The Best USB Wall Sockets For Faster Charging At Home

The BG Electrical NSB is the USB socket we'd fit in most rooms. It has a slim faceplate with rounded edges and comes in brushed steel or polished chrome, both with an anti-fingerprint lacquer so it doesn't look grubby after a week in a kitchen.

BG gives it two USB-A ports with a combined 3.1A output, shared between them. The socket detects what's plugged in and adjusts the charge to suit, then drops into standby once the device is full. Overload protection is built in, and twin earth terminals make it suitable for high integrity circuits.

It needs a 25mm back box, the standard depth in most UK homes, so it swaps straight in for most old sockets. The one thing it lacks is a USB-C port, which newer phones and tablets use.

Phones and tablets that support fast charging only get it from a port that can supply it, and the Knightsbridge CU9904 has the USB-C port to do that. It pairs a 3A USB-C port with a 2A USB-A port, so older devices still have somewhere to plug in.

The socket switches between 5V, 9V and 12V depending on what the device asks for, and Knightsbridge promises charging up to three times faster on compatible devices. There's a power saving mode, with short circuit, soft start and thermal protection built in. You can choose from a range of faceplate and insert colours.

It sits at the dearer end of this list, and Knightsbridge doesn't offer it in polished chrome, which rules it out if the rest of your sockets are chrome.

The Livolo looks nothing like a standard socket. It has a tempered glass front with illuminated touch switches instead of rocker switches, and the sockets can also be switched with a remote control. It comes in black or white.

On the USB side, Livolo fits two CE certified ports rated at 2.1A each, which is fine for overnight phone charging.

In practice, most people end up using the touch switches and the remote stays in a drawer. It earns its place behind a wall-mounted TV or a bed where the socket is hard to reach, and in a modern room where a glass faceplate fits the look.

The Luceco LEXS is a well-made, affordable socket in satin brushed steel with black inserts, which looks good in a kitchen or a modern living room. It's a direct swap for a standard double socket and needs the usual 25mm mounting depth.

Each of the two USB-A ports is rated at 2.1A, enough for overnight phone charging but lower than the Knightsbridge or Bay City ports for tablets and fast-charging phones.

What sets it apart is the warranty. Luceco offers 25 years of cover, which is a sign of how much faith the brand has in it and a good reason to choose it if you're replacing every socket in a house at once.

The Bay City Electrical plate is a dedicated charging point rather than a socket, with two USB ports and no 13A outlets. Its big advantage is that two devices charging side by side don't slow each other down. Bay City runs each port on its own circuit and rates each one at 4.2A, so neither is sharing its output.

Each port has its own switch, and the socket picks the charge each device needs. Bay City fits a 1 amp fuse for protection and says it's CE and RoHS certified. Wiring is no more complicated than a standard socket.

Because it has no plug outlets, it works best as an extra charging point next to a bed, desk or kitchen worktop rather than a replacement for a double socket you rely on.

The Mega Socket is the budget choice in this list, finished in polished black nickel with black inserts that look smart in a darker or period-style room. It has two switched 13A sockets alongside its USB ports.

The faceplate is screwless, so there are no visible fixings on the front, and it needs a 27mm mounting depth, which is slightly deeper than the 25mm boxes in a lot of homes. Check your back boxes before you buy. Mega Socket says it's CE approved and meets current UK standards.

Its USB ports aren't as powerful as the rest of this list, so expect slower charging on tablets and fast-charging phones.