The easiest way of having a charging station would be to just have an outlet and plug in whatever. That way youre not committed. I thought about it, moreso for my kids, but I figured by the time they get around to getting cell phones, everything will charge wirelessly.

We did ours with standard outlets in a drawer - less commitment and works with every device.

I used USB electrical sockets from Lutron, available at Lowes and HD. I simply handed it to the electrician he simply installed one of these instead. I put them under the island apron. The USB cable(s) (purchased separately) are retractable and tuck away when not in use.

jm_seattle - love that setup with the plug strip in the drawer. I'm curious, why do you have an outlet above the counter too?

We hid ours in a cabinet on the back of our island. You can get that kind of outlet from Home Depot.

This post was edited by gpraceman on Thu, Nov 14, 13 at 17:58

jm_seattle -- I love that set up! How is the power strip in the drawer actually connected to the electricity? Do you know what kind of wiring was used?

sjhockeyfan - it's overkill to have the outlet above the charging drawer. we hardly ever use it. the idea was to have an alternative for when the drawer was closed. the few times we've used have been when we want to use a device (usually tablet or laptop) while it's charging. the drawer is in the kitchen, so in theory it would also work for small appliances like coffee grinder/toaster/etc., but the location of it is not as convenient as other outlets for those appliances.

hbrrbh - our electrician did it, but i was surprised how low tech it is. there is a standard outlet behind the drawer, and the strip just has a standard plug on the end of it. the drawer is purposefully built short so there would be room behind it for the plug and the cord to gather. when the inspector came by to sign off on it, all he did was open it and close it a few times to make sure nothing was resisting/pinching.

JM, thanks for this idea. I'm currently refinishing a hutch to serve as our family charging station, and your photo here is what I had in mind. I can't wait for all wireless... in the meantime, have to deal with the cords.

Yes, chargers do change... my 3G cord doesn't match with my husband's new 5-whatever cord. And the kids have multiple cords, too. The only need we have in common is an outlet! Go figure.

Doesn't everyone else like to keep their phone charging by their bed at night? I use my phone as my alarm clock. I guess maybe if you're home during the day you might use this a little bit, but eah.. it reminds me of how it used to be all classy to have a phone jack in one's bathroom.

We keep going back and forth on how to handle this. I like the surge protector options because you can shut them off, thereby eliminating the electrical waste from having these things plugged in all the time. I'd love to see a system where the surge protector could somehow detect when the items are charged and shut itself off.

Doesn't everyone else like to keep their phone charging by their bed at night? I use my phone as my alarm clock.

I do the same thing. But we have 3 phones, 2 ipads, 2 laptops, two cameras, and a Kindle that we like to keep charged.

As to the surge protector that you can turn off, fat chance :-)

Hm, I don't know about that, sjhockeyfan. It seems like if the technology doesn't already exist, it probably will soon.

Here's a few products that are approximating it:

The Smart Strip
"You don't want your power strip to eat up power, but you also want assurance that your equipment is safe from harsh power surges. Ideal for computer systems and home entertainment centers, the Smart Strip LCG3 employs a proprietary auto-switching technology that automatically shuts down devices that are not in use, saving you money and reducing your overall energy usage.

The Smart Strip has 10 clearly marked outlets that you plug your computer or home entertainment center peripherals into. When you power down your computer or stereo, the Smart Strip automatically shuts down the power to your computer's and entertainment's center peripherals. This unique feature not only saves you money and helps the environment, it also makes shutting down your systems fast and easy.

Unlike most power strips, the Smart Strip itself uses very little energy. It uses one watt of power when fully engaged and less than 1/4 of a watt when the automatically switched outlets are off."
http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-Protector-Autoswitching-Technology/dp/B0006PUDQK

Power Strip with Timer
"The Westekî Indoor Power Strip Timer is an easy to use 24 hour timer combined with an eight outlet power strip. Four outlets are controlled by the timer and four are independent (always on), providing the ultimate in flexibility."
http://www.decorativecents.com/tm08dhb.html

Hm, I don't know about that, sjhockeyfan. It seems like if the technology doesn't already exist, it probably will soon

You misunderstood me - I meant "fat chance" that I would ever bother turning off the surge protector. One that turns itself off would be great!

Ah! I'm following you now!

Yes, Getting a charging station is a good way to save finding different wall to plug in. I've got a RavPower 4-port charger and I place it in a stable wall charger so I can always put my elec. there to get the power.

Here is a link that might be useful: RavPower 4-port charging station