When it comes to charging your devices, many of us have all kinds of cables coming out of the wall outlets at home to charge our smartphone, our tablet, our smartwatch, and whatever other gadgets we may have laying around. However, there’s an easier way. In the past, we’ve reviewed a number of 5-port USB Desktop chargers, as well as a 6-port and a 10-port model (for those that want to go a bit crazier. But now we have another one, this one’s from Inateck, and a bit cheaper, coming in at under $20 from Amazon. So it is worth your money? That’s what we are here to find out in our full review.
Inateck is a somewhat small company, as far as when it comes to companies that make accessories and such. They sell exclusively through Amazon, and have some really great products, like their HiFi speaker which we reviewed a few months ago. So while this 5-port Desktop USB Charging station is fairly cheap, don’t let that make you think that the product isn’t any good. It actually is really good. In the box, Inateck include the 5-port USB Desktop Charging station. As well as the power supply, because of course you need a way to charge it. That cable is about 4-feet long. Giving you a bit of freedom as far as where you want to put the 5-Port Charging station. Unfortunately, Inateck does not include a micro USB or even a lightning cable for you to charge up your smartphone or tablet. Rather unfortunate, but you should already have those in your possession. If you do wish to get a few extras, these are some good choices on Amazon for micro USB cables.
As far as output goes, we’re looking at 8A here for the entire 5 ports. It can charge up to a max of 2.4A per port, but the hard cut off is 8A, for all of the ports. So if you’re using all 5 ports, then you won’t be getting 2.4A out of each and every one. And that’s just because there just isn’t enough power there to do all of that. There’s no Quick Charge 2.0 here, however at 2.4A max, that’s pretty similar to what Quick Charge 2.0 does. Inateck uses a technology that allows the ports to connect with the device it’s charging and find out what the max amperage is that it can handle. This way, the charging station doesn’t overcharge your smartphone or tablet, as that could lead to some major issues down the road.
A lot of times when we get products that are made in China and are rather cheap, we tend to see and feel how cheap they are. But that’s not the case here. The Inateck 5-Port USB Desktop Charger feels nice and solid in the hand. Although, you won’t be holding it much anyways. The outside has a soft-plastic finish. Think of the Nexus 5, it feels pretty identical to that. There is also a metal stripe around it which houses the Inateck logo, as well as some other information. Including the “Made in China” as well as certifications, and the input/output information. Now on the front where the USB ports are, you’ll find a lightning bolt icon in front of each port. That is to indicate that it is compatible with Inateck’s smart charging technology. On the opposite side of the USB ports, is a indicator light. This lights up blue when it’s plugged in. The reason for that is to let you know that it has power. Instead of wondering if it has power before plugging in your phone and heading off to bed or wherever.
Not only does this Inateck 5-port USB Desktop Charger feel solid, but it also looks good on the side of your desk, for charging devices. I’ve been using it on my desk to charge various devices for the past few weeks and have loved how it looked. With it being black, it fits in quite nicely. It can charge up my Moto X Pure Edition quite quickly without any issues, always a nice feature to have. Like we mentioned earlier on, it’s not Quick Charge 2.0, but it can still charge your phone pretty darn quickly. Definitely better than being stuck with a 1.5A or a 1.8A port for charging your phone.
I’ve enjoyed my time with the Inateck 5-port USB Desktop Charger. It’s charged every device I’ve plugged in, pretty quickly. The only issue I had with it – and it’s not exclusive to this desktop charger, by any means – is that while you have 5 ports there to charge your gadgets, you also have 5 USB cables hanging out from it. Which definitely do not look good on your desk. Especially if you’re a person that likes to keep things neat and not so messy. But this isn’t something that is just an issue with Inateck, it’s something all of these multi-port desktop chargers seem to have. And the only way around it, that I can think of, is to have retractable cables that store inside the desktop charging hub. This way when they aren’t being used, they aren’t in the way, and looking messy.
You can pick up the Inateck 5-port USB Desktop Charging Station from Amazon right now for $19.99. That includes Amazon Prime shipping, if you are a member. This is their 40W, 5-Port option. Inateck is also selling a 36W, 4-port option on Amazon that goes for about $15. Inateck does only offer this one in black, but we might see a few other colors come available in the future. If you’re looking for a solution for charging all of your gadgets around the house (and more and more are coming with USB cables lately), then this option from Inateck is definitely a good one to check out. Their Desktop charging station is safe, as it has passed all of the safety regulations (this includes the CE, FCC, ROHS and ETL certifications), so you won’t need to worry about it catching fire or damaging your devices.
