I'm not particularly Type A about most things, but it's a different story when it comes to charging.
I hate ruining a gadget's battery by over-charging almost as much as I hate running out of battery in the first place, which, as you might have picked up on, is kind of a catch-22.
Living in that intersection of wanting things to be charged and charged right is a balancing act, and normally, I have to bear the burden of doing that balancing myself.
Plugable, however, may have just changed my charging triage for good.
One USB-C hub to rule them all
Chargers that prioritize devices based on power needs aren't a new concept, but this year at CES 2025, Plugable released an entrant into the space that feels — to use video game parlance — OP. ("Overpowered.")
I'm talking about the recently launched PS-10CC, which I got to both see and try for myself. The "10" in PS-10CC stands for the 10 whole ports that this hub has, which makes it unique, sheer numbers-wise, among chargers that are able to intelligently deliver juice to your devices.
If 10 ports seem like overkill, it kind of is, but it's also the type of maximalism that might appeal to someone with an elaborate desk setup, which is admittedly not me.
To test this beast out, I tried to lean into the maximalism of it all and hook as many USB-C devices as possible.
I started small with a trio of gadgets — my laptop, phone, and earbuds.
The first thing you need to know about this hub is that it's genuinely unlike others you've probably used. Instead of giving each device in the USB-C array equal priority, the PS-10CC intelligently assesses power needs and then distributes that power as needed.
The hub has a max output of 100W, but it obviously can't deliver 100W to each device simultaneously. In the case of non-smart USB-C hubs, that would mean that if all ten ports were being used simultaneously, each would get 10W. However, the PS-10CC can tell which device needs the power and adjust the wattage triage accordingly.
In theory, that should get your devices charged more efficiently since the device with the highest need gets the most juice. And, in case you are wondering, you can also set the priority of which device you want to get charged first.
The order of ports from left to right is highest to lowest respectively, so if you want something charged first, you can slot it in the first port on the left.
In my initial test of three devices, I plugged my phone into the first slot, my laptop into the second, and the earbuds into the third. I noticed the hub prioritize my laptop immediately, which was obviously drawing the most power, while my phone took the backburner.
Admittedly, watching my phone charge slower than my laptop was a bit frustrating, but this is a USB-C hub for those who are fixated on optimized charging, not necessarily speed, and once you settle into letting the hub do the work, it's nice to know that (in due time) your gadgets will be charged in a way that preserves the battery and is more efficient.
One thing I did notice in my testing was that the hub doesn't immediately register each device right away, so there was some unplugging and re-plugging that needed to be done after I disconnected my laptop on the device-facing end. Whether that's an issue with the hub or if I just didn't allow it enough time to register the device as being plugged in is unclear, but if you're experiencing the same problem, you may want to try the old unplug it and plug it back in trick.
One other thing you should do if you plan on using this over-the-top charger is to ensure your power adapter is up to snuff. Again, the maximum output is 100W, so your typical charging cube might not suffice — get something more substantial.
Is Plugable's huge USB-C charging hub worth the money?
Maximalism is not for everyone, but sometimes, having more is better.
What I like about the PS-10CC is that it offers a ton of ports and a better way of charging all the devices you eventually plug into those ports. Not everyone will need all that utility, of course, but for those who do, it's nice to see something that has the most but in a thoughtful way.
It's also worth noting that this might not be everyone's preferred charging method since it might not start to top up your device immediately. If you want instantaneous juice, using a standard charger that delivers consistent power is still best. However, if you're more into charging things at different speeds over time and aren't hell-bent on everything getting charged at once, this should be a perfect solution.
For me, the PS-10CC is, in many ways, precisely what I've been waiting for — a charger that serves a lot of gadgets and also accommodates my desire to make sure I'm not ruining the fragile chemistry of my many lithium-ion batteries.
More isn't always better, but Plugable is again making a strong case.
