This Compact Charger Is Great

Plugable did it again with its latest 40W Dual USB-C Charger. Delivering 40W from a single USB-C port, or 20W when both are in use, this charger now has a permanent place in my tech bag.

Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger (PS-40C2B/W)

The Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger (PS-40C2B/W) features two downward-facing USB-C ports and a total of 40W combined output. This charger will either send 40W out of a single USB-C port, or 20W out of both if you have two devices plugged in. Sticking out less than one inch from the wall, it’s perfect for compact situations like behind a bed or couch. Plus, it’s small enough to easily fit in a pocket, purse, or backpack for on-the-go charging.

Pros & Cons

• Ultra-compact design
• 40W single output is more than enough to charge a MacBook Air
• Can charge both an iPhone and MacBook Air or iPad simultaneously

• Only 40W output means it won’t work well for higher-power devices like the MacBook Pro

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Price and Availability

Plugable’s 40W Dual USB-C charger retails for $34.95 and comes in either black or white. It’s available at Amazon, B&H Photo, Plugable, and Adorama.

Plugable’s Dual USB-C Charger Features an Ultra-Compact Form-Factor

USB-C chargers can either be nice and slim or super bulky. Dual USB-C chargers are almost always the latter instead of the former. However, Plugable hit it out of the park with its latest 40W dual USB-C charger.

The small form factor measures less than one inch from the wall when plugged in, with both USB-C ports facing downward. This makes the charger more than just compact; it’s also extremely functional.

I much prefer USB-C chargers that have downward-facing ports, as then I can put the charger behind a couch or bed and still plug my phone, tablet, or laptop in. Sticking out less than one inch from the wall when plugged in, this charger barely protrudes at all. In fact, it’s almost .25 inches thinner than Apple’s dual 35W USB-C charger, and Plugable packed an extra 5W in there.

40W Makes This Charger Great for MacBook Air and iPhone

This charger isn’t just compact, but it also packs a decent punch. Apple’s just-released M4 MacBook Air ships with a 30W charger. That means when you’re using just one of the USB-C ports on Plugable’s dual charger, you’ll actually be charging faster than the stock MacBook Air charger.

And, if you have two devices plugged in? Both get up to 20W each. This might not be as much as the stock MacBook Air charger, but it’s more than enough to power your laptop during light to normal use while also charging your phone or iPad at the same time.

This makes the Plugable 40W dual charger one of my personal favorites to throw in my tech bag. My wife has an M1 MacBook Air, and we both have iPhone 15 Pros. So, whenever traveling, this charger is always with us because it can charge both of our phones at once or my wife’s phone and laptop at the same time. Plus, it hardly takes up any space in her purse or my laptop bag. Realistically, the cables take up far more room than this charger does.

The only thing I wish this charger did was output a little more power. 40W is great for most things, but I do wish that it could do 40W out of both ports simultaneously, or at least 60W combined so that it could do 40W out of one and 20W out of the other.

Should You Buy the Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger?

The compact form factor and dual output are really what make this one of my favorite on-the-go chargers. I’d highly recommend picking one up if you need a compact power source for your devices. While it might not fast charge a MacBook Pro, it’ll easily handle lighter tasks, like charging a MacBook Air, iPad, or iPhone.

Given that you have two outputs on the Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger, it really is ideal for both at-home and on-the-go charging. Plus, with how thin it is from the wall, you could easily plug it in behind your bed and still get the cables into the bottom (or top, depending on which way you plug it in).

Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger (PS-40C2B/W)

The Plugable 40W Dual USB-C Charger (PS-40C2B/W) features two downward-facing USB-C ports and a total of 40W combined output. This charger will either send 40W out of a single USB-C port, or 20W out of both if you have two devices plugged in. Sticking out less than one inch from the wall, it’s perfect for compact situations like behind a bed or couch. Plus, it’s small enough to easily fit in a pocket, purse, or backpack for on-the-go charging.