USB-C promised one cable for everything. The plug is indeed the same, but the power behind it is not, and that is where the confusion starts.
Watts decide the speed
- Earbuds and watches: 5 W
- Phones: 20 to 45 W
- Tablets and thin laptops: 45 to 65 W
- Large laptops: 100 W and more
A charger gives a device as much as it asks for, but never more than the charger can deliver. A 20 W phone charger will charge a laptop, only very slowly.
One charger for the bag
A 65 W charger with several ports covers a thin laptop, a phone and earbuds at once. The Corda Charge 65W is half the size of a typical laptop brick.
The cable matters too
A thin cable from an old phone is usually limited to 60 W. For bigger laptops look for a cable rated for 100 or 240 W, like the Corda Link.
On the road
A 20,000 mAh power bank with 65 W output charges a laptop on a train and is allowed in carry-on luggage.
