Combating Clutter: Organizing Electronic Devices with a Charging Station

Charging multiple electronic devices just about always results in a messy pile of cables, not to mention the overall clutter, which does not play well with those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) — or angry spouses.

RVers face a difficult challenge when living in their rigs, whether for a weekend jaunt or full time: keeping the interior organized and neat.

For me, clutter is evil — especially since my wife, Lynne, and I live full-time in a fifth wheel that actually could be a little bigger for our lifestyle.

I am totally connected while on the road, relying on multiple iPads, a Kindle reader, an iPod and, of course, a smartphone to get through the day — and that’s in addition to the laptop computer and an Apple Watch, wireless earbuds and Bose Tempo sunglasses. (Wow, writing these down makes me think I need to check into a rehab center.) Keeping all these devices charged was a big headache, leading to messy wires and devices casually strewn on the countertop adjacent to the dinette. Not only was the pile of electronic devices unsightly, it occupied too much space.

The Unitek Fast Charging Station is compact and neatly stores tablets, readers, smartphones and many other flat items. The kit comes with 11 dividers that simply push into the base and 10 USB outlets, one of which is for fast charging. Although the Unitek charging station is UL-certified and employs a number of safety features, it can be disconnected from power using the inline switch in the power cord.

The solution: a charging station.

If you Google “charging stations,” be prepared to see a plethora of products with scads of specifications. After focusing on a compact product that works well with Apple products and one that offered universal dividers and spacing for a variety of devices, I settled on a Unitek Fast Charging Station, available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3qjeZae). It sells for $47.99 and offers 10 3.0 multi-USB ports and 11 dividers to custom design the platform for handling various size devices.

While this charging station is said to charge up to five iPads simultaneously, it may not be suitable for use with iPad Pro models. I only charge up to three iPads at one time, and do not have a Pro-model tablet…yet. Nine of the 10 USB ports provide a 5-volt, 2.4-amp charging rate, which is pretty standard in the industry as of this writing. The quick charging port can restore 80% charge to a suitable device in 35 minutes, but you’ll have to supply your own cables.

For this setup, I ordered a five-pack of 7-inch G-Cord Apple MFI Certified lightning to USB cables ($14.99 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UjzKX7), which have worked out well; also used are a couple short mini-USB cables for non-Apple devices.

As with most electronic devices on the market, this charging station may not be suitable for all users, depending on equipment. It works fine for flat Apple and other Android-powered devices, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all product; the concept here is to use a charging station to clean up your desk or counter, not handle every electronic device on the planet.

Organizing the five tall and six short dividers to accommodate various size devices is simple — they just snap into the base. They are strong enough to keep the devices secure (while stored on their edges like small books), but after a while they tend to loosen up a bit. If you’re satisfied with the spacing, a dab of silicone can keep the dividers from falling out.

The Unitek charging station is UL-certified and carries a number of other safety endorsements for its “Multi Protection System” said to guard against over-charging, over-heating, over-voltage, surge and short circuits — something that feeds my paranoia about charging devices. My cousins lost their home to a fire and a laptop computer that was left plugged in and unattended and experienced a thermal runaway. To further hedge on the safety side, I plugged this charging station into a surge protector and use the switch in the power cord to disconnect power when the rig is unattended or the charging station is not in use.