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How to Charge Your Mobile Devices More Easily With a USB Charging Receptacle

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

Charging your cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices can be a pain.

Most devices can be charged by plugging them into either a standard 115 V electrical outlet or a USB port on another device.

The irritating part is that you usually need to use a USB adapter to plug your power cables into a standard 115 V outlet.

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I’m excited to show you a tool that will make charging your electronic devices a breeze. Plus, you’ll save some cash by not having to buy those easily-lost USB adapters.

This USB Charging Adapter Will Make Your Life Easier

It looks similar to a standard outlet that you’d find in your house or RV. But it’s got two additional USB ports in the middle. You can plug your cell phone, laptop computer, or anything else that charges by USB right into the USB ports.

This device is made by Leviton, a leader in the fast-growing home automation industry.

Leviton USB charging receptacle

You can charge two devices at the same time with the USB outlets, and still have both standard 115 V receptacles free.

And your gadgets will charge quickly. The Leviton USB charging receptacle has a 3.6 A charging capacity and an internal smart chip that automatically adjusts to the power needs of each device.

Easy Installation Makes This a No-Brainer RV Mod

You won’t even notice the outlet once you install it. The Leviton USB charging receptacle looks just like a standard outlet, and sits flush with a standard GFCI faceplate.

And if you want to maximize your UBS charging capacity, Leviton makes a four-port model as well.

Many types of Leviton USB receptacles

Each Leviton model will fit into any standard size wall box, and you can run wires into it from either the back or the sides making it super easy to install.

Kevin Livingston from Motorhome Magazine installed an older-model Leviton USB receptacle in his coach, and said this about the installation procedure,

Installation is a simple process of swapping out an existing receptacle. After disconnecting all power to the coach (turn off the AC generator, disconnect the inverter and unplug the shorepower), remove the cover plate of the existing outlet.

Then remove the two screws holding the socket to the box or the wall. Before touching any wires, ensure that there is no electricity by using a multimeter. Now with all the wiring exposed and accessible, note how the outlet is wired and the color of the wires.

Color coding is marked on the back of the new Leviton receptacle (white is neutral, black is hot and green is ground).

Make sure there is at least ¾-inch of insulation stripped back, and all the wires can be secured to the new outlet just as they were to the old outlet.

If the wires were just inserted in the clip holes in the back of the old outlet and not connected under the old outlet’s screws, it’s best to connect the wires under the new outlet’s screws for the most secure installation.

Kevin said that the installation took him only 3o minutes.

Note: One concern a buyer had was that the USB outlets might draw power when nothing was plugged in. Leviton says that if no devices are plugged into the USB outlets, the receptacle will draw only 50 mW. So it does draw some power, but only a tiny amount.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an alternative to carrying around a bunch of easily-lost USB adapters, the Leviton USB charging receptacle seems like it would be a great solution.

Here’s a detailed video by Sparky Channel that will show you the difference between the older single-port Leviton USB charging receptacle and the newer, two-port version.

httpv://youtu.be/PG4aQ66IJO8

 

You can read more reviews on the Leviton USB charging receptacle here.

Source: Leviton and Motorhome Magazine

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1 thought on “How to Charge Your Mobile Devices More Easily With a USB Charging Receptacle”

  1. Instead of replacing outlets, I just use one plug to charge up to 5 devices. I got one of these Anker 40W 5-Port High Speed Desktop USB Charger with PowerIQ Technology. Its basically a USB hub, but it puts out the best amps for whatever device you plug in and charges fast. Most everything rechargeable these days has a USB cable, so with the Anker, you can leave the wall plugs at home. I use it for all types of devices like phones, tablets, Bluetooth ear pieces and speakers. Even the batteries for my e-cig vaporizer. I hang a wall mounted shoe holder near it and all the devices have a pocket to charge in, keeping all the cables and devices tidy.
    Amazon link: http://goo.gl/RlJUHt

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