upgrading a couple of outlets in kitchen and shop at my new place in Santa Fe with USB-A/USB-C PD versions.

What wattage does the community recommend? Is it worth uprating to a PD outlet with enough power to charge a laptop? That might be useful in the shop, maybe less so but not impossible on a kitchen counter.

Here's an example. Lots of options for this kind of thing. Any specific recommendations would be useful, too.

 

[mike93lx]

Don't use that no name garbage. UL listed only for me (or as noted, another NRTL) .

Leviton makes a good one and it's 30w

Leviton T5635-W 30W (6A) USB Dual Type-C/C Power Delivery In-Wall Charger with 15A Tamper-Resistant Outlet, USB Charger for Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, White https://a.co/d/duJuJAC

30w can charge a laptop but on a large one, it may not keep up under use

For a laptop, I have a couple 65w anker mini chargers that I like a lot.
This is one
Anker USB C Charger, 715 Charger (Nano II 65W), GaN II PPS Fast Compact Foldable Charger for MacBook Pro, Galaxy, Dell, iPhone 15, iPad Pro, and More https://a.co/d/8dwb9mV

 

[75gmck25]

I have considered installing a few of those receptacles with USB charging. However, they are relatively expensive, so I would only want to install them in a few places.

Using a compact Anker charger like the one referenced above, or an even bigger one with both USB-C and USB-A receptacles has been more convenient for me overall. I can move it along with my laptop or iPad, and have USB power wherever I need it. YMMV

 

[Shiftless]

In my experience, those devices are much larger than a standard duplex receptacle so make sure your box is big enough to comfortably handle the extra cubic inch or two.

 

[Buckaroo5]

I put three of these in my kitchen but you need to make sure you have a charging cord to take advantage of the 30w charging capacity.

https://www.menards.com/main/electr...wcc6/p-10834816302364748-c-9526.htm?exp=false

This is the charging cord I use....

https://www.anker.com/products/b81a2?variant=42730448584854&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=us_anker_charger_conversion_pmax_bestsell_purchase_ost&utm_content=bestsell&utm_term=%7B20262330602%7D_%7B%7D_%7B%7D&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3i_DJ43TBNKS87j3jwqQFa4AC3YLGujIObEEKdeXoHXK2QY2WDq-SRoCrWQQAvD_BwE

 

[4xdog]

Don't use that no name garbage. UL listed only for me.

Leviton makes a good one and it's 30w

Oh, fershure -- that image was the first 65W one I found as an example. Thanks for the idea to go lower in power -- that might work, and as @Shiftless noted, these things take a lot of volume in an outlet box.

 

[908Jim]

I'm considering upgrading a couple of outlets in kitchen and shop at my new place in Santa Fe with USB-A/USB-C PD versions.

What wattage does the community recommend? Is it worth uprating to a PD outlet with enough power to charge a laptop? That might be useful in the shop, maybe less so but not impossible on a kitchen counter.

Here's an example. Lots of options for this kind of thing. Any specific recommendations would be useful, too.

Oh, fershure -- that image was the first 65W one I found as an example. Thanks for the idea to go lower in power -- that might work, and as @Shiftless noted, these things take a lot of volume in an outlet box.

One thing to note is Intertek (ETL) and CSA are both 3rd party Nationally Recognized Test Labs (NRTL) that test to UL or relevant standard standards. I was shopping for a USB C/C config at Home Depot last week and noticed that Leviton's latest PD 30w outlets are tested by CSA, not UL. My in-wall timer switch for a porch light is tested by Intertek ETL.

Now, whether the no-name Amazon products actually have the credentials to use the stamp is another story, so I would still only buy a trusted brand.

Edit: meant to reply to @mike93lx with above, but also Anker chargers have given me a lot of PD 3.0 spec issues on google pixel devices over the last few years. I used to love them, but powerline cables and the GaN chargers have really frustrated me. I've had better luck with Ugreen, Aergiatech, and OEM supplied bricks.


Back to OP, I noticed the leviton 60 watts have stranded leads that need wire nuts, but the 30 watts can be directly wired. I'm probably going to go the leviton 30 watt route because of box volume concerns. 30 watts will still slow-charge a single laptop. I think 60 watts is really only needed if you plan on working on the laptop while it charges. Even then, I knock my performance down to "efficiency" on my laptop for emails and nonsense and my 30 watt phone charger keeps up.

 

[nadogail]

Watts in an electrical power supply are similar to Dollars in your Credit Line; you just can't have too many.

 

[Shiftless]

Watts in an electrical power supply are similar to Dollars in your Credit Line; you just can't have too many.

True, however, if you have to pay a lot of money for capacity that you won’t need in the foreseeable future, you are wasting $$.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The latest version of the USB Power Delivery spec goes up to 48V @ 5A ! The previous version was 20V @ 5A. Remember, anything over 3A requires a SPECIAL CABLE !

 

[BurtEggley]

why? Hint: because I can is not an acceptable answer. Right now I can go anywhere in the house and charge a phone or laptop with the chargers and cords sitting on my desk. Any charger built into a wall socket is going to have one of those chargers built into it that converts 120V ac to USB voltages. When it goes bad I'd rather plug another charger in than replace the whole wall socket.

 

[mike93lx]

One thing to note is Intertek (ETL) and CSA are both 3rd party Nationally Recognized Test Labs (NRTL) that test to UL or relevant standard standards. I was shopping for a USB C/C config at Home Depot last week and noticed that Leviton's latest PD 30w outlets are tested by CSA, not UL. My in-wall timer switch for a porch light is tested by Intertek ETL.

Now, whether the no-name Amazon products actually have the credentials to use the stamp is another story, so I would still only buy a trusted brand.

Edit: meant to reply to @mike93lx with above, but also Anker chargers have given me a lot of PD 3.0 spec issues on google pixel devices over the last few years. I used to love them, but powerline cables and the GaN chargers have really frustrated me. I've had better luck with Ugreen, Aergiatech, and OEM supplied bricks.


Back to OP, I noticed the leviton 60 watts have stranded leads that need wire nuts, but the 30 watts can be directly wired. I'm probably going to go the leviton 30 watt route because of box volume concerns. 30 watts will still slow-charge a single laptop. I think 60 watts is really only needed if you plan on working on the laptop while it charges. Even then, I knock my performance down to "efficiency" on my laptop for emails and nonsense and my 30 watt phone charger keeps up.

Thanks.

I have only anker chargers and haven't encountered any issues. Samsung phone and tablets, iPhone 16, multiple headphones, a couple laptops.

 

[tez929rr]

I have a bunch of the older Leviton outlets with USB-A (who knew they would be starting to be obsolete in 8 years), and I keep a laptop charging off of one of the USB ports with no issues.

 

[reader2580]

My employer has a variety of Dell laptop models that require different wattages for their USB-C charging. The laptops will complain at power on if a USB-C charger without enough wattage is connected. I don't think any of them would support charging at 30 watts, and these are smaller 13" laptops that are not especially powerful.

 

[Metal-Marc]

Watts in an electrical power supply are similar to Dollars in your Credit Line; you just can't have too many.

This. Go as big as possible.

 

[Metal-Marc]

True, however, if you have to pay a lot of money for capacity that you won’t need in the foreseeable future, you are wasting $$.

No you don't. Your power supply will work better, as it has a higher margin of safety by being able to whitstand better a 20W load if it's a 60W power supply over a 30W power supply.

 

[mike93lx]

My employer has a variety of Dell laptop models that require different wattages for their USB-C charging. The laptops will complain at power on if a USB-C charger without enough wattage is connected. I don't think any of them would support charging at 30 watts, and these are smaller 13" laptops that are not especially powerful.

They may not charge when the laptop is in use, but should be fine when it is off

 

[boatshoes]

When it goes bad I'd rather plug another charger in than replace the whole wall socket.

This is my guiding light on the subject. I have a couple of these outlets in places like the bathroom for charging watches, flashlights, and other stuff at low speed and where wall warts look like a nuisance. But everywhere I want actual PD performance, I use an easily-replaceable/upgrade-able wall wart.

 

[reader2580]

My employer had a telecom person a number of years ago who said not to use a higher power adapter from an iPad to charge an iPhone. She said the higher power adapter would fry the iPhone. Funny, I've used high amperage chargers to charge iPhones for years, and never fried an iPhone. A device is only going to use as many watts/amps as it needs.

I won't use the Chinese brand cheap electrical receptacles/switches. I know most electrical stuff is made in China now, but I use known brands like Leviton, Legrand, Hubbell, and so on.

 

[LeeG]

Check out the Leviton T5636-W. Dual 60w USB-C. The USB spec has the power supply query the device for the required power and only deliver that much, so as long as everything follows the spec, you are fine with higher power outlets.

 

[mike93lx]

Check out the Leviton T5636-W. Dual 60w USB-C

FYI, Its not dual 60w. It's 60w total and all of that can be fed to one port

 

[dcg9381]

Modern laptops are 45W, 60W, or 90W of power when fed by USB-C and the correct cable.
I think 30W on USB-C would be more than enough for most small devices or for "trick charging" laptops when they are off.

 

[ArcReactorKC]

I've changed most of our outlets to usb-c and USB-A combo receptacles. I think most are 30w
However the ones on the counter are 65w to charge laptops. I know my surface laptop will charge off the 30w when it's powered off, but my dell workstation laptop needs 65w minimum to even attempt to charge.

I just went and found a spare in the shop and it's some no-name amazon brand. I've been charging multiple machines off of them without issues. For what it's worth when doing a thermal scan none of them exhibit a high heat signature or anything like that either.

 

[908Jim]

My employer has a variety of Dell laptop models that require different wattages for their USB-C charging. The laptops will complain at power on if a USB-C charger without enough wattage is connected. I don't think any of them would support charging at 30 watts, and these are smaller 13" laptops that are not especially powerful.

FWIW, my work laptop is a latitude 74xx(?) Or something like that, under 3 years old, and I routinely leave it plugged into 18w, 30w, and 40w phone chargers in hotels, airports, and even home. It charges slowly but otherwise fine. If I wake it up while connected the bios screen before bitlocker warns you it's connected to a low power charger and you have to manually select "boot anyway" or plug into a 65w supply. In this case, even the 60 watt outlet is going to throw the error.

Point being, low power outlets should charge laptops slowly but otherwise without issue. Steady state, my "business grade" laptop seems to need about 30 watts running to keep the battery level flat, and obviously more to fully charge it. OP needs to decide why he's installing the USB C outlets and that will determine what output to use. If it's a place where you'll just drop off your phone, the 30 watt is fine. If it's a place you might just park a laptop when not in use, 30 watt is probably fine. If it's a place you'll actively be using the laptop for extended periods of time (desk or your work bench) you might want to bump up to a 60 watt, but the 30 watt might also be fine depending on how much you're using it. If you're work laptop is a "work station" and you plan on using it extensively, I don't think you'll escape a giant wall charger. The dell precisions are like 180w+ supplies.

Edit: if your goal is to quickly charge your laptop so you can go back to using it remotely, then you're not going to solve this problem with a regular receptacle with USB-C. You might need to find a dedicated in-wall charger. We have them built in to some of our conference tables at work and they are definitely fast.

 

[CraigStu]

I am w/ BurtEggley. I'd rather use the block that came w/ the device to charge it. That gets me away from having to think about 30W or whatever. It also gets away from having a USB port but a USB-C wire. Since we are on our 3rd USB version in the last 10 years or so who knows that the next one will be.

 

[mike93lx]

I am w/ BurtEggley. I'd rather use the block that came w/ the device to charge it. That gets me away from having to think about 30W or whatever. It also gets away from having a USB port but a USB-C wire. Since we are on our 3rd USB version in the last 10 years or so who knows that the next one will be.

Thankfully usbc can handle data speeds and power levels well beyond what we need for today's devices, so hopefully we'd are good for a long stretch

 

[maplewood]

My employer had a telecom person a number of years ago who said not to use a higher power adapter from an iPad to charge an iPhone. She said the higher power adapter would fry the iPhone. Funny, I've used high amperage chargers to charge iPhones for years, and never fried an iPhone. A device is only going to use as many watts/amps as it needs.

Yeah, the device and charger negotiate to get the power that the device wants. This is part of the "PD" (power delivery) in USB PD. Its also why some chargers and cables have issues, since at least in earlier years they didn't all implement the spec correctly. https://acroname.com/blog/basics-usb-power-delivery-negotiations

 

[bwringer]

Yup, 30W will still top up a laptop that's not in active use.

Unless you're the sort of obsessive who leaves the thing on at full brightness running games, mining crypto, and 3D simulations 100% of the time, and you never eat, pee, or sleep, 30W will be perfectly fine.

Modern laptops have astonishing energy efficiency, and devices of all types are generally getting more and more energy-efficient. USB-C at 30W is pretty future-proof, I think.

My Macbook Air M2 is ridiculously energy efficient. I once forgot the charger on a five day trip, and arrived home at about 70% battery using it between one and two hours a day.

 

[BrandonV]

My employer had a telecom person a number of years ago who said not to use a higher power adapter from an iPad to charge an iPhone. She said the higher power adapter would fry the iPhone. Funny, I've used high amperage chargers to charge iPhones for years, and never fried an iPhone. A device is only going to use as many watts/amps as it needs.

Back in the day I've seen a few devices that really wanted to be mated to the right power supply/charger. It all boils down to piss poor circuit design. Anything designed for the consumer... yeah plug away.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My employer had a telecom person a number of years ago who said not to use a higher power adapter from an iPad to charge an iPhone. She said the higher power adapter would fry the iPhone

Yeah thats BS….

 

[Banjorear]

I have a bunch of the older Leviton outlets with USB-A (who knew they would be starting to be obsolete in 8 years), and I keep a laptop charging off of one of the USB ports with no issues.

Same. I have some in my garage and they work well in there too. I did switch one in the kitchen to the newer Leviton USB-C outlet and it also chargers all of our MacBooks no problem.

 

[reader2580]

FWIW, my work laptop is a latitude 74xx(?) Or something like that, under 3 years old, and I routinely leave it plugged into 18w, 30w, and 40w phone chargers in hotels, airports, and even home. It charges slowly but otherwise fine. If I wake it up while connected the bios screen before bitlocker warns you it's connected to a low power charger and you have to manually select "boot anyway" or plug into a 65w supply. In this case, even the 60 watt outlet is going to throw the error.

That is exactly the error. I never realized the error could be bypassed. This has always happened at work so I just find the correct wattage adapter.